balancing the scales - December 2009

Go tell it on the mountain

Kentuckians For The Commonwealth P.O. Box 1450 London, Ky. 40743

December 17, 2009

Non-Profit U.S. Postage PAID Lexington, Ky. Permit No. 513

Volume 28 Number 8

Change Service Requested

balancing the scales

Inside...

• Singing for Democracy lifts spirits and awareness • “Who Pays?” A report about Kentucky’s tax structure • KFTC members continue to pressure PSC over coalburning power plant permit • KFTC exceeds grassroots fundraising goal of $240,000; Jefferson County chapter hosts a record breaking event • Elmer Lloyd finally wins over Nally and Hamilton coal company

KFTC member McKinley Sumner speaks with filmmakers about how his land was stolen by a coal company

balancing the scales, December 17, 2009

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Message from the Chair 2009 has been an important year for the country and an important year for KFTC. The spirit of our organization grows by leaps and bounds every year along with the size of our organization.

Just a very few of the highlights of 2009 are: • The tremendous job Ashley Judd, Randy Wilson, Willa Johnson, Emily Gillespie, Silas House Sen. Kathy Stein, U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth Teri Blanton and musicians Daniel Martin Moore, Ben Sollee, Public Outcry and the Reel World String Band did for us as guest speakers on I Love Mountains Day in Frankfort.

• KFTC members participated in Power Shift and Capitol Climate Action in Washington, D.C. • KFTC’s Canary project members attended numerous mountaintop removal actions in neighboring states.

• KFTC’s High Road Initiative work on Appalachian Transition.

• The Restoration of Voting Rights Bill passed the state House of Representatives due to the hard

work of KFTC and allies.

• The grassroots organizing around restoration of voting rights work in Scott County, by KFTC members.

• Our grassroots fundraising goal of $240,000 being met!

• Nationwide Permit 21 hearing in Pikeville, well attended by KFTC members, many of whom spoke in front of a large crowd in opposition.

• Our local chapters growing and providing a strong base for the organization.

• And of course, another outstanding and well attended KFTC Annual Meeting.

The events of 2009 have made it more and more clear that KFTC is one of the few organizations that is ready, willing and able to challenge the psychological inertia in Frankfort and break the governmental log jam that exists in Kentucky.

It has been great working with you in 2009. I look forward to working with all of you in 2010.

Sincerely, K.A. Owens KFTC Chairperson

KFTC membership dues are $15 to $50 per year, based on ability to pay. No one is denied membership because of inability to pay.

Membership is open to anyone who is committed to equality, democracy and nonviolent change.

Chapter Representatives

page 3 page 4 page 5 page 6 page 17

Grassroots Fundraising: a record breaking year

page 8

Economic Justice: report documents flaws in Kentucky’s tax structure

page 9

Canary Project Canary Leadership Network reviews a year of action Local and National religious leaders view mountaintop removal

page 10 page 12

Rural Electric Cooperative Update Kentucky PSC asked to revoke permit for coal-burning power plant

page 14

High Road Initiative: New alliance will help bring sustainable energy to Kentucky

page 15

Voting Rights: Singing for Democracy event lifts spirits and awareness

page 16

Organizational News: Steering Committee evaluates 2009 and looks ahead to 2010

page 18

KFTC Calendar of Events

page 19

• foster democratic values • change unjust institutions • empower individuals • overcome racism and other discrimination • communicate a message of what is possible • build the organization • help people participate • win issues that affect the common welfare • have fun

K.A. Owens, Chairperson Steve Boyce, Vice-Chairperson Pam Maggard, Secretary-Treasurer Doug Doerrfeld, Immediate Past Chair Susan Williams, At-Large Member

Table of Contents Local Updates Harlan County members organize around local mining permits Floyd County members celebrate local victories and local hero After three years Elmer Lloyd gets settlement from Nally and Hamilton Madison members talk with state representative

is a statewide grassroots social justice orga­­ni­ zation working for a new balance of power and a just society. KFTC uses direct-action organizing to accomplish the following goals:

KFTC Steering Committee

Enjoy the holidays with your families.

Your Letters The personal effects disenfranchisement; government protects elsewhere, destroys here

Kentuckians For The Commonwealth

Cover Photo: KFTC member McKinley Sumner speaks with filmmakers about how his land was stolen by a coal company.

Dana Beasley-Brown (Bowling Green) Jerry Moody (Central Kentucky) Rick Handshoe (Floyd) Carl Shoupe (Harlan) Becki Winchel (Jefferson) Cari Moore (Knott) Patty Amburgey (Letcher) Becca Parrish (Madison) Randy Moon (Perry) Vanessa Hall (Pike) Sue Tallichet (Rowan) Alternates: Donna Aros, Matt Heil, Bev May, Stanley Sturgill, Martha Flack, Bobby Hicks, Jeff Chapman Crane, Ray Arnold, Truman Hurt, Erica Urias, Ted Withrow

Kentuckians For The Commonwealth P.O. Box 1450 London, Kentucky 40743-1450 606-878-2161 Fax: 606-878-5714 info@kftc.org www.kftc.org

balancing the scales is published by Kentuckians For The Commonwealth and mailed third class from Lexington, Kentucky.

Reader contri­butions and letters to the editor should be sent to 250 Southland Drive Suite #4, Lexington, KY. 40503 or tim@kftc.org.

Subscriptions are $20 per year.

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balancing the scales, December 17, 2009

Letters to the Editor

The personal effects of former felon disenfranchisement

Dear Editor,

My name is Travis Burton and I am from Hazard in Perry County. In 2001 I was convicted of trafficking a controlled substance, a felony conviction. As a result, many of my rights were taken away.

There are different classes of felonies and my charge is one of the least severe. I was put on probation. Most convicted felons aren’t career criminals and many haven’t been to prison. My crime didn’t involve a firearm; still I’m not allowed to own a gun. I don’t feel I need a gun, but I do like to hunt. I was raised in the mountains.

I watch the news and follow current events. I am a compassionate and concerned American. I care who supports our voice and have an opinion about what issues need attention, yet I can’t vote.

I don’t see the logic behind taking the voice from a group of people that are already at a disadvantage.

I thought one of the main premises in a democracy was equal rights. I have served my sentence. My vote should count.

Most anyone asked will admit this is an injustice.

Felons are citizens, right? I’m not asking for justice — I was guilty — I just want mercy. I would weather twice a sentence to not be labeled a convicted felon. I don’t believe that a murderer should be allowed to have a gun or a sex offender should remain anonymous, but the system should be more qualitative.

I once had a more innocent and trusting nature but after such an ordeal and I nearly lost my faith for a system. I thought it had turned its back on me. After being handed such a blow it took time for my hardened heart to soften again.

I have lost my resentment and want to be happy and do well in life. I am again overcome with passion and drive, but I’m aimed at an impenetrable brick wall.

I’m aware harsh penalties detour crime, but I thought the justice system was a rehabilitating process, not one of insolence and oppression.

My dreams of being a college professor now seem distant, but I would like to finish college. I love to read and have a passion for writing. I am currently writing a novel and would like to be a frequent contributor to a local paper. It is a work in progress. I may not be a

Dear Editor,

I was a Peace Corp volunteer in West Africa. I was in a program called Natural Resources Management. I saw millions in American tax dollars going to teaching people erosion control measures. I saw millions go to replanting forest, showing people how important it is to protect your highland water sources. I helped establishing riparian zones above springs. We built earth berms to control erosions on slopes

I was paid in American tax dollars to plant thousands of trees. We filled huge eroded slopes with chain link fence and boulders. First I was on loan to the World Bank –then to U.S. AID [Agency for International Development]. I lived with the Fulani people.

Then when I came back I signed up for an AmeriCorp tour in California. I did Chinook Habitat restoration for a year. I hiked miles of stream, planted trees, checked thousands of culverts, did slope and hinge calculations and was financed by the American government. I was trained and put to work protecting California’s highland watersheds.

Then I came home to the Appalachians, which my family has called home for over six generations.

And I saw agencies like OSM [U.S. Office of Surface Mining] and others allowing absolute destruction of the highland watersheds that I had helped

the American government spend millions in a Third World country to make sure they would never do that.

I saw the state of California spending millions to protect their highland watersheds as well. It’s a matter of plain common sense to protect your highland watersheds.

Then I come home and I see mountains completely scraped, blown up – and the watersheds being completely annihilated.

“Chris,” my grandmother used to tell me, “the Appalachians are the 4th world. We get all the destructive crappy industries that they don’t want anywhere else.”

This was from a 4th generation Appalachian farm girl.

And I have seen with my own eyes that it is true.

We are not the Third World – the Appalachians are the Fourth World. Stupid practices, which I have seen our government spend money to fight, with my own eyes in Africa, are allowed, even facilitated, by the American government in my own mountains.

We are not the Third World – we are the Fourth.

U.S. government paying to protect resources in Africa, but promoting destruction in Appalachia

Chris Irwin Knoxville, Tennessee

famous novelist; I am not under any illusions. It may be a pipe dream, but I don’t want my efforts to be in vain.

I want to better my life. It is a rough road being a convicted felon and it is not paved. I would like to have my rights back. It is hard to sustain confidence when I don’t have a voice or the same opportunity anyone else has.

I was pleased to see a bill was passed in the House to help restore voting rights and hope it will be addressed equally in the Senate. Kentucky is one of the last states to restore voting after sentences are completed. This sounds like a violation of the 14th amendment.

Travis Burton Perry County, Kentucky

KFTC Offices and Staff MAIN OFFICE Morgan Brown, Robin Daugherty & Burt Lauderdale P.O. Box 1450 London, Kentucky 40743 606-878-2161 Fax: 606-878-5714 info@kftc.org

FIELD OFFICES Louisville

Central Kentucky

Jessica George, Jerry Hardt, Colette Henderson, Shameka Parrish-Wright and Nancy Reinhart 901 Franklin Street Louisville, Ky 40206 502-589-3188

Tim Buckingham, Jessica Hays, Erik Hungerbuhler, Heather Roe Mahoney, Dave Newton and Ondine Quinn 250 Plaza Drive, Suite #4 Lexington, Ky 40503 859-276-0563

Berea Lisa Abbott, Amy Hogg, Carissa Lenfert, Sara Pennington Kevin Pentz, and Martin Richards 435-R Chestnut St, #2 Berea, Kentucky 40403 859-986-1277

Berea Teri Blanton 118 Baugh Street Berea, Ky. 40403 859-986-1648

Whitesburg Colleen Unroe and Patty Tarquino P.O. Box 463 Whitesburg, Ky 41858 606-632-0051

Floyd County Brittany Combs Floyd County, Ky. 606-422-0100

e-mail any staff member at firstname@kftc.org except for Jessica Hays use jessicabreen@kftc.org

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balancing the scales, December 17, 2009

Local Updates

Harlan County members organize around local mining permits

A proposed deep mine expansion that would allow a coal company to mine underneath water source supplies and homes in several communities has raised citizen concerns and moved many residents to take action in Harlan and Letcher counties.

Harlan Reclamation Corporation has applied for an additional 11,212 acres of deep mining. This proposed addition may impact residents in Collier’s Creek, Lewis Creek, Partridge, and Lynch.

Thirty-five residents recently participated in a permit conference to express their concerns about the proposal. The primary concern for most people was how this proposal would impact their water. They seek a modification of the mining plan to ensure that it is done responsibly, and it does not threaten their quality of life and property values.

In the case of Lewis Creek and Collier’s Creek, mining would take place under 50 houses. These households have wells as their only drinking water source.

There have been previous efforts to get water lines to the communities, but both Cumberland and Big Stone Gap water districts currently have not pursued this option. A number of residents already have poor water quality, and they don’t want it to get worse.

“They are going right under my house,” said Judy McKnight, of Collier’s Creek. “I’ve had two failed wells already. They did a survey on my third well recently, and they said the water wasn’t worth anything. I have to bring my drinking water in. I have floors and doors that have been damaged by blasting that no one will fix. My husband, mother and many others up in this creek, from Eolia down, have passed away or been sick. We’re worried about our health drinking this bad water. We can’t live up in here without water.”

Residents in Lynch also expressed a concern about water. The current proposal goes underneath Looney Creek and less than 400 feet from the city’s reservoir. The creek feeds into the reservoir and serves many people’s water needs.

Partnership with farmers advances organizing in south central Kentucky Builds support for KFTC and Community Farm Alliance

Around 20 people – – farmers, local business owners, potters, parents and artists – from Washington, Nelson and Marion counties gathered at the Valley Hill General Store to share great food, swap stories about water, farming, and budget cuts, and kick off some local organizing for a better Kentucky.

Wa s h i n g t o n C o u n t y Dave and Holly Zoeller, new members of KFTC, member Albert Bauman or- co-hosted the friend raiser at their Valley Hill ganized the joint friend-raiser General Store. On Bloomfield Road in Washingwith KFTC and Community ton County, the General Store sells locally-proFarm Alliance. The group duced arts and crafts, groceries, and goldfish. decided to meet monthly, set some goals, and learn ways to work together on state policies.

“When you sit down and share some food with people, it becomes much easier to think about what we can do when we all work together. It’s just a good thing. I think the night was a great success. I’m excited to see what we’re able to do,” said Bauman.

“What’s more important, coal or water?” Bennie Massey, a Lynch City Council and KFTC member asked.

“We have coal all over Harlan County. We don’t have to disturb this water. We can protect our water and that’s what we are all here for. We need answers before this permit is granted.”

Residents of Lynch requested a 1,000-foot buffer zone around the water source and reservoir to ensure its protec-

tion.

The Kentucky Division of Mine Permits granted a request for a two-week extension on the public comment, which enabled additional residents and the Kentucky Resources Council to submit information.

Residents will continue to raise concerns about the threat to clean water and to explore options to support people who lack it.

Harlan County residents examine mining maps for a proposed deep mine that would threaten their community water supply.

Perry County members strategize for chapter growth in the new year

In an effort to broaden the scope of the Perry County chapter, members will be focusing more on outreach around the voting rights campaign and options for economic alternatives in eastern Kentucky.

Over the last year, Senator Brandon Smith has shifted his position in support of restoring voting rights to former felons who have served their debt to society (with a few exceptions).

KFTC members plan to reach out to potential allies to strengthen that support leading into the 2010 legislative session.

Chapter members also plan to explore outreach around energy efficiency within the community. This is an area where people can find common

ground to create jobs and save money.

This outreach will involve local workshops and other efforts to spread the word within the community.

“I think saving energy is where it’s at. People are interested in saving money, and when we are able to start the conversation with that, it will open the door for talk about other aspects of energy,” said Perry County member Truman Hurt.

Chapter members continue to be involved in the range of statewide campaigns, including organizing around mountaintop removal and support for mine safety, including federal initiatives to enforce Black Lung laws and eventually eliminate the occupational disease.

Visit www.KFTC.org/blog

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balancing the scales, December 17, 2009

Local Updates

Floyd County members celebrate local victories and local hero

The community of Steven’s Branch near Martin in Floyd County has had a number of tragic events in the past several months related to the surface mining in their community.

Many may remember the incident where a 5-foot bolder crashed into the home of Billy and Eileen Tussey earlier this summer. Not even two months later another flyrock incident occurred. Effie Hughes, a member of the Steven’s Branch community found a rock about the size of a soccer ball in her roof.

Many other community members have been affected by the mining in different ways. The Ousley family, who were the original heirs to the land that is now being mined, feel as though the property was basically stolen by the company from their family.

The company used what is referred to as a “force of sale” to obtain the land.

Many other community members are concerned about the hard blasting that occurs daily even after the company was fined $10,000 for the first flyrock incident. The company also has released black water into a nearby creek and still continues to mine carelessly in the community.

Folks in Steven’s Branch have started organizing, holding two meetings so far with about 10-15 people in attendance.

At the second meeting the community identified a large list of things that they would like to see changed and then determined next steps. One of the next steps identified was to request a meeting with the Prestonsburg office of the Department of Mine Reclamation and Enforcement to express their concerns and needs around enforcement of the law.

The community of Steven’s Branch is organizing fast and strong and are excited to become a part of an even larger movement across the state, and also to reach out to others in Floyd County who are dealing with related problems around mountaintop removal coal min-

ing.

One of those neighboring communities is Wayland, where residents have organized for several months and finally reached the point of celebrating some victories. Although the struggles have not been won completely, folks in Wayland are beginning to see their hard work

“We may not always agree on everything, but as a community we can all agree that we should show appreciation to those who do their country a service.”

Ed Lake and dedication pay off.

The community held a public hearing early this summer to bring attention to problematic waster discharges from an abandoned mine. Member Susie Mills called the state Division of Abandoned Mine Lands (AML) recently and was assured that a solution is in the development and engineering stages and will be underway in the coming months.

During the public hearing and through many meetings with the Wayland City Council, another reoccurring water problem was the city’s own water drainage issues.

The drain systems in Wayland were old and had not been adequately maintained, and water could not properly drain. This problem left water standing in the streets, which would freeze to sheets of ice during the winter.

After the public hearing with county officials and state elected leaders, a project started just weeks after the hearing to fix the drainage problem.

City government worked alongside the county government with U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers’ office to locate funds to replace the drain systems in Wayland with new ones.

After receiving the good news about the AML project along with the replacement of the city drains, Wayland residents received another bit of good news at the most recent city council meeting.

The city council will fix the broken and in some cases non-existent sidewalks in the community.

Sidewalks have been one of the ma-

jor concerns of citizens since they first started organizing in May. The city estimates that the project will cost around $60,000 to complete and is searching for grants and other financial means.

When members first went to the council meeting and asked about replacing sidewalks they were greeted with an excuse that it would have to be left up to the citizens to fix the sidewalks that border their property on their own.

With a little perseverance the community has made headway with the council around this concern. Citizens have been very aware of the changes they are seeing as a direct result of the organizing in the community.

In the very first community meeting mem- Charles Bentley led the line at a potluck held in his bers made a list of things honor to celebrate his service in the Armed Forces. they wanted to be fixed Community members sponsored the celebration. or changed in Wayland.

The local citizens group wanted They can now be proud to cross off three of the five major concerns and call them those in the community who had not been a part of the organizing to see that victories! they were a group who were not just *****

The community of Wayland held working on problems but a group of a dinner for a returning solider named neighbors who care about one another Charles Bentley who was injured in Af- and want Wayland to be a better place to ghanistan. The community wanted to live.

“We may not always agree on evwelcome Bentley home with some good country fixin’s to show him their appre- erything, but as a community we can all ciation for his service for the community agree that we should show appreciation to those who do their country a service,” and for the United States.

The community showed its gratitude said Ed Lake.

The dinner was a huge success and by preparing a potluck dinner, which included several entrees and many des- Bentley said that he was glad to see serts. Nearly 30 people within the com- good change happening in Wayland and munity came and the evening was filled would be excited to see more change by with laughter and good conversation. the next time that he gets to come home.

“This is the type of thing that needs Mills said some kind and empowering words about coming together as a com- to happen every month or so, just everymunity to celebrate the coming home of one getting together and having a good meal,” said Phyllis Lake.

Bentley.

Floyd County Chapter Meeting: Second Monday of every month 7 p.m. Martha Catholic Church in Prestonsburg

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balancing the scales, December 17, 2009

Local Updates

After three years Elmer Lloyd gets settlement from Nally and Hamilton

After three long years, Nally and Hamilton coal company was finally ordered to accept responsibility for destroying Elmer Lloyd Jr.’s fish pond.

The company’s strip mining above Brenda and Elmer Lloyds’ home had caused the damage.

In 1993, Lloyd built a pond for his family and friends to enjoy. Their children and grandchildren would camp by the pond behind their home in the community of Blair in Harlan County. Lloyd would go out every morning with his cup of coffee and feed the fish. A fresh water spring from the hollow above his house provided clean water to the onethird acre, eleven-foot deep pond. The pond had a good solid bottom.

In 2006, the company’s sediment pond at the bottom of a valley fill failed multiple times releasing mud into Lloyd’s pond. The company had put chemicals into its pond to get the mud to settle to the bottom; this resulted in killing all of the fish in Lloyd’s pond.

The company said that it would be willing to dip out the sediment that had collected to address the violations.

Lloyd felt like the company tried to pressure him to sign release forms by using bad language and implying that he had to sign off on this approach. Yet

the Department of Fish and Wildlife indicated that dipping out the problem would only be a temporary fix without a new source of water.

Another incident resulted in mine runoff that flooded several nearby residents’ properties and polluted the Cumberland River. Two of the sediment ponds on this strip-mine operation

his own land.

“They knew that it was my property, but they were just trying to get me to back-off,” Lloyd said.

Prior to working with KFTC Lloyd had tried unsuccessfully to get Nally and Hamilton to look at the damage it had caused. After the county newspaper got involved, both the company

“When they damage you, don’t give up because they expect people will get scared and give up. You should work with a group of people like KFTC because more than one can make a difference in the outcome. If you don’t quit fighting your situation, most likely you’ll eventually win.”

Elmer Lloyd caused this situation and resulted in additional violations.

“If I had known there was going to be a strip mine, I never would have built it,” Lloyd reflected.

The company also tried to get out of accountability by questioning the ownership of the property. Lloyd had been paying taxes on the land since his family moved there in 1982. They had to go back and forth with the adjacent property owner to prove that he owned

and the state took notice. In addition to news coverage, a six-minute video that has been viewed by many people was created about Lloyd’s pond.

The Kentucky Resources Council provided Lloyd with legal representation. Tom FitzGerald invested a lot of time working to counter some of the company’s attempts to get out of legal responsibility.

In the end the state mining agency ordered the company to restore the

pond. This decision helped address the problem. The company paid Lloyd to restore the pond himself.

“If they had any care they wouldn’t have done it to begin with,” Lloyd said.

“But since they ended up causing the damage, they should have just fixed the problem instead of spending all this time trying to get out of it.

“If there were more laws, there could be more ways to help the people.

It’s left up to the individual to collect damages from the destruction and 90 percent of the people aren’t going to do it because they are either scared or can’t afford to.

“When they damage you, don’t give up because they expect people will get scared and give up. You should work with a group of people like KFTC because more than one can make a difference in the outcome. If you don’t quit fighting your situation, most likely you’ll eventually win,” Lloyd concluded.

VIDEO STORY:

You can check out the sixminute video on Elmer Lloyd’s pond at www.kftc.org/Elmer

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balancing the scales, December 17, 2009

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Local Updates

New athletic dorm on University of Kentucky campus to be named the “Wildcat Coal Lodge”

Despite protest from students, faculty, staff and the general public, in early November the University of Kentucky Board of Trustees approved a vote by 16-3 to rebuild and rename the Joe B. Hall Wildcat Lodge as the Wildcat Coal Lodge.

Joseph W. Craft III, the president of Alliance Coal, and 20 other individuals called the “Difference Makers” (see box below) donated $7 million to be given over a 10year period for the construction of the new men’s basketball residence hall.

Only three board members dissented from the vote, including faculty representative Ernie Yanarella, staff representative Robynn Pease and Student Government President Ryan Smith (each elected by their respective body while the remaining 16 members are business members appointed by the governor).

Students and KFTC members Danny Cotton and Jordan Panning prepared a statement to be read to the board, but were not allowed to do so.

“What struck me was that, as students, we couldn’t even get most of the board to read or hear a simple, half-page statement about how this name violates UK’s standards for naming buildings,” Cotton said. “And that, when looking at the board’s votes, the three who voted against this are three people tasked with representing students, faculty and staff.”

Additionally, the term “wildcat coal mining” has historical significance as a term used to describe illegal mining practices – mining without a permit and stealing coal.

To add irony to the situation, the new lodge will be a LEED certified building. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings. Certification assures that a building project is environmentally responsible, profitable and a healthy place to work or live.

“What struck me was that, as students, we couldn’t even get most of the board to read or hear a simple, half-page statement about how this name violates UK’s standards for naming buildings. And that, when looking at the board’s votes, the three who voted against this are three people tasked with representing students, faculty and staff.”

UK Student Danny Cotton

Martin Mudd, a graduate student and also a KFTC member, attended the board meeting as well.

“Naming a new LEED-certified campus building the Wildcat Coal Lodge is a bad move for this university. It is an egregious case of industrial product placement in a public institution. It is an insult to Kentucky basketball fans who remember Joe B. Hall as a great coach worthy of remembering,” said Mudd.

“It is a step backward for a university whose goal is to move forward to Top 20 status. Finally, this decision ignores the industry’s history of exploitation that has enriched coal corporations and corrupt politicians and impoverished Appalachia’s communities and devastated its ecosystems. This decision is unacceptable, but sadly it is just business as usual in Kentucky. We must raise our voices in opposition.

“UK shouldn’t name buildings after corporations, much less entire industries and lobbying groups. The way I look at it is we have the W.T. Young Library, I’m okay with that, but we don’t have the Peanut Butter Library. We have Blazer Hall, but we don’t have Ashland Oil Hall,” added Cotton.

The UK KFTC student group is planning some next steps, including investigating whether the naming procedure violated UK’s own administrative regulations.

Difference Makers

Students from the University of Kentucky KFTC group hosted a mock silent auction for individuals to purchase the naming rights for university buildings.

From left to right Jordan Panning, Danielle Boucher, Kimberly Hoffmeister, and Watson Harding.

Armstrong Land, Charles Baird, Charles Bradley, Nick Carter, David Childs, Joe Craft, Luther Deaton, Ted Doheny, Franklin Farris, L.D. Gorman, Mike Jones, Lynn Parrish, C.L. Redmond, Rex Smith, Tom Smith, Tom Snyder, Jeff Speaks, Wellford A. Tabor, Greg Wells, Charlie Wesley, and Lyle Wolf.

A Quiet Christmas on Wilson Creek

by Bev May

Neighbors along Wilson Creek in Floyd County are looking forward to a peaceful and safe Christmas. Miller Brothers Coal Company had intended to start a mountaintop removal operation on both sides of this watershed in 2007. However, with quick organizing help from KFTC, many residents decided instead to use their Broad Form Deed Amendment right to refuse mining on their property.

Wilson Creek residents along with the KFTC Floyd County Chapter also brought a Lands Unsuitable for Mining petition before the state Energy and Environment Cabinet.

The decision, which was issued in February, was a compromise. Wilson Creek can be surface mined but no coal company can use the residential road for hauling coal or equipment, they must replant hardwood trees, and they must restore the land to its approximate original contour.

Rather than pursuing a mining permit under these terms, Miller Brothers Coal Company has responded with a flurry of legal actions. Shortly after the citizens’ petition was filed, Miller Brothers attorneys asked that it be declared “frivolous” and attempted to cancel the public hearing.

Mary Cromer of the Appalachian Citizens Law Center (ACLC) represented the residents and KFTC members, and on November 3 a Cabinet hearing officer determined that the petition was not frivolous but valid.

Miller Brothers also appealed the cabinet’s decision in Franklin Circuit Court. At issue is whether the cabinet has the authority to provide additional protections for the community and environment in response to a Lands Unsuitable for Mining petition.

Both the Energy and Environment Cabinet and ACLC filed briefs in December arguing that they do indeed have that authority. The judge’s ruling will come in several months and may have an impact, for good or ill, on communities seeking to protect themselves using the Lands Unsuitable for Mining process.

One thing is certain: the folks on Wilson Creek will continue fighting to protect their own community and working for the day when no one is threatened by mountaintop removal.

2010 General Assembly Tuesday, January 5 Tuesday, April 13!

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balancing the scales, December 17, 2009

Grassroots Fundraising Update

Grassroots fundraising generates a record breaking year

2009 marks another year when members and staff met and exceeded the grassroots fundraising goal.

At the mid-December printing of this issue of balancing the scales, the goal of $240,000 had already been exceeded, up from $202,000 in 2008.

Grassroots fundraising is defined as gifts from individual donors, membership dues and the money raised at chapter events. Throughout the year KFTC stayed ahead of the fundraising goal and did not have to play catch up in an already busy fall.

In the first quarter, KFTC members invested more substantially in the work in the Kentucky General Assembly and

in Washington, D.C.

Throughout the year members hosted events and fundraisers that raised money and awareness about KFTC’s issues. Chapter members pitched in to help build turnout and recruit new members.

The last quarter of 2009 saw the highest spike in members who opted to become pledgers – which are members who give regularly throughout the year.

Many members went from giving an annual gift of $100 to donating $10 each month. But it was more often the case that members who gave $15 annually to maintain their dues dug deep in their pockets and pledged to give $15 a

month or quarter in 2010.

This year marked a record year for hosting events in more counties than in years past. Additionally, more pledgers joined and more major donors invested in the work of KFTC.

However, success boiled down to one simple fact: in 2009 KFTC members invested what they could, in the currency of time, talent and money, to ensure that KFTC has the strength to build a better Kentucky in 2010 and beyond.

Every year the annual fundraising goal is met in the form of a new member at $15, a renewing member at $20, and pretty soon it is September and members reach into their pockets and stretch

to make an additional donation to support our fall fundraising drive.

This fall, more and more phone bank conversations took place with members who were recently laid off, are experiencing high medical bills or are financially supporting members of their extended family. Yet many still found ways to suppport KFTC’s fundraising needs, such as working at an event, helping staff a phone bank and asking friends to join.

KFTC’s grassroots fundraising goal will increase significantly in 2010, built on the sucess achieved this year.

Thank you to every KFTC member who made an investment this year.

The Jefferson County chapter held a fundraiser on December 6 at the famed 21c Museum and Hotel in downtown Louisville. In all regards this was a success that brought members from all over the state together in an event that combined local art, culture, and raised awareness about the tawdry practice of mountaintop removal coal mining.

KFTC Canary Project Fellow Teri Blanton, who spoke with such fervor about the topographic holocaust that plagues our region, opened the event.

Kentucky authors Wendell Berry, Rebecca Howell and Erik Reece spoke eloquently about this unsettling topic.

The speakers captivated an audience of more than 250 people with their thoughts, ideas, and verbal images concerning the destruction of Appalachia.

All eyes in the room were cast upon the

podium while the onlookers took in the words of hope and resilience toward the mountaintop removal fight.

Kentucky musicians Daniel Martin Moore and Yim Yames (Jim James of My Morning Jacket) filled the great hall with music that pulled inJim James (above) of My Morning Jacket and Daniel Martin spiration from Moore (left) donated their musical talents at the Jefferson the harmonious County fundraiser at 21c Museum and Hotel. traditions of Apphoto credit www.youaintnopicasso.com palachia.

Each played a solo set and came than $24,000 while recruiting more than together for a short time to share a hundred new members. the stage and play Kentucky Waltz

This is only the tangible evidence of as people danced and took in the a well-run event. What could not have experience that was meant to bring been counted was how many seeds of the mountains to the metropolis. malcontent for the status quo regarding The event conveyed the truth energy policy in Kentucky were planted about the destruction just like the in the hearts and the minds of the crowd.

Ohio River brings Louisville all How many people left the hotel with of the hazardous by-products of new knowledge? Sir Francis Bacon mountaintop removal mining. described knowledge as power. This This event proved to be a great occasion created power by bringing the fundraiser for KFTC. Between realities of eastern Kentucky to the city tickets, merchandise and the silent that forgets about the rest of the state to auction, the event grossed more often.

Jefferson County fundraiser brings in $24,000 in one night

by George Eklund

We all live down river from a mountaintop removal coal mining site, but explaining what mountaintop removal is to someone that has never been to the ghost of a mountain is difficult.

I grew up in northeast Kentucky on the edge of the coalfields. It was not till I read the works of Kentucky author Wendell Berry that I realized that I had lived on the edge of such ruin for the majority of my life. These mountaintop removal sites are easy to ignore because the contorted topography of our region hides the devastation behind the hills carpeted with hardwood trees. This destruction has gone unnoticed too long.

THANK YOU Special thank you to the gracious sponsors who donated space, products, time and talent — 21c Museum and Hotel, International Contemporary Art Foundation, Proof on Main and Carmichael’s Bookstore.

Additional thanks goes to Creation Gardens, Bluegrass Brewing Company, Wiltshire Pantry, Hound Dog Letterpress, Cricket Press, Rainbow Blossom, Red Hot Roasters, and Heine Brothers Coffee.

balancing the scales, December 17, 2009

Economic Justice Update

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New report documents flaws in Kentucky’s tax structure

Make more money, contribute less to a better Kentucky

KFTC and Kentucky Youth Advocates (KYA) worked with the Institute of Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) to release a new report that assesses the fairness of Kentucky’s tax system.

ITEP’s Who Pays? report found that Kentucky’s tax structure impacts the poor and middle-class much more than the wealthy: • Kentucky families earning less than $15,000 — the poorest fifth of Kentucky non-elderly taxpayers — pay 9.4 percent of their income in Kentucky state and local taxes.

• Middle-income Kentucky taxpayers — those earning between $29,000 and $47,000 — pay 11.0 percent of their income in Kentucky state and local taxes.

• The richest Kentucky taxpayers — with average incomes of $957,500 — pay only 7.1 percent of their income

in Kentucky state and local taxes.

KFTC Vice-Chair Steve Boyce participated in the report’s release on behalf of the Kentucky Forward Coalition. Boyce noted that the solutions that ITEP suggested would decrease the contributions of the working and middle classes while making the state’s wealthiest pay an equal share. These are the same solutions outlined in the Kentucky Forward bill, sponsored in past legislative sessions by Rep. Jim Wayne.

Boyce said that ITEP’s findings affirm that the legislature has to decide to take leadership.

“We have a choice. We can continue to choose larger class sizes, longer lines for Meals on Wheels, fewer after-school programs, fewer inspections on mines’ effects on streams that feed our drinking water, and we can continue to unfairly target our working and middle class

families,” Boyce pointed out. “Or, we can choose to pass solutions that are fair and that generate revenue.“

next year, and strengthen the estate tax.

One version of a federal estate tax is Rep. Jim McDermott’s HR 2023, which would offer a compromise between the 2001 law and the 2009 law, raising more money than the current House bill.

Until then, the bill is in the Senate, where the House’s already-weakened version could be further compromised.

One Senate proposal, from Senators

Lincoln and Kyl, calls for a $10 million exemption per married couple and a significantly lower rate. This law would dramatically cut Kentucky’s portion of pick-up revenue.

When Congress returns in January, they’ll need to hear some messages from constituents. Even if the current House proposal passes, a strong estate tax needs to be on the table for 2010.

Congress should pass a strong federal estate tax

The federal estate tax was created to make sure taxes were collected from the assets of the richest 1 percent of Americans, like trust funds and long-held property. It is a federal tax, but a portion of the revenue has been returned to states.

The estate tax started to phase out in 2001 because of a law passed by President Bush. Under this law, there is no estate tax in 2010, and estates pay only capital gains tax; then the estate tax returns with a $1 million exemption and 55 percent rate in 2011.

President Obama wants to prevent this one-year absence, but also wants to raise the exemption level from $1 million - $2 million per couple — to $3.5 million - $7 million per a couple.

According to United for a Fair Economy (UFE), one of KFTC’s national allies, this change would reduce the estate tax by $226 billion over the next ten years.

On December 3rd, the U.S. House voted to extend the estate tax with its 2009 levels. UFE states this might be a good placeholder but Congress should also take the issue up when they return

Additional Tax Justice Resources Stay tuned for more about what you can do in the new year. In the meantime, here are some good resources to learn more: United for a Fair Economy: http://www.faireconomy.org/issues/estate_tax Good for updates on the federal legislation and action alerts.

Citizens for Tax Justice: http://www.ctj.org/, then find the 12.02 report about the estate tax under Recent Reports. This has state-by-state data, a great analysis of the bills in Congress, and plain language.

Center for Budget and Policy Priorities: www.cbpp.org. Search for estate in the search bar. Heavy on policy language.

Join KFTC and allies for a Budget Bake Sale!

Kentucky’s budget has had five rounds of budget cuts since early 2008, taking about $800 million from already underfunded state services and programs.

Coal mines are missing inspections, the waiting list for Meals on Wheels is getting longer, and class sizes at all levels of education continue to swell.

Until elected leaders show the leadership needed to pass comprehensive revenue reforms, citizens are going to have to raise much-needed money the good old-fashioned way.

Join KFTC and allies on January 20 for a “Budget Bake Sale at the Capitol!”

Members plan to deliver some brownies, cupcakes and a clear message that now is the time for our elected leaders to lead.

Volunteer bakers and a significant citizen presence in Frankfort on January 20 are needed, so mark your calendar now to participate.

Details about meeting places and times can be found on the KFTC website calendar, or get in touch with your local organizer, or with Jessica Hays at 859276-0563 or jessicabreen@kftc.org.

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balancing the scales, December 17, 2009

Canary Project Update

A year of action: members of the KFTC Canary Leadership Network take their message all around the U.S. in 2009

The Canary Leadership Network (CLN) enjoyed a productive year in 2009, traveling from coast to coast exposing the true cost of coal. Members lobbied state and federal legislators, met with regulators, courted the media, and met with philanthropists, the young, the old, allied organizations, new friends and any one else who would listen.

CLN members’ work was featured in four books, three documentary films, and countless newspaper articles, radio news spots and television newscasts.

Energy issues and climate change are now prominent issues in the public eye, on a state and national level.

The beginning of the year ushered in a new political landscape in Washington D.C. with the election of President Barack Obama and the increased democratic majority in the U.S. House and Senate. With this change, and despite the continued stonewalling of Kentucky officials, CLN members made great strides at the federal level. This gave new energy and optimism to the CLN’s efforts.

CLN members found themselves in Louisville on a frigid night in January to face off against coal industry representatives in a debate arranged by students at St. Xavier High School, sharing the real stories of people enduring the impacts of the industry.

KFTC celebrated the 3rd annual I Love Mountains Day in February, where hundreds of KFTC members and sup-

porters were joined by U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth, actress Ashley Judd, and coalfield residents to bring a strong message to the steps of the Kentucky state capitol.

Later in the month, KFTC leaders prepared for their busy year by attending civil disobedience training, readying themselves for actions to come.

The month of March saw KFTC join with organizations across the country to bring a message from the coalfields to the streets of Washington, D.C. With coalfield residents leading the way, thousands of protesters marched on the Capitol Power Plant, shutting it down for several hours and securing an agreement that the power plant would phase out its use of coal.

This action followed the Powershift 2009 conference, where more than 10,000 youth activists (150 from Kentucky) met to plan a new energy future for the nation. The month also included the Alliance for Appalachia’s annual Week in Washington, where more than a dozen Kentuckians represented the coalfields not only in the halls of Congress but also in unprecedented face-to-face meetings with the Council on Environmental Quality and high-ranking officials with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

April was consumed with the day-to-day work of the CLN, including house party fundraisers, tours and speaking engagements at churches and

The Kentucky delegation at POWERSHIFT in Washington, D.C., March 2009.

McKinley Sumner on his mountaintop with a tour group from Ohio Citizen Action, October 2009. schools across the state and region. In May, CLN members traveled to Hazard for important media training to prepare them for the increased media attention directed at coal, energy and the Appalachian region. May also saw the second annual New York Loves Mountains Festival, where members participated in a weekend of events in the Big Apple.

The month of June saw three wa-

tershed events in the work of the CLN and allies throughout Appalachia. On June 11, the Obama administration announced an agreement involving EPA, the Department of the Interior and the Army Corps of Engineers that would alter the way valley fill mines are permitted. Earlier in the year, EPA had delayed action on more than 100 pending valley fill permits in order to subject them to additional review. The new interagency agreement spelled out sweeping changes in how federal agencies would protect waters impacted by mining in Appalachia, including a review of current rules and the rescinding of the existing rubber-stamping permitting process.

Additionally, in June CLN members were on hand for a major action in West Virginia, where regional activists were joined by NASA climate scientist James Hansen, former West Virginia Congressman Ken Heckler, and actress Daryl Hannah, with their arrests focusing the nation’s attention on the reckless actions of the coal industry. Just a few days later, members were on hand for the first-ever Congressional hearing on mountaintop (continued on next page)

balancing the scales, December 17, 2009

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Canary Project Update

A year in action: members of the Canary Leadership Network take their message all around the U.S. in 2009 meetings with the EPA. The CLN’s Washington efforts resulted in companion bills in the House (H.R. 1310) and Senate (S. 696) that would prohibit the dumping of mining waste into streams.

At press time, the House bill has more than 160 cosponsors and the Senate bill has eight.

KFTC celebrated its 28th anniversary at the annual membership meeting in October, where Canary leaders had the opportunity to share experiences of the past year with members from across Kentucky.

Days before the annual meeting, Coal Country had its Kentucky premiere in Lexington, featuring performances

by Kathy Mattea and Kentucky music legend Jean Ritchie. The event of the month, however, was a hearing in Pikeville by the Army Corps of Engineers to take public comment on its decision to discontinue the practice of issuing Nationwide Permit 21, an expedited review process used to grant rapid approval to valley fills with little environmental review.

The hearing was attended by m o re t h a n 1 5 5 KFTC members who carried a strong message in the face of heckling and abuse from thousands of unruly coal supporters. While a nearly endless parade of Kentucky politicians starting with the lieutenant governor tried to turn the hearing into a shameless cheerleading session for the coal industry, KFTC’s members held on until after midnight to calmly place their relevant comments in the public record.

In November, Mickey McCoy addressed the crowd at the Marsh Fork acmore than 50 retion in West Virginia, June 2009.

(continued from previous page) removal in the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.

Even the dog days of summer couldn’t slow down the CLN’s efforts.

In July, members were in Charleston West Virginia for the controversial premiere of Coal Country, a feature-length film about the trail of destruction that coal has left in its wake. The film, which prominently features KFTC’s work on this issue, would continue to premiere in cities across the country for the remainder of the year.

In August, recognizing the need to create New Power in Kentucky, several CLN members attended a candidates training by Wellstone Action. Additionally, members spoke at the Cincinnati Loves Mountains event.

In September, CLN members returned to Washington D.C., where they continued lobbying efforts, spoke at a Congressional staff briefing on mountaintop removal, and attended followup

Canary Leadership Network members marched on the Kentucky State Capitol at I Love Mountains Day, February 2009. ligious leaders from across the United States who had just attended the Festival of Faiths conference in Louisville joined KFTC for a two-day tour through parts of eastern Kentucky. U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth joined the group for a flyover of the devastation in Perry County. The tour also included a multidenominational blessing of the water and soil at a mountaintop removal site in Floyd County, after which the leaders and coalfield residents discussed how faith-based organizations can support the ongoing efforts of the Appalachian people to protect their homeland.

Looking back over 2009, it’s exciting to see how the national momentum has started to shift in favor of protecting the land, water and people of the Appalachian coalfields. Congress is seriously discussing climate protection legislation, with the plight of Appalachia occupying a prominent place in the debate. The coal industry, which had once dominated state and national politics on energy issues, now finds itself forced to spend millions of dollars in lobbying and public relations to try to stem this tide of change. People all over the coun-

try are learning about how their energy choices can impact the lives of others.

KFTC’s work has played a critical role in bringing these changes about and members look forward to building on these successes in 2010 and beyond.

Carl “Buck” Shoupe spoke at the St. Xavier High School coal debate in Louisville, January 2009. The debate was organized by students.

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balancing the scales, December 17, 2009

Canary Project Update

Religious leaders visit eastern Kentucky coalfields

“This has become a legal issue and an economic issue, but what it’s always been is a moral issue,” explained Christy Brown, speaking about mountaintop removal mining to a group of more than 50 religious leaders and others who joined her on a November 12-13 Mountaintop Witnessl Tour.

Brown worked with KFTC and Father John Rausch to organize the religious leaders tour as part of the 14th Annual Festival of Faiths. The Festival of Faiths is an interfaith event that fosters dialogue and action on various topics.

The theme for this year’s festival was “Sacred Water: Sustaining Life.”

Joining Christy and Owsley Brown on the tour were Dean Harold Attridge of the Yale University Divinity School, representatives from several faith traditions, and several filmmakers.

“I’m very grateful to KFTC for bringing faith leaders from around the region together to witness the effects of MTR firsthand,” commented Pat Hudson of the Lindquist-Environmental Appalachian Fellowship in east Tennessee.

“The opportunity to commune with others who are deeply concerned about this issue sent me home with renewed energy and hope, fueled by the recognition that residents of Appalachia from many denominations are increasingly willing to make their voices heard in an effort to stop this inexcusable destruction of God’s creation,” she concluded.

The tour began with a visit to Berea College’s Ecovillage, an ecologically sustainable residential and learning complex. Dr. Richard Olson, director of

Ecovillage, spoke to the group and provided a tour of the facilities.

From there, participants traveled to Hueysville in Floyd County, where they met with KFTC member Rick Handshoe. Handshoe led the delegation up the mountain to see a slurry pond that recently flooded near his home. He described the problems he and his neighbors face as a result of mining. There, atop the mountain, Father Rausch and Sister Robbie Pentecost led a moment of reflection and offered a blessing for the water and the mountains.

“As people of faith – both those in the tour and many who hosted us – there was a heartfelt anguish about the human sinfulness revealed when so much harm is inflicted on one’s neighbors,” noted Marian McClure Taylor, executive director of the Kentucky Council of Churches, as she reflected on her time in Floyd County.

The tour ended up at Jenny Wiley State Park in Prestonsburg. On Friday morning, participants heard from a panel of community members and allies who are working diligently to combat mountaintop removal and to usher in alternative economic and energy opportunities for the region.

Speaking on the lack of enforcement of existing mining laws, Rully Urias, a KFTC member from Pike County, told the delegation, “I want to bring light to what’s happening here in my home in Appalachia and how it impacts the state, the nation and the world.” He went on to explain, “The area where I hunted and fished as a kid has been decimated

Other Mountain Witness Tours • A group of Central Kentucky middle and high school teachers.

• The Eco-Justice Committee of the National Council of Churches in conjunction with the Mennonite Central Committee.

• Students from Davidson College in North Carolina

From a previous tour The North Carolina Interfaith Power and Light: “The North Carolina Council of Churches issued a resolution calling for a ban in our state on the use of coal acquired through mountaintop removal.”

Floyd County member Rick Handshoe talked to tour participants about the troubles he and his neighbors have endured at their homes, ranging from continuous blasting, dust to cracked wells and poisoned water. by mountaintop removal.”

Teri Blanton, KFTC’s Canary Fellow, informed the crowd of legislative work at the state and federal levels aimed at stopping mountaintop removal mining.

Mary Cromer of the Appalachian Citizens Law Center discussed litigation as a strategy for combating the outlaw coal industry. Author and musician Jason Howard spoke of the role of artists in the campaign to end mountaintop removal coal mining.

“The artist movement against MTR in Kentucky has thrived,” noted Howard. “The industry is running scared because people of faith and artists are coming together and we’re a force to be reckoned with.”

Allen Johnson and Robin Blakeman, allies from West Virginia, informed the delegation of rising tensions in the coalfields and the need for everyone to get involved in the work to stop mountaintop removal.

“Each one of you can make a difference,” explained Johnson.

KFTC member Carl Shoupe of Harlan County wrapped up the panel. A former miner who was injured in a roof fall and who has a son and son-in-law working in the coal industry, Shoupe said, “I have eight grandchildren who depend on coal for their survival. Coal is so much a part of my past and my

present. But, if we are to survive here in eastern Kentucky, we’ve got to create a different future for eastern Kentucky and Central Appalachia.

“There’s no way we can continue to exist with this criminal act of mountaintop removal,” he added. Shoupe then talked to the participants about work he and his community are doing to transition to a new economy and new energy sources.

Following the panel, tour participants broke into small groups to discuss ways in which they and their faith communities could take action and get involved in the fight to end mountaintop removal.

“I left for home with questions, and above all the question of how so many political leaders can let so many decades slide by without coming up with better alternatives for eastern Kentucky’s economy,” noted Taylor. “Other states’ mountain regions fare better. Why not ours?”

Beth Zangari of the Passionist Earth and Spirit Center concluded, “To see the destruction brings home the fact that we have to galvanize this movement and stop mountaintop removal. It’s wrong and anyone who has the opportunity to see it as we did will know immediately in their soul that it is wrong and that it needs to be stopped.”

balancing the scales, December 17, 2009

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Canary Project Update University of Kentucky forum offers day-long “dialogue” on coal

On November 5, KFTC members Vanessa Hall and Suzanne Tallichet participated in A Forum on Coal in Kentucky. The day-long event hosted by the University of Kentucky Department of Mining Engineering and the Center for Visualization and Virtual Environments promoted the event as “a balanced discussion regarding the past, present and future impacts of coal on our state’s economy and environment.”

Set up as a dialogue between those supporting the coal industry and those supporting clean water and clean air, the discussion was presented through four day-time sessions: Economics and Coal in Kentucky, People and Coal in Kentucky, Aspects of Coal in Kentucky, Environment and Coal in Kentucky, and the evening session, Impact of Coal, To-

day and Tomorrow.

Alongside the presentations of the experts in economic, science and research were the highly charged political views of coal, which often crept over as in the case of Kentucky historian Ron Bryant.

“Pollution, land destruction – that can be studied. I want you to think positively about coal and the future of Kentucky.”

In presenting the history of coal in Kentucky, Bryant failed to mention the effects of the broad form deed or the citizen-led movement resulting in a constitutional amendment abolishing it.

Leading coal politicians such as former Governor Paul Patton, Pike County Judge-Executive Wayne Rutherford and House Majority Leader Rocky Adkins played to the majority of the 300 attend-

ees supporting the industry, painting the industry as the object of a vast conspiracy plotting its downfall.

“Coal is not the villain, coal should be the hero of this country,” exclaimed Rutherford.

“We have to give coal the credit it deserves!” Patton said. “Coal is the favorite whipping boy of the media,” adding that Kentucky’s “central location, hard-working people, and cheap electricity makes Kentucky attractive to economic activity.” He alleged that northeast states want to destroy Kentucky and West Virginia’s economic edge.

Economist Jason Bailey of the Mountain Association for Community Economic Development (MACED), Tallichet and Hall brought compelling and often unwelcome reasons for Kentuckians to question many assumptions about coal and Kentucky’s economic future.

The PowerPoint presentations of the various research and economic experts can be seen at www.coalinkentucky.com. The speeches of Patton, Rutherford and Adkins are unavailable.

Video Coverage and Additional Resources can be found at www.KFTC.org/coalforum • View KFTC Member Vanessa Hall’s presentation from the forum.

• Coverage of the forum from the Hillbilly Gazette.

• Tom Eblen’s article, “There’s only one logical path for coal’s future.”

• Andy Mead’s article “Coal debated at daylong conference.”

URGENT ACTION NEEDED

On November 13, U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth of Louisville met a delegation of KFTC members in Hazard for a mountaintop removal tour. After a flyover of mountaintop removal mine sites provided by Southwings, the member of Congress talked to KFTC members about the need for economic and energy alternatives in eastern Kentucky. He then traveled to Montgomery Creek to the homeplace of KFTC member McKinley Sumner, (above) where he saw up close the devastation caused by mountaintop removal mining.

Reflecting on the day, Yarmuth said, “The tour gave me a more vivid sense of the desecration caused by the mountaintop removal process and the magnitude of the damage. It is obscene that the perpetrators of this practice boast about it creating developable land. There’s already enough land to build more strip malls than there are people in the region.

“Visiting the sites, you also get a better understanding of the jobs mountaintop removal has eliminated, because you see that dozens and dozens of miners have been replaced by a handful of machine operators. The idea that mountaintop removal enhances the economy is as laughable as the practice is destructive to the environment and families in the region.”

At the end of November, the U.S. Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM) took a first step to clarify how it will improve protection of streams and also clarify the rules around returning a mined area to its Approximate Original Contour (AOC), as is required by law.

This first step is gathering public opinions. To be clear, this is not the OSM proposing change to either the Stream Buffer Zone rule or the Approximate Original Contour rule.

Instead, this is OSM collecting comments from the public on how it might change these rules. To the extent possible OSM would like the comments to incorporate scientific evidence to support the suggested changes.

Here is what the federal register says about submitting comments: Comments must be received on or before December 30, 2009.

Comments may be submitted by any of the following methods (the Federal e-rulemaking portal is preferred, if possible): • Federal e-Rulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. The document has been assigned Docket ID: OSM–2009–0009. Follow the online instructions for submitting comments.

• Mail, hand delivery, or courier to: Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, Administrative Record, Room 252–SIB, 1951 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20240. Please include the Docket ID (OSM–2009–0009) with comments.

For more of the back story on this issue visit www.kftc.org/osm-comments

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balancing the scales, December 17, 2009

Rural Electric Cooperative Update Members continue to pressure Kentucky Public Service Commission to revoke permit for coal-burning power plant

On October 28, KFTC along with the Kentucky Environmental Foundation (KEF), the Sierra Club, and individual rural electric co-op members Wendell Berry, Father John Rausch, and Dr. John Patterson filed a petition before the Kentucky Public Service Commission (PSC), asking that its approval of the coal-burning Smith plant proposed by the East Kentucky Power Cooperative (EKPC) be revoked.

In 2006, the PSC, which is charged with overseeing the activities of electric utilities in Kentucky, approved EKPC’s plan to build the proposed coal-burning power plant near the Kentucky River in Clark County.

Many factors have changed since the power plant was approved and the petitioners believe that it is now no longer necessary to meet EKPC’s demand.

• EKPC’s customer base did not expand as expected, and economic condi-

tions have actually decreased demand for electricity.

• The utility’s financial health has deteriorated significantly. As a result, EKPC could be saddled with a high interest rate on a loan for the plant.

• Stricter environmental regulations will add substantial costs to coal-burning plant operations.

• The cost of construction has increased 44 percent since EKPC received its certificate.

• Selling excess energy from the Smith plant to other utilities has become difficult, if not impossible, due to changes in regional energy policies and markets.

• EKPC can meet its load projections through a proven set of cost-effective energy efficiency and renewable energy strategies.

Combined, all these factors make the Smith plant an unnecessary and unreasonable risk to ratepayers.

Responding to email action alerts from KFTC and the Sierra Club, more than 400 folks have contacted the Kentucky Attorney General’s office asking that he intervene in this case on behalf of ratepayers. The Attorney General’s office often weighs in on cases before the PSC.

After following up, KFTC members were granted a meeting with staff in the Attorney General’s office.

Additionally, KFTC members sent

more than a dozen letters to the editors of local and state newspapers. Father John Rausch had an op-ed on the issue published in The Lexington HeraldLeader recently.

So far, the PSC has yet to act on the petition, and so it is still important to write to local newspapers and contact the Attorney General’s office to put pressure on the PSC to reconsider its plant permit approval in the interest of co-op ratepayers and all Kentuckians.

Members recently published Stop Smith letters to the editor The following letters are excerpts. To read the entire letter visit www.kftc.org/stopsmith/lte

Dear Editor,

We should all join the three rural electric co-op members and three public interest groups who are asking the Kentucky Public Service Commission to revoke the certificate for the proposed Smith 1 coal-burning power plant in Kentucky.

Efficiency and conservation measures can save our energy dollar, provide jobs and eliminate the need for new power plants as proven around the country.

Don’t believe the coal industry when they say that coal is good for Kentucky jobs...

Christine Missik Danville, Kentucky [Letter published in The (Danville) Advocate-Messenger] Dear Editor,

East Kentucky Power Cooperative (EKPC) wants to build yet another coalburning power plant in Clark County along the Kentucky River. They’re clamoring for this plant despite the following facts: • The federal government will no longer give low-interest loans for coal or nuclear plants, but will still fund other types of energy generation and efficiency strategies at very affordable rates • EKPC is in precarious financial straits and would have to pay a high interest rate for the plant with private financing..

Steve Wilkins Paint Lick, Kentucky [Letter published in The Winchester Sun]

Owen County KFTC member Rachel Harrod presented on KFTC’s Stop Smith campaign at a house party she co-hosted along with her family, John Harrod and Tona Barkley. Harrod described to the group of about 30 friends and neighbors how an investment in energy efficiency, weatherization and renewable energy can replace the need for the coal-burning Smith plant proposed by the East Kentucky Power Cooperative. Previously, KFTC members Preston Miles and Anne Lubbers hosted a similar house party in Boyle County that, like the Owen County party, brought in new members to KFTC and new energy into the Stop Smith campaign. Anyone interested in hosting a house party centered on the Stop Smith campaign, is asked to contact Sara Pennington at 606-276-9933 or sara@kftc.org.

Dear Editor,

As a member of Owen Electric Cooperative, which obtains its power from East Kentucky Power Cooperative, I oppose the construction of EKPC’s proposed coal-burning Smith 1 power plant, which the utility plans to build in Clark County near the Kentucky River. EKPC should abandon this plan and invest in clean energy instead.

A recent report from the Ochs Center indicated that investing in renewable energy and energy efficiency to meet load requirements would cost ratepayers less than building and operating the Smith plant. Such an approach would not only help decrease greenhouse gas emissions, but would also have the additional benefit of creating thousands of good jobs in all 87 counties served by the rural co-ops, including 1,530 jobs in the Owen Electric service area alone. Heaven knows we need those jobs!...

Tona Barkley Owenton, Kentucky

balancing the scales, December 17, 2009

Page 15

High Road Update

New alliance will help bring sustainable energy to Kentucky

An exciting new statewide alliance has developed over the last nine months with the goal of promoting clean, sustainable and affordable energy solutions for Kentucky.

The Kentucky Sustainable Energy Alliance (KySEA) currently consists of nearly 20 organizations, including a number of affordable housing and anti-poverty groups, environmental organizations, and entrepreneurs and small businesses that focus on renewable energy and energy efficiency.

Together, the coalition is working to put the final touches on a set of policy proposals for the 2010 legislative session that would help all Kentuckians save money and energy, especially those who are most vulnerable to rising energy costs.

Doug Doerrfeld and Mary Love represented KFTC at a KySEA meeting in early December.

“The attendance was great, and there is an awful lot of real enthusiasm for the alliance and the policy work that is underway,” Doerrfeld said. “I also echo some thoughts expressed during the meeting that the coalition needs to diversify. We do need to work hard at getting unions, churches, and people of color on board.”

“I thought it went very well,” added Love. “The policy committee has done a good job of working together and sorting through the issues. At this meeting

we got a lot of clarifying and helpful questions from other coalition partners.

People are hungry for materials that can help them explain these ideas to others in simple terms. Once we have some of those things in place, this alliance will help many more people speak up and lobby for sustainable energy.”

During this meeting KySEA members discussed and adopted several policy priorities for 2010, including:

• Pass a Renewable and Efficiency Portfolio Standard requiring utilities to get 12.5 percent of their retail sales from renewable sources by 2020 and meet ambitious annual energy efficiency goals.

• Establish a Trust Fund to support innovative programs that help lowand moderate-income Kentuckians save energy and help all utility customers save money over time.

• Establish new incentives (sometimes called “feed-in tariffs”) to expand in-state renewable energy production.

These proposals are designed to achieve several important goals over the next 10 years. If adopted, Kentucky would reduce its overall electricity consumption by at least 9 percent and generate at least 12.5 percent of its electricity

Kentucky Sustainable Energy Alliance members met recently in north Lexington to finalize policy proposals for the 2010 legislative session. from clean, renewable sources by 2020.

This package would spur job creation, improve the efficiency of Kentucky’s homes and businesses, and make the economy and families less vulnerable to the rapidly rising costs of fossil fuel energy.

Similar efficiency and renewable goals have already been adopted by many states, including Ohio and North Carolina. In contrast, Kentucky’s utilities currently generate just 1.7 percent of their electricity from renewable sources, according to the Energy Information Agency. Additionally, their energy efficiency programs are so small that, if

the current trend continues, consumers will reduce their consumption by just .2 percent over the entire next decade (based on 2007 data reported in a 2009 State Scorecard published by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy).

Over the next few weeks, KySEA members will work hard to finalize a draft proposal, communicate with policy makers, and develop strategic communications materials, including a web site. For more information, please contact KFTC High Road Organizer Martin Richards at Martin@kftc.org or 859-986-1277 x 225.

Economy).

How would it be funded? One potential source of funding for the trust fund is a small charge of just $.001 per kilowatt-hour on residential electricity bills. This would generate $30 million annually, while adding only $1.22 to the average household’s monthly electric bill. If the same charge were added onto the electric bills of commercial consumers, an additional $22 million would be generated. Ohio and Illinois have similar funds used for grants, lowinterest loans, and other energy efficiency and renewable energy investments.

To establish feed-in tariffs, Kentucky would set guaranteed rates for specific types of renewable energy produced instate. Electric utilities would then be required to purchase the energy at those rates for 10 to 20 years.

By guaranteeing sale rates and requiring utilities to purchase the energy, feed-in tariffs lower the financial risk to folks who want to produce electricity from renewable sources. Producers know exactly how much they can expect to be paid for the power they produce and they know they have a buyer, making renewable energy production a much safer financial investment. Feed-in tariffs will boost renewable energy production in the state as a whole and will also enable Kentucky communities to produce locally-based renewable energy and create home-grown jobs.

KySEA proposed sustainable energy policy priorities for 2010 legislative session

Pass a Renewable and Efficiency Portfolio Standard (REPS) requiring utilities to get 12.5 percent of their retail sales from renewable sources by 2020 and meet ambitious annual energy efficiency goals.

Under an REPS, electric utilities in Kentucky would be required to generate a minimum share of their power from clean, renewable sources and to conserve a certain portion of electricity use through energy efficiency. To meet the renewable portion of this standard, the utilities could either purchase renewable energy generated in-state or generate electricity from renewable sources, such as solar panels, themselves.

A strong REPS will help create a longterm, stable market for renewable energy and efficiency. Such policies have been passed by 28 states and have proven to

be a powerful tool for driving investment in clean energy and successfully creating green jobs. Four of Kentucky’s neighboring states – Ohio, West Virginia, Missouri and Illinois – already have passed such a standard.

Establish a Clean Energy Trust Fund to support innovative programs that help low and moderate income Kentuckians save energy and help all utility customers save money over time.

A clean energy trust fund would primarily finance energy efficiency improvements in the homes of Kentuckians most affected by rising electricity costs.

These kinds of investments have proven to produce savings for households and businesses worth twice as much as they cost (American Council for an Energy Efficient

Establish new incentives to expand instate renewable energy production.

One such incentive used in 20 other countries and several states is called a “feed-in tariff.”

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balancing the scales, December 17, 2009

Restoration of Voting Rights Update

Singing for Democracy event lifts spirits and awareness

Early December brought a little chill in the air but on the northwest side of Fayette County things were starting to heat up. An incredible 500 people from across the state gathered at Imani Baptist Church in Lexington for KFTC’s Singing For Democracy Gospel Fest.

The fest conceptualized as an idea to raise awareness for restoration of voting rights for former felons who have served their debt to society.

KFTC recruited about 40 new members and brought in more than $500 in donations, but the real benefits of the event had to do with making so many key connections in low-income communities, with churches, performers and former felons.

“When you tell me that I can’t vote, when I’ve done all that I’ve done through drug court and more, you might as well take out my larynx. You leave me in a state of incompletion,” said Stephen Lyons, a Kentucky Drug Court graduate.

Many KFTC members and allies worked hard to bring the event together - visiting two dozen churches, canvassing neighborhoods, putting up flyers

and inviting friends to the event.

KFTC leader Tayna Fogle spearheaded the event, putting an immense effort into bringing together the program and publicizing it.

“It was an absolutely fantastic evening. We were really happy to attend.

I certainly pray for success of the bill and that this burden is lifted,” said Sue Peterson Blythe. “Some of those singers - actually all of the singers - were incredible.”

Representative Jesse Crenshaw, the primary co-sponsor of House Bill 70 (to restore voting rights to former felons who have served their debt to society), addressed the crowd of supporters.

“We talk about redemption. We talk about people who were forgiven. And then, in 2009, Kentucky and Virginia keep saying ‘we’re just going to punish you for the rest of your life’. That’s wrong.”

Fogle is already talking to people about having a Singing For Democracy in Louisville and another smaller event in Georgetown next year during the legislative session between January and the end of March.

Members of Down By The Wayside

Photo credit Geoff and Sherry Maddock

Groups and solo musicians who performed were: Down By The Wayside (Wayside Christian Mission), Total Praise, Voices of Bethsaida, Black Phoenix Gang, Vettina People-Wright, Knucklehead Muzik, Karen Dishman, Rene Felder-Riley, Brandi (Ohio Impact Life Ministries), Jerry Moody, Elsie Speed, Jeff and Brianna Schultz (Kentucky Jail Ministries) and the Edwards Singers.

Speakers included: Stephen Lyons, Rep. Jessie Crenshaw, Kim Moore from the Change Recovery House for Women, Chloe Sergent from the Isaiah House Recovery Center, Anita Prater from the Brighton Recovery Center For Women.

Get To Know an Ally – Kentucky Jobs with Justice

Kentucky Jobs with Justice (JwJ) was founded in 1992 when community and church activists joined to support UNITE! in a fight for a fair contract for workers against Louisville Manufacturing.

J w J h a s s i n c e g r o w n t o a c o a l i t i o n o f m o r e t h a n 6 0 o rganizational members and 1,800 individual activists who have pledged to “be there five times for someone else’s fight as well as my own.”

JwJ is a broad-based coalition of community groups, faith-based organizations and labor unions united to promote, protect and improve the quality of life of all workers by empowering individuals and organizations to engage in collective action for economic and social justice.

KFTC and JwJ work together on a broad range of issues and events, including tax and budget issues, the campaign to restore voting rights to former felons who have served their debt to society, and voter empowerment work to register, educate and mobilize people to vote across the state (just to name a few).

“I think they’re a tremendous ally to have – we’re lucky to have them in Kentucky. Jobs with Justice is great at bringing the voice of labor to the table with community organizations,” says former KFTC Chairperson Janet Tucker. “One of the strongest roles they played this year was bringing together the Kentucky Social Forum, which was just incredible.”

Kentucky Jobs with Justice Mission: to improve working people’s standard of living, fight for job security, and protect workers’ right to organize.

Members: 61 union locals and other ally groups across the state.

Locations: Across the state, but based in Louisville Founded: 1992 Website: www.kyjwj.org

LOBBY DAY!

This is the second of a series in balancing the scales to recognize different ally organizations so that all KFTC members can get to know the organizations better.

March 4, 2010 Voting Rights Rally and Lobby Day

Contact Dave Dave@kftc.org for more information.

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balancing the scales, December 17, 2009

Voter Empowerment Update

Special elections bring new members to state legislature

On December 8, two state legislative elections were held that slightly changed the 138-member legislature moving into the 2010 general assembly.

The 96th House district (Carter and Lewis counties) is now represented

by Jill York (R), who won an election against Barry Webb (D). This seat was vacated when Robin Webb won a special Senate election earlier this year, leaving her old seat in the House vacant.

The 14th Senate district (Marion, Mercer, Nelson, Taylor and Washington counties) is now represented by Jimmy Higdon (R), who won the election against Jodie Haydon (D). This seat was vacated when former Senate Majority Leader Dan Kelly accepted

a judicial position earlier this year.

This election was watched closely from across the state because of its potential to move towards a shift in the controlling party of the Senate.

Republicans in both races performed much better than expected, taking both seats by comfortable margins.

KFTC members across the state contacted members in the seven-county areas to ask members to learn about the candidates and to go vote on election day.

Higdon’s former House seat (Casey, Marion and Pulaski counties) will likely be vacant for part of the legislative session that starts in January 2010, until a special election can be held to elect a new representative.

On November 23 more than 20 Madison County chapter members gathered to meet with State Representative Lonnie Napier. Members discussed with Rep. Napier KFTC’s 2010 legislative agenda – including tax reform, voting rights for former felons, clean energy policies, the stream saver bill, and KFTC’s campaign to stop the construction of a proposed coal-burning power plant.

Rep. Napier agreed to support KFTC’s tax reform and voting rights legislation. Additionally, he agreed to meet further with members to discuss KFTC’s policy proposals related to increasing energy efficiency and renewable energy options in the state.

“I thought it was a good meeting. Rep. Napier agreed on a lot of our issues and was also realistic with us about what the session may hold,” said Madison County member Megan Naseman.

The chapter’s meeting with Napier was part of a series of at-home lobby meetings the chapter held leading up to the 2010 legislative session. Rep. Harry Moberly met with the chapter in August, and Senator Ed Worley declined to meet with the chapter in the district.

The Madison County chapter is also hosting a citizens’ lobby training on January 21 in Berea to prepare for the 2010 legislative session.

Participants at this skill-building workshop will learn some of the “ins and outs” of effective lobbying, hear stories from members who have won legislative victories, and learn how to lobby for the 2010 state legislative session.

The workshop is free and open to the public. It will be held on January 21 starting at 7 p.m. at the Berea Public Library on Chestnut St. For more information, contact Madison County organizer Carissa Lenfert at carissa@kftc.org.

Madison members have good dialogue with Rep. Napier

Voter Registration Party-Change Deadline – December 31st

December 31 is the date one must be registered to vote as a member of the political party in whose May 2010 primary election they want to vote.

In Kentucky, Independents and Democrats cannot vote in Republican primaries, and Independents and Republicans cannot vote in Democratic primaries.

Kentucky will have very competitive primaries in both the Democratic and Republican parties for the U.S. Senate race, as well as other local primary races. It is important for all Kentuckians to make their voices heard.

To check what party you are currently registered, contact your local county clerk, or visit the website www.kftc.org/voterinfo.

To change political party affiliation for voting in partisan primaries, visit the local county clerk by the end of their business day on December 31, or mail in a voter registration card.

Madison County Citizen Lobby Training --

Ever wonder how to get the ear of politicians who are supposed to be representing you? Want to learn how to make sure the voices of regular, everyday people are being interjected into the policy debate? Join us at this skill-building workshop to learn some of the “ins and outs” of effective lobbying, hear stories from members who have won legislative victories, and learn how we can lobby in the 2010 state legislative session to build more power. You don’t need a suit, cigar, or fancy briefcase for this workshop – just your own voice and a belief that a better Kentucky is possible! Join us on Thursday, January 21 at 7 p.m. at the Berea Public Library.

Madison County members took advantage of the slow period before the 2010 legislative session to meet with their representative, Rep. Lonnie Napier.

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balancing the scales, December 17, 2009

Steering Committee evaluates 2009 and looks ahead to 2010

On November 6 and 7, the newly elected KFTC Steering Committee gathered in Morehead for its annual leadership retreat.

After an orientation to the Steering Committee, members evaluated KFTC’s work over the last year. Highlights included:

quarterly or annual basis;

• The EKPC/Stop Smith Campaign including good ally work, thoughtful research, and some good media hits;

• Engage more leaders in the economic justice work;

• KFTC’s presence at recent coal events including the Army Corps of Engineers’ hearing in Pikeville in October and UK’s Forum on Coal in November; • Local work going on in Harlan County, especially related to finding alternative economic and energy options for the area; • Recent conversations with miners and community members at events like the Black Gold Festival in Hazard; • The Voting Rights Campaign and all the momentum that’s been built, especially in Georgetown, where members are putting lots of pressure on Senator Damon Thayer, who has held the bill in committee; • The formation of the Kentucky Sustainable Energy Alliance and the way the alliance has been built to include an economic justice perspective; • Randy Wilson’s campaign for his local electric co-op board; • KFTC’s work to develop an Appalachian Transition plan.

Reflecting on all the good work, KFTC Chairperson K.A. Owens of Jefferson County noted, “I think KFTC has something to offer people not only in the U.S. but around the world about how we do grassroots organizing and try to shape the communities in which we live.”

The committee also made note of areas in which the organization could strengthen the work in the coming year.

These included: • Provide more support for new and emerging chapters; • Increase the number of KFTC Sustaining Givers — folks who contribute whatever they can afford on a monthly,

• Continue to build the EKPC/Stop Smith Campaign; • Continue to develop the Appalachian Transition Initiative so that we can provide a better vision for the coalfields;

• Work to get more members involved in the work on a more regular basis.

After evaluating 2009, the Steering Committee turned its attention to planning for 2010. They discussed the program of work for the coming year and a corresponding budget.

For several months, the Steering Committee and other leadership committees (including the Finance and Personnel committees) have focused attention on the financial outlook for 2010.

The nonprofit community has not been isolated from the recession. As such, many organizations, including KFTC, are facing a challenging budget year in 2010 as grant income gets harder to come by.

KFTC’s leadership studied the options for facing the budget challenge and decided to turn the challenge into an opportunity to build power and make KFTC more sustainable over the next five years.

In doing so, the Steering Committee approved the New Power Leader Program – the next evolution of KFTC’s organizing model. It involves substantial leadership development and is fundamentally about asking a little more from hundreds of KFTC’s grassroots members and providing the support these members need to succeed.

“If we want to grow and have an impact, we need a foundation and this can provide that foundation,” said Sue Tallichet of Rowan County.

Through the New Power Leader program, in 2010, 250 (or more) KFTC leaders will commit to building new power and getting clusters of their friends and neighbors to join them. New Power Leaders will increase KFTC’s visibility, strengthen campaigns, get more people to take action, and help KFTC raise funds to become more sustainable over the long term.

“This will take us places we’ve never been before,” said Truman Hurt of Perry County.

Steering Committee members ap-

proved a draft budget for 2010. In doing so, they committed to a significant major donor campaign for the next year that will raise substantial new money for KFTC’s work to stop mountaintop removal.

Between now and the January 30 meeting, the Steering and Executive committees will continue to refine the New Power Leader program and budget. More information about becoming a New Power Leader will be forthcoming.

In other business, the Steering Committee approved committee nominations for the coming year, extended the KFTC Canary Fellow position for two years,

and made permanent the staff researcher position, which has been in place temporarily over the last year.

Reflecting on his first Steering Committee meeting, Central Kentucky Alternate Matt Heil said, “I’ve always been impressed with KFTC but am even more impressed after this weekend. The Steering Committee does a lot of good long-term, forward thinking.”

A special thanks to the Rowan County chapter for hosting the Steering Committee meeting, including housing Steering Committee members and providing such great food for the weekend!

KFTC News Briefs

KFTC and the Highlander Research and Education Center in New Market, TN will work together in the new year on an arts project to advance KFTC’s Voting Rights Campaign. The project came about after Highlander awarded KFTC a Zilphia Horton Cultural Residency slot.

Highlander’s support will allow an artist to work with KFTC to incorporate artistic and cultural elements into the voting rights campaign. Highlander’s cultural program encourages and supports cultural work that enhances social change organizing.

Since 1932, the Highlander Center has played important roles in the Southern labor movements of the 1930s, the Civil Rights Movement of the 1940s-60s, and the Appalachian people’s movements of the 1970s-80s. During the 1930s and 1940s, Zilphia Horton made music and other forms of culture a central part of Highlander’s labor organizing.

******

Some KFTC information made its way to Copenhagen this month for the United Nations Convention on Climate Change. Louisville member Christy Brown made sure some of the delegates attending the international gathering received copies of Plundering Appalachia, the large-format book that vividly illustrates the destructiveness of mountaintop removal coal mining. Accompanying the book was information from KFTC that noted the public health, economic and environmental consequences of our dependence on coal.

The effort is part of a larger campaign to inject an understanding of the impacts of the entire life cycle of coal into the climate change discussion and action.

Learn more about Plundering Appalachia at www.plunderingappalachia. org. Copies of the book are available from KFTC ($40) and local independent bookstores.

*****

KFTC’s December 6 fundraiser at the 21c Hotel and Museum in Louisville with Kentucky writers and musicians was one of KFTC’s most successful fundraisers ever. A dedicated team of Jefferson County chapter members helped assure this success.

Led by Sarah Jane Poindexter, the team gathered an amazing array of donated items for a silent auction. Contributions came from local artists and local businesses and included original paintings, jewelry, gift certificates, music, event tickets and much more — more than 70 items in all.

Bidding was open for about two hours during the event. By evening’s end the silent auction raised more than $5,000 for KFTC.

Walk to Stop Mountaintop Removal

balancing the scales, December 17, 2009

Walk Away From Coal Toward a Sustainable Future Starting the night of Feb. 8 at 6 p.m.

Lexington Friends Meeting 649 Price Ave. Lexington, Ky 40508

Page 19

Calendar of Events Jan. 7

Pike County chapter meeting, 6 p.m. at the Pike County Public Library in Pikeville.

Jan. 7

Harlan County chapter meeting, 6 p.m. at Southeast Community College Appalachian Center, Cumberland.

Jan. 11

Floyd County chapter meeting, 7 p.m. at St. Martha Catholic Church near Prestonsburg.

Tuesday Feb 11: Start at 11 a.m. with KFTC at the Kentucky River View Park and walk to the Capitol (1 mile).

Jan. 11

Scott County KFTC meeting, 6:30 p.m., Ed Davis Learning Center, Georgetown.

If you are interested in joining us or have any questions about this event please contact:

Jan. 11

Jefferson County chapter meeting, 6:30 p.m. at the KFTC office in Louisville (901 Franklin Street).

Lexington: Todd Kelly 859-333-3794

Jan. 12

Letcher County chapter meeting, 6 p.m. at the KFTC office in Whitesburg.

Jan. 16

Land Reform Committee Meeting, 10:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Catholic Church in Hazard. Contact Kevin for more information Kevin@KFTC.org.

Jan. 19

Norther Kentucky KFTC meeting, 7 p.m., Boone County Library, Main Branch, Burlington.

Jan. 19

Perry County chapter meeting, 6 p.m. at Hazard Community College vocational education building, room 116.

Jan. 19

Bowling Green chapter meeting, 6:30 p.m. at Kaleidoscope Office on Durbin Street.

Jan. 20

Bake Sale For The Budget, Frankfort Ky, Contact Jessica Hays for more information, JessicaBreen@KFTC.org.

Jan. 21

Central Kentucky chapter meeting, 7 p.m. at the Episcopal Diocese Mission House (on the corner of Martin Luther King Blvd. and 4th Street) in Lexington.

Jan. 21

Rowan County chapter meeting, 6 p.m. at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church on 5th Street in Morehead.

Jan. 21

Knott County chapter meeting, 5:30 p.m. at Hindman Settlement School.

Jan. 25

Madison County chapter meeting, 7 p.m. at Child Development Lab on Jefferson St., Berea.

Jan. 30

Steering Committee Meeting. Contact Heather for more information. Heather@KFTC.org.

Feb. 6

I Love Mountains Old-time Music Showcase at Al’s Bar, Lexington. Music starts at 8 p.m.

Feb. 11

I Love Mountains Day in Frankfort Ky, visit www.kftc.org/love for more information about the parade and rally, a schedule of events and to register.

Mar. 4

Voting Rights Rally and Lobby Day, Frankfort Ky, email Dave for more information Dave@KFTC.org

We will have a pot luck dinner and share with the community on why we walk.

Come Walk With Us! Sunday Feb 9: Start at 8 a.m. at Triangle Park in Lexington and walk to Versailles Ky (12.8 miles).

Monday Feb 10: Start at 8 a.m. Versailles and walk to Frankfort Ky (15 miles).

Louisville: Sam Avery 502-741-6944 Footprints For Peace: Larry Crane 859-229-9472

KFTC 2010 Lobby Days During the general assembly KFTC members are in Frankfort lobbying legislators on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.

Additionally, during the session there are bill focused lobby days that are used to turnout as many citizens as possibly to lobby and rally on behalf of a certain bill or policy.

The major lobby days for 2010 are: January 20: Bake Sale for the Budget and lobby day about tax reform - Come help relieve Kentucky’s projected $160 million budget deficit one cookie at a time! If that strategy doesn’t work, we will spend the rest of the day sending lobby teams to talk to legislators about passing progressive tax reforms that raise revenue in a fair an equitable manner. More details at www.KFTC.org.

February 11: I Love Mountains Day - Come march on the capitol steps in support of the Stream Saver Bill along with hundreds of friends and allies. We have already lined up a number of great speakers and musicians for this exciting day of action.

Visit www.kftc.org/love to learn more and sign up to attend!

March 4: Voting Rights Rally and lobby day - Join us for a day of lobbying and a rally in the Capitol Rotunda for the Voting Rights amendment.

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balancing the scales, December 17, 2009

Tentative Schedule:

Visit www.kftc.org/love for more details 8:30 – 10:30: Visits with legislators 10:30 – 11:30: Gather at the river 11:30: Begin march up Capital Ave. and around Capitol 12:20 – 12:30: Music on the Capitol steps 12:30 – 1:15: Rally on the Capitol steps Following the rally we may have meetings with legislators and other key decision makers.

I Love Mountains Day February 11, 2010

Protect Kentucky’s Land, Water and People!

Thursday February 11th, State Capitol, Frankfort, Kentucky More than 1400 miles of Kentucky streams have been buried or significantly damaged by valley fills from mountaintop removal and other coal mining practices. Help us demonstrate the scale of this destruction and show support for protecting clean water.

SAVE THE DATE! www.KFTC.org/Love

Watch a video from 2009 to get pumped up www.kftc.org/rallyvideo Please hang this flyer in a public space!