Under the guise of crafting trade agreements, big business -- which bankrolled many of those same elected officials -- is looking to impose provisions across the globe that open up government services to the private sector.
But the agreement carries big risks as well.
But on Friday, the German foreign minister, Guido Westerwelle, called the agreement "a big step in the right direction".
The agreement anticipates big savings on garage operations, and some of the resulting profit will be used to pay back the bond guarantors.
Pencils!Hollywood's writers ended their strike after the writers' guild reached an agreement with big television and film studios over payments for content broadcast on the internet.
At issue is a provision of the North American Free Trade Agreement, the big trade pact meant to create a common market among Mexico, Canada and the United States.
Konrad Hilbers, the chief operating officer of Napster, based in Redwood City, Calif., called the settlement and the royalty agreement a big step.
"The mayor and I both agree on the need for Chicago and Illinois to become more competitive for businesses," Mr. Brady said, citing their agreement that "big box" stores like Wal-Mart should be welcomed to Chicago, despite opposition from unions.
Now they want to do it again, and this time they want something the last agreement missed: big cuts to Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and other programs that primarily benefit middle- and low-income people.
The protocol binds the emissions of nearly 40 countries that now want a pact also regulating the United States, which did not ratify the Kyoto agreement, and big emerging economies.
