October 2018 – balancing the scales

Volume 37 Number 7

UPDATES INSIDE How do we learn about our communities ................................. 3 Who Kentucky’s criminal justice laws let vote, and who it doesn’t ........5 Voter empowerment work ... 10-11

October 17, 2018

KFTC vision contrasts with Trump, Barr actions ................................ 12 Housing: Out of Reach! ............. 13 Grassroots support growing for Just Transition action .................... 15-16 … and much more inside

Working to change the political landscape

KFTC brings inclusive vision to 2018 elections

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

balancing the

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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’s 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 Meta Mendel-Reyes, chairperson Cassia Herron, vice chairperson Christian Torp, secretary-treasurer Amy Copelin, at-large member Mary Love, at-large member Chapter Representatives Tina Jackson, Big Sandy Carly Muetterties, Central Kentucky David Miller, Cumberland Chase Gladson, Harlan County Chandra Cruz-Thomson, Jefferson County Rebecca Tucker, Madison County Melissa Roth, Northern Kentucky Chanda Campbell, Perry County Amelia Cloud, Rolling Bluegrass Fannie Madden-Grider, Rowan County Joy Fitzgerald, Shelby County Summer Bolton, Southern Kentucky Amanda Groves, Western Kentucky Shannon Scott, Wilderness Trace Alternates: shared, Big Sandy; Kaelyn Payton, Central Kentucky; Damien Hammons, Cumberland; Cheyanna Gladson, Harlan County; Connor Allen, Jefferson County; Adam Funck, Madison County; Lauren Gabbard, Northern Kentucky; Russell Oliver & Susan Hull, Perry County; Mary Marion, Rolling Bluegrass; Ezra Dike, Rowan County; Cynthia Dare, Shelby County; Teresa Christmas, Southern Kentucky; Jim Gearhart, Western Kentucky; Margaret Gardiner, Wilderness Trace

www.kftc.org | October 17, 2018

Table of Contents Executive Committee Corner Learning and engaging in the vision for our communities ......................................................... 3 Voter Empowerment Voter engagement work happening across eastern Kentucky............................................... 4 How the criminal justice system allows (or doesn’t) voting..................................................... 5 Knocking on doors helps bring hope for Greta Elenbaas ....................................................... 6 Shelby County groups host candidate forums ............................................................................ 6 Photo Spread: Action for Democracy work across the state ........................................... 10-11 KentuckyElection.org is live and revamped for the November election .......................... 18 Local Updates – Building Grassroots Power Madison First Thursday group explores childhood trauma...................................................... 7 Delores screening continues NKY racial justice film series....................................................... 8 Rolling Bluegrass continues social justice film series ................................................................ 9 5th Annual Smoketown Getdown for Democracy........................................................................ 9 KFTC members lift up vision during Trump, Barr visits .......................................................... 12 Economic Justice Out of Reach: Foreclosed, displaced and evicted from My Old Kentucky Home ........ 13 New Energy and Just Transition Members build New Power through the Power House workshops . .................................. 14 Members push for just transition action on lobbying trip .......................................................15 Support grows in eastern Kentucky for congressional action on black lung....................16 Reflections on the Solidarity to Solutions climate actions.......................................................17 KFTC News New Steering Committee focuses on visionary organizing................................................... 18 KFTC Calender of Events .................................................................................................................. 19 Support KFTC’s Fall Giving Campaign ............................................................................................................................20

KFTC on social media Facebook www.KFTC.org/facebook For chapter Facebook pages, visit: www.kftc.org/links

Instagram @jckftc @soky_kftc @centralkentuckykftc

@kentuckiansforthecommonwealth To find our photos on Flickr:

@KFTC @NKY_KFTC @ScottCoKFTC @MadCo_KFTC @EKY_KFTC

@JCKFTC @WT_KFTC @SoKyKFTC @VotingRightsKY @CanaryProject

www.flickr.com/ photos/KFTCphotos

Front cover: Excited voters at the LGBTQ History Month gathering at Northern Kentucky University in October.

Balancing the Scales is published by Kentuckians For The Commonwealth and sent as third class mail from Louisville. Reader contri­butions and letters to the editor should be sent to P.O. Box 864, Prestonsburg, Ky. 41653 or jhardt@kftc.org. Subscriptions are $20/yr.

www.kftc.org | October 17, 2018

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executive committee corner

Learning and engaging in the vision for our communities

By Amy Copelin As the newest member of the KFTC Executive Committee I’ve been asked to share a little about myself. So I thought this might also be a good opportunity to share about the part of Kentucky where I’ve lived since 2010, when I moved to Florence to live with, and eventually marry, my husband, Terrell Copelin (fellow KFTCer).

One of the things I found interesting when I moved to northern Kentucky is how people often refer to being from northern Kentucky instead of just saying they’re from Florence or Newport, for instance. Or perhaps this is just what we’re supposed to tell Ohio people when we go to work in Cincinnati or travel to other areas of Kentucky.

Yet, even so, this idea is kind of amusing. To say that I am from such a vast area is a little crazy. Where I come from in Indiana, I would have never said I was from central Indiana. I said I was from Bloomington.

It wasn’t until Terrell and I joined the Northern Kentucky chapter of KFTC, however, that I started to feel more a part of this huge northern Kentucky community. I learned a lot about the area, particularly when we became involved in a chapter sub-committee that we called the Concentration of Poverty Group.

Several local members participated, including Joe Gallenstein, Kyle Randall, Paul and Joanne Schwartz, Sister Joyce Moeller, Thurman Wenzl and others.

One of the key things this group did was to look at how resources, services and opportunities are spread throughout the area and what that means for different people living in different parts of the community.

One topic our group honed in on was housing, since it is such a key ingredient of how concentration of poverty occurs. We looked at each area of northern Kentucky and how housing assistance is provided, which, it turns out, is quite different from city to city.

In Covington and Newport, for instance, there are housing authorities. These areas also contain some of the region’s most vital social services including an emergency homeless shelter.

In Boone County, on the other hand, which contains Florence, where I live, there is a program that provides families with housing vouchers to rent housing in the local market, but not as many services or a dedicated housing authority.

One of the things that we talked about in our group, and tried to garner more community conversation around, was the need for our combined northern Kentucky communities to work together more effectively. It was obviously a huge topic, yet, in a very idealistic sense, the region seemed to have many of the components needed to help make all its individual neighborhoods strong.

For instance, there are new businesses cropping up year-round in Florence with many of the better paying jobs. But it is challenging for many people outside of the area to travel to the area via our current bus system.

On the other hand, Covington and Newport have many social services to help individuals and families in need. But, again, it’s difficult for those outside of the area to reach them. Essentially, as in most places, there’s an imbalance between the entire region’s resources and opportunities.

Last spring this idea of imbalance came into focus even more for me, but on a micro scale.

Our chapter participated in a series of events at The Carnegie in Covington. This area has fascinated me since I moved to northern Kentucky. It’s where we have our chapter meetings and seems vastly different to the area where I live in Florence. I still don’t know my way around all of the neighborhoods in Covington, but I’m continuing to learn from fellow chapter members and by simply spending time there.

This series of events last spring honed in on the Eastside of Covington. Community conversations were actually held directly inside of an art exhibit featuring Eastside artists’ works. The pieces and conversation blended into an instructional, visually electrifying and confrontational blend of art, activism and conversation. The theme that tied all of these pieces together was an idea that still resonates with me many months afterwards, “Not to Scale.”

The Eastside artists and activists whose work was on display were not simply engaging in examining and experimenting with ideas in a visual format. They were demanding and enacting their visions for a more just, equitable existence in their part of Covington.

A video installation

piece by Mary Clare Rietz ran in a loop on one wall of the gallery. It featured the Licking River Floodwall overlooking a row of houses. In the video, activists come to stand atop the hill. They call out their community’s name. They sing. They tell stories.

This video installation was also situated next to a literal blanket of bright posters created by Anissa R. Lewis. These posters practically vibrated off the wall with their electric blues, primary yellows, cautionary reds. Their words shouted the sentiments of the community. “Caution: We’re too big to fit in their small minds” and “Warning: Anything is possible. You’re black, gifted and young.”

On another wall was the Not to Scale Eastside Manifesto, whose co-creators include Michelle Slaughter, a KFTC chapter member. This document clearly lays out the community vision. It declares a stability and center that outsiders may deny or overlook with statements such as, “We celebrate the beauty of our rooted community.”

It establishes the demands and the rights of the area: “Affordable Healthy Food, Quality Affordable Housing, Accessible Quality Healthcare, Living Wage Jobs, Accessible Public Transportation, Accessible Quality Education and Engaging Community Center.”

Our KFTC chapter spent time participating in these conversations with the artists and other members of the community. It left me hoping that this blend of art and community conversation can continue.

Also, the theme, “Not to Scale,” continues to crop up, whether in regards to Covington or other areas of the region or even the state. The question of how we share resources more equitably is a critical one and I hope we continue to hold our focus on it.

www.kftc.org | October 17, 2018

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Voter Empowerment

Voter engagement work happening across eastern Kentucky Across eastern Kentucky, KFTC members have been working hard to register, inform and motivate voters in advance of this fall’s election.

While the region’s voters cast ballots overwhelmingly for Donald Trump in 2016, a majority of registered voters in many eastern Kentucky counties did not vote for either presidential candidate.

Now many KFTC members are working to reverse that trend by directly engaging thousands of voters, listening to their concerns and lifting up the importance of voting.

Eric McIntosh is investing his time in this project by registering new voters on the campus of Morehead State University.

“Tabling isn’t just helpful for voter turnout,” he said. “It also gets people’s foot in the door of this messy, confusing business of democracy.”

Many KFTC members have observed a trend of low-voter turnout across eastern Kentucky isn’t necessarily a measure of the level of public concern or interest. Rather, it may be an indication of people’s frustration with many candidates and elected officials who are not speaking about the issues or values people care most about.

In fact, eastern Kentucky has given rise to several recent waves of local activism, despite the low levels of voter participation. This includes two well-attended local Women’s Marches, rallies to protect access to affordable health care, efforts to oppose a federal prison in Letcher County, and a strong showing of local residents in opposition to a white supremacists’ gathering in the spring of 2017.

It includes public outrage against a proposed rate increase by Kentucky Power, a monopoly utility that provides electricity service throughout much of the region.

It includes the stepped up activism of many miners with black lung disease in the face of shrinking funding for the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund and

For information about local, state and federal elections throughout the state of Kentucky:

a new state law that makes it hard for sick miners to qualify for benefits.

Finally, it includes a rebellion by teachers and public workers who have staged walkouts and historically large demonstrations in protest of Governor Matt Bevin’s efforts to undermine pensions, defund public schools and shift resources to charter schools.

All of that local organizing is evidence that communities and workers in eastern Kentucky are paying attention and demanding better outcomes from public leaders and institutions. But whether or not they express those concerns by voting is an open question, especially if many candidates avoid speaking directly about issues that matter.

That’s where the efforts of KFTC members make a difference.

Throughout the summer and early fall, members and staff have: • •

• •

attempted to call every voter in the region under the age of 34 who registered to vote for the first time since the November 2016 election; gone door to door in Prestonsburg, Olive Hill, Pikeville, Corbin, London, Morehead, Lynch and other small towns to register voters and listen to voters’ concerns; set up voter registration tables at high schools and community colleges, farmers’ markets, festivals, public libraries and large businesses; hosted energy efficiency workshops, racial justice film screenings and other events.

Susan McGee and Barbara Morgan are among the members doing this work. Together they tabled more than nine times in September and early October, in addition to several door-to-door canvassing efforts, across Mason and Robertson counties in northeastern Kentucky.

Member Carmen Rogers staffed the KFTC voter registration and information table in Owingsville (Bath County).

“I was motivated to do something that felt like a positive action by the current political climate and my unhappiness with our current administrations, both on the state and national levels,” said McGee. “Barbara and I attended the KFTC annual meeting in August. We talked about what we learned and heard there and decided to step into voter registration and canvassing.

“Encouraging young people to vote has been satisfying, though at times discouraging to see the lack of awareness of government’s function,” she added. “Doing local canvassing introduced me to some neighbors with whom I have never crossed paths. It has been very interesting.”

Morgan added, “To me, voter registration is inspiration and hope for having a bigger voice! Personally, I want to keep going and have an even bigger voice."

www.KentuckyElection.org

www.kftc.org | October 17, 2018

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Voter Empowerment

How the criminal justice system allows (or doesn’t) voting To register and vote in Kentucky, one needs to be at least 18 years old by Election Day (Tuesday, November 6), has to live in Kentucky (temporary student housing works) and be a U.S. citizen.

Those are the basics. But Kentucky’s criminal justice system plays an unusual role in taking away people’s right to vote. Here’s a recap of who can and cannot vote on election day (assuming one is registered – the deadline was October 9).

People currently in jail serving for a misdemeanor – can’t vote

This disenfranchisement comes from section 145 of the Kentucky Constitution along with felony disenfranchisement.

People with felonies in their past – can’t (generally) vote

Even though you’re still serving your time, there’s nothing stopping you from registering and voting in this case.

Kentucky disenfranchises people with felonies in their past and is harsher than almost any other state in the U.S. in that regard. People can request a pardon from the governor to restore their voting rights after they’ve served their time, but few people know about the process and Governor Bevin denies many requests.

People who have had their record expunged of felonies can also vote.

KFTC’s long-term goal is to change Kentucky’s Constitution so that people automatically get the right to vote back when they’ve served their debt to society including prison time, probation and parole. But for now, this remains a barrier for more than 312,000 Kentuckians.

People with misdemeanors in their past – can vote!

If someone has a misdemeanor in their past, that doesn’t stop them from voting in Kentucky. Many people in this situation may have been told that they can’t register and vote, but they absolutely can.

People serving probation and parole for a misdemeanor – can vote!

People in jails pre-trial who were charged with either a felony or a misdemeanor – can vote!

If you’re in jail because you’re awaiting trial or sentencing for any offense (and you’ve never been convicted of a felony), you do have the right to vote. That’s a big deal, because in many Kentucky jails about 70 percent of the population is pre-trial.

While pre-trial folks in the jails can legally vote absentee, the logistics of that are tricky and take the cooperation of jail officials.

To vote absentee, there are a lot of hoops to jump through for anyone: 1. You have to be registered to vote and you have to know what county you’re registered in. Alternately, in this case, you can register at the jail, but then that’s an extra step.

2. You have to make the request by phone, email, or fax to the county clerk where you’re currently

registered for an absentee ballot, and you have to give a legally recognized reason such as: • Advanced in age, disabled or ill • Military personnel, their dependents or overseas citizens • A student who temporarily resides outside the county • A voter who temporarily resides outside of Kentucky and who maintains eligibility to vote in Kentucky, such as a “snowbird” • Incarcerated, but not yet convicted • (or a few other conditions) 3. The clerk will then check your name against the voter file and will mail you a formal application for an absentee ballot.

4. You’ll fill out that application and return by mail, and the clerk’s office will have to receive it by October 30 for it to be valid.

5. The clerk will then send you an absentee ballot, which you’ll have to receive, fill out and mail back to the clerk to be received no later than 6 p.m. on Election Day. That’s a lot of mailing and back-and-forth, which takes time.

To complicate matters more, jails have some restrictions on what people can get in the mail, and that might be challenging to navigate. KFTC has had mixed success in gaining access to jails to register people or help them through the process.

But it’s not legal to disenfranchise people in jails who are pre-trial, and it’s a misdemeanor to prevent someone from registering to vote. So in these limited circumstances, the law is on the side of the voter.

Members of KFTC and the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival gathered this fall in Lexington for a Singing for Democracy, one of the ways both groups are connecting moral values with the decision to be a voter in the November elections.

www.kftc.org | October 17, 2018

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Voter Empowerment Reflection

Knocking on doors helps bring hope for Greta Elenbaas

By Greta Elenbaas Until now, my political activity has consisted of researching my ballot and voting for the best qualified candidates who most closely represented my values.

That's hard enough, given how difficult it is to find where candidates TRULY stand on the issues without seeing their voting records or meeting them and being able to ask questions of them in person. The actions being taken right now in Frankfort, though, are deeply troubling and will have long term harmful effects on our state and our families for generations to come.

Kentucky is the third-worst funded state for public education in the U.S. Despite that already failing report card, our legislators just voted to further restrict the state's ability to attract talent by limiting retirement benefits for teachers. These restrictions also affect police, fire, EMS and other public servants, and will impact the safety of those organizations in the future.

Fortunately, that bill was ruled unconstitutional

[in Franklin Circuit Court]. Originally a sewage bill, the intent of SB 151 moved from sewage to dismantling the pension system. This change gave constituents and legislators less than a day to review and provide comment on a bill more than 200 pages in length before the bill was passed.

This kind of political gaming has infuriated me. As a result, I moved from a bystander and ballot researcher, to a supporter and advocate for a candidate I believe in. I am neither a Democrat, nor a Republican, and I think our staunch support of a party over the person is steering us in the wrong direction.

[Until now,] I've never had a candidate I believed in enough to knock on doors or make calls for. But I believe in him, his ability to influence and do the right thing, and in Kentucky's ability to do better.

Knocking on neighbors' doors has allowed me to meet new people in my neighborhood, and to hear how heavily the pension problem is weighing on their minds. I'm also hearing how critical is our response to the opioid crisis. It seems that our neighbors have

an understanding of addiction and a commitment to awareness and treatment.

Hearing this gives me hope that we'll put people before companies, and vote with our values in the next election.

Greta Elenbaas (back row on left) prepares with other Northern Kentucky chapter members to canvass in the Oakbrook neighborhood. Other canvassers are, back row: Jason Worms and Megan Pfeffer; front row: Jen Scott, Kimmy Sandlin and Janiah Miller.

Shelby County groups host candidate forums The Shelby County KFTC chapter is involved in three candidate forums this election season The first on September 24 was attended by more than 80 people. It featured candidates for Shelby County magistrate, jailer, and circuit court clerk.

These forums are cosponsored with the Shelby County chapter of the NAACP, Shelby County Education Association,

and Shelby County Retired Teachers Association.

The next candidate forum is on October 22 and is for candidates running for Congress, state House and state Senate.

The final forum will be on October 30 and feature candidates running for the Shelbyville City Council.

All forums are open to the public.

Join a KFTC Election Night Watch Party!

Celebrate our democracy and the hard work that went into influencing this year’s election outcomes with KFTC members and friends at an election watch party near you.

Northern Kentucky chapter – Wunderbar (1132 Lee St, Covington) starting at 6 p.m. Wunderbar has offered to make a donation to KFTC as a percentage of food sales that day.

Rolling Bluegrass chapter – Slainte (320 E Main St, Georgetown) starting at 6 p.m. Potluck.

Central Kentucky chapter – West Sixth Greenroom (109 W Main St, Lexington) from 7 to 11 p.m. with pizza and Election Bingo.

Madison County chapter – KFTC office (210 N. Broadway St. #3, Berea) starting at 7 p.m.

If your chapter is not listed here, check with a local KFTC organizer (see page 19).

www.kftc.org | October 17, 2018

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Building Grassroots Power

Madison First Thursday group explores childhood trauma Members work to understand its connection to race and racism

By Shannon Roberts Smith On September 6 the First Thursday Club gathered for our monthly meeting in Berea. We describe what we do as “an ongoing community conversation about race and racism.” Normally we encourage a process where we all have an opportunity to share and learn from ourselves and each other on a given theme.

For instance, “white privilege” and “noticing norms” have been themes in the past.

This month, however, we were extremely fortunate to turn over our meeting to Dr. Valeria Watkins, who generously shared with us about her ongoing work on “Adverse Childhood Experiences” (ACEs) and how understanding ACEs can give insight into overcoming our adult patterns and struggles.

The presentation was both challenging and profound, and I, for one, felt the evening to be extremely

rewarding in giving our group new language and tools to navigate the issues that inevitably surface as we continue to examine race and racism in ourselves and our society.

Dr. Watkins began her presentation with a 10-question quiz for us to quickly identify the level that ACEs have had influence in our own lives. Examples of adverse childhood experiences included in the quiz were inaccessiblity to food or clean clothing, an addicted parent or guardian, divorced parents, or experiencing sexual abuse.

Dr. Watkins explained that the more ACEs one has lived through, the more likely one is to experience both mental and physical health problems later in life. In addition, these adverse experiences are likely to be found repeated across generations in our families, and to influence the formation of behavioral patterns in our adult lives.

Of course, Dr. Watkins did not want to leave us without ideas and tools to help us move forward.

As the evening progressed connections were made regarding the relationship of ACEs to different types

of privilege (or lack thereof ).

Class, gender and race, although not explicitly referred to in the quiz, would definitely influence one’s likelihood of experiencing many of the ACEs described in the quiz. Further, by the end of the evening, we were discussing ways that more indirect experiences, such as a white child’s exposure to issues of race, both in the family home and diffused through so many aspects of our society, impacts their adult understanding of racism.

Inspired by this idea, and by Dr. Watkins’ encouragement in the use of journaling as a tool to better understand ourselves, we decided that at October's First Thursday, we will dig deeper into our own early experiences and understanding of race and racism with some guided writing exercises.

I am looking forward to this work as we continue to learn from each other and challenge ourselves in this ongoing work of peeling back the layers of racism that persist in ourselves and society.

The First Thursday Club meets on the first Thursday of every month at the Berea Friends Meetinghouse, at 6 p.m. We share a potluck meal, so if you are able, please feel welcome to bring an appetizer or entree. All are welcome!

Building on the work of the KFTC Southern Kentucky chapter, which worked with allies to produce a renters’ rights handbook, the Madison County chapter worked with lawyers from the Appalachian Research and Defense Fund (AppalReD) to produce a Madison County Area Renters’ Handbook: Protecting Yourself and Your Family When the Laws Don’t.

Pictured here are Stephanie Flanary, Betsy Davis and Leigh Ann Moore (left to right) with AppalReD Legal Aid, who led the project.

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www.kftc.org | October 17, 2018

Building Grassroots Power

Delores screening continues NKY racial justice film series A screening of the documentary film Dolores was the most recent activity in the Northern Kentucky chapter’s ongoing racial justice film series.

The film details the life, struggles and accomplishments of Dolores Huerta, who helped found the United Farm Workers and has worked for justice throughout her life.

Following the September 22 film, a panel of young Latina activists discussed what the film and Dolores meant to them.

Moderated by Professor Irene Encarnacion from Northern Kentucky University’s World Languages World Literatures department, the panel consisted of Brenda Moran (NKU student and board member of the League of United Latin American Citizens – Cincinnati), Monick Chia (dual Peruvian and U.S. citizen, member of University of Cincinnati Latino Law Student Association), and Heyra Avila (former Xavier University student, undocumented activist since she was 13,

and a current board member of the Intercommunity Justice and Peace Center).

Professor Encarnacion asked panelists a series of questions, ranging from what similarities they saw between themselves and Dolores Huerta, why fewer people know about Dolores Huerta than other civil rights and social justice icons from her era, and if they identified as a feminist.

The answers ranged from a shared love to dance, stubbornness, growing to love, sharing their Latin heritage and a desire to see justice done.

Panel members also felt that being a woman had pushed Dolores into the background, and erased her from many of the stories told about the successes of labor and civil rights.

To a person, the panel called themselves feminists. They shared stories of thinking of feminism as a dirty word growing up, but their experiences over the years led each to embrace the term. They discussed the conflict many felt and shared within their communities around these issues.

Professor Encarnacion called each of these women “the Dolores of our communities,” who have demonstrated a commitment to justice within their community, and a desire to organize both within their communities and with allies facing similar struggles.

Reflecting on the film, member Janiah Miller remarked how the line that hit closest to her was from Angela Davis.

Speaking about how today people talk about and learn about intersectionality, but that “back then we lived it.” Dolores Huerta continues to illustrate the need to do community organizing across different identities, and to remember that ‘Si se puede!’ – Yes We Can! The Northern Kentucky chapter partnered with LULAC - Cincinnati, Mass Action for Black Liberation, Northern Kentucky University’s World Languages World Literatures, Northern Kentucky Justice and Peace Committee, Intercommunity Justice and Peace Center, and Mother of God Parish’s Education Committee on the screening and discussion.

Follow the Northern Kentucky chapter on social media: Instagram at northernky_KFTC, Twitter: @NKY_KFTC, Facebook.com/nky.kftc.

www.kftc.org | October 17, 2018

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Building Grassroots Power

Rolling Bluegrass continues with social justice film series Rolling Bluegrass chapter members (Scott and Harrison counties)are working to put together a film series aimed at promoting discussion around issues they are passionate about.

Last year they showed Get Out with allies to talk about racial justice in our society, and since have shown Making a Killing: Guns, Greed and the NRA about the power of the National Rifle Association.

The third film they plan to show on October 18 is Pay 2 Play about

money in politics.

Join the chapter for a potluck and viewing of the film and discussion at 6 p.m. on October 18 in the Teen Room of the Scott County Public Library.

The chapter is looking forward to continuing the film series next year, and is considering a variety of films.

They hope to show a mixture of documentaries and theatrical releases, and to promote important discussion in the community around the issues members care most about.

Arty Pie Party – just a few weeks away!

The Rolling Bluegrass chapter invites everyone to their annual Progressive Arty Pie Party on November 10.

This year’s celebration will include a silent auction of local art and baked goods, music provided by Kyle and Sable Snyder, and delicious food to share.

The popular event will be held at Yuko-En on the Elkhorn at 700 US 25 in Georgetown. Festivities kick off at 6 p.m. and will end around 9 p.m. The event has a suggested donation of $20, or $10 for seniors and students.

The chapter hopes KFTC members from across the state will join them for this great event!

5th Annual Smoketown GetDown for Democracy

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Marianne Hamilton, Liz Weber, Jonathan Trent Stofer

www.kftc.org | October 17, 2018

Alayna Milby and Joyce Adkins

Action for democrAcy

Voter registration at NKU Fresh Fusion

This is an exciting and robust election cycle for KFTC. We have a record number of KFTC members and allies running for office. We held a candidate training late in 2017, and have had dozens of candidate briefings, educating those running for office about our issues.

We’ve registered more than 1,500 voters, focused in under-represented and low-income communities.

We’ve conducted 5 statewide Voter Empowerment trainings as well as 35 local trainings.

Our local voter engagement strategies are directed by member-led Democracy Teams. These volunteers studied the electoral landscape, met with candidates, developed localized candidate surveys, and crafted outreach strategies.

We surveyed candidates in all 119 state legislative races and more than three dozen other races, receiving a record 221 responses.

They are published on www.KentuckyElection.org.

Jefferson County voter registration canvass

(continued on the next page)

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www.kftc.org | October 17, 2018

WKU Big Red Blitz canvass

Voter registration at a Georgetown College football game with Kali Reagan

Alexa Hatcher, Southern Kentucky voter registration

Lynne Anderson and Jane Elkin Shelbyville voter registration

Ann Devilbiss circulates petitions at the Rally for Recovery

We sent 6 different print Voter Guides to targeted districts, putting more than 12,000 copies in the hands of voters.

KFTC’s Political Action Committee, the New Power PAC, endorsed 70 candidates for public office (listed at NewPowerKy.org). Members are working hard to make those endorsements meaningful, backing them up with phone banks, door-to-door canvasses and mailers. We’ve had hundreds of phone banks and door to door canvases.

A robust Get-Out-the-Vote effort is still to come.

Reach out to a local KFTC organizer to volunteer!

Canvass team Janiah Miller, Sean Tieman, Megan Pfeffer and Kimmy Sandlin

www.kftc.org | October 17, 2018

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Building Grassroots Power

KFTC members lift up vision during Trump, Barr visits

By Matthew Frederick Madison County members had two opportunities this fall to demonstrate their support for health care, racial equity, climate action, welcoming community, a healthy democracy and a number of other concerns.

They directed their action toward those who are trying to deny or take away these fundamental values and rights.

On August 27, the Berea Chamber of Commerce invited U.S. Rep. Andy Barr to its annual luncheon and legislative discussion. Local constituents responded to Barr’s presence with questions and concerns, demonstrating publicly with others from the community.

KFTC member Maggie Park lifted up health care as a major concern. According to Park, Barr “doesn’t fight for what Kentucky needs, like health care.”

Park explained further: “Barr doesn’t fight for federal funding that creates jobs like the U.S. National Park Service and researching renewable energy sources, or directly remedies our drug crisis.”

Some pointed specifically to the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund, which is under political attack despite its vital role in securing the well-being of miners who suffer from the debilitating disease. These attacks, and a potential reduction in funding for the program, are happening in the face of an increasing number of black lung cases.

Besides the friendly chants and singing, there was a sense of a community coming together to build itself up. “I see it as my duty being a community member and citizen to be engaged in my government,” Park explained. “I don’t think Barr represents us in the House.”

Those present at the Berea Chamber of Commerce event came together over their goals, desires and common cause for making our shared world a better, more just world.

Barr’s presence presented an opportunity that the community of Madison County could not ignore to bring their concerns together. Madison County members presented Barr with a powerful statement of solidarity as well as their grievances and concerns.

The next opportunity came on October 13, when Barr was back in Madison County accompanied by President Donald Trump.

Trump stopped at Eastern Kentucky University to rally supporters for Barr in his re-election campaign. Approximately 6,500 people flooded the university’s Alumni Coliseum in support of the president and his policies. Other Kentuckians came together across the street to take action,

display signs, sing chants and express themselves in the view of the country’s chief executive.

An estimated 400 people gathered in the designated protest area, including members of KFTC, the Kentucky Dream Coalition, the Bluegrass Activist Alliance, EKU and Berea College students, as well as many others from across Kentucky.

Damien Hammons, a member from the Cumberland chapter of KFTC who attended the action in Richmond, spoke on live video, addressing the common view that, “We often feel like one vote doesn’t make a difference.” He continued to explain his own robust participation in democracy, saying, “There’s so many different times you can give a candidate one more vote – give them a little bit more leverage in our government, so our government will represent us and will represent who we should be. I’m super excited for November 6. Make sure to go out and vote, everybody.”

Madison County KFTC member Kris Tina Anderson attended the action in Richmond as well.

When discussing what motivated them to take action, Anderson noted that the event presented “a really great opportunity to inspire people to go and vote come November. I want to challenge people’s ideas about what Donald Trump’s policies have done in terms of the climate. I am very passionate about the climate. I want to see a statewide Fairness Ordinance, as well as renewable energy.”

Anderson spoke to the depth and range of issues that motivated Kentuckians to take action during the president’s appearance. Many in the crowd lifted up racial justice, immigrants’ rights, clean energy, women’s rights and the variety of ways that Rep. Barr and President Trump are moving the country further away from meaningful action to address these concerns.

Although protesters attended the event with a variety of concerns and grievances, the demonstration powerfully lifted up a vision for thriving communities as well. Members of the Kentucky Dream Coalition led the crowd in chants of “I believe that we will win.”

While many found themselves on the ground on Saturday at the event, many others were able to participate, observe and express themselves in a multitude of other ways, especially through social media platforms, such as Facebook Live video.

KFTC member Maggie Park lifted up an issue she cares about during a demonstration with others outside the Berea Chamber of Commerce’s event featuring U.S. Rep. Andy Barr.

Kentuckians took a variety of actions to lift up a vision for their communities and build grassroots power. Across the state, members plugged into community canvasses to discuss the upcoming November elections with folks at their front doors.

KFTC also hosted a Democracy Blitz Phone Bank, allowing folks to join from their homes and make calls to new voters to discuss how they can advance a vision for Kentucky through the electoral process.

As KFTC members look toward building a better, beloved community of people, they utilize many different tactics and strategies to improve our democracy, our community and our lives.

KFTC’s Fall Giving Campaign is coming up!

Renew your membership at: www.kftc.org/support

www.kftc.org | October 17, 2018

Balancing the Scales | 13

Economic justice Out of Reach

Foreclosed, displaced and evicted from My Old Kentucky Home The struggle for fair and affordable housing is a that homes are treated as commodities for corporate national one, taking hold across Kentucky. It’s a chal- profit rather than a requirement for survival. lenge that Kentuckians face on many levels.

For KFTC members, what does it mean to build Voter Empowerment Organizer Alexa Hatcher towards a Kentucky where people matter before profits of the Southern Kentucky chapter shared how hous- and where all people have shelter? ing issues show up in KFTC’s work for a healthy A vision of homes for all could mean: democracy.

“While out canvassing, a family got our attention • Community control – community land trusts, from the other side of the road and asked us to come community benefits agreements, fighting distalk with them,” Hatcher said. “They said that they placement, and working with rural electric coopwere given a month to move out of their house and eratives to ensure utilities are affordable, transparhad to fight to get their security deposit at that. ent and working in the community’s interest to “About three days after they were told they had mirror our vision for a healthy environment; to leave, some of the developer’s workers came in to • An end to tax incentives for developers, decom‘check for asbestos.’ The workers came in with sledge modification of housing, rent control and affordhammers and busted holes all along the walls looking able housing trust funds; for asbestos. Luckily, they didn’t find any, because the • Just-cause eviction, basic habitability standards and the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant family had nowhere to go with their small kid.

“This story also highlights a reality of this problem.

Act. It is scary to go up against huge developers and landlords, who have so much power over our community.” KFTC is using its voter engagement work this fall Many Kentuckians face similar problems. Thirty- to build towards this vision. Voter canvasses are reachthree percent of Kentuckians are renters, according to ing directly impacted renters and helping lift up their “Out of Reach: The high cost of housing,” a report that stories. These voters often are in neighborhoods most offers national and local data about the affordability of impacted by the actions of greedy landlords, the forces housing. of gentrification and cuts to This means that one in housing assistance programs. three Kentuckians are poten The Southern Kentucky tially impacted by unfair evicand Madison County chapters tions, rising rents, maintenance are canvassing with scripts that issues and other problems. address the struggle for fair and Shelter is a fundamental adequate housing, and connect human need. Therefore, housthis to how candidates at the ing is a human right. KFTC’s local and state levels impact vision statement says, “We the issue in positive or negative are working for a day when ways. the lives of people and com Hatcher described some of munities matter before profits. The “Out of Reach: The high cost what people share when asked When all people have health of housing” report is available about their housing situation: care, shelter, food, education in both English and Spanish at “Another problem we have and other basic needs.” been hearing over and over is https://nlihc.org/oor.

In other words, KFTC how some landlords refuse to members work for a day when families have the take care of their properties in majority person of color safety and stability of a well-maintained and affordable and low-income communities, until the point that home. they are unlivable. Then, instead of selling them they A minimum wage earner in Kentucky, on aver- leave them to rot. age, needs to work 79 hours per week to afford two- “Folks in our community feel that it is completely bedroom housing at fair market rent, according to the unacceptable to let properties sit condemned while report. This indicates that workers are underpaid and our homeless population rises, and rent keeps getting

higher and higher.

“There is a real urgency to work on housing, and people who are most affected need our help organizing people power to make change.”

Voting is one way for renters to create the needed change. Others can help lift up their stories through lobby meetings, letters to the editor and other public forums, as did Southern Kentucky chapter member Nancy Bridges in a recent letter to the Bowling Green Daily News.

KFTC’s voter empowerment work is based on the belief that, together, Kentuckians can elect better leaders who will make a difference in how housing, and the economic, environmental and racial systems that allow unsafe conditions and unjust systems, are being addressed at both state and local levels.

In the 2018 General Assembly, Rep. Melissa Prunty tried to speed up the eviction processes in order to kick tenants out of their homes with only seven days’ notice. Grassroots push-back prevented the bad eviction bill from passing.

While a statewide Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (URLTA) bill, which would protect both landlords and tenants, was introduced toward the end of the last legislative session, it gained little traction and did not receive a hearing or vote.

Many of the legislative solutions listed in the vision above, including URLTA, can be adopted at the city or county level. Local officials have a substantial opportunity to help build toward our vision as well.

KFTC members also are building toward this vision on a national scale with partners in Homes For All, which just released a guide to starting tenant unions. There are many partners and resources to help support the fight for safe and affordable housing.

While gentrification, homelessness, foreclosure and other housing issues often are thought of as urban issues, the value of generational homes, historic neighborhoods and staying in one’s community is shared by rural Kentuckians. Urban and rural Kentuckians face the same struggles, though at different paces and in different ways.

With so many challenges and so many possible solutions available, it’s imperative to keep the conversation going. KFTC’s voter work is raising this issue in the 2018 election and will help hold elected leaders accountable once in office. This is one of many approaches that will help achieve the vision of safe and affordable homes for all.

14 | Balancing the Scales

www.kftc.org | October 17, 2018

New Energy and Transition

Members build New Power through Power House workshops Since April of this year, KFTC members across eastern Kentucky have hosted energy efficiency workshops in their communities, as part of KFTC’s ongoing Power House Project.

The Power House Project builds collective power by educating communities about eastern Kentucky’s energy landscape, how residents can influence it and ways they can lower electric bills immediately through do-it-yourself weatherization strategies.

Kentucky’s energy system is a “regulated monopoly” in which each utility provider is guaranteed a monopoly over its service territory. This means that where someone lives determines where they get their energy – and how much they pay for it.

Some Kentuckians are paying as much as 23 percent of their annual income for electricity bills, leading to difficult choices, like living in discomfort during the winter and summer, or having less money to use on the other things that keep them and their families healthy and happy.

It is within this context that members of the KFTC New Energy and Transition Committee designed a free, two-hour workshop that teaches participants about individual actions they can take to seal up their homes and lower their bills – and steps they can collectively take to demand better from utilities, elected officials and the Kentucky Public Service Commission.

The workshops place particular emphasis on Kentucky’s rural electric community cooperatives (RECCs), which serve 35 percent of Kentucky residents and are beholden to the decisions of their member-owners (unlike investor-owned utilities like Kentucky Utilities or Kentucky Power).

Each workshop is tailored to the county where it takes place and the utilities that operate there. Each participant receives a folder full of resources, including local maps of the county’s energy landscape and a free energy efficiency “kit,” valued at $25, to help them get started on sealing up their home. Some workshops include an extended segment on what’s possible with renewable energy in Kentucky.

As part of every workshop’s outreach strategy, members go door-knocking in neighborhoods where bills are highest to invite people to the workshop – and to register them to vote or talk about the upcoming election.

Many of the folks members have Electricity Energy Burden describes how large a bite electricmet through these workshops have in ity bills take, on average, from an area's median yearly houseturn joined local KFTC chapters, or par- hold income. The actual burden experienced by a household ticipated in local voter registration efforts, may be higher or lower than the local average, depending on income, energy use, and utility electricity rates. and grown as member leaders.

Several workshop participants expressed outrage at the money Kentucky utilities fun- six of the 16 eastern Kentucky electric co-ops offer neled into legislation in the 2018 General Assembly How$mart. One of the goals of the Power House Projto kill rooftop solar in Kentucky, and pledged to lobby ect is to increase participation in this program. with KFTC in the next General Assembly if utilities Collin Alexander of the Rowan County chapter attempt another attack on Kentucky’s solar industry. was excited to attend the September Power House Since the launch of the project, KFTC members workshop in Morehead after attending Commonhave led seven workshops in Bath, Pulaski, Floyd, Bound 2018, where he learned about the ownership he Robertson, Breathitt, Rowan and Laurel counties. had over Grayson RECC as a co-op member-owner.

KFTC members and energy experts Chris Woolery “For me, the Power House workshop was everyand Rachel Norton have led the “Energy Efficiency thing that KFTC means to me: [a] group of people 101” segments of five of these seven. from every walk of life coming together for the better The most recent workshop took ment of the community and their homes,” he reflected. place in London at the end of Septem- “It is without a doubt that KFTC embraces individual ber and was co-hosted by the Kentucky activism and, when collaborated together with peers Student Environmental Coalition. and colleagues across the commonwealth, garner a Cumberland KFTC chapter mem- voice for individuals and the masses. ber Shawn Cowden reflected, “[The “Regardless of what you’re passionate about, workshop] was very informative, and KFTC embraces your passion and promotes better and I learned some simple tips to help save more sustainable livelihoods for Kentucky folk.” money on electricity.”

The eighth Power House workshop will be in

Cowden is excited to talk to his Wolfe County at 6 p.m. on November 1 at Appalaneighbors about pushing their elec- chian Wellness (592 KY 15 S, Campton, KY 41301). tric cooperative, Cumberland Valley Another is in the works in Powell County for NovemElectric, to offer the on-bill financing ber 17 at 10 a.m. at the Our Lady of the Mountains program How$mart, which allows Catholic Church (1093 E College Ave.) in Stanton. member-owners to access high-return To help bring a Power House workshop to your KFTC obtained several hundred home energy-efficiency kits to give energy efficiency retrofits for their community, contact Organizer Apprentice Nikita Peto participants in the Power House workshops. homes without any upfront cost. Only rumal at nikita@kftc.org or (502) 554-6633.

www.kftc.org | October 17, 2018

Balancing the Scales | 15

Just Transition

Members push for just transition action on DC lobbying trip In late September, a delegation of nearly 40 Appalachians from at least eight states – including eight KFTC members – were in Washington, DC, to meet with members of Congress and push for urgently needed legislation for a Just Transition for miners, their families and their communities.

KFTC’s delegation, part of a larger group organized by the Alliance for Appalachia, had meetings with all eight members of Congress from Kentucky (or their staff representative), including Senators Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul, plus Representatives Jamie Comer, Brett Guthrie, John Yarmuth, Thomas Massie, Andy Barr and Hal Rogers.

The KFTC delegation included three retired miners with black lung and five others who have close family members with the disease.

KFTC member Joanne Hill explained why she made the trip.

“I was born and raised in Harlan County. I come from a long line of coal miners. My father had black

lung. My brother had it, and my two grandfathers had it,” Hill said. “One of my grandfathers had it so bad, there were times he had to use his hands to push his lungs up to breathe.

“Congress needs to strengthen funding for the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund.”

“Also, everywhere we look in my area of Kentucky, we see the devastation that strip mining has caused.

Passing the RECLAIM Act is really important to put jobs back in our communities and make something good come out of all the destruction the coal companies left behind,” Hill added.

The lobbying effort was part of a broader strategy

by KFTC and allies to advance three bills needed for a Just Transition for coal miners, their families and communities.

Specifically, Congress can take action this fall on: • a bill (not yet filed) to strengthen the solvency of the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund.

• the RECLAIM Act (H.R. 1731) to create thousands of good reclamation jobs and support longer-term economic development initiatives.

• the American Miners Pension Act (H.R. 3913 / S. 1911), which ensures that the UMWA’s 1974 Pension Plan can continue to pay pensions to retired miners and surviving spouses.

In addition to meeting with members of Congress, KFTC members are working to: • pass local resolutions in support of these three pieces of legislation (see story on the next page); The KFTC delegation met with U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth (second from • gather signatures on postcards left). They are (left to right) Jimmy Moore, Roberta Campbell, Bobby to Senator McConnell; Starnes, Jacob Mack-Boll, Joanne Golden Hill, Serena Owen (sitting), • gather petition signatures about the Black Lung Trust Fund Larry and Hattie Miller.

Creative ways to invest in KFTC In addition to your membership dues, you can give even more to KFTC without doing anything extra? With alternative giving programs like Kroger Community Rewards and Amazon Smile, a percentage of your spending can be directed to KFTC. Just visit these websites to sign up, and without even thinking about it you’ll be giving more to build grassroots power in Kentucky.

TAKE ACTION Tell members of Congress to ensure that coal companies pay their fair share to provide black lung benefits to miners and their families. See contact information for Kentucky’s Congressional delegation on page 6.

Sign a petition urging your representatives to support legislation that would raise the Black Lung Disability Excise Tax by 25 percent, or at the very least maintain it at its current rate.

Go to: www.powerplusplan.org/black-lung.

•

– sign it at www.blacklungkills.com; have conversations with thousands of Kentuckians about these issues and the importance of voting on November 6.

“It takes a lot of time and effort to get change or to get things to go your way,” Roberta Campbell pointed out after our second day of meetings.

Jimmy Moore has early stage black lung, and delivered a letter to each office visited about the pension crisis and need for attention on black lung issues.

“I worked 26 years in the mines, and I’ve done about everything you can do in the mines,” Moore said. “This was the first time I’ve been in Washington to lobby, and I made good connections and I had fun.”

Moore is the treasurer for the Southeast Kentucky Black Lung Association. “Black Lung isn’t gonna get any better. It’s not our fault we got black lung, it’s the companies’ fault.”

Western Kentucky retired miner Larry Miller repeated to every legislator the group met with: “We’re facing a fierce urgency of now.”

Find more information at BlackLungKills.org and UMWA.org

Kroger Community Rewards – Krogercommunityrewards.com Choose Kentucky Coalition, organization #ES066 It takes only a few minutes to type in your Kroger Plus Card number and choose Kentucky Coalition.

Amazon Smile – Smile.amazon.com Choose Kentucky Coalition, Inc. When you shop through the Smile website at smile.amazon.com, 0.5% of the purchase price will benefit KFTC.

www.kftc.org | October 17, 2018

16 | Balancing the Scales

Just Transition

Support growing in eastern Kentucky for congressional action on black lung In September, the city councils of Benham and Jackson along with the Breathitt County Fiscal Court became the first local governments in Kentucky to pass a local resolution calling on Congress to pass three bills needed to help sick, disabled, retired and unemployed coal workers and their communities.

In October, the Whitesburg and Morehead city councils and the Letcher, Knott, Pike and Rowan County fiscal courts added their support for Congressional action, as did the grassroots group South Magoffin Community Activists.

KFTC members and black lung advocates are on the agenda at several other local governments with the hope they also will adopt the resolution. A similar effort is being made in other Central Appalachian states.

“I’m personally so happy that our city is trying to move forward and protect our miners and our community,” said disabled miner and Benham resident Carl Shoupe. “I hope this action lights a fire.”

Virginia Meagher, a KFTC member who brought the resolution to her local elected officials, was also elated when the measure passed.

“I want to say ‘thank you’ to the city council and mayor of Jackson, and to the Breathitt County Fiscal Court for their support for coal miners and their families,” Meagher said. “By signing and issuing this resolution, they have indicated to our senators and representatives on the federal level that we care about the pensions and health care of miners and their families. We want the federal government to enforce past guarantees and adapt those laws for the economic well-being of our struggling communities.”

The resolution urges Senators Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul, along with the six U.S. representatives from Kentucky, to strengthen funding for the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund. That federal fund provides benefits to miners who worked for coal companies that have gone bankrupt or out of business.

A recent Government Accountability Office study found that the long-term health of the fund is poor, as more miners are getting sick with the disease and more coal companies are going bankrupt.

Making matters worse, the per-ton fee that provides revenue for the fund, which is paid by the coal

industry, is scheduled to drop by 55 percent on January 1, 2019, unless Congress takes action to keep it at its current level.

The resolution also urges Kentucky’s representatives to support and help pass the RECLAIM Act (H.R. 1731), legislation sponsored by Rep. Hal Rogers, who represents Kentucky’s 5th District. That bipartisan bill would help revitalize coal communities in eastern and western Kentucky by directing that $1 billion be invested over the next five years in long-term economic and community development initiatives connected to the reclamation of abandoned mine lands.

Lastly, the measure calls on Congress to support the bipartisan American Miners Pension Act (H.R. 3913/S. 1911), which ensures that the United Mine Workers Of America 1974 Pension Plan can continue to provide earned pensions to retired miners or their surviving spouses.

That federal fund also exists to provide pensions to miners who worked for companies that have gone bankrupt, and it is at risk of becoming insolvent by 2022.

An effort to pass these local resolutions across Kentucky is being spearheaded by affected miners, family members, and residents, many of whom are members of KFTC and the Southeast Kentucky Black Lung Association.

Supporters point to a similar effort in 2015-2016, when 28 local governments and organizations in four central Appalachian states passed resolutions calling on Congress to pass the RECLAIM Act and Miners Protection Act. That display of public support helped encourage Rep. Rogers to sponsor the RECLAIM Act in the House, and Senator McConnell to introduce a version of the bill in the Senate. Eventually, McConnell also helped secure health benefits for retired miners, but left their pension issue unresolved.

KFTC members continue to get the resolution on the agendas of many city and county governments across eastern Kentucky, with the goal of passing at least 10 before the November election. Members who are interested in bringing this resolution to their local governments should contact Lisa Abbott at Lisa@ kftc.org for more information.

Contact members of Congress Sen. Mitch McConnell (202) 224-2541 – Washington (502) 582-6304 – Louisville (859) 224-8286 – Lexington (859) 578-0188 – Fort Wright (606) 864-2026 – London (270) 781-1673 – Bowling Green (270) 442-4554 – Paducah Sen. Rand Paul (202) 224-4343 (270) 782-8303 (859) 219-2239 (502) 582-5341 (270) 689-9085 (270) 885-1212

– – – – – –

Washington Bowling Green Lexington Louisville Owensboro Hopkinsville

U.S. House Members Rep. James Comer, 1st District (202) 225-3115 – Washington (270) 487-9509 – Madisonville (270) 408-1865 – Paducah (270) 487-9509 – Tompkinsville Rep. Brett Guthrie, 2nd District (202) 225-3501 – Washington (270) 842-9896 – Bowling Green Rep. John Yarmuth, 3rd District (202) 225-5401 – Washington (502) 933-5863 – Louisville (502) 582-5129 – Louisville Rep. Thomas Massie, 4th District (202) 225-3465 – Washington (606) 324-9898 – Ashland (502) 265-9119 – LaGrange (859) 426-0080 – Crescent Springs Rep. Hal Rogers, 5th District (202) 225-4601 – Washington (606) 679-8346 – Somerset (606) 886-0844 – Prestonsburg (606) 439-0794 – Hazard Rep. Andy Barr, 6th District (202) 225-4706 – Washington (859) 219-1366 – Lexington

www.kftc.org | October 17, 2018

Balancing the Scales | 17

Just Transition

Reflections on the Solidarity to Solutions climate actions

By Patrick Greene Last month, I had the opportunity to be part of KFTC’s nine-person delegation to the Solidarity to Solutions (Sol2Sol) week in San Francisco. Sol2Sol emphasized alternatives to the corporate-led and market-based schemes being advanced at the concurrent Global Climate Action Summit (GCAS).

While global business leaders at the GCAS pushed for carbon trading markets, pollution offsets and other schemes that maintain the dominance of the fossil fuel industry, Sol2Sol attendees lifted up community-based and people-based solutions to climate change issues.

Among other slogans, Sol2Sol delegates preached “people over profits,” “keep it in the ground,” and “no pollution trading.”

Our KFTC delegation came from all across Kentucky, with a strong eastern Kentucky presence.

Together, we ranged in age from 17 to 76.

The Week of Action climaxed on September 13 when thousands of Sol2Sol delegates and their allies occupied the street outside of San Francisco’s Moscone Center just as the GCAS was to begin. We held control of the entrance to the Moscone Center for several hours and delayed the start of the GCAS. Most importantly, our message was delivered to the media and to GCAS delegates as they arrived for the summit.

Teri Blanton said it was “a pleasure to be with new people from KFTC and to hold the streets while the rally was [led] by Idle No More, a predominantly women of color organization.”

The busy week of activities began with participation in the Rise for Climate, Justice and Jobs March.

The largest march of its kind on the West Coast, approximately 75,000 people attended and showed their support for a just transition and the environment.

Our delegation marched with a KFTC banner proclaiming “It’s Time for New Power!”

Several of us noticed the enthusiasm with which Kentuckians were greeted and welcomed to the march.

Lily Milovnik, my fellow delegate, reflected that she learned a lot from being “part of something bigger than myself … [it] opened my eyes to how hard work and dedication to a cause can pay off tremendously.”

The following day, Sol2Sol had its opening ceremony at the Berkeley Shell Mounds. The site, now “developed” as a parking lot with little trace of the mounds remaining, is a sacred site for the indigenous Ohlone people. Representatives of the Ohlone tribe

welcomed the attendees and offered prayers. people from all ages and talked about issues in our I felt that a highlight of the opening ceremony was communities and solutions that all of us had or hadn’t a dance by attendees from the Marshall Islands whose tried yet. homeland is threatened by climate change. These Mar- “That,” she said, “was really informational and hsallese people are facing the effects of climate change cool.” right now, and they traveled a long way to share their Chandler not only attended workshops, but she stories and participate in solidarity. That impressed me. also was asked to speak on a panel about Energy De Following the opening ceremony, delegates were mocracy. “The workshop I was involved in expanded able to attend diverse tours of the Bay Area highlight- my knowledge both through preparing and listening to ing the just transition and climate justice work going the other speakers,” she said. She’s now bringing these ideas back to Kentucky. on there.

KFTC delegate Gail Chandler participated in a Organized by It Takes Roots, Sol2Sol brought totour of refineries in Richmond, California. “In Rich- gether grassroots activists from all over the country and mond, I saw the horror of processing, then imagined the world. Members of the It Takes Roots Alliance inevery place in the country with the same problem. It clude Grassroots Global Justice, the Indigenous Environmental Network, Right to the City and the Climate blew me away,” she reflected.

Sunday ended with a water ceremony and a New Justice Alliance (of which KFTC is a member). It Takes Moon Ceremony led by indigenous women. Delegate Roots is truly a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, genderAlexa Hatcher felt this was a special moment. “I keep inclusive organization, bringing together indigenous thinking about the water ceremony and how it felt to people, people of color, women and their allies. be there in the center of all of these women,” she said. Stanley Sturgill, who like Blanton was attending his second It Takes Roots event, said, “I’m proud to say “It felt like that was a real solidarity moment for me.”

Monday began with a direct action in front of the that this is my second trip here. I came to the first ITR Parc 55 Hotel in downtown San Francisco, where del- campaign and each time I come I learn more. egates to GCAS were arriving. Sol2Sol participants oc- “It is unreal, especially this time, the number of cupied the street for several hours. Highlights included young people getting involved in this. When I see all a statement from the chief of a Brazilian tribe and the these young people that are really involved in this it delivery of a letter to Gov. Brown. Later that day, It warms my heart. There’s not a day that went by that I haven’t enjoyed [this work]. I give out early a lot of Takes Roots held a membership meeting.

Sol2Sol devoted the next day to a solutions times, but I do what I can do, and I intend to stay with showcase and outdoor summit. Participants held this the rest of my life.” various workshops discussing the real solutions we are implementing in our communities.

Hatcher attended a workshop in which she “learned how grassroots feminism can be used to help people to break out of an economy that keeps marginalized people hurting. Then we went to a workshop on The KFTC delegation, left to right: Nikita Perumal, Laura Harper Knight, Alexa Hatcher, intergenerational Patrick Greene, Gail Chandler, Kevin Short, Teri Blanton and Lily Milovnik. Not pictured: organizing, with Stanley Sturgill.

www.kftc.org | October 17, 2018

18 | Balancing the Scales

KFTC News

New Steering Committee focuses on visionary organizing The newly elected KFTC Steering Committee met in September for the first time since being chosen to represent members across the state.

Chapter Steering Committee representatives and alternates are selected at chapter annual meetings in May and June. Along with the statewide officers elected at the August statewide annual meeting, they comprise the leadership that will guide KFTC for the coming year.

Their September meeting was the first for several new members and returning members to meet since their selection.

They took the opportunity to review KFTC’s work and hold an orientation for incoming members.

However, the most valuable aspect of this meeting was the opportunity for representatives and alternates to get to know each other and build community. That community building is a critical part of organizing in ways that are rooted in a vision for the state.

During the orientation, members lifted up that the present political context requires more than organizing. It requires organizing and actions that are grounded in a vision that shapes the new kind of power KFTC members are working to build.

As members reflected on KFTC’s vision statement, many drew direct connections between the vision and collective action.

Joy Fitzgerald of Shelby County noted that KFTC’s vision is “the foundation of our working democracy.”

Conner Allen of Jefferson County said that KFTC’s vision is why folks across the state are inspired to join: “It’s a values statement, and values are why we are here.”

Ezra Dike of Rowan County, echoing Allen’s perspective, described KFTC’s vision as “a sales pitch and a unifying rallying cry.”

Other items the Steering Committee members discussed included Racial Justice organizing, building an inclusive culture for KFTC youth leadership, KFTC’s fall fundraising campaign and the Sustaining Giver program, as well as hiring and staffing plans for 2019.

KFTC Chairperson Meta Mendel-Reyes led the Steering Committee in conversation during their September 22 meeting. An orientation was provided for new committee members, and the day included discussions about racial justice and making space for young people.

KentuckyElection.org is live and revamped for the November election KFTC's online voter guide, KentuckyElection.org, has been updated for the November 6 election and rebuilt from the ground up with many new features.

Visitors to the website are able to enter their voting address to see their entire ballot, from local races such as school board all the way to Congress.

For the races surveyed by KFTC regional Democracy Teams, one can read the responses received from candidates. This year KFTC collected more than 200 survey responses, the most in KFTC’s 11 years of surveying candidates.

Browsers also will find links to candidate websites, social media pages, endorsements and other issue positions when

Thanks

available.

Another feature allows you to make a plan to vote, with the option of signing up to get a text or email reminder on election day.

You can easily print a list of your preferred candidates to take when voting. The site is mobile-friendly, so voters can access their slate on their phones at the polls.

KFTC invested considerable times and resources in this online tool, with the goal of including information on every race and issue on ballots across the state.

Feedback is welcome, in order to improve the site and make it more useful in future years. Send it to Erik@kftc.org.

for being a member or supporter of KFTC. You make the work you read about in Balancing the Scales possible – 37 years of it!

www.kftc.org | October 17, 2018

Balancing the Scales | 19

calendar of events October 22 & November 26 Madison County chapter meetings 7 p.m. at the Berea Friends Meeting House 300 Harrison Road, Berea Info: Sasha@kftc.org or 859-358-9713

November 15 Shelby County chapter meeting 6 p.m. at the Stratton Center 215 Washington Street, Shelbyville Info: Carissa@kftc.org or 502-741-8759

October 23 & November 27 Southern Kentucky chapter meetings 6 p.m. at the Foundry Community Center 531 W 11th Avenue, Bowling Green Info: Molly@kftc.org or 502-599-3989

November 15 and December 13 Rowan County chapter meetings 6 p.m. at St. Albans Church 145 E. 5th Street, Morehead Info: Nikita@kftc.org or 502-488-3830

November 1 Rolling Bluegrass potluck & chapter meeting 6:30 p.m. at Scott County Public Library, Room B 104 S. Bradford Lane, Georgetown Info: Joe@kftc.org or 859-380-6103

November 15 Central Kentucky chapter meeting 7 p.m. at the Episcopal Mission House 203 E. 4th Street, Lexington Info: Meredith@kftc.org or 859-276-0563

November 2 Poor People’s Campaign Hearing 7 p.m. at Total Grace Church 1313 Limestone Street, Lexington Info: Tayna@kftc.org or 859-276-0563 November 4 & December 2 Cumberland chapter meetings 2-4 p.m. in Barbourville, location TBD Info: Angel@kftc.org or 606-261-4955 November 5 Wilderness Trace chapter meeting 7 p.m. at InterCounty Energy 1009 Hustonville Road, Danville Info: Sasha@kftc.org or 859-358-9713 November 6 Big Sandy chapter meeting, 6 p.m., KFTC Prestonsburg office (152 N. Lake Drive) Info: Jacob@kftc.org or 606-497-9262 November 12 Jefferson County chapter meeting 6:30 p.m. at the First Unitarian Church 809 S. 4th St., Louisville Info: Becky@kftc.org or 502-741-8759

November 18 & December 16 Western Kentucky chapter meetings 3 p.m. at 208 Faculty Hall Murray State University Info: Lesley@kftc.org or 270-564-8687 November 19 Perry County chapter meeting 6 p.m., location TBD Info: Jacob@kftc.org or 606-497-9262 November 20 & December 18 Northern Kentucky chapter meetings December gathering is a holiday potluck 7 p.m. at Center for Great Neighborhoods 321 ML King Boulevard, Covington Info: Joe@kftc.org or 859-380-6103 November 30 - December 1 KFTC Steering Committee retreat 7 p.m. Friday - 4:30 p.m. Saturday Location: TBD Info: Michael@kftc.org or 859-756-4027 December 6 Rolling Bluegrass holiday party 6:30 p.m. at Galvin’s on Main 155 W. Main Street, Georgetown Please RSVP to Joe@KFTC.org

KFTC OFFICES and STAFF MAIN OFFICE Morgan Brown, Burt Lauderdale, Ashley Frasher, Angel Hill and Lakin Dillingham 131 North Mill Street P.O. Box 1450 | London, Kentucky 40743 606-878-2161 | Fax: 606-878-5714

FIELD OFFICES Louisville E’Beth Adami, Alicia Hurle and Carissa Lenfert 735 Lampton Street #202 • Louisville, Ky. 40203 502-589-3188 Bowling Green Molly Kaviar, Laura Harper Knight, Lesley Garrett, Alex Goldsmith and James Line 958 Collett Ave., Suite 500 Bowling Green, Ky. 42101 270-282-4553 Northern Kentucky Joe Gallenstein, Caitlin Sparks and Dave Newton 640 Main Street • Covington, Ky. 41005 859-380-6103 Central Kentucky Jessica Hays Lucas, Beth Howard, Heather Mahoney, Erik Hungerbuhler, Meredith Wadlington, Tyler Offerman, Sharon Murphy, Tayna Fogle, DeBraun Thomas and Nikita Perumal 250 Plaza Drive, Suite 4 Lexington, Ky 40503 859-276-0563 Floyd County Jessie Skaggs, Jerry Hardt, Jacob Mack-Boll and Taylor Adams 152 North Lake Drive • P.O. Box 864 Prestonsburg, Ky 41653 606-263-4982 Berea Lisa Abbott, Amy Hogg, Sasha Zaring and Michael Harrington 210 N. Broadway, Unit #3 •Berea, Ky 40403

859-756-4027

Morehead Alvin Madden-Grider 606-207-9199

Email any staff member at firstname@kftc.org except for Jessica Hays Lucas, use jessicabreen@ kftc.org; Beth Howard, use bethhoward@kftc.org

www.kftc.org | October 17, 2018

20 | Balancing the Scales

You can help build grassroots power During KFTC’s fall campaign, we’re inviting you to renew your membership and bring others into the work.

Why support KFTC? We build grassroots power.

We talk about issues – with each other, with candidates and with lawmakers.

We develop community leaders.

Here’s what you can do today: Become a Sustaining Giver With an automatic, recurring gift, you can help ensure that KFTC’s work keeps happening every day, all year long. Your membership will always be current, and we’ll send you a T-shirt.

We work to expand voter rights and build a healthy democracy.

We take action on issues you care about.

Your membership makes it possible. Give at www.kftc.org/support

Renew your membership today Your gift of any size will make you a member for another year.

Invite a friend to join KFTC One great way to do that is by hosting a PowerBuilder page. Help recruit members and raise funds for KFTC by hosting your own online page.

Contact: amy@kftc.org or ebeth@kftc.org

Name: _________________________________________ Address: _________________________________________ City: ___________________ State & Zip: _____________ Home Phone: ________________ Cell Phone: ______________ Email: _________________________________________ Make me a Sustaining Giver!

I will contribute $ _____ every:

Month

Quarter

Year

To update an existing Sustaining Gift, contact Ashley: ashley@kftc.org or (606) 878-2161.

Choose your T-shirt size: XS S M L XL 2X Or skip the premium and put more of your donation to work.

Bank Withdrawal/Credit Card Payment Authorization

I would rather make a one-time gift of: $250 $100 $50 $25 $15

$5 Other Amount: $_______

Suggested membership dues are $15-$50 annually, based on ability to pay. We welcome you to give whatever amount you are able.

Select what organization you would like to donate to: KFTC: Membership dues and donations are not tax-deductible.

Kentucky Coalition: Membership dues and donations are tax-deductible.

Payment method: Check or money order enclosed Electronic Funds Transfer (best for Sustaining Givers). Please return form with a voided check.

Credit card: Complete information below.

Visa Mastercard Am. Express Discover Card Number: __ __ __ __ -__ __ __ __ -__ __ __ __ -__ __ __ __ Expiration Date ___ ___ / ___ ___

I authorize KFTC/KY Coalition and their authorized third-party processing vendor(s) to debit my account or charge my credit card in accordance with the information provided. I understand that this authority will remain in effect until cancelled or changed by reasonable notification to KFTC/KY Coalition.

Authorized Signature: _________________________________ Date: _____________________