balancing the scales - September 2011

September 15, 2011

Inside...

Olivia Spradlin helps build Pike County family’s water well power as a New Power leader is on fire; coal company held pg. 4 responsible pg. 8 Jefferson County members work to educate membership Members travel across the state on death penalty to attend Fancy Farm pg. 7 pg. 11

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

From across the state, members came to celebrate KFTC’s 30th Birthday pg. 12

Change Service Requested

Volume 30 Number 6

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

balancing the scales

EPA officials hear of environ- 2011-2012 proposed platform mental justice issues on tour changes pg. 16 pg. 22 Owen Electric members see success in effort to reform local co-op pg. 18

And much more!

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balancing the scales, September 15 , 2011

Executive Committee Corner K.A. Owens of Louisville has served KFTC in many local and statewide leadership positions over the past dozen years, including as chairperson from 2008-10. He is currently on the Executive Committee as the Immediate Past Chair.

Embrace This Challenge

We are faced with challenges.

The world at this time in history may seem to be a terribly confusing place, offering great hardship to the many to benefit a few. Long held gains in economic justice are being put on the table for bargaining by weak leaders who are either compromised or who do not care enough to put everything (or anything) on the line for those who have earned it.

A significant number of people in the United States have been manipulated out of fear to attack the very programs and concepts that created a middle class in the United States when rationally they should be working to maintain and increase these programs.

We are at a turning point here in America. Are we going to allow the great middle class to be wiped out? Are Social Security and Medicare to be put on the chopping block just so that our taxpayer subsidized banks and corporations can see a national balance sheet that they prefer?

Are we going to allow a small stubborn elite to destroy economic opportunity for the great majority of the people? Will we allow our youth to exist without a future; will we allow our senior citizens to be condemned to an impoverished retirement?

We have to decide. Will we embrace this challenge and reverse the tide? We know that there is only one choice we can make and still maintain our self-respect.

Prior generations have embraced challenges and overcome them. The founders of KFTC embraced the challenges of their time and overcame them. KFTC has just had its 30th birthday. The present generation must embrace the challenges of its time and not only overcome them but use the next 30 years to lay down a foundation for economic prosperity that will last for a hundred years.

We can’t run from these challenges. There is no

place to hide. There never is. We need these challenges.

These challenges force us to grow. They force us to learn. They give us a purpose in life.

The founders of KFTC had nothing when they started, but they had everything — they had each other. We have everything we need to meet the challenges of today because we have each other. We simply must manifest the will. We can’t half do it. We can’t just go through the motions. We must go all the way with it.

We must not only embrace but relish these challenges.

Embracing a challenge is not making a nice speech and then quitting when it doesn’t work. It requires taking a side. It means making the other side uncomfortable. It means putting the other side under emotional stress. It means taking something away from the other side if they don’t behave properly. If you are not willing to do these things, then you are not embracing the challenge.

One of the problems we have is that many of our political leaders are not rising to the occasion.

They will not embrace the challenge. Why should they? They have no skin in the game. They are either wealthy or have comfortable government pensions lined up.

They have no reason to fight hard for the poor, the working class, the middle class, because their own future is not at stake. Many of our leaders have no reason to disturb the equilibrium because they are too comfortable and in the end they as individuals have learned to manipulate the system so as to benefit from it.

Many of our political leaders see the majority of the people as irrelevant pawns in an economic game they are playing. They have abandoned the everyday ordinary people who are the true creators of wealth. Many of our so-called pundits are commenting on a world that exists only in their own minds.

We have to join hands and start working, not 10 times but a 100 times harder than we have up to this point. Right now the other side has little respect for us. They will have more, a lot more.

When we earn it. If we work hard enough we will lay a foundation for a middle class economy in this country that will last for 100 years, or at least until our great-grandchildren forget how they made it and the battle has to be fought all over again.

And when we lay our head to rest for the last time we will know that we have embraced and met the challenges of our era.

Kentuckians For The Commonwealth 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: • 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 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.

KFTC Steering Committee Steve Boyce, Chairperson Sue Tallichet, Vice-Chairperson Dana Beasley Brown, Secretary-Treasurer K.A. Owens, Immediate Past Chair Rick Handshoe, At-Large Member

Chapter Representatives Rosanne Fitts Klarer, Scott County Erika Skaggs, Central Kentucky Ted Withrow, Rowan County Scott Goebel, Northern Kentucky Mary Love, Jefferson County Meredith Wadlington, Bowling Green & Friends Carl Shoupe, Harlan County Truman Hurt, Perry County Megan Naseman, Madison County Patty Amburgey, Letcher County Beverly May, Floyd County Alternates: Matt Doolin, Matt Heil, Lisa Bryant, Antonio Mazzaro, Martha Flack, Sandi Joiner, Stanley Sturgill, McKinley Sumner, Steve Wilkins, Jeff Chapman-Crane.

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

On the cover: Anna Harrod (Berea) and John Harrod (Owenton) played music throughout the day at KFTC’s 30th Birthday Party. They entertained members as they arrived and also played in the square dance band.

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.

balancing the scales, September 15 , 2011

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Table of Contents

KFTC Offices and Staff

Executive Committee Corner

page 2

Letter to the Editor Leaders need to address the coal ash pollution to protect citizens

page 3

New Power Leader Profile Olivia Spradlin helping build power as a New Power leader

page 4

Member Commentary Putting damaged land to good use Part II Members working to reform Shelby County Electric Cooperative

page 6 page 7

Local Updates Jefferson County members work to educate membership on death penalty Pike County family’s water well is on fire; coal company held responsible Lee and Wolfe County residents envision a bright future Conference aims to “Stay Together Appalachian Youth” East Kentucky Fairness group forms for equality in the mountains Friend-raisier “Moot” builds cohesion in northern Kentucky

page 7 page 8 page 8 page 9 page 9 page 10

Voting Rights Update Rev. Damon Horton is looking for a second chance Members travel across the state to attend Fancy Farm

page 11 page 11

KFTC’s 30th Birthday Celebration Spread

page 12

Canary Project Update EPA officials hear of environmental justice issues on tour Hearing helps expose weakness of deal with coal polluters

page 16 Page 17

New Energy and Transition Update Owen Electric members see success in effort to reform local co-op Clean Energy Collaborative works hard “behind the scenes” Shelby County gathering unifies community members

page 18 page 18 page 19

KFTC News Steering Committee plans for next year’s program of work Steering Committee nominates an experienced slate 2011-2012 proposed platform changes Calendar of events

page 20 page 21 page 22 page 24

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

Berea

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

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

Whitesburg Willa Johnson and Tanya Turner, P.O. Box 463 Whitesburg, Ky 41858 606-632-0051 Berea Lisa Abbott, Amy Hogg, Carissa Lenfert, Sara Pennington and Kevin Pentz 140 Mini Mall Drive Berea, KY 40403 859-986-1277

Central Kentucky Tim Buckingham, Jessica Hays Lucas, Erik Hungerbuhler, Heather Roe Mahoney, Dave Newton, John Malloy and Ondine Quinn 250 Plaza Drive Suite 4 Lexington, Ky 40503 859-276-0563 Northern Kentucky Joe Gallenstein 859-380-6103 Floyd County Kristi Kendall 606-226-4159

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

Letter to the Editor

Leaders need to address the coal ash pollution to protect citizens Dear editor,

I recently made the trek to eastern Kentucky when a delegation from EPA visited Whitesburg to discuss the environmental impacts of coal.

I made the four-hour journey due to my personal concerns about coal ash. We moved to southwest Louisville in 2008, as my husband was getting out of the military where we rented a home on Taylor Blvd. Every day when driving home we would notice the smoke stacks from the Cane Run power plant, always a thick cloud of smoke billowing out in whichever direction the wind was blowing.

I started learning about coal and mountaintop removal, and while searching the internet one day I stumbled on the blog of a woman that lived near the Kingston plant in Tennessee. She was raising her grandson, who already had

mounting health problems, and writes a lot about being displaced and missing her home. In one entry she states:

were plucked out of our “lives” and dropped into the edge of unknowingness....The edge of homelessness.”

“The coal ash disaster changed parts of my life. The disaster could have taken the lives of my children as they traveled that road, late that night, just after we had celebrated Christmas at my river front home.

To relive those thoughts are the root of some of my nightmares. Just a few minutes later, that nightmare could have been my reality. Heartbreak then happened on New Years when my grandson became sick. Sick from the dust. Sick from the ash. Sick from the disaster. I asked questions… I called.... I explained... I believed....

I was mislead.... badly, horribly.

We had to leave our home.... we

I started getting very concerned for not just my safety, but more so my children’s safety, living so close to this power plant. It wasn’t long after this that the EPA published its high hazard list. Cane Run was on it, which only raised my concerns even more. It was around this time that another KFTC member posted a picture online of part of the ash fill at Cane Run, so I decided to go out and see it for myself.

The air was thick, and the size was overwhelming. I had a headache after only about 10 minutes there. I could not fathom what it would be like to live directly next to that. It was scary enough living a few miles away.

Last year we decided to buy a house.

We don’t have much money, or phenomenal credit, so were left to what we could pay cash for. This limited our options, and there was no way I was moving my family any closer to the power plant, even though there were a few decent houses we could afford within a mile or so of it.

I was so glad we didn’t purchase when we first moved to Louisville, as I could have very well ended up right next to the plant

So we bought a house in the west end ten miles from Cane Run. I no longer had to see the stacks every day, and while I’m still concerned for the folks still living near the plant, and the inevitable things it was doing to the whole city’s air and water, I thought I had gotten us a decent distance from it. (continued on next page)

balancing the scales, September 15 , 2011

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New Power Leader Profile

Olivia Spradlin helping build power as a New Power leader

KFTC’s New Power Leader Program continues to grow, with members across the state engaging clusters of their friends and families in conversations about KFTC, building toward a shared vision for Kentucky. Olivia Spradlin is a member in Fayette County/Lexington.

How long have you been involved with KFTC?

My involvement with KFTC really began last summer when I attended the U.S. Social Forum in Detroit. To my good fortune, I ended up spending 13 hours on a bus from Lexington to Detroit with KFTC members. You really get to know people when you spend 13 hours in a confined space with them. For me, this experience speaks to one of KFTC’s strengths: the ability to engage and mobilize people with a myriad of interests and to sustain those relationships. The strength of the relationship I now have with some of these individuals brought me to KFTC and keeps me here.

Why did you decide to become a New Power Leader?

Simple, I was asked.

How did you decide who you wanted to invite to be in your cluster of people?

I focused on friends of mine who already work with nonprofits and are concerned with social justice. Engaging people who could bring a fresh perspective and creativity in articulating both problems and solutions is important to me.

What are some of the things you’ve done with your cluster?

That’s another easy one. It always involves food and drink! There’s actually a term for the sense of community eat-

ing together creates: commensality. It’s also helpful that most of my friends have some serious culinary skills.

What are some of the outcomes you’ve seen?

I always enjoy connecting my friends with each other. I love it when they put their heads — and hearts — together and come up with something wonderful.

What are some of your plans or aspirations with your cluster members?

Right now, for me this is still all about building relationships and establishing mutually beneficial partnerships. As much as I would love for people to know KFTC is worthwhile, I also want them to know KFTC thinks they are worthwhile.

What skills do you feel like you’ve developed, and what skills would you like to continue to develop?

My knowledge base concerning social justice in Kentucky has increased tenfold. I am much more confident speaking and advocating for issues I’ve always cared about. I’ve found I have a whole new vocabulary.

What’s your vision for your community and Kentucky?

I spend most of my time working for a nonprofit that deals mainly with violence against women. This sounds funny, but I hope one day I won’t have a job because this program’s services will no longer be needed. In addition to the lofty vision of a violence-free Kentucky, I want us to actively participate in a community where everyone is encouraged to explore and create their own voice, where people feel comfortable sharingtheir voice, and where every voice is valued.

What do you think the impact could be of having 1,000 New Power Leaders in Kentucky?

People Power.

Contact Jessica Hays Lucas if you are interested in becoming a New Power Leader: JessicaBreen@kftc.org or 859-276-0563

Letter to the Editor

Coal ash …

(continued from previous page)

Less than 10 blocks, and across the river from our new house is another power plant, but I never saw it operating, so I decided it wasn’t worth my concern.

Then last winter I noticed it operating for the first time since we moved. Not only was the smoke noticeable, but it also had a distinct odor.

I guess I’m glad it’s only a backup generator, but I hate that the only affordable housing in my city is near power and chemical plants.

I am deeply disappointed that our leadership in this state will quickly defend the coal industry but is silent to all the recent research that shows how toxic living in proximity to coal can be. It is my hope that the EPA will regulate coal ash with the strictest regulation possible, so that I can at least sleep a little easier at night, that my children will have clean air and water.

Jessica Deis Louisville

Help KFTC celebrate 30 years of “Action for Justice” with a special donation or membership renewal. $30 for 30 years of working to make Kentucky better!

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30 KFTC

balancing the scales, September 15 , 2011

th

Anniversary

KFTC turned 30 in August. We’re recalling some of the history of KFTC and the people involved in each issue of balancing the scales in 2011. This is the fifth in the series and looks at the activities in the fall of 1981.

Coming out of a successful founding meeting on August 17, early KFTC leaders spent the next months connecting with community and statewide groups with similar concerns, and forming a loose coalition. Planning also was underway for a “tax workshop” in October to educate citizens on tax issues.

A steering committee met on September 3 and 17 in Hazard to keep things moving.

There was much discussion about the structure of KFTC. For the time being – until KFTC got a more focused platform – it was agreed to keep the structure loose (although there were a few people who agreed to be the “steering committee,” the meetings and decisionmaking were really open to everyone). It was accepted that KFTC would remain an “alliance of groups.” KFTC had no office. Our first official address was in Lovely (Martin County) where Gladys Maynard, KFTC’s first chairperson, lived.

The emergence of this new organization in eastern Kentucky quickly caught the attention of other groups. By September 1981, KFTC representatives had met with another new and broader statewide coalition called Kentucky Action for Human Needs, which also had concerns about tax policy, budget cuts and their impacts on lowMuch of KFTC’s early income families. Members history is documented in of the Kentucky Education the book Making History: Association (KEA) also The First Ten Years of were very interested in KFTC, published in 1991.

KFTC’s unmined minerals A few copies are still tax proposal that would available for sale. Contact increase funding for schools KFTC at 606-878-2161 in counties where coal was or info@kftc.org mined.

Looking Back …

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To better understand these issues and the process involved to win legislative change, and to bring all coalition members together, KFTC sponsored a tax workshop in Berea on October 3, 1981.

About 60 “Central and Eastern Kentucky residents, community organizers, lawyers and state officials [attended the workshop] to study KFTC’s first statewide media the possibility of shifting the tax headline came in the Lexington burden from small property owners Herald-Leader after the Berea and small businesses to the vast coal tax conference. reserves held by huge, often faraway, corporations,” wrote the Lexington Herald-Leader in what was probably KFTC’s first statewide media coverage.

The newspaper described KFTC as a coalition “of more than 30 organizations based in communities throughout the state.”

The Berea workshop helped bring a lot of energy and statewide connections to KFTC. Eastern Kentuckians had found many other people and groups throughout the state that were addressing the lack of funding for community services.

After the workshop, KFTC members held several other meetings throughout the fall, preparing for the 1982 General Assembly and initiating local third-party challenges to coal property assessments.

Throughout KFTC’s meetings in 1981, the issue of surface owners’ rights came up frequently. Members from Letcher and Leslie counties were the first to bring the issue of broad form deeds into KFTC discussions. Though tax injustices would remain KFTC’s priority focus at least through the 1982 General Assembly, these voices planted the seed for a broadened focus in the new year.

Late in the year, KFTC got a big boost in its attempt to become a viable organization.

The Appalachian Alliance – the group that coordinated the Appalachian Land Ownership Study and helped spur KFTC’s formation – agreed to “lend” Joe Szakos, its field organizer, to KFTC for one year. KFTC had its first staff person.

Community meetings were held throughout eastern Kentucky through the fall, following up on contacts made at the tax conference and earlier meetings in Hazard. The meetings informed residents about KFTC ‘s issues and direction, drew in new members and helped prepare folks for the rapidly approaching legislative session.

Several foundations promised to provide some funding for this new but promising organization. Though KFTC did not have a formal membership or fundraising activities at that point, the hat was passed at every meeting.

The stage was set for a new year and KFTC’s first legislative session.

25 Years Ago …

15 Years Ago …

• Members in Laurel and neighboring counties form the Boone Forest Citizens Group in response to an increasing number of boundary disputes with the U.S. Forest Service.

• KFTC members demonstrate in front of the U.S. Forest Service office in Winchester calling for better management that would end subsidies to commercial loggers, end clearcutting in the forest, and allow families access to cemeteries land-locked by USFS holdings.

20 Years Ago …

• KFTC members speak at a public hearing in Pikeville about the need for rules to prevent subsidence from underground coal mining.

• A local organizing campaign is successful when 100 Knox County homes get hooked up to a public water system after coal mining ruined their water wells.

10 Years Ago …

• Meeting four days after the 9/11 attacks, Steering Committee members spent much of their meeting dealing with the wide range of emotions resulting from the events of the past week. In a letter to members, the Steering Committee renewed KFTC’s commitment to nonviolence and reaffirmed KFTC’s work to make Kentucky and the world a more democratic and more just place for all people.

• Jefferson County members rally in support of a local Living Wage ordinance. A Labor Day event in Lexington also highlights the local living wage campaign.

5 Years Ago …

• KFTC and ally the Mountain Association for Community Economic Development (MACED) launch the High Road Initiative, to work to establish “a fair and effective economic development system that promotes a high quality of life for all Kentuckians.”

• With contributions from a dozen musicians or bands, KFTC releases Songs for the Mountaintop, a collection of songs that speak out against mountaintop removal and support the heritage of the Appalachian region.

balancing the scales, September 15 , 2011

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Member Commentary

Putting damaged land to good use Part II: A statewide transition from coal to solar power in Kentucky and beyond

By Dan Hofmann

I had such a great response to my recent commentary that I thought it would be worth the time to take an in depth look at the implications of such a massive undertaking.

Now that we know it’s physically possible for solar photovoltaics (PV) to supply all of the electricity needs in Kentucky by covering only 1/5th of the land already cleared by mountaintop removal (MTR) with solar panels, I think it’s important to ask the following: How quickly could we make the transition from coal to solar? How much would it cost in the short and long term? How would this transition affect coal mining jobs and how many jobs would it create?

Can our economy, and our environment for that matter, afford to stick with coal for the long term?

I think the only way to make a transition of this scale possible would be to spread it over many decades. In my previous assessment, I estimated that it would take a 69.1 GW (gigawatts) solar array to provide all of the electricity needs in Kentucky today, but if this project is spread out over many years,

the size of the solar array would need to grow to match the expected increase in electric kilowatt-hour (kWh) consumption over time.

Figure 1 below shows what I believe would be a feasible transition from coalfired electricity to solar PV over the next 50 years. If we start by adding roughly 1 GW of solar each year and increase that amount by 7 percent per year for 40 years, we could achieve a net-zero carbon economy by the year 2050, powered entirely by solar PV. It also shows the expected increase in electricity consumption from a total of about 90 terawatt-hours (TWh) today to about 240 TWh in the year 2060. This increased consumption is based on the U.S. Department of Energy’s data that shows an average annual increase of around 2 percent in electricity consumption in Kentucky from 1980-2005.

As the solar installations increased each year there would be a total capacity of 150 GW by the year 2050 as we reach net-zero and then a slight drop off as we achieved net-zero. But, new panels would still need to be manufactured and installed, as the industry standard 25year warranty would expire on earlier

solar panels, thereby providing longterm jobs.

However, manufacturers claim that solar PV panels can function well past their expiration date, producing electricity for 40 or even 50 years.

Figure 3 below shows the jobs that would be created over the next 50 years.

This projection is based on a University of California report that claimed that in the solar industry “20 manufacturing and 13 installation/maintenance jobs [are created] per installed megawatt.”

As you can see, the 20,000 coal-mining jobs (represented in red in the graph) in Kentucky would pale in comparison to the potential from solar PV. In fact, more than 30,000 jobs could be created in year one with the installation of 1 GW of solar, already exceeding coal-mining employment.

These would not be temporary jobs.

The maintenance jobs would be needed indefinitely and the manufacturing and installations jobs would be needed as some solar panels are retired and replaced by new panels.

Starting with my estimate from my last commentary, the cost per watt of installing solar PV and energy storage over the next 50 years should decrease from about $2/watt now to about 60 cents/watt in 2050. This is based on the fact that the cost per watt to install solar has historically decreased by about 4 percent per year over that past decade.

Energy storage would not need to be added until solar PV electricity production exceeded around 10 percent of the total, at which point the volatile nature of solar energy can present issues to a stable grid.

The cost per year in dollars to install solar PV, install energy storage, maintain the massive solar array, and build transmission grid infrastructure to get the electricity to residential, commercial and industrial consumers in Kentucky would start at around $2 billion per year and increase to a peak of about $16 billion per year before dropping down to about $13 billion after reaching netzero.

(continued on next page)

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balancing the scales, September 15 , 2011

Member Commentary

Members working to reform Shelby County Electric Cooperative

by Carlen Pippin

Some progress has been made with Shelby Energy Cooperative. Diana Arnold, the first woman ever, has been appointed to serve on the board of directors, replacing a lifer who served for 47 years and was seeking reelection. The directors had previously been questioned at their meetings as to why a woman or minority had never served as a director.

And, the board chair resigned (at the age of 89 after 40 years) and a young energetic member has been appointed to fill that vacancy. So, two new members out of six positions is progress.

I have been attending monthly co-op board meetings as often as I can and attended the annual meeting in June. The annual business meeting lasts maybe 15 minutes and usually costs the memberscustomers approximately $30,000.

The directors were last to arrive and

the first to leave the so-called meeting. I was given a blue bucket, two energy-efficient light bulbs, a small bag of chips, a diet coke and a barbecue sandwich. I didn’t stay for the band and the party.

New electric poles and lines have been installed in my neighborhood over the past 6 to 8 months, which they called an upgrade in service. It was interesting that I was the last person on this project to be connected to the new service.

It was even more concerning that the sub-contractor trashed my pasture and lawn when the poles and wires were installed. I had three flat tires on my tractors and picked up 10 items they left behind including pieces of cables and other broken objects.

I put these objects into the blue bucket (I didn’t know that it would become so handy so soon) and presented them to the directors at their monthly meeting on August 18. The CEO offered

Putting damaged land to good use (continued from previous page)

I used this estimate of $1.5 million per mile to build the high voltage (HVDC) transmission lines and estimated an average of 100 miles per line with a maximum of 2,000 MW for each line.

The projected annual payroll for solar manufacturers, solar installers, and solar maintenance jobs could be close to $13 billion a year by 2060, providing much needed employment income to the commonwealth.

The consumer price per kilowatthour (kWh) for solar energy over time would start at about 7 cents per kilowatt-hour and slightly decrease to 6 cents per kilowatt-hour in 2050.

This cost includes the cost to install solar, install energy storage (beginning in 2020), maintain the solar array, and build the transmission infrastructure.

While this decrease may not look like much at first glance, it’s much more desirable than the dramatic cost increases if we stick with coal.

The cost of coal-fired electricity is expected to increase over this time period, which sharply contrasts with the expected long-term flat cost of solar PV electricity. This projection is based on a 5 percent per year increase in the cost per kWh in Kentucky over the past 10 years

for residential, commercial, and industrial sectors in Kentucky from empirical data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

It is easy to see how costly it could be for Kentucky to ignore the potential of solar energy. While the annual cost of electricity during the transition from coal to solar could be similar to the cost of coal electricity by itself through the year 2030, the exponential increase in coal electricity could drain nearly $150 billion more per year than solar energy by 2060 with a cumulative cost of $1.78 trillion over 50 years.

Kentucky has always used the cheap cost of coal electricity to lure business to the commonwealth; the same strategy could be used for solar electricity if we get a head start on competing states.

The environmental benefits of using solar PV electricity are undisputed.

It’s clear that solar energy is superior to coal-fired electricity in this department.

Imagine using solar electricity to create thousands of jobs manufacturing and maintaining solar panels right here in Kentucky!

Dan Hofmann is President of RegenEn Solar LLC (www.regenensolar.com), a solar panel installation company located in Louisville.

to pay for the tire repairs on the spot.

The next day my neighbors were contacted by the vice president of operations concerning the sub-contractor’s work. However, I was never contacted as to where these items were found on my property.

I personally searched around 25 poles in the neighborhood and did not find any objects left behind other than four old poles.

It has been suggested that I may have taken these items from the subcontractor’s truck and dumped them on my property to make the co-op look bad. I had three short contacts with the sub-contractor crew and all were very cordial.

It appears that a concerned member-customer who chooses to show up at Shelby Energy Board of Directors monthly meetings and asks questions will pay the price – your property and character will be trashed. Being truthful with the facts creates problems for those with a hidden agenda.

It is encouraging to be a part of KFTC and know others that have values and also want to leave this good earth in a little better shape than we found it for future generations. With a governor that wants to sue the EPA for trying to keep our air and water clean lets us know that there is much more work ahead. There is strength in truth and numbers!

Jefferson County members work to educate membership on death penalty

Jefferson County chapter members have spent the past year educating themselves and others around the issue of the death penalty and its use in Kentucky.

Members at the chapter’s annual meeting in 2010 decided it was an issue they wanted to look into, and consider whether the abolition of the death penalty was something to suggest be part of the KFTC platform.

“Over the course of the year we had conversations with folks around the state about adding this to the platform,” said member Shekinah Lavalle. “We were looking at this in terms of whether the death penalty is good for Kentucky.”

Members contacted other organizations working on this issue and did independent research. In doing so they found that the death penalty is applied unequally, is much more expensive for taxpayers than life sentences, does not deter violence and is risky in that it sometimes results in innocent people being executed.

With that knowledge, members concluded that the use of the death penalty was inconsistent with planks already in the KFTC platform and KFTC’s Goals of Organizing.

The platform planks include ones that state KFTC “will fight to create a

fair and just society that respects human and civil rights,” and will oppose discrimination.

“After getting a positive response from Jefferson chapter members, we have taken what we’ve learned to other members around the state, going to other chapters and having those conversations,” said Lavalle. “These conversations with members have varied. Much of the time, members are already convinced that the death penalty is not doing Kentucky any favors … and would favor something other than the death penalty.”

After a presentation at the July chapter meeting with the help of the American Civil Liberties Union, Jefferson County members were ready to recommend at the August annual chapter meeting that support for the abolition of the death penalty be added to the KFTC platform.

“We think it fits in with the KFTC platform,” Lavalle said, explaining that members also considered what resources this might require from KFTC to work on this issue.

One of the benefits that members liked about adding this to the platform is the potential to work as members of KFTC on this issue with other organizations who have already established campaigns around this issue.

balancing the scales, September 15 , 2011

Page

Local Update

Pike County family’s water well is on fire; coal company held responsible but only after citizens take matters in their hands

Thirteen Pike County families whose water wells have been ruined by coal mining may have access to a public water supply by year’s end.

The Martin County Water District, which has existing lines closer to the families than does the Pike County system, has agreed to extend the lines when the details can be worked out. Excel Mining will pay most of the cost.

The families have been experiencing water problems for a couple of years that have gotten worse recently. Their well water flows black and orange at times and burns their skin. One family reported their daughter’s hair was falling out and their son had been vomiting, both they believe connected to their water.

In May, the well of Calvin and Denise Howard became contaminated with so much methane gas that it exploded and burned for weeks.

The families reported the problems to local and state government officials and the coal company in May. And WYMT, the regional TV station out of Hazard, ran a story about the burning well. But nothing happened until KFTC

member Ted Withrow learned about the situation, contacted the families and agreed to help.

He contacted Donna Lisenby, the director of water programs for Appalachian Voices, and asked for help testing the well water for toxins. Working through a partnership with Keeper Springs, Lisenby contacted Chris Bartle, the president of Keeper Springs, and they arranged for the donation of 30,000 bottles of drinking water to the families, delivered in mid-August.

With the story in the news spotlight, local officials and state mining inspectors became interested in helping. Pike and Martin county officials cooperated in getting the water line extension in place.

Kentucky mining officials determined that the Howards’ burning well was “mine-impacted” by Excel Mining, a subsidiary of Alliance Resources. No determination has been made yet by state officials for the other wells.

Withrow said that partial test results on the samples show that, “The water’s not potable. It has way too much iron and manganese to be fit to drink.”

An Excel deep mine runs several hundred feet beneath the homes.

Residents reported hearing occasional rumbles coming from underground.

The “mine-impacted” determination means the company has to provide a temporary supply of water until such time that a permanent source of clean water can be put in place.

“I find it very encouraging that [Department of Mine Reclamation and Enforcement Commissioner] stepped up and kept his word to me, that the mining company has accepted full responsibility, and that municipal water will come to these families,” said Withrow.

The water line extension will be about 1.1 miles. The families won’t have to pay hookup fees but will have to pay for the line from the meter to their house.

“When I see it running through my faucets, I’ll believe it,” Denise Howard told CNHI News Service reporter Ronnie Ellis. “We desperately need it. It couldn’t happen soon enough.”

Ellis’ reporting on the situation helped spur local and state officials to action.

“We are having this gathering to explore how we can work together to create a healthier, more vibrant community here. There is a whole network of folks trying to figure out how we can create a home-grown community based on things that don’t kill us. I want us to join that effort,” said KFTC member Deborah Pennington to an attentive crowd at her Lee County home on August 28.

Pennington hosted a party for more than a dozen eastern Kentuckians to introduce them to KFTC and to start a conversation about their vision for their community. She invited people from Wolfe and Lee counties who seem to share her interest in creating a brighter future for Red River Gorge area towns.

Pennington joined KFTC last year.

She left eastern Kentucky for most of her professional career, but has recently returned to settle and re-establish roots in the region. She was excited to in-

troduce her friends to the breadth of KFTC’s efforts while having fun by hosting a party at her house.

Guests enjoyed homemade pies and cakes, based on Pennington family recipes, including a cake made with fresh blackberries – a specialty of Deborah’s mother.

As folks sat amid forest and sunshine on her deck, conversations ranged from how to create a thriving post-coal economy in the region to trying to elevate democracy and energy conversations within the Licking Valley rural electric cooperative to how best to support regional small-scale agriculture.

Long-time Floyd County member Beverly May introduced guests to KFTC ‘s organizing model ­— including a reading of the KFTC vision statement.

“It gives me chills whenever I hear that vision statement read,” said member and guest Sheri CampbellHaas. With her family, Campbell-

Haas started and directs a summer camp called Hope Mountain. The camp aims to help vulnerable eastern Kentucky youth reclaim the positive aspects of mountain culture and feel good about their Appalachian identities. CampbellHaas saw great parallels in the aims of the camp and in KFTC’s work.

May also discussed KFTC’s efforts on Appalachian Transition and told the crowd how the Floyd County chapter has built on this regional and organizational momentum by creating and planning the Growing Appalachia conference. The conference, which aims to discuss transition and present hands-on ideas about start-up businesses in the region, grew to more than 100 participants this year, in just its second year.

Pennington said she hopes their community, starting with the people at the party, will get engaged in the same type of regional conversation as Floyd County.

KFTC member Ted Withrow looks at the burning water well of Calvin and Denise Howard in Pike County. The pump house around the well was destroyed when the well exploded.

Photo by Sue Tallichet.

Lee and Wolfe County residents envision a bright future

“There simply isn’t just one answer to what we do after coal. There’s hundreds of answers and our people have the creativity and resourcefulness to get there,” she said.

After hearing May’s story, Sheri’s daughter, RaeLyn, and others at the party said they definitely want to join KFTC’s efforts. Deborah, Sheri and RaeLyn were enthusiastic about forming a Wolfe-Lee chapter of KFTC in the coming year.

The group plans to meet again next month.

If you live in the area and are interested in learning more or getting involved, please contact Kevin Pentz at kevin@kftc.org or 606-335-0764.

You Are New Power

Page

Local Updates

balancing the scales, September 15 , 2011

Conference aims to “Stay Together Appalachian Youth”

On August 9-12, 30 young people, ages 17-29 from West Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee attended the 2011 STAY (Stay Together Appalachian Youth) Summer Institute held at the Pine Mountain Settlement School.

Participants attended workshops ranging from Policy 101 to Community Philanthropy to Sustainable Opportunities for Mountain Communities where they learned more about activism and new developments in the region.

Additionally, the emerging leaders went to see the threatened coal towns of Benham, Cumberland and Lynch in Harlan County, or on a mountain witness tour in Eolia, where Sharman and Jeff Chapman-Crane explained the history of KFTC.

There were caucus times for queer youth and youth of color during meals in order to build the membership base and support for these identities.

In the evenings young people were able to join in cultural sharing, play traditional music, and attend a square dance Thursday night.

On the final day, participants brainstormed ideas for a three-year strategic plan and held steering committee elections.

Five new steering committee members were elected, two of whom are KFTC members. It was also decided to reserve two other places – one for a young person of color and one from an unrepresented state.

The following are STAY’s new steering committee members:

by Ivy Brashear

of Hazard issued a detailed apology, outlining its non-discrimination policy.

However, EKF members think more needs to be done throughout southeastern Kentucky, beyond an apology, to ensure equality is gained.

EKF began meeting in June to discuss this issue and how to better create a safe place for LGBT people to discuss issues and problems they face in the mountains.

The group has focused its efforts primarily on gaining knowledge about non-discrimination laws in southeastern Kentucky, defining its specific goals, deciding which particular issues to tackle first and growing its numbers.

The goals EKF hopes to achieve have been outlined in initials meetings of the group. EKF as a group hopes to:

Cleveland Smith, 20, Hazard, KY Janney Lockman, 21, Green Bank, WV Joshua May, 23, Salyersville, KY Tonya Purdy, 24, Hillsboro, WV Willam Brummett, 20, Jefferson City, TN

STAY is encouraging suggestions of any young person from the region interested in filling one of the reserved steering committee positions this year. Please let them know of the opportunity.

This was the first Summer Institute STAY has held. Participants and volunteers learned a lot this time around and are excited to plan a bigger, better and more inclusive event next summer in a different state.

KFTC supported the participation of 12 emerging eastern Kentucky leaders at the gathering. They were: Cecily Howell, Tanya Turner, Cody Montgomery, Willa Johnson, Brittany Hunsaker, Ethan

Hamblin, Kathryn Dunn, Elizabeth Sanders, Cleveland Smith, Ada Smith, Josh May, Carrie Wells

The STAY Project is a diverse regional network of young people throughout Central Appalachia who are working together to advocate for and actively participate in their home mountain communities.

For more information please contact STAY at: stayproject@gmail.com.

The STAY Project is currently a consortium supported by Appalshop’s Appalachian Media Institute in Whitesburg, KY and High Rocks in Hillsboro, WV, with the Highlander Research and Education Center in New Market, TN acting as the fiscal sponsor.

• Create a local support network for LGBT folks and their allies • Identify local resources for LGBT folks and their allies in the unfortunate event they are ever discriminated against in the future, and • Identify business, community, spiritual and educational leaders with which EKF may be able to partner.

EKF welcomes anyone to the group

and to meetings, as members work to garner as much support and as many ideas as possible.

EKF’s Facebook page is “East Kentucky Fairness.” Questions, concerns and comments can be sent by email to eastkyfairness@gmail.com. EKF also has a mailing address: East Kentucky Fairness, P.O. Box 18, Mayking, KY 41837.

East Kentucky Fairness group forms for equality in the mountains

In response to an incident highlighting the continued discrimination against Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual and Transgender (LGBT) people living in the mountains, a group of southeastern Kentuckians took action by creating a group dedicated to the discussion and implementation of extending equality in the mountains to all people.

They named this group East Kentucky Fairness (EKF).

The incident, which involved the expulsion of a gay couple from the Hazard Pavilion in Perry County based on what appeared to be religious bias, garnered much media attention from local, state and national outlets.

The Kentucky Equality Federation, a statewide group advocating for the LGBT community, hosted a protest at the pavilion days after the incident occurred.

In response to the incident, the city

• Document anecdotal evidence that shows the need for fairness ordinances to be established throughout the region

Last Gift Date Printed On Front Cover!

We’ve heard from a lot of members that they would love to stay current in their membership dues, but just don’t know when their renewal date is. So now we are printing your last gift date with your mailing label*.

Renew by mail: Send in a contribution and the form.

Renew by phone: Call Morgan to pay by credit card 606-878-2161.

Renew online: It’s easy to make a donation online at www.kftc.org/donate. * Let us know if the last gift date looks wrong. Databases can be imperfect. Keep in mind that it takes about two weeks for the paper to be printed and on your doorstep. If you’ve made a donation in that time, it won’t make it on the label.

balancing the scales, September 15 , 2011

Page 10

Local Updates

Friend-raisier ‘Moot’ builds cohesion in northern Kentucky

KFTC member Ivory Faeth recently organized a friend-raiser for the Northern Kentucky chapter in Cincinnati to help encourage many of her friends in the area to become more informed and involved in KFTC’s work.

Faeth came up with the idea of the event when she worked closely with KFTC during a grant-writing class at Northern Kentucky University, and understood the impact KFTC was able to have on the issues that were important to her.

She became interested in working on several of KFTC’s signature issues when she moved to Appalachia several years ago. Once she returned to Northern Kentucky and finally connected with KFTC at NKU she decided to hold an event to reach out to friends and

The Red Cedars performed at the Friend Moot at Iris Book Cafe in support of the Northern Kentucky Chapter.

acquaintances.

She became energized to work with people who wanted to, “[take] a chance to help get our country back on the right path with fair working conditions and wages for all, a plan to move away from coal and into renewable energy, an end to the all encompassing destruction of mountaintop removal, and a chance to become active citizens and voters.”

Faeth selected the guest list for her “Friend Moot” (a Moot being a discussion or a group of people exercising political, administrative, or judicial power) reflecting on what KFTC has given her.

As she put it, “I figured if KFTC gave me hope, they might be inspired too, which is how I came up with the guest list for the Friend Moot.”

The event was held at a local store named Iris Book Café in the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood, and featured live music by the local band “The Red Cedars.” It coincided with photographer Gordon Smith’s exhibition on Mountaintop Removal entitled Presages: Kentucky Coal Country Photographs, and featured discussions around the state of democracy in Kentucky, the future of Kentucky’s energy and what a just Kentucky would look like.

The discussion lasted a little longer than intended, and was described by many as an “intimate debate/ discussion.” The event was such a success that many who attended are hoping to hold another Friend Moot in the spring.

Election Day Nov. 8, Polls open 6 a.m.- 6 p.m.

VOTE

Folks have until Tuesday, October 11 to register to vote or to update their voter address.

KFTC members are out in the streets registering voters at various community events to get the registration form turned in on time.

For example, on September 8 University of Kentucky KFTC students registered 121 people on campus in less than four hours. A major task of the day was letting students know that they have the right to register at either a permanent home address or a temporary local address – and because election day is on a school day, members recommend students be registered on campus where they’ll actually be on election day.

KFTC is also working to publish a Voter Guide with candidate survey answers from various topics that are important to KFTC members.

Responses also will be published online at www.

KentuckyElection.org, in late September.

After that, the focus will be on mobilizing KFTC members and friends to vote, contacting them by phone from KFTC offices all over the state.

To volunteer, contact your local KFTC organizer to come out and make calls.

Chapter Briefs: What is happening locally Central Kentucky

This year chapter members have really been stepping it up when it comes to sharing KFTC’s work with new folks in the community and grassroots fundraising.

Just last month chapter members hosted two great events. Psera Newman held a small house party to discuss the impact of coal mining on communities in Appalachia, Colombia and Black Mesa.

Attendees discussed how they could organize in Lexington in a way that supported the struggles of these communities.

In addition to a great conversation the party also raised $40!

A week later members Marty Mudd and Nishaan Sandhu held a get-to-know KFTC ice cream social for their community, which featured face painting, chair massages and a raffle that brought in more than $200.

Check the KFTC calendar at www.kftc.org for more information about Central Kentucky chapter events happening this fall.

Northern Kentucky

The KFTC Northern Kentucky chapter had the pleasure in late August to table at the 3rd Annual Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Farmers’ Fair, a festival in Covington dedicated to promoting more sustainable living. This festival is a fundraiser for Central Ohio River Valley Food Guide, Slow Food Cincinnati, Ohio Valley Foodshed Project and the Community Farm Alliance.

The festival, which served primarily as a great way to learn about the local farms and community sustained agriculture in the region, featured speakers on sustainability, instruction on healthy cooking, live music, and more. The city of Covington, through their Renaissance Project, promoted biking by featuring a bike valet for people to use.

KFTC members used the event to increase awareness regarding KFTC’s campaigns around electric coop reform, the Kentucky Sustainable Energy Alliance, and work to help end mountaintop removal. The event resulted in more than 10 new members for the chapter, and raised more than $150 to help support the work.

Scott County

KFTC members and friends have been successful in building broad support for curbside recycling in the city of Georgetown, continuing to circulate petitions and talk to people in the community.

A big breakthrough came last month when members were able to participate in the first city council committee meeting on curbside recycling. This committee, made up of two council members and local residents, has continued at a strong pace with additional meetings every two weeks.

Members are still considering a range of paths forward that are cost-effective, result in recycling a lot more materials, and keep the existing city recycling staff.

To increase awareness, members held a community ice cream social that brought out 20 people to learn about KFTC, the issues, and what members do in the community.

Page 11

Voting Rights Update

balancing the scales, September 15 , 2011

Rev. Damon Horton is looking for a second chance To share more of the stories from former felons across the commonwealth, this is part of a series of short interviews that will run in balancing the scales.

“I haven’t always been a minister.

At one point, I was a gang member and a drug dealer. I ended up getting arrested in 2003 and again in 2004 when I was sentenced to 12 years for drug trafficking,” Rev. Horton recalled.

“It was a little after that that I realized that the Lord was calling on me to preach. I really changed my life around.

I did a lot of preaching in the penitentiary and it really felt like the right thing to be doing.

“A little after I got out in 2006, I got

married, started a family and accepted the call to ministry. I was ordained and rededicated my life to serving other people.

“I’ve now been accepted into seminary school, pursuing a master’s degree.”

Horton is also active in a program called Steppin to a New Beat, started by another KFTC leader and former felon named Tayna Fogle.

“I’m a mentor, heading up a youth program with them – to help young people who are on the wrong path to get them on the right path.

But even after doing so much to turn his life around and to help others do the same, Rev. Horton said he is struggling.

“Even though the Lord has forgiven me, it’s still hard for society to accept me. It’s hard to find a job.

“I can pay taxes again, but I can’t vote or have a real voice in the government.

“To be able to have a voice, vote, and make a difference – that’s a big deal to me. I read what’s going on in my community, but I don’t have a say in it.

I don’t understand that. It’s not like that in other states. Ours is one of just a few.

It doesn’t seem right.

“People make mistakes. A lot of folks are just one or two mistakes from being in the same place I am.

“If faith tells me anything, it’s that people deserve a second chance.”

tions with allies and likely allies on a range of issues, including unions like AFSCME, the Teamsters, UFCW, and others.

In all, members passed out all 600 fans they took plus 200 stickers, KFTC newsletters and more; had a lot of good conversations; and were a strong visible presence for candidates and others.

til that point been sitting around me, perfectly friendly, polite, and smiling. Watching and (sometimes) hearing the speeches did however remind me of why I love being a member of KFTC. I felt that the people I was sitting with were the only folks in the crowd who were cheering and booing ideas, not parties. The heckling is still

Members travel across the state to attend Fancy Farm

KFTC members from the Jefferson County, Central Kentucky and Northern Kentucky chapters met in far western Kentucky last month to challenge “politics as usual” at the rowdy Fancy Farm picnic – a blisteringly hot festival full of pork, sweat, partisanship, booing, theatrics, costumes and stump speeches.

But between all of that challenging landscape, KFTC members had a lot of opportunity to talk to politicians, local folks and political buffs from across the state who drove long hours to the event.

“Tired of hot air?” KFTC members asked. “Come get a fan!”

Many attendees listened.

Not just because of the heat, but because so many said that they were, in fact, tired of the hot air, the partisanship and the attack politics. Many seemed to genuinely hunger for real policy discussions instead of the political theater that’s the norm there.

Members also worked to educate people about KFTC’s campaign to restore voting rights to former felons who have served their debt to society.

Members met many former felons and their family members, and found Republicans, Democrats, and Independents who were proud to wear KFTC’s lapel stickers in favor of voting rights.

KFTC members were approached by many folks from the media to talk about their decidedly un-Fancy Farm presence at Fancy Farm.

Members also got to build connec-

KFTC member reactions “On the one hand, this is more entertaining than pro wrestling at the county fair. On the other, the future of our Commonwealth, and its citizens, shouldn’t be treated like pro wrestling at the county fair. KFTC was there to point that out.

For all the fun, festivities and BBQ nachos, most of the candidates were like the old James Brown song; ‘Talkin’ Loud, and Saying Nothing.’”

Danny Cotton, Central Kentucky

“I was not at all prepared for the Fancy Farm speeches. I guess I had heard before that it was a giant hecklefest, but I had forgotten and was totally shocked when the ‘boos’ started emanating unsolicited (aside from the politicians being guilty of not being on the same ‘side’ as the folks booing them) from the mouths of people who had un-

not my idea of good political discourse, but I wasn’t under the impression that any of my fellow KFTC members perceived this behavior to be beneficial either. Before the speeches began though, I think we all had opportunities to have good conversations with people of all political leanings about restoring former felons’ voting rights, and having good conversations about building a better Kentucky always feels like progress to me, and it always feels like time wellspent.”

Shekinah Lavalle, Jefferson County

KFTC members Karen Tyson McBride and Jenn Myatt passed out “Hot Air” fans while talking with Fancy Farm attendees concerning restoring voting rights to former felons.

Happy 30th Birthday!

Hard work, friendship and giving voice to ordinary people were common themes as folks reminisced about the first 30 years of KFTC anddreamedaboutthenext30atKFTC’sbirthdayparty,August27 at Cathedral Domain in Lee County.

Nearly 300 folks enjoyed a family-reunion-style picnic with music, story circles, swimming, games, a square dance and the premiere of “I Was There,” a 30th anniversary film.

Memories flowed as long-time friends described their connectiontoKFTCandtheworkthey’vedonetogethertobuildabetter Kentucky.

Folks remembered big moments such as the successful 1988 Broad Form Deed campaign, which resulted in a constitutional amendment to protect landowners from unwanted strip mining.

MembersreflectedonwhatKFTChasmeanttoKentuckythesepast30 years. And folks talked about their hopes for the future.

These youth are the next generation of KFTC members. They will bring their kids to KFTC’s 60th birthday party.

“It means family. It means having a voice. It means being trained to be involved in the process.”

LaTanya Torp Central Kentucky member

Allies Amelia Parker and Cassie Watters drove up from Tennessee.

“I’m really proud of KFTC for being around for 30 years. I remember in the beginning how proud I was.

I’m still proud.”

Ann Olson Elliott County member

Story Circles allowed for cross-generational storytelling.

Perry County member Cleveland Smith raffled a dulcimer hand built

by Al Cornet and donated by Wanda Humphrey (Harlan County). It raised more than $575.

The beautiful Cathedral provided the perfect backdrop to share stories about KFTC’s first 30 years and to premiere the documentary about KFTC’s history produced by KFTC members Jasper Lauderdale and Herb E. Smith.

“If you work together to stop exploitation, then you’ve got an organization that has power.

That’s really what KFTC is about, empowering individuals.”

Ray Tucker Chairperson, 1992-94

“You just learn.

Just because you’re afraid, you can’t shut up. …

We’ve had fun with everything we do.”

Patty Wallace and Ruth Colvin shared stories during the story circles about their early antics.

Louisville musician and KFTC member Justin Lewis entertained the crowd as they arrived to the Cathedral for the party.

Patty Wallace Chairperson, 1988-90

The cave crew had a nice hike to caves located on the Cathedral Domain property. Members brought lots of energy for the hike and energy for engaging conversations.

“I remember that evening of the vote, a bunch of us were in Hindman watching the returns … as the evening went on, it just swept every county … It was a David and Goliath story.”

Former staff member Colleen Unroe reunited with McKinley Sumner at the party. Unroe was an eastern Kentucky organizer with KFTC for 8 years until this past June.

Sharman Chapman-Crane Letcher County member Remembering the 1988 broad form deed campaign

balancing the scales, September 15 , 2011

Thank you to the following businesses, individuals, organizations, churches, and garden clubs who purchased ads in KFTC’s 30th Anniversary History Booklet. KFTC is a stronger organization because of the support we receive from groups like these.

10th Planet 5th Street Apiary A Lasting World ACLU of Kentucky Advocacy Action Network Alliance for Appalachia Americans Who Tell The Truth Appalachia-Science in the Public Interest Appalachian Citizens Law Center Appalachian Community Fund Appalshop Ashbourne Farms Backporch Smokehouse Baldwin CPAs Benham Garden Club Bluegrass Socialist Party Carmichaels Bookstores Center for Biological Diversity Center for EcoLiteracy Center for Interfaith Relations Central Kentucky Council on Peace &

Justice Cherry Bomb Chorus Foundation Coal Country/Evening Star Productions Community Farm Alliance Cumberland Valley Insurance Debbie and Rep. Jim Wayne Drinking Liberally Earthworks LLC Eco-Cell Fairness Campaign Farley Printing Federation of Appalachian Housing Enterprises Garden Grove Organics Harmon, Curran, Spielberg + Eisenberg, LLP Heartwood Heine Brothers Coffee Highlander Center Hound Dog Press Jefferson County Teachers Association

Kentucky Alliance Against Racist & Political Repression Kentucky Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty Kentucky Domestic Violence Association Kentucky Foundation for Women Kentucky Interfaith Power & Light Kentucky Jobs with Justice Kentucky Solar Energy Society Kentucky Waterways Alliance Kentucky Youth Advocates Larkspur Press LexPress Louisville Climate Action Network Marquerite Casey Foundation Mary Love Metropolitan Housing Coalition Mike’s Hike and Bike Mountain Association for Community Economic Development Network Center for Community Change New World Foundation Northern Kentucky KFTC Chapter Ohio Citizen Action Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition Pushback Network Rabbit Hash General Store Rainbow Blossom Foods

Page 1 Rainforest Action Network Rebelle Reel World String Band Reser Bicycle Outfitters Richr Outreach Roebling Point Bookstore Saving Kentucky Sierra Club SOCM Solar Energy Solutions Southern Appalachian Mountain Stewards SouthWest Organizing Project Southwings St. William Catholic Church Stellar Sweets Subway in Richmond The Daily Yonder The Plantory Thomas Jefferson Unitarian Tony Oppegard Union Church Van Zandt, Emrich & Cary Virginia Organizing Weeds of Eden Western Organization of Resource Councils Wind Publications WRFL - FM WV Highlands Conservancy

KFTC Annual Meeting October 1 -16, 2011 Kentucky Leadership Center in Jabez Family friendly atmosphere!

Relax, meet new people, visit old friends, learn about KFTC, share stories, dance, listen to music, attend workshops, and have fun!

balancing the scales, September 15 , 2011

Page 15

Registration Form

or register online at www.kftc.org/annual-meeting Name(s) Address Phone Email Please specify your needs below.

Lodging __ Friday night (10/14) __ Saturday night (10/15) Saturday Meals Sunday Meals

__ Breakfast __ Lunch __ Evening Banquet __ Breakfast __ Box Lunch

Do you have any special dietary needs?

Please specify

Do you need a room equipped for physical disabilities?

Please specify

2-4 people will share each room. Do you have a preferred roommate(s)?

Please specify

A Generation of Working for Change and a Vision for Tomorrow Friday, October 14 6 p.m.

Registration begins at the beautiful Kentucky Leadership Center (near Somerset, KY). Directions will be sent to everyone who registers.

Please eat dinner before arriving.

7 p.m.

Welcome, introductions, and icebreaker on the porch.

8 p.m.

Where art and activism meet. “History has remembered the kings and warriors because they destroyed. Art has remembered the people because they created.” Join us on the front porch to learn how photos, music, poetry, and storytelling has helped KFTC’s movement over the last 30 years.

10 p.m.

Late-night bonfire under the stars

Saturday, October 15 9 a.m.

KFTC: A generation of working for change Join us for the opening of KFTC’s annual meeting by listening in on stories from some of Kentucky’s oldest – and newest – leaders in the movement for social, economic, and environmental justice.

11 a.m.

KFTC: A Vision For Tomorrow (Workshop Tracks) Today Kentuckians have our best chance in generations to build a new power economy and a new power democracy – for all of us. Take a journey with us throughout the rest of the day to learn more about how we can – and are – building New Power in Kentucky. Topics include: Strengthening Democracy, Intergenerational Organizing, KFTC’s Economic Justice work, KFTC’s Energy and Canary work, Communicating Our Vision, Who KFTC Is and How We Organize for Change

12 p.m.

Lunch

1:45 p.m.

Workshop Tracks continued...

3:30 p.m.

Break

6 p.m.

Awards Banquet and Keynote Speaker:

9:30 p.m.

Homegrown Talent Show: Join us for an evening of skits, poetry, music, dance, humor, etc.

Will you need child care? __ Yes __ No # of children ___ Ages__ Please let us know if you are willing to help out by: Bringing items (including crafts) for a silent auction Participating in a talent show on Saturday Night Helping out with activities for children Transportation: I can drive and am willing to offer a ride to others from my area I need a ride Cost: The cost for the weekend is $90 per adult, which includes two nights lodging, five meals, meeting costs and child care, if needed. (Costs can be adjusted if you attend only part of the meeting. If $90 is beyond your budget, please contribute what you can).

Early Bird Registration: Register by September 30 and pay only $70!

Do not let the expense keep you from attending!

I have enclosed $______ for my registration.

I cannot attend but am sending $______ so that someone else can participate.

Please make check or money order payable to KFTC and mail with this registration form to: P.O. Box 1450, London, Kentucky 40743

Annual meeting checklist If you’re planning to come … √ Register as soon as possible using the form above or online at www.kftc.org.

Don't forget to send in your registration fee in the amount you feel you can afford. √ Ask other KFTC members and non-members to come. Offer them a ride or try to carpool. √ Get excited. You’re going to have a great time.

Sunday, October 16 9 a.m.

Looking Forward: KFTC’s Strategic Planning for the future After celebrating the past 30 years of KFTC, join us on Sunday to help set KFTC’s strategic direction for the next five years and beyond. This is an opportunity for our member-led organization to talk about what kind of presence we want to have in Kentucky.

10:45 a.m. KFTC’s Annual Business Meeting.

Join us to review and vote on KFTC’s issue platform, elect statewide officers, and approve new and returning KFTC chapters. Then we’ll close out the silent auction, fill out evaluation forms, and say good-bye.

Please remember to bring items to donate to the silent auction! Handmade or locally made items are especially appreciated.

Page 16

balancing the scales, September 15 , 2011

Canary Project Update

EPA officials hear of environmental justice issues on tour

On August 18 and 19, Kentuckians had the opportunity to speak directly to key officials of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) about their vision for Kentucky and about their concerns related to the devastating effects of mountaintop removal mining, valley fills and other destructive coal practices.

KFTC hosted Lisa Garcia from the Washington, D.C. office, who is a special advisor to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson on Environmental Justice, and Gwendolyn Keyes Fleming, administrator for EPA’s Region 4, as well as seven other EPA directors and staff members.

The tour brought the EPA in contact with more than 150 Kentuckians, many of whom were able to share their stories and concerns. At stops in Manchester, Vicco, Whitesburg and Lynch, the residents over and over asked the federal officials to enforce the law and help create safe and healthy communities.

In a statement issued after the tour, KFTC described the messages for EPA delivered by concerned mothers, teachers, students, retired coal miners, nurses, entrepreneurs, the unemployed and many others. It read, in part: • “We expressed our vision for a prosperous eastern Kentucky and shared our hope that by working together we could create economic opportunities so that our children won’t have to leave the region to find meaningful work.

• “We expressed hope that those jobs would not put workers in danger, and would not do damage to our land and water.

• “We asked for assurances that our drinking water not make us sick, and that those companies that are poisoning our water be stopped and held accountable.

• “The mayor and residents of Lynch asked that mining not be allowed to destroy the town’s drinking water source and future economic potential.

• “One family in Clay County asked that someone stop the dust and water pollution from a coal processing plant that a doctor told them is making their daughter sick.

• “And we let it be known that one of the biggest obstacles to safe workplaces and healthy communities is systematic non-enforcement of the laws designed to protect our health

and safety and inaction by the state and federal agencies.

Speakers also thanked and commended the EPA officials for coming to listen to the people most impacted by the decisions that they make regarding the issuing of permits and enforcing the law.

In Clay County, Anne Shelby described her community's efforts to protect their land and water through a Lands Unsuitable for Mining petition, which the state ignored and, as she says, often ridiculed.

After leaving Clay County, the caravan of Kentuckians and EPA officials headed to Knott County to hear from more community members.

The Hazard Herald printed a detailed article on the next stop on the EPA's visit to the Cordia School in Knott County: Ivy Brashear, a Viper resident and graduate student at the University of Kentucky, thanked the EPA for changes that have been made to coal mining regulations recently. She said she believes that EPA officials have gone to bat for the environment ...

“Thirty years is all we have left of the coal, 30 years and then they are gone,” she said. “They are going to leave here and we are going to be here with dirty water and dirty air and cancer clusters and birth defects.”

To round out the first day, the EPA officials heard from a long list of folks from eastern Kentucky and elsewhere in Kentucky. The Appalshop theater in Whitesburg was packed as KFTC members spoke about their concerns, including a barrage of recent studies that show the harmful impacts of strip mining and valley fills.

Reporter Erica Peterson with WFPLFM in Louisville followed along on the whole trip and had this to report on the Whitesburg stop: Later that night, people packed into a theater in Whitesburg and testified about water pollution, the perils of an economy that’s too dependent on coal and the industry’s political influence.

“I want to talk for a moment about another insidious form of coal pollution,” said former Kentuckians For The Commonwealth chair Doug Doerrfeld.

“It is hard to overstate the degree

EPA Region 4 Administrator Gwendolyn Keyes Fleming spoke with the media after the EPA’s two-day Environmental Justice Tour in eastern Kentucky. to which the influence of coal has also polluted our democracy,” he said. “While coal mining provides just 1 percent of all jobs in the state and the industry contributes 2.5 percent of Kentucky’s economic output, the power of the industry’s money in our political system is overwhelming.”

The next day, the EPA wrapped up their trip in Lynch, in Harlan County. The Harlan Daily Enterprise reported on the story there: “We have a beautiful area. Right now, it is virgin territory as far as surface mining goes, and we like to keep it that way,” said Stanley Sturgill, member of Lynch City Council and Kentuckians For The Commonwealth.

A statement by former council member Carl Shoupe captured what seemed to be the sentiment of many of those gathered.

“We’re not against coal, but we are asking the EPA to listen to us and help us preserve and save what we cherish. EPA is our last bastion,” said Shoupe.

Media coverage of the tour was extensive and came from a variety of sources. WYMT, the eastern Kentucky television station, broadcast two reports on the tour, one on the community testimony in Whitesburg and one on the stop in Lynch.

Throughout the trip, Keyes Fleming and Garcia stated that environmental justice is important to the administration

and that low-income and minority voices need to be heard in the decisions that affect them most, particularly as they relate to pollution. Keyes Fleming said the residents who spoke to them throughout the trip were heard “loud and clear.”

By Friday, the internet and airwaves were full of complaints from the coal industry about the visit. In their wrap-up, WFPL reported on the controversy:

[Charles Baird of the Coal Operators and Associates] criticized the lack of advance notice to members of the media other than WFPL. But there were local media outlets at each event.

And two employees from the state Division of Water were present. Also, Bill Bissett of the Kentucky Coal Association confirmed that he was notified of the tour, and the EPA offered to meet with coal supporters for an hour on Friday.

But many members of the mining industry were at a conference in Lexington.

Earlier that day, in an Interim Subcommittee on Energy meeting in Frankfort, legislators railed against the EPA’s visit and the officials’ opportunity to hear regular Kentuckians voice their hopes and concerns without the coal industry also being present.

Media outlets who reported on the EPA’s listening tour, and on the comments of residents, also picked up the story of the controversy created by industry spokespeople and legislators. (continued on page 19)

balancing the scales, September 15 , 2011

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Canary Project Update

Hearing helps expose weakness of deal with coal polluters

Franklin Circuit Judge Phillip Shepherd has given all parties until September 30 to submit their final arguments and findings of fact in a case that involves thousands of violations of the Clean Water Act by two coal companies operating in eastern Kentucky.

This came at the end of three days of hearings during which KFTC, Appalachian Voices and other allies tried to show that a proposed agreement between state officials and the companies to resolve the matter was lenient and would be ineffective in preventing future violations.

“In my opinion, we proved our case that these agreements are not fair and in the public interest, and the cabinet failed to prove its case that they are fair,” said KFTC member Ted Withrow, who sat through most of the hearing.

This case started last October when Appalachian Voices, Kentucky Riverkeeper, the Waterkeeper Alliance and KFTC sent 60-day Notices of Intent to Sue to Frasure Creek Mining and International Coal Group for 20,000 violations of the Clean Water Act. Many of those violations were for filing fraudulent water monitoring reports, which made it impossible to know if the companies were complying with their water discharge permits.

The state Energy and Environment Cabinet investigated those allegations, and on December 3 filed an enforcement action in Franklin Circuit Court citing more than 2,700 violations.

By filing this action – on the 59th day after the 60-day notice – state officials effectively blocked a federal lawsuit by the four groups and dramatically reduced the number of violations.

In the state court hearing, testimony showed that the cabinet and the citizens’ groups had different methods for counting the number of violations, and that departments within the cabinet differed in their calculations as well.

“The testimony showed it’s better to not turn in a monitoring report than to turn one in that’s all messed up,” Withrow pointed out. Not submitting required reports would result in fewer violations.

As part of the December filing, cabinet officials asked Judge Shepherd to sign two consent agreements in which the companies acknowledged the violations, agreed to some remedial actions and accepted fines totaling $660,000.

The four groups found those agree-

ments to be lacking in the level of fines and ability to prevent future violations.

They sought to intervene in the case, and after stiff opposition from the Beshear administration and the coal companies, Judge Shepherd allowed the intervention.

The hearing began on August 31 with attorneys Mary Cromer of the Appalachian Citizens Law Center and Lauren Waterworth presenting the case for the interveners.

They helped show that “the fines that the cabinet levied against ICG and Frasure would not cover the cost of doing the water testing correctly,” said Withrow.

The fines could have been in the tens of millions of dollars.

Eric Chance, a researcher with Appalachian Voices who is familiar with the companies’ discharge monitoring reports, in his testimony estimated that the companies saved $31,000 a month by not properly testing their many pollution discharges.

“I think we showed that this low level of fines incentivizes future violations,” Withrow added.

There is evidence to back this up.

The companies’ monitoring reports for the first quarter of 2011 – when they actually were testing the water discharges rather than filing false reports – showed an increase in the number of pollution violations.

“We showed what was going on in 2011, after everyone said they were going to implement corrective plans,” Withrow pointed out. “The violations actually increased when they started testing. That shows that the agreements are not adequate.”

Most of the testimony during the interveners’ case was given under the objection of the cabinet attorneys, who did not want the case to delve into the cabinet’s internal processes and investigation. Shepherd overruled most of those objections.

After the interveners’ case was presented, the cabinet asked the court to dismiss the claims and sign the consent agreements. Shepherd declined to do so and allowed the cabinet and companies to present their defense.

Before concluding the case, Shepherd encouraged, but did not order, the parties to negotiate a settlement. Such efforts and previously failed over the summer.

“We’re willing to sit down and negotiate this,” said Withrow.

Shepherd is a former secretary of the then Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Cabinet under Gov. Brereton Jones. He also was an attorney for KFTC in the 1980s.

Frasure Creek Mining is owned by the India-based Essar Group. ICG was recently acquired by St. Louis-based Arch Coal for $3.4 billion.

When the coal companies and state officials fail to do their job, or purposely choose to not protect communities, citizens like Rick Handshoe have to step in and monitor their water, report violations and push for enforcement.

Canary Briefs:

Citizens intervene in deals between state officials and coal companies who violate the law

Appalachian Voices, Kentucky Riverkeeper, the Waterkeeper Alliance and KFTC have a similar case against Nally & Hamilton involving thousands of violations of the Clean Water Act.

In that case, the cabinet filed an internal administrative enforcement action against Nally & Hamilton, perhaps to prevent a similar intervention by the citizens’ groups.

But in July, the administrative judge granted the groups intervener status.

However, in early September cabinet officials announced a settlement with Nally & Hamilton that excluded the interveners from the negotiation process. That settlement is expected to be challenged because of its lenient treatment for thousands of intentional violations.

EPA to investigate ongoing violations

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has sent letters to Nally & Hamilton, Frasure Creek Mining and ICG asking for numerous records of the companies’ water pollution discharges in 2011. The letters indicate that EPA officials are willing to look into the ongoing Clean Water Act violations by the companies.

If EPA follows through with a full-blown investigation, it could be “the game-changer that we have been working for,” Ted Withrow wrote in an email. He expressed hope that it would lead to significant reforms in the ways state officials monitor coal companies and enforce the law.

“This would not have occurred without [our] litigation,” he added.

“We are breaking new ground and setting precedents that will have lasting impacts in Kentucky.”

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balancing the scales, September 15 , 2011

New Energy and Transition Update

Owen Electric members see success in effort to reform local co-op

For nearly two years, Tona Barkley has been working to make her rural electric co-op, Owen Electric, more open and democratic.

She ran for her co-op board last year on a platform of openness and democracy. She organized members of her community to address the co-op board and submit a petition of more than 200 members supporting co-op reform. And she has served on an advisory committee to consider a Members’ Bill of Rights submitted to the board by her friends and neighbors.

Finally, all this work has paid off.

In July, the Owen Electric board of directors voted to adopt the recommendations put before them by the advisory committee on which Barkley served.

This committee of six, created by the board and composed of one half members and one half board directors, met three times this spring to consider the following topics: open meetings, open records, and fair and open elections. Much conversation and negotiation took place during the meetings, and not every point in the Members’ Bill of Rights was forwarded to the board.

But, as Barkley said, “Members of the committee gave thoughtful consideration to all the points, and gave valid

reasons for the decisions they made. I felt very good about the whole process.

I think it’s going to make Owen Electric more transparent and is a first step toward making it even more transparent in the future.”

tained the procedures currently in place for members to address the board of directors. The board tasked the staff with pursuing “avenues to better apprise the membership of the Cooperative’s activities.”

The board adopted the following changes:

Open Records

All board meeting minutes will now be placed online at the co-op’s website and will include all attachments referred to in the minutes. The website will also be expanded to include new information such as a district map, director contact information, and other informative materials.

Open Meetings

While the board chose to keep the board meetings closed, they approved measures to help interested co-op members become more informed and engaged in the co-op’s business, and main-

While these aren’t landslide changes, they are concrete and significant steps forward in bringing democracy and, especially with the new voting procedures, accessibility to co-op members.

“I think Owen Electric is exercising leadership in beginning to be more responsive,” Barkley said.

And she’s already looking toward next steps: “We need to monitor the website and monitor these changes to make sure they really do get implemented. It would be great if someone runs in the next race using the new election process.”

“I think that those of us who went

The last issue of balancing the scales contained a report on the second quarterly meeting of the Clean Energy Collaborative that KFTC is participating in with allies, the East Kentucky Power Cooperative and their 16 distribution cooperatives.

While these public meetings take place every three months, and members of the public are invited to attend, a big chunk of the work that is moving the collaborative forward takes place in the interim. These past two months have been no different, and, in fact, the collaborative members have even picked up the pace.

In order to develop recommendations to the EKPC board for adoption of a clean energy and energy efficiency portfolio, the collaborative members established two working groups to really dig into the details – the real nitty gritty – of energy issues and solutions.

Those two working groups are Renewable Energy and Demand-Side Management (DSM). Members of the collaborative are split evenly across the groups, according to their interests.

The Demand-Side Management group is co-chaired by KFTC member Steve Wilkins and the CEO of Owen Electric, Mark Stallons. Between the last collaborative meeting and the next, this group will conduct nearly a dozen webinars, calls and meetings, and they plan to bring some preliminary recommendations to the full collaborative at the November meeting, only about a third of the way into the collaborative’s time-line.

The participants from the co-ops, as well as KFTC and allies, all seem to feel the importance of moving forward swiftly and confidently with energy efficiency measures. All collaborative members have been very present and

engaged in the work.

The Renewable Energy group, cochaired by Elizabeth Crowe of the Kentucky Environmental Foundation and Dan Brewer of Blue Grass Energy, has also recently started diving in to presentations and calls on their topic, and the conversations have been lively and engaging. The cooperation and positive attitudes all around have certainly outdone anyone’s expectations before this process began.

The next meeting of the full collaborative will be the afternoon of Friday, November 18. Check the next issue of balancing the scales for more information, and consider attending the meeting to see history in the making: social justice, environmental, and other public interested groups working together with electric utilities to move Kentucky toward a cleaner and more energy efficient future.

Elections

The co-op will announce the process for running for the board of directors six months in advance of the election in the Kentucky Living magazine and on its website. Candidates for board seats will have equal space in Kentucky Living to announce their candidacies. All candidates will file campaign expenditure reports. And, most significantly, voting will now also take place at district offices for three weeks before the annual meeting, giving more access to more people to vote. Voting will also take place at the annual meeting, and the coop is implementing safeguards to avoid voting fraud.

through this process could provide some guidance to others about what we did and how we did it,” she added.

Anyone interested in working with members in your rural electric cooperative to introduce a Members’ Bill of Rights, KFTC members like Barkley and KFTC staff can help get you started.

Contact Sara Pennington at sara@kftc. org or 606-276-9933.

Clean Energy Collaborative works hard “behind the scenes”

KY Sustainable Energy Alliance Meeting Monday, Nov. 7th 10 a.m.- 4 p.m.

Northside Library, Russell Cave Rd, Lexington To discuss legislation and strategy for the 2012 legislative session For more information or to get involved in efforts on sustainable energy, contact Nancy Reinhart at nancy@kftc.org or 502-589-3188.

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New Energy Transition Update

balancing the scales, September 15 , 2011

Shelby County gathering unifies community members

Sixteen people gathered on August 16 in Shelbyville (Shelby County) to get to know one another and to celebrate KFTC’s 30th anniversary.

Several existing Shelby County members turned out for the gathering as well as a handful of folks new to KFTC.

Participants expressed enthusiasm about meeting one another and feeling less alone locally right from the start.

After introducing herself, member Averie King said, “It’s so refreshing to meet people that share these ideas because I did not think many of them existed in Kentucky let alone Shelby County.”

KFTC member Jerry Scrogham added, “I have driven into Jefferson County for chapter meetings, but for as long as I have lived here I have never thought of the idea that we could gather here (in Shelby County) and have this going on.”

Shelby County member Carlen Pippin, along with two others present, discussed efforts to improve the democracy and transparency in the Shelby County Electric Co-op.

The Shelby County co-op is part of the East Kentucky Power Cooperative, the reformation of which has been a part of KFTC’s statewide work for more than two years. Jefferson County member Beth Bissmeyer gave a broad overview of KFTC as well.

Everyone was interested in the top-

ics discussed and several people signed up to get involved in the electric co-op reform work. Several at the table immediately connected that making the coop more transparent would also open the doors to increasing demand for efficiency and renewable energy from EKPC.

Pippin, who has just become a New Power Leader, plans to form a New Power cluster of the people who signed up to engage more deeply in the co-op reform work.

As the gathering came to a close, Bill Young, a teacher who has run twice for local offices in Shelby County, identified strongly with KFTC’s vision and action around democracy-building and civic engagement.

“I cannot even believe it. My friends and me were talking the other day about forming an organization just like KFTC and this is it! I can’t believe I never knew you all existed. I feel like I have come home.”

After the gathering, two families committed to going to KFTC’s 30th birthday bash in Irvine on August 27.

Other folks discussed printing a local voter guide and forming a chapter at some point in the future.

To learn more about this event or sustainable energy solutions, contact Nancy Reinhart at nancy@kftc.org or 502-589-3188.

Sustainable Energy Briefs The U.S. exported billions in solar-related goods last year

In 2010, the United States exported $5.6 billion worth of solar energy-related goods, including $1.4 billion of manufactured solar goods, according to a new report from the Solar Energy Trade Association. The largest portions of these exports went to China, Germany, and Japan, respectively. This is a $1 billion increase over 2009 totals. Federal policies that have helped the solar market to grow so rapidly will expire next year unless Congress renews them.

Governor Beshear signs on to letter supporting wind industry development

In late August, a coalition of 24 governors from both major parties and each region of the country, including Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear, asked the Obama administration to take a series of steps to provide a more favorable business climate for the development of wind energy. Among other things, the letter calls for an extension of tax credits for the wind industry, currently slated to expire next year, and the establishment of an interstate task force on wind development. KFTC members have long pressured the Beshear administration and Kentucky legislators to increase the seriousness with which the state approaches the development of all renewable resources, including wind.

Carrie Cotton and Carlen Pippin of Shelby County attended KFTC’s 30th Birthday Party. Carlen is a driving force in Shelby County to engage residents in an active campaign to reform the Shelby County Energy Co-Op.

EPA environmental justice tour …

(continued from page 16)

Those politicians who blasted the EPA and discounted the voices of the ordinary Kentuckians included: Rep. Tim Crouch and U.S. Congressman Hal Rogers as well as those listed below. Some of the comments were: • Rep. Rocky Adkins: “My problem with the federal EPA is that I think they have an agenda and I think they are tied to groups that have an agenda and I think that is flat wrong for a federal agency to have a drawn opinion without hearing a crosssection of views and opinions come from everyone.”

• Rep. Lonnie Napier: "I just want my fellow legislators from eastern Kentucky and those in the coal industry to know that many of us have and will continue to support any efforts to protect our coal industry."

• Rep. Myron Dossett: "I pledge to... stand with my fellow legislators in Eastern Kentucky to fight any Federal restrictions on the coal industry."

• Rep. Fitz Steele: "[A] federal agency coming to our communities to conduct the people’s business in private? That does (not) pass the smell test.”

• Rep. Leslie Combs: "I continue to be disappointed by the EPA and their

actions toward Kentucky’s coal industry...[T]o stage meetings and site visits with people sympathetic to only one side of this issue is mind boggling to me. It’s bad enough that the elected officials weren’t invited – to snub our people is just terrible.

I do feel that in my position I have worked cooperatively to engage the coal industry with other businesses and industry across the state to meet common ground. This stunt of the EPA is a slap in the face to me, my constituents and all of Kentucky.”

• Sen. Robert Stivers: "I was shocked to have to read in the paper that the EPA was visiting my hometown. If they truly wanted to hear the impact that mining has produced, they could have, as a courtesy, invited legislators and other elected officials.

KFTC responded by issuing a statement highlighting the importance of the listening tour and the opportunity that Kentuckians had to speak directly to the agency charged with protecting them. The statement also called out the politicians for their silence when the deadly health impacts of the industry are made known, as several recent studies have done.

WYMT-TV printed this statement in full.

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balancing the scales, September 15 , 2011

Steering Committee plans for next year’s program of work

The September KFTC Steering Committee meeting is an important one in the annual process of electing new officers, adopting the organizational platform and planning for the coming year.

But before members delved into this work at their meeting September 10 in Berea, they got reacquainted by reflecting on what they’ve learned from their involvement with KFTC. Answers ranged from political to personal.

Before KFTC, “I didn’t know much about state politics, but some state politicians certainly know me now. We know each other,” said Sue Tallichet, vice chair of the Steering Committee.

Dana Beasley Brown, secretarytreasurer, said she has learned that “economic justice and environmental justice are not enemies.”

And Erika Skaggs, Steering Committee representative from Central Kentucky, has learned that her home state is worth fighting for. “Before I came to KFTC, I didn’t want to stay in Kentucky.

That was the biggest difference.”

Platform discussion

The statewide process for planning the coming year begins in August, when local chapters hold their annual meetings to nominate representatives to the Steering Committee and other statewide committees such as Economic Justice, Land Reform, leadership development and personnel.

At these August meetings, chapters also have an opportunity to review the KFTC platform, suggest changes and propose new planks.

At its September meeting, the Steering Committee reviews these proposed changes and sends a draft platform to the full membership for a vote at the Annual Meeting in October. The proposed platform is included in this issue on pages 22-23 with proposed changes in bold and underlined.

The KFTC platform is an organizational document that predates our mission and vision statements and has grown over the years to include specific planks about where the organization stands on particular issues. The draft platform that will be reviewed and voted on in October contains a preamble on KFTC’s general philosophy, followed by five general categories with more than 60 planks.

Suggested additions to the platform include planks related to protecting biodiversity, reducing the economic burden of higher education, access to nutritious food, access to information, making the justice system more restorative, and

abolishing the death penalty.

Program of work

The committee heard updates on the program of work, including litigation, chapter development, and voter empowerment.

KFTC and other ally organizations were in court recently in a case involving thousands of Clean Water Act violations by two coal companies in Eastern Kentucky. The involvement of citizen groups in such a case is ground-breaking, and the litigation team expressed hope that the companies will receive stringent penalties that will lead to better water monitoring. See related story on page 17.

The Steering Committee also voted to continue in a separate lawsuit involving the EPA’s new conductivity guidance, which the National Mining Association and Governor Steve Beshear have sued to block. KFTC intervened in defense of the guidance, and the committee voted to continue in this role.

“I don’t want to do anything against the EPA, because that’s all we’ve got,” said Perry County member McKinley Sumner.

This year the Steering Committee is focusing some attention on chapter development, including appointing a chapter development task force, which held its first meeting in July. A staff person is also devoting significant time to staff development this year, and the committee heard a report on these efforts. In addition to training and support for new organizers, the staff person and task force are providing support for chapters that do not have a full-time organizer.

The committee also heard from members Ben Baker and Katie Meyer about their rapidly growing Northern Kentucky chapter. They attribute much of its success to the lack of social justice organizing in their region prior to KFTC and to successful events that have helped spread the word.

In the area of voter empowerment, the Steering Committee voted to build a small electoral campaign this fall around the issue of restoration of voting rights for former felons.

Statewide officers

The fall planning process also involves electing new officers to statewide positions. The Leadership Development Committee, a statewide committee of KFTC members, recommends a slate of officers for KFTC’s Executive Committee and for the board of Kentucky Coalition, KFTC’s sister organization, which

serves as fiscal agent for KFTC.

The Executive Committee is made up of the five officers of the Steering Committee. The Kentucky Coalition board includes the KFTC Executive Committee plus three additional members.

At the September meeting, the Steering Committee approved the following slate of officers, which will be voted on by the full membership at the Annual Meeting in October. This is the same slate of officers elected in 2010—each is eligible to serve two consecutive years.

KFTC Executive Committee Chair: Steve Boyce Vice chair: Sue Tallichet Secretary-treasurer: Dana Beasley Brown At-large member: Rick Handshoe *K.A. Owens will continue to serve as immediate past chair.

Kentucky Coalition Board KFTC Executive Committee plus: Beth Bissmeyer, Jefferson County Doug Doerrfeld, Rowan County Bill Stolte, Madison County

The new KFTC officers and Steering Committee representatives from each chapter will meet for the first time November 18-19 for a leadership retreat in Berea.

In other business, the Steering Committee: • Discussed plans for the annual fall fundraising campaign, which will take place in October and November.

• Reviewed an agenda for the 2011 Annual Meeting, set for October 14-16 at the Kentucky Leadership Center in Jabez. The Committee also discussed changing the venue in 2013 to allow for a larger group. The venue would continue to be the Kentucky Leadership Center in 2012.

• Voted to sign on to a petition urging the attorney general of Delaware to revoke Massey Energy’s charter, in light of its safety record and its powerful influence on West Virginia’s elected leaders. KFTC will send a letter to the attorney general and encourage our members to sign the petition.

Tar sands action results in more than 1,200 arrests

Several KFTC members were arrested along with more than 1,250 other climate change activists as part of a two week long strategy of civil disobedience against a proposed oil pipeline that would stretch from Canada across the Midwest U.S.

Participants staged an ongoing sit-in outside of the White House to urge President Obama to pull his support of this pipeline project.

Environmental blogger Jeff Biggers wrote a piece about the solidarity action between Appalachian coalfield residents and those directly affected by the pipeline.

From left: KFTC members Whitney Byrd,

In an extraordinary act of solidarMickey McCoy and Colleen Unroe risk arity, Blanton and other Appalachian rest in Washington, D.C. coalfield leaders will join the growing climate justice sit-in at the White House today, calling on President Obama to deny the TransCanada Keystone pipeline permit. Hansen, who has defined the pipeline decision as a litmus test for the Obama administration’s commitment to dealing with climate change, was arrested earlier this week.

“If this pipeline is built and they continue to mine tar sands the climate that I have enjoyed over my lifetime in Kentucky will forever be changed. It is already changing, and our people are drinking poison water and breathing unhealthy particles from the extraction, transporting, processing and burning of coal,” Blanton said. “We must take back our democracy and demand that decisions be made based on sound science, just as the president said he would. There is nothing sound about building a pipeline across our country.”

You can show your support for this action by visiting tarsandsaction.org and signing the petition to President Obama.

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balancing the scales, September 15 , 2011

Steering Committee nominates an experienced slate

KFTC Executive Committee and Kentucky Coalition board to be selected at annual meeting

The Steering Committee acknowledged the dedicated service of KFTC’s hard-working statewide officers, and has recommended that they continue to serve in their respective positions for the coming year.

The proposed slate includes Steve Boyce as chairperson, Sue Tallichet as vice-chair, Dana Beasley Brown as secretary-treasurer, and Rick Handshoe as at-large representative. K.A. Owens will also serve in the position of immediate past chairperson.

This slate, based on a recommendation from the Leadership Development Committee, will go before a vote of the full membership in attendance at the Annual Business meeting on October 16. Other nominations may be made from the floor at that time.

Together, KFTC’s five statewide officers make up the organization’s Executive Committee. KFTC’s officers are elected for one-year terms and may serve no more than two consecutive years in the same position. This will be the second term for each nominee in his or her respective position.

Below is some information about the nominees: Chairperson: Steve Boyce is an active member of the Madison County chapter. He has served in many leadership roles, including as Steering Committee Representative and four years on the KFTC Executive Committee. He has provided leadership as a member and chairperson of KFTC’s Finance Committee, as well as a member of the Economic Justice Committee. Steve has provided testimony about fair taxation before the Kentucky House Appropriations and Revenue Committee and was appointed to the citizens’ advisory board of the Berea Municipal Utility.

He retired from the faculty of Berea College.

Vice-chairperson: Sue Tallichet is an active member of the Rowan County chapter and KFTC Land Reform Committee.

She has also served for a number of years on KFTC’s Steering

Committee. She is a brave and effective spokesperson about mountaintop removal mining and its impacts on land, water and people. She is also the author of a book called Daughters of the Mountain: Women Coal Miners in Central Appalachia.

Secretary-Treasurer: Dana Beasley Brown was one of the driving forces behind the formation of the Bowling Green KFTC Chapter. She serves on KFTC’s Steering Committee and Economic Justice Committee and is deeply involved in local efforts to improve the quality and affordability of housing in her community. Dana has spoken before several legislative committees and has been a guest on the KET program Kentucky Tonight about the need for fair tax reforms.

elected by KFTC’s membership. The Steering Committee has nominated the following individuals to serve next year on the KC board: Bill Stolte: Bill is a member of KFTC’s Madison County chapter. He served on the KC board during the previous year and has provided leadership as a member of KFTC’s Finance Committee.

Beth Bissmeyer: Beth is an active

member of the Jefferson County chapter.

She previously served on KFTC’s Steering Committee and on the KC Board.

Doug Doerrfeld: Doug is an active member of the Rowan County chapter. He is a past chairperson of KFTC and spent many years of service on KFTC’s Steering and Executive Committees.

At-large Representative: Rick Handshoe has worked hard to build and strengthen the new Floyd County KFTC Chapter. He has served on KFTC’s Steering Committee for several years. He is a tireless leader in his community around issues related to water quality and the enforcement of mining laws. Rick has hosted hundreds of people who have visited his place to learn first hand about problems associated with harmful mining practices.

He has used his story (and his excellent documentation) to educate and hold accountable many of the top decisionmakers in federal and state enforcement agencies.

Kentucky Coalition Board members

During the October 16 annual business meeting, KFTC members will also have the opportunity to vote on three members to serve on the board of the Kentucky Coalition. The Kentucky Coalition is a tax-exempt affiliate organization to KFTC that supports leadership development, research and public education about important policy issues, and civic participation.

The KC board is composed of the five statewide officers of KFTC, plus an additional three individuals who are

Past KFTC chairpersons who were present at the 30th Birthday Party (order left to right, top to bottom) were: Patty Wallace, 1988-1990; Daymon Morgan, 1990-1992; Ray Tucker, 1992-1994; Jane Harrod, 1995-1997; Teri Blanton, 2002-2004; Janet Tucker, 2004-2006; Doug Doerrfeld, 2006-2008; K.A. Owens, 2008-2010 and Steve Boyce, 2010-present.

KFTC has had 16 chairs in its 30 years. Their presence gave members an opportunity to thank them for their dedicated work to make Kentucky a better place by making KFTC a stronger organization.

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KFTC’s 2011 – 2012 Proposed Platform To be considered by the KFTC membership on October 16, 2011 Proposed additions to the platform are in ALL CAPS Kentuckians For The Commonwealth is a statewide, grassroots, citizens organization working for a new balance of power and a just society. As we work together we build our strength, individually and as a group, and find solutions to real life problems. We use direct action to challenge — and change — unfair political, economic and social systems. Our membership is open to all people who are committed to equality, democracy and nonviolent change.

KFTC’s goals of organizing are: (1) fostering democratic values, (2) changing unjust institutions, (3) empowering people and communities, (4) helping people participate, (5) overcoming racism and other discrimination, (6) communicating a message of what is possible, (7) building organizations, (8) winning issues that affect the common welfare, and (9) having fun.

We will work to create a society which focuses on supporting the human rights of all people. We are a social justice organization. We believe that all people must be treated with respect and dignity regardless of ability, age, gender, national origin, race, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other defining characteristic.

Since clean air, water and land are every Kentuckian’s right, KFTC will work to protect and preserve a clean environment and protect bio-diversity by working for stronger regulations and better enforcement. Specifically: • We oppose the use of the mountaintop removal method of surface coal mining and valley fills that bury perennial, intermittent and ephemeral streams.

• We will work for a sustainable forestry products industry [non-timber and wood products] for Kentucky that relies on ecologically sound forest management and the use of Best Management Practices on public and private lands.

• We will work to preserve and protect publicly owned lands and their natural resources.

• We oppose on every front the rollback of the authority and funding for agencies and services that protect the environment and the rights of surface owners.

• We will fight to ensure safe, accessible and affordable water for all Kentuckians.

• We demand reasonable regulation of oil and gas drilling including protection and replacement of water and reclamation of damaged land.

• We demand full enforcement of laws and regulations related to the mining, transportation and burning of coal in order to protect water resources, prevent blasting damage, and require the reclamation of land and permitting of secondary roads used for hauling coal.

• We oppose the use of dangerous coal sludge impoundments and call for the development of emergency action plans for communities living near impoundments.

• We oppose DAMAGING ASPECTS OF industrial farming and its threat to clean air, clean water, rural communities, and small family farmers.

• We oppose importation of all solid, hazardous and special wastes, and promote local control over land-use decisions involving landfills and incinerators and related facilities.

• Recognizing the high costs and deadly effects of uranium mining, processing, and waste disposal, we oppose the expansion of nuclear power.

• We will work to protect air quality to ensure the health and safety of Kentuckians.

• We will support reducing the use of harmful pesticides, the right of the public to know the nature of pesticides applied, and the right of a local government to have more stringent control of pesticide use.

• We promote source reduction, recycling, strong procurement policies for recycled products and a bottle bill.

• We will oppose environmental racism and classism, or the practice of locating polluting industries and waste facilities near low-income and minority communities, and in neighborhoods where people are least able to fight back.

• We support strengthening present timber theft laws in Kentucky to protect forests and private property rights.

• WE SUPPORT PROTECTION OF BIODIVERSITY, INCLUDING ENDANGERED SPECIES. We will fight to protect surface owners from the abuses by extractive industries. Specifically: • We demand that the broad form deed amendment be fully enforced by all levels of government.

• We support a change in property laws so that a minority owner of an undivided interest cannot allow the sale, leasing or mining of land or minerals against the wishes of the majority of owners.

• We demand that oil and gas operators have permission of surface owners before they drill.

• We support the property rights of all landowners and will work to ensure these rights are exercised responsibly and equitably so as not to unfairly compromise the interests of the public, the environment, or surrounding property owners.

We will work to empower voters and expand authentic, democratic participation that makes government open, honest, and responsive to the needs of the people. Specifically: • We will fight to protect the local control of solid waste management and siting, and support strong host agreements before permits are issued by the state.

• We will work to strengthen and enforce ethics codes for elected and appointed officials.

• We will work to expose connections between money in political campaigns and governments that are non-responsive to the people.

• We support campaign spending limits and public financing of elections to reduce the amount spent on elections and the power of big money contributors.

• We will work to make state and local economic development authorities accountable to the people.

• We demand easy access and an end to the bureaucratic procedures necessary to obtain open records in Kentucky.

• We oppose the inappropriate use of police powers to address problems, the expansion and privatization of the prison system, and the use of excessive force by police. We do support full funding of public defenders. continued on next page

balancing the scales, September 15 , 2011

• • • •

We support equitable access to state funds for roads and public transit.

We support local communities’ cooperation on common issues.

We oppose closed-door meetings and decision making not open to the public.

We support restoring voting rights to former felons. We support programs that promote the positive reentry of former felons into our communities.

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KFTC Proposed Platform continued from previous page

We will fight to create a just economy that sustains communities, families and individuals, promotes health and protects resources for the future. Specifically: • We will work with all interested parties, including recipients, to develop a welfare system that benefits the community as a whole, provides a safety net, helps people move forward, and treats people fairly and with dignity.

• We will work for an economic development process that is open, sustainable, supportive of local economies, and sees that companies receiving public money for job creation provide training, safe working conditions, health benefits and a living wage and transition away from a fossil fuel extraction industry.

• We support public policies and utility programs that minimize utility customer shutoffs due to inability to pay and we will work to eliminate customer shutoffs during extreme weather conditions and medical emergencies. We support energy conservation programs, the implementation of percentage of income payment plans and fair access to utility services including local gas hookups.

• We support policies aimed at significantly increasing the development of energy conservation, energy efficiency, and clean renewable energy sources in Kentucky, ultimately leading toward climate neutrality.

• We seek energy policies that promote the development of community-scale, locally owned renewable energy sources, create local jobs, and help lowwealth households, enterprises, and communities to access energy efficiency measures and clean energy solutions.

• We support funding effective and efficient community services through an equitable, fair, and progressive tax structure.

• We support the continued fair taxation of unmined minerals.

• We support the collection of coal severance taxes on every ton of coal mined and demand an increasing return of severance tax funds to promote sustainable economic development in coalfield counties; we call for an increase in the severance tax rate and the creation of a community-based process to determine how funds are spent.

• We call for a system of high quality public education, including PRE-SCHOOL THROUGH higher education that is accessible and affordable for all Kentuckians.

• WE SUPPORT POLICIES THAT ARE IN FAVOR OF REDUCING THE ECONOMIC BURDEN OF HIGHER EDUCATION. • We object to the dominance of corporate interests in the decision-making, values and priorities of our public universities.

• We support economic reform through the use and support of sustainable agriculture.

• WE SUPPORT AFFORDABLE ACCESS TO NUTRITIOUS AND HEALTHFUL FOODS FOR ALL PEOPLE. • We demand quality, affordable and preventative health care for all Kentuckians, and support a single payer health care system.

• We support a comprehensive approach — and investments — that recognize good health is determined by a wide range of social and economic factors such as education, social welfare, housing, income, and environmental conditions, as well as traditional health factors.

• We support the right to a living wage for all Kentuckians.

• We oppose exploitation of labor and unjust international trade programs and demand an end to the use and sale of sweatshop-made products.

• We call for a new system for the transportation of coal that makes possible better pay for truckers, shared company accountability for safety violations and road damage, safe roads and safe mining communities, and reduced weight limits for coal trucks.

• We support the right of workers to organize and the right to collective bargaining.

• We support quality, affordable, accessible housing and demand just housing policies that protect the rights of renters to be treated fairly.

• We demand enactment and enforcement of occupational health and safety laws that protect all workers in Kentucky, especially workers in occupations that continue to suffer high rates of preventable work-related death, disability, and illness such as coal miners, coal truckers, and other coal industry workers.

• We support fair and equitable lending practices.

• We support adequate, affordable, and energy efficient public transportation on a statewide basis, and we demand infrastructure planning that supports alternative modes of public transportation such as biking and walking.

• WE SUPPORT FAIR AND EQUITABLE ACCESS TO INFORMATION SYSTEMS FOR ALL PEOPLE. We will fight to create a fair and just society that respects human and civil rights, uplifts all people to their potential, and values the participation of everyone. Specifically: • We support affirmative action programs that guarantee equal rights for all people.

• We oppose all forms of racism and work to eliminate it from our society and from within our organization.

• We condemn and oppose oppression and harassment of all people by public or private individuals or institutions based on ability, age, gender, national origin, citizenship, race, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, immigration status, or any other defining characteristic.

• We will work toward a more fair justice system not mired in discrimination based on ability, age, gender, national origin, citizenship, race, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, immigration status, or any other defining characteristic.

• We oppose the inappropriate use of police powers to address problems, the expansion and privatization of the prison system, and the use of excessive force by police. We do support full funding of public defenders.

• WE SUPPORT A TRANSITION FROM OUR CURRENT PUNITIVE JUSTICE SYSTEM TO A MORE RESTORATIVE SYSTEM THAT HONORS THE INHERENT DIGNITY OF ALL INDIVIDUALS. • WE SUPPORT THE ABOLITION OF THE DEATH PENALTY.

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KFTC says “goodbye and hello” to staff

The staff at KFTC is ever expanding. We would like to welcome Kristi Kendall, who started in mid-August as the new Floyd County and Knott County Organizer. Kristi is energized to work with the chapter and has recently found office space in downtown Prestonsburg. Welcome Kristi!

At the same time we welcome Kristi, we are sad to see a few staff leave the organization. We are happy for what their future holds but at the same time sad to see them go. Colleen Unroe, Eastern Kentucky Organizer, has left KFTC after 8 years of excellent work. Brittany Hunsaker, Organizing Apprentice, has left KFTC to put her Master’s Degree in Social Work to good use.

Heine Brothers’ Coffee in Louisville has partnered with Hound Dog Press to produce a beautiful letter pressed coffee bag to help raise money for KFTC.

For every bag purchased of Mountain Dream Blend, KFTC will receive $5!

“We want to raise $25,000 this year for KFTC and we will do this because we do good by doing right!”

Mike Mays, Heine Brothers’ Coffee

Visit heinebroscoffee.com to purchase your bag today! (or stop by one of their 7 Louisville locations)

Kentucky is Worth It webinar: Fight back against Rep. Hal Rogers

Kentucky’s Fifth District Congressperson Hal Rogers and Senator Mitch McConnell have significant power, and play significant roles in the federal budget debates that will impact everyone in the U.S., with Kentuckians right in the forefront.

As their constituents, Kentuckians have the right and the obligation to speak out about their work in D.C. to push forth policies that erode some of the most valued functions of our government – functions that keep children fed and educated, our communities healthy and safe, and our water safe to drink and air safe to breathe.

On October 6, KFTC invites you to a Kentucky’s Worth It webinar to learn about Rep. Rogers’ attempts to dismantle many of our national priorities through federal tax and budget policies, and how, as Kentuckians, we can make an impact.

As the federal debates continue to heat up over the fall, Kentuckians are uniquely positioned to challenge policies that don’t represent people’s best interests.

Rep. Rogers is the new chair of the House Appropriations Committee, and as a member of Congress from a state that produces a lot of coal, he has become a powerful figure in Washington.

It’s the right and responsibility of Kentuckians to try to influence his impact on national policy, and to set the tone for our allies in other states.

The webinar will begin at 7 p.m. EDT on Thursday, October 6.

Link: www.kftc.org/rogers-webinar Call-in information: 866-740-1260 Access code: 8931147

Calendar of Events Sept. 21 University of Kentucky KFTC meeting, 6:00 - 7:00 p.m., Rm. 111 of the UK Student Center.

Sept. 24 Immigration Workshop, 9:30 a.m. - noon, at Madison Ave. Christian Church. 1530 Madison Ave. Covington, KY. Email alice@ijpc-cincinnati.org or call 513-579-8547 to register.

Sept. 24 Land Reform Committee meeting, 10:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Contact Kevin Pentz at Kevin@KFTC.org or 606-335-0764 for location and more information.

Sept. 26 Madison County chapter meeting, 7 p.m. at Berea College Appalachian Center (205 N. Main St., Berea).

Sept. 27 Western Kentucky chapter meeting, 6:30- 8 p.m. Unitarian Universal Church, 2033 Nashville Road in Bowling Green.

Oct. 2

Lexington Really FREE Market, noon - 4:00 p.m., Woodland Park Gazebo, contact Martin.Mudd@gmail.com for more information.

Oct. 4

Letcher County chapter meeting. 6-7 p.m., Jenkins City Lake Picnic Shed, contact Willa@KFTC.org or 606-632-0051 for more information.

Oct. 6

Harlan County chapter meeting, 6 p.m. in Room 219 of Southeast Community College’s Appalachian Center in Cumberland. For more information contact Tanya@KFTC.org or call 606-632-0051.

Oct. 6

Scott County chapter meeting, 7 p.m., at the Georgetown Public Library.

Email Dave@KFTC.org or 859-420-8919 for more information or to volunteer.

Oct. 10

Jefferson County chapter meeting, 6:30 p.m. at the First Unitarian Church, 809 South 4th Street in Louisville.

Oct. 10

Floyd County chapter meeting, 7 - 8:30 p.m., St. Martha’s Catholic Church in Prestonburg. For more information contact Kristi@kftc.org or call 859-986-1277.

Oct. 11

Voter Registration Deadline!

Oct. 18

Northern Kentucky chapter meeting, 7 p.m. at 25 W 7th Street in Covington. Contact Joe@kftc.org or call 859-380-6103.

Oct. 18

Perry County chapter meeting, 6 p.m. in Hazard. Contact Tanya Turner for more information, Tanya@kftc.org or 606-632-0051.

Oct. 20

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.

Oct. 20

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

Oct. 14 - KFTC Annual Membership Meeting, Jabez Kentucky. For more 16 information contact Carissa@KFTC.org or call 859-986-1277.

Oct. 22

18th Annual Bill of Rights Dinner with special guest Amy Goodman of Democracy Now! 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. Email Nancy@aclu-ky.org for registration and more information.