Volume 37 Number 8
UPDATES INSIDE What KFTC did during the 2018 elections .................................... 3-4 Stepping up pressure for Congress to do right by coal miners ........... 5-6 Cultural appropriation .............. 10
December 6, 2018
A second Organizing Academy cohort in 2019.............................. 18 Tax cuts contribute to wealth gap, racial divide.................. 20-21 KFTC staff changes ................... 26 ‌ and much more inside
Your Gifts to Kentucky – Highlights from 2018
The work members make possible
Change Service Requested
scales
Kentuckians For The Commonwealth P.O. Box 1450 London, Ky. 40743
balancing the
www.kftc.org | December 6, 2018
2 | Balancing the Scales
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
Table of Contents Voter Empowerment KFTC voter empowerment numbers and perspectives............................................................. Dana Beasley Brown among election winners.............................................................................. KFTC’s New Power PAC a player in races across the state...................................................... Voting rights victory in Florida energizes Kentuckians.............................................................
3 3 4 4
New Energy and Just Transition Members increase pressure on Congress to act for miners..................................................... 5 Growing up in a family with black lung............................................................................................ 6 Local organizing stops second hazardous liquids pipeline...................................................... 8 New climate report affirms need for Empower Kentucky Plan .......................................... 22 Economic Justice Poor People’s Campaign: let’s change distorted moral narrative.......................................... 7 Out of Reach: Foreclosed, displaced and evicted from My Old Kentucky Home............ 9 Trump officials approve Bevin plan to take away health care............................................... 19 Kentucky’s progress in child health care coverage stalls, begins decline......................... 19 Wealthiest Kentuckians pay lowest tax rate, problem worsening ...................................... 20 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act supercharges racial wealth divide........................................................21 Racial Justice Cultural appropriation: resources for the holidays ................................................................... 10 Local Updates – Building Grassroots Power Arty Pie Party another success for Rolling Bluegrass chapter............................................... 11 Anne Braden film spurs important conversation in Corbin.................................................... 12 Barbourville Fairness members look to unite, celebrate diversity....................................... 12 Overcoming threats, first Berea PRIDE parade is successful................................................. 13 Northern Kentucky election day bike parade engages voters.............................................. 14 NKY chapter plans year-long resistance training....................................................................... 14 CKY members ‘Pull Up a Chair’ and celebrate election work................................................ 15 Southern Kentucky chapter celebrating . ..................................................................................... 15 Madison members celebrate Halloween with chili cookoff.................................................... 16 Jefferson members lead on city budgeting, leaders follow................................................... 17 KFTC News 2019 leadership development and training opportunities .................................................... 18 Remembering the life of poet and prognosticator Jim Webb............................................. 23 Looking ahead to the 2019 Kentucky General Assembly....................................................... 23 Feeling positive about 2018, Steering Committee looks ahead.......................................... 24 Support a PowerBuilder and double your gift .......................................................................... 25 Alexa Hatcher joins KFTC staff; other changes announced.................................................. 26 KFTC Calender of Events ................................................................................................................... 27 Support KFTC’s Fall Giving Campaign ......................................................................................... 28
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 | December 6, 2018
Balancing the Scales | 3
Voter Empowerment
KFTC voter empowerment numbers and perspectives KFTC members leaned into this election cycle more heavily than any other, conducting large-scale voter registration, education and mobilization in our communities to lift up important issues, to listen to our neighbors, and to help them get involved. KFTC formed local Democracy Teams that recommended candidate endorsements for KFTC’s New Power PAC and led local work to support candidates who would most advance KFTC’s vision. This work challenged old guard candidates and made them talk about KFTC issues and our values. KFTC supported more women and people of color candidates. And KFTC members, voters and candidates gained skills to grow grassroots power. Here are some of KFTC’s numbers: Total doors knocked + calls made by KFTC – 41,462 • Candidates responding to KFTC’s General Election issue survey – 223 KentuckyElection.org Visits in 2018 – 60,778
A sample of a door hanger left by KFTC members at homes across the state.
•
•
• • • •
Candidates profiled on KentuckyElection.org – more than 7,000 Total General Election ad views online – 899,078 General Election candidate-specific mail pieces sent – 58,180 General Election Voter Guides printed – 13,000
Some other numbers from the election: • • • • • •
Total ballots cast – 1,612,353 General election voter turnout – 47.38% Voter turnout among KFTC members – 91% Political party composition of the new Kentucky House: 61 Republicans - 39 Democrats (a shift of 2 seats to the Democrats) Political party composition of the new Kentucky Senate: 28 Republican - 10 Democrats (a shift of 1 seat to the Republicans) New Power PAC candidates who won their elections – 26
KFTC’s voter work is long-term, working more with less-frequent voters and those who are most left out of our democracy, including lowincome Kentuckians, youth and people of color. It’s hard work that can’t be won or lost in any single election. KFTC-endorsed candidates didn’t win as many of these races as members hoped, with narrow losses for some important races like Amy McGrath’s Congressional race in central Kentucky or Jeanie Smith’s race that pitted a long-time KFTC
Dana Beasley Brown among election winners Among the election night highlights for KFTC members was Dana Beasley Brown winning a seat on the Bowling Green City Commission. Beasley Brown is a former KFTC chairperson. In a 12-person race with four strong incumbents, Beasley Brown got 15 percent of the votes, placing her second among the 12 candidates. The top four votegetters won two-year terms on the commission. Beasley Brown won by taking her message to the people, leading with vision, relentlessly going door to door, leveraging her experience as a grassroots leader, investing in community members, and investing in herself by participating in extensive candidate training before she ran.
member against a member of Republican Senate leadership in a tough district. But there are many highlights and wins and a lot of strong candidates who share KFTC’s vision and values. The demographics of the legislature have shifted, too, with more women, more people of color, and more teachers running and winning than ever before. Importantly, 2018 was a year when a lot of KFTCaligned candidates ran for office, many of who ran for the first time. Many were KFTC members or were supported by volunteer campaign staff who were KFTC members. Even those who didn’t win learned a great deal and built up name recognition and skills to run again and/or help other great candidates run and win. The election for governor and five other statewide constitutional offices is in 2019, and an even larger election in 2020 for the state House and Senate, the U.S. House, the U.S. Senate seat held by Mitch McConnell, U.S. president and many local offices. Among other work in 2019, KFTC plans to focus on some powerful candidate and campaign training.
www.kftc.org | December 6, 2018
4 | Balancing the Scales
Voter Empowerment
KFTC’s New Power PAC a player in races across the state Caitlin Powell and Megan Pfeffe called voters in northern Kentucky to encourage turnout on election day. KFTC members had more than 41,000 voter contacts (phone calls or door knocks) in 2018. Statewide, turnout was 47.4 percent of registered voters, or 1,612,353 total votes. On the county level, turnout varied from 33.3 percent to 60.8 percent.
KFTC’s New Power PAC endorsed 70 candidates across the state in the November election. This included four for the U.S. House, 11 for the Kentucky Senate, 41 for the Kentucky House and 14 for local office. These candidates were nominated by local Democracy Teams on the basis that they aligned with KFTC’s vision and/or were in races where KFTC’s support could make a difference. Some were long shots; some were lightly contested or uncontested. In the end, 26 New Power PAC-endorsed candidates won: one for the U.S. House, 20 for the Kentucky House and five for local office. One of the narratives on election night was close races. Many races were within a few percentage points, and six Kentucky House races were decided by 48 votes or less. In House District 88, PAC-endorsed candidate Cherlynn Stevenson won by 48 votes. In that district (Lexington), KFTC’s local democracy team prioritized voter engagement efforts in areas of less frequent voters, and Stevenson did well in that precinct. It may have been enough to swing that race. In House District 13 (Owensboro), PAC-endorsed candidate Jim Glenn beat the Republican incumbent by one vote. Glenn participated in KFTC’s first candidate training in cooperation with Wellstone Action in 2005. KFTC supported his race with targeted media ads. It was a humble effort compared to what KFTC did in other races, but a decisive contribution.
Voting rights victory in Florida energizes Kentuckians Among a lot of other state and national election results earlier this month, voters in Florida passed an amendment to automatically restore voting rights to 1.4 million citizens with felonies in their past. An incredible 64 percent of Florida voters voted for the change. The amendment restores the right to vote for people with felonies in their past, except people convicted of a handful of the most serious crimes, once they have served their time (including probation and parole). Florida was previously one of just four states in the U.S. (along with Kentucky, Iowa, and Virginia) whose constitutions permanently take voting rights away from all people with felonies in their past
unless they’re able to take extraordinary measures to have their voting rights restored individually through a governor’s pardon. With the victory in Florida and the governor of Virginia’s pledge to use his pardoning power to restore all voting rights to people as they complete their sentences, only Kentucky and Iowa are left with the most extreme felony disenfranchisement practices in the U.S. and in the world. This big win has energized Kentuckians around restoration of voting rights and several organizations including KFTC are prioritizing the long-running campaign to restore voting rights to people with felonies in their past after they have served their debt to society.
Several legislators have declared their intent to file bills to address this in the 2019 legislative session. To pass restoration of voting rights in Kentucky, we would need to pass with a 60 percent majority in the House and Senate, and then it would need to be ratified by a vote of the people, like in Florida. KFTC is laying the groundwork for an eventual win on this issue including telling stories of people directly impacted by this work, lobbying in Frankfort, collecting lists of supporters through petitioning, and developing leaders for this fight. To get involved in this campaign, reach out to your local chapter organizer or Alicia Hurle (Alicia@ kftc.org) or Dave Newton (Dave@kftc.org).
www.kftc.org | December 6, 2018
Balancing the Scales | 5
Just transition
Members increase pressure on Congress to act for miners Members of KFTC and ally groups in Kentucky and across the country stepped up pressure this fall on U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell and his colleagues in Congress to do right by coal miners with black lung disease, their families and communities. In late November, three Kentucky miners delivered their message in the U.S. capitol while a dozen eastern Kentuckians, including several retired miners, met with McConnell’s staff in London. They delivered resolutions, postcards, letters and petitions urging McConnell to take action before the holidays to strengthen funding for the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund, pass the RECLAIM Act and protect the hard-earned pensions of retired union miners. “We came to lobby on behalf of coal miners, for their black lung funds and pension funds, and also for the broader communities so that areas that have already been hard hit can be revived with help from the RECLAIM Act,” reported Virginia Meagher of Breathitt County. At press time (December 5) it was unclear what if any action Congress might take. The House tax bill released in late November includes a one-year extension of the black lung excise fee rather than a permanent solution. The fee is scheduled to be cut by more than half at year-end unless Congress acts. “Black lung was in my family before I was ever born. I was raised up in black lung. My father had it, and my two g r a n d f a t h e r s ,” said Joanne Hill, who grew up in Harlan County, and met with a McConnell representative at his London office. “Until I got old enough to know better, I thought black lung was a cousin, we talked about it so much.” “I appreciate that we were able to share our stories and deliver our messages. But the office seemed more interested in addressing individual concerns, rather than talking about the policies that we need Sen. McConnell’s help to pass,” said Teri Blanton, another Harlan native. “We discussed the RECLAIM Act, which is
sponsored by Rep. Hal Rogers. The staff member told us that Senator McConnell couldn’t do anything because it is a House bill,” continued Blanton. “I said, ‘We know that he has power, if he chooses to use it. We know he could use his power to move this bill forward. And we know that it would do so much good for our communities in Central Appalachia and eastern and western Kentucky.’” KFTC members and staff who participated in the visit to Sen. McConnell’s London office included, left to right, Virginia Meagher, Bennie Massey, Shawn Cowden, So far, 14 local govCarl Shoupe, Teri Blanton, Joanne Hill, Bess Douthitt, Lisa Abbott, Taylor Adams ernments in Kentucky and (front row) Morgan Brown, Randy Wilson and Jacob Mack -Boll. – and 33 across Central Appalachia – have passed resolutions calling on McConnell and Congress The excise fee on mined coal that provides reto act on the black lung program, pass the RECLAIM sources for this fund is scheduled to drop by more than Act, and pass the American Miners Pension Act. The half at the end of December 2018, a date set in 1985 entities in Kentucky are fiscal courts in Knott, Letcher, when the expectation was that black lung would be all Rowan, Pike, Floyd, Magoffin, Breathitt, Knox and but eliminated by 2018. At the same time, the RECLAIM Act (H.R. 1731) Ohio counties, and city councils in Lynch, Benham, has stalled in Congress despite broad bipartisan supJackson, Morehead and Whitesburg. port. This bill is a step toward revitalizing communities Throughout the fall, KFTC members and members of the Black Lung Association of Southeastern hit hardest by the coal industry’s downturn. Kentucky worked with local elected officials to pass The RECLAIM Act commits $1 billion to crethe resolutions, gather petitions and postcards, and ate jobs while cleaning up abandoned coal mines and amplify the voices of sick, laid-off and retired miners waters polluted by them, and to lay a foundation for future economic development and diversification in and their communities. “With coal miners, it’s a brotherhood. We are coal communities. This is a major opportunity for areas close-knit people, even after retirement,” said Carl that have historically depended on the coal industry for Shoupe, a disabled and retired coal miner. “I’m thank- economic stability to rebuild themselves by creating ful and blessed to be able to come down here today and new, diverse economies on their own terms. try to help those people who are back home lying in The bipartisan American Miners Pension Act (H.R. 3913/S. 1911) ensures that the UMWA’s 1974 the bed and dying of black lung.” Pension Plan can continue to provide the pensions retired miners or their surviving spouses have earned. BACKGROUND That federal fund also exists to provide pensions to Rates of black lung disease have hit a 25-year high miners who worked for companies now bankrupt, and in Appalachian coal mining states. Unless Congress it is at risk of becoming insolvent by 2022. takes action before the end of 2018, major financial If Congress fails to shore up this fund, the obligaproblems face the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund, tion to pay pensions for nearly 80,000 retired miners which provides black lung benefits to coal miners and will shift to a different multi-employer federal pension their surviving dependents in cases where the miners’ fund. Those cascading debts could put the retirement employer is bankrupt or not been found responsible. security of more than 10 million U.S. workers at risk. This safety net is itself in danger of insolvency.
www.kftc.org | December 6, 2018
6 | Balancing the Scales
Just transition
Growing up in a family with black lung By Joanne Golden Hill I was born and raised in Harlan County. Like most people I knew growing up, I’ve lost too many family members to black lung disease. My father had black lung, and my brother, and both of my grandfathers. One grandfather had it so bad, I remember times he had to use his hands to push his lungs up to breathe. As a retired nurse, I spent my career caring for people in eastern Kentucky, including too many suffering from cancer, birth defects, asthma, COPD, and heart attacks linked to air and water pollution from mining, processing, transporting, and burning coal. Today, with coal jobs and production tailing off, eastern Kentucky’s future is uncertain. I believe it can be bright. A Just Transition requires creativity, commitment, and leadership from all of us. Displaced workers deserve access to health care, income and a secure retirement. Many also need access to paid, meaningful job training or support for starting a business. Our whole region needs more good jobs and opportunities to make a decent living – no matter what side of the mountain we may be from, what our age, gender or skin color may be, or what luck we’ve had in life. As Dee Davis of the Center for Rural Strategies says, “It’s not easy to build a new economy, but we can start by fixing what’s broke.” Imagine, for example, if the federal government invested in restoring abandoned mine sites. How many jobs could that create for people with skills and experience operating heavy equipment? Or imagine if our elected leaders made a serious commitment to build energy-efficient affordable housing. How many jobs could that create, while also keeping dollars in our community and heat in our homes? And imagine if we built more comprehensive drug-treatment centers. Think of the lives that would help, as well as the jobs it would create. None of these strategies is enough, obviously. But together they begin to light our path forward. Unfortunately, instead of supporting our region’s progress, inaction by Congress is harming Kentucky’s miners and mining communities in specific and troubling ways: •
Black lung disease is on the rise, yet Congress has chosen this moment to reduce funding that supports sick miners and their families. Black lung cas-
•
•
es in Central Appalachia have doubled over the last decade, and the most severe form is at an all time high. But the federal Black Lung Disability Trust Fund is running out of money. And a fee on coal that supports it is scheduled to drop by more than half at the end of December unless Congress acts. Congressional leaders also have stymied the RECLAIM Act, sponsored by Rep. Hal Rogers. This bill would invest $1 billion and put thousands of people to work reclaiming abandoned mine sites. The money for it already exists and sits in a federal account designated for this very purpose. Under the leadership of Mitch McConnell, Congress has not made the RECLAIM Act a priority. Congress has passed up opportunities to protect the hard-earned pensions of union miners who worked for companies now bankrupt. According to the United Mine Workers of America, a federal fund that guarantees pensions for nearly 90,000 retired miners is at risk of insolvency. Despite lots of talk, Congress has not acted to solve this crisis.
Recognizing the urgency, Kentuckians are urging Senator McConnell to do right by our miners and communities before coming home for Christmas. A new report from KFTC called “Fixing What’s Broke” makes the case for action. Eleven local governments in eastern Kentucky – the city councils of Whitesburg, Benham, Morehead, and Jackson, along with fiscal courts in Letcher, Knott, Floyd, Pike, Breathitt, Magoffin and Rowan counties – recently passed resolutions calling on Senator McConnell and other members of Congress to: • • •
Strengthen funding for the federal Black Lung Disability Trust Fund. Pass the bipartisan RECLAIM Act (H.R. 1731) to create thousands of good reclamation jobs and support longer-term economic development initiatives. Pass the bipartisan American Miners Pension Act (H.R. 3913 / S. 1911) to keep the promise that retired union miners and their surviving spouses get the pensions they earned.
To readers: we can’t predict the status of this legislation by the time you read this. You can still take action by contacting Senator McConnell, Senator Rand Paul and your U.S. representative and asking the status of the bills. If Congress hasn’t yet strengthened the Black Lung Fund, passed RECLAIM and protected miners’ pensions, urge them to do so before the end of the year. Congress may be in session as late as December 21.
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 | December 6, 2018
Balancing the Scales | 7
Voter Empowerment A National Call for Moral Revival
Poor People’s Campaign: let’s change distorted moral narrative The Kentucky Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival continued to grow its presence and strength with an energetic gathering on November 2. Coming just a few days before the election, candidates and elected officials were invited to attend and listen to the stories of people who are oppressed and struggling. A number of candidates did come, as well as a good number of faith leaders and clergy. Providing testimony were Tayna Fogle, who described voter suppression, Jesús Ibáñez speaking on immigration and immigrants, Shelton McElroy on mass incarceration, Mikaela Curry, whose poem focused on environmental devastation, and Rev. Donald Gillett, who spoke on the distorted moral narrative in this country. “There is a distorted dark narrative playing out in our nation. There is a darkness in this country with the growing rate of people being poor – as high as 46 percent in some areas of Kentucky,” Rev. Gillett said. “The right to live should not depend on one's bank account. “There is a distorted narrative when we blame the poor and say the United States doesn't have the resources to overcome poverty. As a person of faith, I follow a faith narrative and a faith agenda. We need to move to a moral agenda where the wealthy pay a fair share … an agenda where we protect voting rights … where we prevent racist gerrymandering,” Gillett added. "We are here today to call on our public officials to adopt a moral agenda and change this distorted narrative.”
Speakers cited several issues that impact lives that are left out of the conversation during these election cycles, including: • •
• •
The 46 percent of people in Kentucky who are poor or low-income, a total of 2 million residents. This includes 56 percent of children. Of the 23,022 people imprisoned, about 24 percent are people of color. Black residents are incarcerated at over three times the rate of white residents. More than 271,400 people are uninsured. 33.2 percent are at risk for being unable to afford water (census data).
Rev. Michael Robinson of Total Grace Church in Lexington, where the packed-house gathering took place, and others talked of the need for moral revival. “A revival does not happens to us; it's what happens through us. A revival, once started, is a force that cannot be stopped."
Rev. William Barber, a national Poor People’s Campaign leader, was in attendance and added his moral leadership. “The signs of the time tell us it's movement time. Whether you’re in eastern Kentucky, Louisville or Lexington or across Kentucky, it's movement time,” said Rev. Barber. “We are teaching the nation and showing people that the tweeterer in charge does not have the only voice. There are more of us that want unity and justice than those that want division and injustice, and it’s time we show it to the nation. “There is another voice and many of us are part of that voice.” Speaking about revival, Rev. Barber added, “Revival does not happen until there is truth, repentance, graceful intention to change … There can be no repentance until there is the acknowledgement of sin. “When we say moral revival we mean reviving the moral categories of faith and the constitution. We are declaring … that poverty and systems that cause poverty are sin. Hurting the broken-hearted is sin … disregarding the hungry is sin … not welcoming the immigrant is sin … disregarding the least of these is sin.” He asked all people to remember this moral understanding when they vote. “Don't get discouraged, dissent … don't go along with it. Your vote is a dissent. A vote needs to say I don't agree with what’s going on,” Rev. Barber said. “You cannot be lazy in a democracy. Democracy is hard work.”
www.kftc.org | December 6, 2018
8 | Balancing the Scales
Building Grassroots Power
Local organizing stops second hazardous liquids pipeline A determined grassroots effort has again stopped a hazardous liquids pipeline project from coming through Kentucky. In October, pipeline giant Kinder Morgan announced that it was abandoning plans to ship hazardous natural gas liquids (NGLs) through Kentucky in an existing 70-year-old pipeline. That became official in November with an order from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission withdrawing its previous permission to proceed with the project. “On November 19 we received notice allowing us to state unambiguously that the project that had been suspended over our heads like the Sword of Damocles for four long years was finally taken off the table to trouble us no more!” reported Jim Porter, who was part of efforts in Boyle County to protect the community from this danger. “To say that we were gobsmacked would be an understatement,” Porter shared by email. “As a group resisting the pipeline conversion, I think we felt that we had done all that was humanly possible to impede, delay and ultimately kill the project. “But we knew from the beginning that we were dealing with a renegade oil and gas pipeline company with billions of dollars in resources and a reputation for playing hardball with those who stood in its way,” Porter added. “So we were under no illusions that our chances for success were that good.” Porter and other KFTC members worked with the local Citizens Opposed to the Pipeline Conversion to spearhead local efforts. “Many citizens contributed to the effort to educate the public about the proposed project and to establish some safeguards. We thank those who attended meetings, wrote letters, signed petitions, and visited state and national officials,” wrote Sarah Vahlkamp and Tena Messer on behalf of the group. “We are indebted to our local governing bodies, all of whom approved strong resolutions against the project; to our planning and zoning commission, which adopted a zoning ordinance, which might have blocked the project; to the Kentucky Resources Council that provided valuable advice; and to many other groups and individuals who gave leadership and support.” Danville attorney Mark Morgan was a key player in getting every relevant governmental body in Boyle County to formally express opposition to the project. “Each member of COPC deserves great recognition for having the courage to engage in a conflict
where success appeared remote, but necessary. Each of you effectively challenged a multi-billion-dollar corporation by doing excellent research and by speaking truth to power,” Morgan told group members “You united our community in opposition to this pipeline because you provided objective truths that alerted elected officials, industry and residents to the threat this pipeline represents. You punched above your weight every step of the way by being informed and respectful but also being unwilling to be dismissed. “But for the efforts of our group, this pipeline would have been implemented quickly and we would be living with a time bomb. Our group deserves to be proud of what has been accomplished, and of the manner in which we accomplished it.” Second NGL pipeline stopped In 2013, Kentuckians learned that another pipeline giant wanted to build a hazardous liquids pipeline across Kentucky. The proposed Bluegrass Pipeline involved leasing land and new pipeline construction through 14 Kentucky counties. Public education and grassroots opposition resulted in large blocks of land in Franklin, Nelson, Scott, Marion and Woodford counties where landowners refused to provide easements for the pipeline. That stopped the project. Legal action brought by the Kentucky Resources Council confirmed that the company did not have the power of eminent domain to force landowners to give up their land. Before that fight was over, Kinder Morgan had announced its plans to re-purpose an existing natural gas pipeline to carry hazardous liquids. The natural gas liquids are many times more volatile than natural gas, and pipeline leaks – which are not uncommon – could result in asphyxiation or catastrophic explosions. Yet the pipeline’s 256-mile route through 18 Kentucky counties passed near or under several schools, residential areas and business districts where a leak or explosion could result in a major loss of life. Community opposition sprung up all along the pipeline’s path. Besides the efforts in Boyle County, opposition to the re-purposing of the pipeline was strong in Madison, Rowan, Marion, Barren and Garrard counties. Local governments and some civic groups adopted resolutions opposing the pipeline and educated local residents about the increased danger. Tom Fitzgerald with the Kentucky Resources
Lewis
Greenup Carter
Bath
Rowan
Montgomery Clark Powell Madison Boyle Marion
Taylor Hart
Greene
Garrard
Kinder Morgan Tennessee Gas Pipeline Adapted from a Kinder Morgan map.
Barren
Simpson
Allen
Council, Kentucky Heartwood, Kentucky Student Environmental Coalition and the Kentucky Environmental Foundation were among the groups that organized and supported the grassroots opposition and provided legal advice. Rowan County KFTC members led efforts to get a county zoning ordinance passed as a way to give the local community some control over the siting of hazardous waste pipelines. After two years of educating the public and county officials and two years of attending every fiscal court meeting, members were successful. The fiscal court amended its subdivision ordinance in June. It was the same strategy used in several other counties. And though it was expected that Kinder Morgan would challenge those local laws in court, it never came to that. Over the last three years, thousands of pubic comments and official resolutions in opposition to the pipeline were generated. Despite this, the Trump administration gave Kinder Morgan approval for the re-purposing earlier this year. But the company could never get momentum behind its project and NGL suppliers have looked for other markets. “They [Kinder Morgan] say that it all has to do with market conditions and a lack of demand for NGLs,” said Porter. “Whatever the reason(s), we are very, very happy with the outcome of this battle. “A few days after the cancellation of the project we had a small celebratory party at Mark Morgan’s house. We shared a meal, some wine and some quiet discussion of and reflection upon the events of the past few weeks,” he added. “It is a wonderful thing that the threat of a pipeline spill of poisonous, explosive, carcinogenic NGLs has been removed.”
www.kftc.org | December 6, 2018
Balancing the Scales | 9
Economic justice Out of Reach
Foreclosed, displaced and evicted from My Old Kentucky Home With the recent elections, Kentuckians have new opportunities to address fair and affordable housing at the local and state levels. Kentucky is deeply affected by the displacement of historic communities of color and destruction of affordable housing. This is notably true in Bowling Green, which is one reason it’s exciting for local KFTC chapter members to have Dana Beasley Brown newly elected to the city commission. Local residents are looking for leaders who acknowledge the racist history of the housing crisis and are willing to think strategically about how to help Bowling Green grow in an equitable way. The story of the Jonesville neighborhood of Bowling Green is one that deserves more acknowledgment than just a historical marker on Western Kentucky University’s campus. An entire community was torn apart at the hands of the university and with the help of urban renewal programs. Maxine Ray at the African American History Museum of Bowling Green grew up in Jonesville and shared the story. “Just before integration it was a thriving community. There were about 65 to 80 homes in the community, and there were at one time about 400 to 500 people living in the area. And just about everyone owned their own property. There were very few rental properties out there, and it was just a tight, close-knit community. Our parents and all, they took care of us well. They shielded us from a lot of racism. At the time we didn’t know about it. I didn’t realize until after I got grown that there was a lot they had shielded us from. It was very close-knit and very happy. We had our own schools and teachers. They made sure we had what we needed in our community. The university started trying to buy up property in 1954-1955. We had people here that owned their property, some people born in Jonesville. My grandmother was born there, and they planned to die there. They had the deed to their land and home and everything, but it didn’t work that way. When the time came, they fought it as hard as they could and the best way they knew how, our parents and the community did, but then what the community didn’t sell, the state came in and condemned the property. Then the state sold it to Urban Renewal, and
then Urban Renewal sold it to Western. They tried to say we were squatters on land we didn’t own, tried to say it was a blighted area that they needed to get rid of. It wasn’t; everyone had owned their property.”
Tax Increment Financing districts (or TIF districts) are authorized by lawmakers at the local or county level to give tax breaks to developers to build in a particular area. This force of gentrification makes it unaffordable to continue living in the community The community was lost because the interests of while costing the city hundreds of thousands of dollars the university came before the interests of the people in lost tax revenue. living here. Communities of color should be valued Bowling Green is feeling the effects of TIF districts and have a seat at the table during city planning. right now, chapter members learned as they canvassed Working families should be listened to because they are leading up to the recent elections. directly impacted by the city’s “Many have pointed out development. that it is really hard to even “Just in driving around find a family unit that is afcampus, I have noticed how fordable; new apartments many houses have been torn going up are being built for down to make room for new students, and existing houses WKU buildings. While we are being split into two or want WKU to continue to three apartments for students grow, it should not be at the as well,” Adkins pointed out. expense of housing for working “Others have said that when families,” Southern Kentucky you find an affordable place, it chapter member Joyce Adkins often needs work that is never said. The “Out of Reach: The high cost done.” One tool to protect our of housing” report is available Instead of incentivizing communities, and that could in both English and Spanish at corporate development, cities have changed the story of https://nlihc.org/oor. could be investing in susJonesville, is a Community tainable, affordable housing Benefits Agreement (CBA). A CBA is a contract ne- through Affordable Housing Trust Funds. AHTFs set gotiated between the community and a developer to aside local funds or receive federal funding to produce assure certain opportunities or amenities for the com- and preserve an adequate level of affordable housing munity are created by a specific development project. for a city or state. They can help cover the cost of site They include things like creating a certain number of improvements, relocation assistance, administrative jobs at a particular wage, building a certain number of and planning costs, and other necessary supports for units of affordable housing, or other requirements. affordable housing. One recent example is the agreement that the Instead of giving tax breaks to corporate developgrassroots organization Stand Up Nashville negotiated ers, public resources could be invested in affordable with the developers of the MLS soccer stadium. “The housing. CBA provides a commitment to affordable housing, These are the challenges Kentuckians face, and minority business enterprises, jobs, workplace safety, the tools available. KFTC members are ready to tell and workforce development. The agreement also pro- legislators that now is the time to address these issues. vides for inclusive spaces at the stadium and com- Establishing Affordable Housing Trust Funds, ending munity services,” reported Nashville television station Tax Increment Financing districts and drafting ComWKRN. munity Benefits Agreements are all solutions at the While CBAs provide a means to give the commu- local and state levels to ensure more safe and affordable nity a voice in development projects in their city, much housing for all Kentuckians. of the development that eliminates affordable housing is still incentivized. Neighborhoods across the state This is Part 2 on the housing crisis in Kentucky. Part 1 are being threatened and displaced by Tax Increment can be read at: https://kftc.org/blog/out-reach-foreclosedFinancing. displaced-and-evicted-my-old-kentucky-home
www.kftc.org | December 6, 2018
10 | Balancing the Scales
Racial Justice
Cultural appropriation: resources for the holidays By KFTC Racial Justice Committee members Meta Mendel-Reyes, Wendy Warren and Bobby Starnes As the holiday season progresses from Halloween to Thanksgiving to holidays celebrated by many people during the winter break, the KFTC Racial Justice Committee had the opportunity to pause and have a conversation about the cultural appropriation that is so pervasive during these months. Without considering the impact of the choices people make – from blackface to Native American headdresses to hillbilly costumes and “red neck” parties – other people are feeling dehumanized. We hear people say how this hurts them. The reaction of some is to say they’re being “too sensitive,” but isn’t this reaction itself insensitive? Who gets to decide what is “too sensitive”? Who gets to decide what hurts or doesn’t? Who is permitted to measure someone else’s pain? And who decides how much is “too much”? So when you dress your daughter in her “Indian” costume, with the colorful headdress, are you, regardless of intention, part of a culture that is desensitized to the pain of others? It doesn’t matter that you don’t mean to hurt anyone – it still hurts. “As I write this, I am sitting on stolen land, home to the Cherokee, the Shawnee and the Haudenosaunee,” shared Meta Mendel-Reyes, a Madison County member and KFTC chairperson. “Through their eyes, a seemingly harmless costume is not only rubbing salt in a wound it’s reinforcing and normalizing ongoing discrimination.” Sometimes we try to “celebrate” cultures of “others” by imitating parts and pieces rather than embracing the richness that is the whole. This is cultural appropriation. Other times we demean people who are seen as “less than” as a way of dehumanizing them. An especially egregious example is white people wearing black-face. If, as KFTC’s vision statement states, “We are working for a day when discrimination is wiped out of our laws, habits and hearts,” maybe each of us should pause and question the norms we’ve come to accept. This is a huge goal, but we’ll get there, if each of us can take small steps in our own hearts and lives. While working together on ways to better inform ourselves and future generations about the harms of cultural appropriation, Madison County member Bobby Starnes shared with us a story from this past year.
“Last year, my very-white grandson came home dressed in his paper bag “Indian” costume and told me all about his Thanksgiving celebration with the Pilgrims. ‘Grammy,’ he said, ‘guess what we did in school today?’ I already knew and my heart was breaking. I’d written about this nearly ten years ago. And yet here I was trying to find the words to explain to my six-year-old grandson what it meant to be dressed in that paper bag vest and wearing a headband adorned with three paper feathers. “Besides responding to him, I knew a larger issue needed to be addressed. I began with my daughter-inlaw, who listened with interest. She knew something was wrong, but didn’t have the words to name it and therefore couldn’t address it. The piece is linked below with the hope that it problematizes an issue many have felt but not been able to name. Rather than
being silenced by the fear that someone will say this concern is ‘trivial’ or the reinforcement of stereotypes is ‘just tradition,’ perhaps probing the unquestioned norm will propel us to action in similar situations.” Footnotes
1. You can look up information for your area and search a location to find territory acknowledgment information by visiting - https://native-land.ca/territory-acknowledgement/ 2. Visit https://www.cbsnews.com/news/history-of-blackfaceunmasking-the-racism-reignited-by-megyn-kelly-controversy/ to learn more 3. You can read Bobby’s piece about teaching Native histories in the classroom by visiting our website at http://kftc.org/ resources/teaching-truth-not-easy 4. You can also learn more about cultural appropriation and ways that classrooms can do better by visiting our website at http://kftc.org/resources/dressing-halloween
Resources For Halloween resources visit www.lspirg.org/costumes to learn more about how someone’s culture is not a costume. For Thanksgiving you can visit an online list compiled by Border Crossers that is A Racial Justice Guide to Thanksgiving for Educators and Families that has lots of great resources for a wide range of entry levels. You can find the link to the list on KFTC’s website as part of Racial Justice resource ally material recommendations and kftc produced materials. http://kftc.org/resources/racial-justice-guide-thanksgiving-educators-and-families For additional guidance on upcoming winter holidays, visit The Foodways Project’s article that does a great job at helping navigate questions many folks find themselves asking during these months. https:// foodwaysproject.com/2017/01/23/how-to-celebrate-a-holiday-thats-not-part-of-your-identity-an-antiracist-guide (short link: https://bit.ly/2AUG9Lk). Above all, reach out to local KFTC organizers, chapter leaders and KFTC Racial Justice Committee members with additional questions or to continue this conversation.
At kftc, you count! •
You’re part of a community of people who share a vision for Kentucky.
•
You impact issues that are important to you. You receive information, training and opportunities to speak directly with decision makers.
•
You amplify your voice and build New Power. Working together, we do so much more than any of us can do alone.
•
You get fellowship and fun with others who share your values.
Renew your membership at: www.kftc.org/support
www.kftc.org | December 6, 2018
Balancing the Scales | 11
Building Grassroots Power
Arty Pie Party another success for Rolling Bluegrass chapter The Rolling Bluegrass chapter kicked off the fall fundraising season on November 10 with an amazing fundraiser at Yuko-En on the Elkhorn in Georgetown. This year the Progressive Arty Pie Party featured more than 70 works of art, homemade “just desserts” and music by local musicians Kyle and Sable Snyder. More than 70 people attended. The annual event in mid-November is a chance for people to celebrate the work KFTC does, support local artists and come together to catch up on the
ongoing work of the chapter in Scott and Harrison counties. Members come from all over Kentucky to support this unique fundraiser, and love the experience. Chapter members have been hosting this event for 7 years, with each year building on the success of the last. This year, the chapter raised more than $3,000, recruited 7 new members and featured several compelling speakers. Amelia Cloud, the chapter Steering Committee representative, spoke about the work the chapter has done over the year. Gr e g C o u l s o n spoke about his recent run for state representative in the 78 th House district, and how important it is to continue to support KFTC’s vision, especially when it is under attack. Jenny Urie spoke about her run for state representative in the 62 nd House district, and the value of KFTC’s work in the Some of the planners and speakers at the Arty Pie Party were (left to right): Amy field to lift up imporFarrar, Pauline Shackleford, Jenny Urie, Doraine Bailey, Greg Coulson, Amelia tant issues. Cloud, Leslie Bebensee, Melanie Morgan and Kali Reagan. Rolling Bluegrass
Kyle and Sable Snyder with guest drummer
members are ready to dig in to the new year and continue to the grow the grassroots leaders it will take to create the Kentucky they deserve and desire. Follow the Rolling Bluegrass chapter’s work on social media – Twitter: @RBG_KFTC Facebook: www.facebook.com/rbg.kftc
Iroquois High School Town Hall Students at Iroquois High School worked with KFTC to bring elected officials to a panel discussion on legislative issues and social justice. KFTC members sponsored several town halls around the state to present our vision and hold lawmakers accountable.
March 2018
www.kftc.org | December 6, 2018
12 | Balancing the Scales
Building Grassroots Power
Anne Braden film spurs important conversation in Corbin More than 30 community members from the Corbin area gathered in late October to watch “Anne Braden: Southern Patriot” and have a conversation about the film. The event was hosted by the Cumberland KFTC chapter. Appalshop filmmaker Mimi Pickering led the conversation afterwards, which created a space for folks to talk about organizing for racial justice. “It was a really important conversation to have together,” said Izzy Broomfield, a KFTC member and Corbin resident. “I was feeling really disturbed by the racist murders in Louisville and Pittsburgh this week, but it was so healing to get together with other folks who agree that’s not what our community or our country is about, and just awesome to be inspired by the vision and accomplishments of Anne Braden.” Racial justice is one of the four focus areas for the chapter. This was the Cumberland chapter’s first event like this in the area, but momentum is building and members look forward to continuing the conversation about anti-racist organizing in Laurel, Knox, Whitley and Pulaski counties. “I’m thrilled with the turnout,” said KFTC member and Corbin resident Sage Hoffman. “I left feeling very inspired, not only by the film but from the conversation we had afterwards.”
To keep up with future film screenings sponsored by the chapter, visit www. kftc.org/chapters/cumberland, or check out the chapter's Facebook page at www. facebook.com/CumberlandKFTC.
Barbourville Fairness members look to unite, celebrate diversity By Cathy Rhoden-Goguen A famous excerpt by poet John Donne, “No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main; any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind,” has sparked the formation of the Barbourville Fairness Group. The group hopes to be a catalyst for uniting, embracing and celebrating the diversity that makes up Knox County. Vice President Lu Fields spoke to the group at its third meeting, sharing her vision for effecting change through love. “A community should be based around all different types of people. The structure of a com-
munity is the fabric to all society, and its strength is based in the foundation of love – or it should be. No two people are exactly the same, not even twins. “That is what makes us wonderfully blessed. We all have something to offer,” she said to the 20+ members who braved the cold weather to turn out in support of this new group and its mission. “Just like there are no two snowflakes that fall alike, the same is true of people. And like the snow we are truly only here for a short period of time. I choose to spend that time attempting to love as many people as I can.” The positivity of this message was palpable throughout the meeting. The sentiment was vocalized by a member who offered the suggestion, “Fairness y’all
KFTC on social media Facebook www.KFTC.org/facebook For chapter Facebook pages, visit: www.kftc.org/links
Instagram @jckftc @soky_kftc @centralkentuckykftc @northernky_kftc @kentuckiansforthecommonwealth
To find our photos on Flickr: @KFTC @NKY_KFTC @ScottCoKFTC @MadCo_KFTC @EKY_KFTC
@JCKFTC @WT_KFTC @SoKyKFTC @VotingRightsKY
www.flickr.com/ photos/KFTCphotos
warms all” as the slogan on tags attached to blankets they plan to distribute in a December blanket drive. As the name implies, Barbourville is joining the other cities around the commonwealth that are standing up for fairness. While the group plans to practice activism by working in partnerships with KFTC and the Fairness Campaign to enact anti-discrimination language as it pertains to employment and housing in government policies, the group also hopes to be an active presence in the community in hopes that citizens of all walks of life can appreciate differences while recognizing commonalities, and foster an appreciation for both. There is no shortage of sad stories of people who have encountered prejudice, intolerance or hostility because of race, gender, disability, sexual identity/preferences, or religious beliefs. In spite of this, the group reiterated the positive message they will implement moving forward when a group member quoted Friedrich W. Nietzsche, saying, “Beware that, when fighting monsters, you yourself do not become a monster...” The Fairness Group offers hope to the community. Someone out there may be hanging on by a thread and through kindness and fairness shown intentionally or unintentionally, the group may just be that thread. The next meeting will take place Friday, December 14, at 6 p.m. The group meets in the Union College Frances Patridge Campus Center in the Heritage Room on the second floor.
www.kftc.org | December 6, 2018
13 | Balancing the Scales
Building Grassroots Power
Overcoming threats, first Berea PRIDE parade is successful By Hunter Malone From rioting and marching, to dancing and celebrating, the LGBT+ community in Madison County has experienced a whirlwind of change. PRIDE season, often in the summer, is generally a season of rejoicing and coming together to have fun. However, for small town USA, PRIDE is not only often unimaginable, but also unsafe. When a group of organizers sat down and began to plan Berea’s first ever PRIDE, we were scared. We knew we were embarking on unknown territory, opening ourselves to the unknown. The overall experience of PRIDE was one I was not expecting. I (re)discovered allies, and safe spaces, while also becoming very aware of who would do anything they could to see us not only not have a PRIDE, but to see the LGBTQIA+ community expunged from the Berea area. Comments such as, “Drag them out into the streets and make them pay … make them meet their maker” were statements we heard daily. On the other hand, many brave individuals stood up against this bigotry, reiterating their claim to Berea. The Facebook post with the calendar of events reached over 20,000 people. More and more people began to hear about what was going on in small town Kentucky. The numbers steadily increased. Day by day. Regardless of the comments, the organizers stayed rooted on the shoulders of Queer giants. We often looked back at the legacies of Sylvia
Rivera or Marsha P. Johnson, taking inspiration from We ended with a parade, keeping in the tradition of Harvey Milk and other Queer organizers. Neverthe- taking PRIDE out of the closet and into the streets. One of the most magical observations was less, we persisted. When the week of PRIDE came, we prepared watching those who came to watch the parade join for the worst. And were pleasantly surprised with the in as it passed them by. By the end, everyone was outcomes. No protesters. No counter marches. No ri- marching, chanting and making a bold statement to the Berea community: ots. Nothing, aside from Follow the Madison County chapter on We are here, Queer, and some absurd comments not going anywhere! on Facebook. We had social media – Twitter: @MadCo_KFTC, hundreds of attendees Facebook.com/MadisonCountyKFTC/ throughout the week.
Participating in the planning of Berea’s first PRIDE Parade were (left to right) Dr. Dee Hill-Zuganelli, professor of child and family studies at Berea College; Dr. Kennaria Brown, chair of communications at Berea College; Wil Bain, publicity coordinator for the KFTC Madison County chapter; Michael Harrington, program associate on the KFTC staff; KFTC Chairperson Dr. Meta Mendel-Reyes; and Judith Faulkner, a Madison County member.
37th KFTC Annual Membership Meeting held at Berea College Moving the annual membership meeting to Berea College allowed a record number of members to participate in a record number of workshops.
August 2018
www.kftc.org | December 6, 2018
14 | Balancing the Scales
Building Grassroots Power
Northern Kentucky election day bike parade engages voters Members in northern Kentucky organized their first Election Day Bike Parade on November 6. “I rode my bike around Covington on election day, greeting people on the street and reminding them to go vote, because while all elections are important, this last one was especially meaningful to a lot of Kentuckians and Americans,” said KFTC member Joseph Koehl. “It seemed like everywhere you turned this past election season, you were being reminded to get out and vote, and frankly, there cannot be too much encouragement to participate in our elections.”
“I was inspired to join the Election Day Bike Parade, because even though I believe our system is flawed, I’m still hopeful we can fix it,” said Kirsten Schwartz of Covington. “I wanted to spend time with the amazing humans at KFTC who are doing the hard work to create a just and equitable democracy. “Riding through the streets of Covington was a great reminder that we all have the power to bring hope to our communities – even if we do it one bike ride at a time," Schwartz added. A few weeks before election day, the group made cardboard signs for their bikes exclaiming Power To The People, Go Vote, and Your Vote Matters! To extend their invitation and make the two rides more accessible, members organized with local bike advocacy group RideTheCOV and RedBike that offered free bike rental on election day. “Any chance I get I try to encourage others to consider biking as a form of transportation. I believe that any community that is set up to be bike and pedestrian friendly is one that will thrive economically, and overall be a great place to live,” said Daniella Beltran, a community development planner. “We need leaders who understand that, and citizens who will use their voice to vote them in.” Engaging voters included providing a copy of KFTC’s “Having a bunch of people riding their bikes printed Voter Guide, or directing them to www. around and further reminding people to go vote is certainly something that will turn some heads, and KentuckyElection.org.
Joe Koehl and Kirsten Schwartz of Covington are ready to start the day.
it did,” added Koehl. “Yard signs and TV commercials are all over the place, but some friendly faces on bikes – not every town can say they’ve got that kind of voter engagement. “I was pleasantly surprised by how much positive reaction we received on our rides, and it felt great to know that we engaged well with so many Covingtonians. It’s never a bad idea to get more people to the polls, and while we may not have gotten anyone to vote that wouldn’t have otherwise, we certainly helped folks remember the importance of the day.”
NKY chapter plans year-long resistance training The Northern Kentucky chapter has enjoyed great success over the past year, and is planning a year-long local leadership development program to build grassroots power and skills to support progressives across their region. The aim is to gather leaders from the region together for a training once a month to share skills, learn more about issues and build community. The chapter approved plans for the year to include workshops on immigrant rights, digital organizing, anti-oppression centered on racial justice, anti-oppression centered on LGBTQ+ issues, electoral work, power analysis, writing for change and more. The schedule of these trainings is still taking shape The tentative plan is to do these on the second Saturday of each month, but that may change. Follow the chapter on its Facebook page for updates.
Follow the Northern Kentucky chapter on social media: Instagram @northernky_KFTC • Twitter: @NKY_KFTC • Facebook.com/nky.kftc.
Luke Sulfridge (right), program director at Solar United Neighbors, talked with Rowan KFTC members Erik and Trudi Lewis and Gary Clarke about a solar co-op for eastern Kentuckians. He held November meetings with KFTC members and residents in Whitesburg, Berea and Morehead. For information about the co-op, go to www.SolarUnitedNeighbors.org/EKY.
www.kftc.org | December 6, 2018
15 | Balancing the Scales
Building Grassroots Power
CKY members ‘Pull Up a Chair’ and celebrate election work Across the nation a record number of women from diverse backgrounds were elected to office, with even more running for office and leading grassroots efforts to build power in their communities and create mutual support and healing. Central Kentucky members Rowena Mahloch and Debra Ezzell wanted to celebrate these successes, discuss the work that lies ahead, and build momentum for future electoral and legislative work. So they invited a bunch of friends over to “Pull Up a Chair” to share a meal and learn about the work of KFTC. “When I reflect on that evening, what we were most proud of and pleased about was that we didn’t just foDebbie Ezzell (left) and Rowena cus on diversity and inclusion. Mahloch.
When we looked around the room, we were obviously and visibly a diverse group. But we wanted to push further, towards asking ourselves, ‘How can we provide a model of what equity and justice may look like?’” Mahloch reflected. “That is where the intentionality of planning became a crucial component: where we held the event, the menu we offered, who we asked to be our speakers,” Mahloch continued. “Diversity and inclusion are important. But that’s only the first step, where our journey begins. Our final destination is equity and justice. And that takes a carefully crafted plan.” The care began with the name of the event – “Pull Up a Chair.” In 1968, Shirley Chisholm was the first Black woman elected to the U.S. Congress. As an educator turned politician and author, Chisholm was a fierce leader, role model and icon who continues to be an inspiration. “If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair,” was one of many famous quotes that embodied her ethos and has been used as a strategy and rallying cry. So Mahloch, Ezzell and friends shared a meal as a delicious way to build relationships, learn, dream and conspire together “Strategic planning of action items with clearly
Southern Kentucky chapter Kristina Arnold and other Southern Kentucky chapter members showed out at this year’s Second Annual Bowling Green Pride Festival! Members face painted, talked with folks about the 2018 elections and helped the festival run smoothly by hosting a de-escalation training. SOKY KFTC members and volunteers celebrated their hard work this election season over a hearty meal. Together they engaged over 50 volunteers and contacted thousands of voters.
defined outcomes seem to be logical next steps,” Ezzell said. “I heard so many great ideas in small conversations that I wish we had more time to capture them a n d s e e h ow they align with the goals of equity and justice. I am excited to see where this energy takes the group."
Guests included Liz Sheehan (left) and Denise Gray, two New Power PAC endorsements. Sheehan ran for Lexington Fayette Urban County Government ,and Gray ran for state Senate.
Follow the Central Kentucky chapter’s work on social media – Facebook: www.facebook.com/CKYKFTC Instagram: @centralkentuckykftc
www.kftc.org | December 6, 2018
16 | Balancing the Scales
Building Grassroots Power
Madison members celebrate Halloween with chili cookoff By Matthew Frederick As Halloween approached alongside the 2018 mid-term elections, Madison County members gathered for the chapter’s second annual Halloween Spectacular on October 21. Featuring a chili cook-off, costume contest and silent auction, the Halloween party served as a way to build new power, raise funds and promote KFTC’s Action For Democracy initiative. The event provided for entertainment, good cheer and community engagement. KFTC member Barb Anspach attended the event, saying she did so because of her “...love of chili” as well as the ability to participate in the activities of her community. When asked about her concerns and the issues of the moment that are important to her, she answered that “I’m concerned about the environmental crisis that we’re hurtling toward, and the crisis of our democracy.” Loren Weber, a student at Berea College, echoed many others’ reasons and concerns. She was enthusiastic about the evening, saying, “I love all the people hanging out.” When asked about what concerned her, she replied, “There is a lot going on with immigra-
tion, voting and voter suppression.” Another Madison County KFTC member, Maggie Park, said, “I enjoy Halloween as a community event and thought I could contribute a chili.” Noting KFTC’s 37-year history, Park added, “KFTC is still fighting for regulations with mining that keeps people safe and against deregulation that hurts miners.” Many chapter members are concerned about the stability of the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund, which is under threat of losing half its funding. This fund protects miners whose companies fail to provide for their health care at a time when rates of black lung disease are increasing. Besides discussing ways to take action on a diverse range of issues, attendees made progress simply by participating in the party’s activities. By raising money through the chili cook-off and admission donations, the membership finds ways to fund its own power. Additionally, the chapter worked with community partners to build local relationships. This year, Berea College’s Latin American Student Association joined with KFTC, providing some much desired hot chocolate throughout the chilly evening. For the second consecutive year, Madison County’s chapter of KFTC turned the Halloween season into an opportunity for growth, building itself up to
make more robust actions for democracy. The chapter also took up the charge of building a more beloved community, embracing the good cheer of the Halloween holiday.
registering and engaging voters KFTC members registered and engaged voters throughout the state, especially among people usually ignored by candidates and elected officials.
All year!
Thanks
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 | December 6, 2018
17 | Balancing the Scales
Building Grassroots Power
Jefferson members lead on city budgeting, leaders follow There has been an amazing evolution of organizing efforts by members of the Jefferson County KFTC Chapter. In March 2017, chapter leaders held a press conference to release The People’s Guide to the Budget. That single document was the culmination of more than a year of work by members and community leaders to make Louisville's budget process more democratic. The guide demystified the Louisville Metro budget, highlighted several ways in which community needs are (or are not) funded and informed people on ways to take action to improve the budget. The People’s Guide to the Budget was meant to create conversations about how communities and neighborhoods could be more involved in choosing how public investments are made. Those conversations are leading to change! The Louisville Metro Center for Health Equity launched a Participatory Budgeting initiative based on listening sessions it did in Louisville communities. Many residents lifted up a desire to be more involved in choosing how public investments are made in their neighborhoods during these sessions. And metro gov-
ernment officials listened. Because of that push, the people who know and care the most about their neighborhoods will get to directly decide how to spend $150,000 of the public budget in Metro Council Districts 6 and 8. Louisville Metro's participatory budgeting initiative, called the “Our Money, Our Voice” initiative, will be piloted in these two council districts using $50,000 of capital infrastructure funds set aside by Council President David James (District 6) and Councilmember Brandon Coan (District 8) and $53,000 in funds from the Mayor’s Healthy Hometown Movement, an initiative of Louisville Metro Public Health and Wellness. What is Participatory Budgeting and how does one get involved? Participatory Budgeting is a different way to manage public money and engage people in government. It is a democratic process in which community members directly decide how to spend part of a public budget. It enables residents to work with government officials to make the budget decisions that affect their lives. Participatory Budgeting creates opportunities for local communities to have real decision-making power. More than 30 cities worldwide use this process to increase residents’ say in how money is spent. In 2019, the chapter’s Democracy Team and Economic Justice Team will collaborate and write a People’s Guide to Local Government. Below are ways to take action!
Chapter members Alex Haynes, Connor Allen and Shavaun Evans at a recent Participatory Budgeting information session with the Center for Health Equity.
1. Visit louisvilleky.gov/government/center-healthequity/our-money-our-voice to learn about the initiative, including ways to get involved. 2. Read The People’s Guide to the Budget; go to www.kftc.org/PeoplesGuideToTheBudget. 3. Follow the Jefferson County chapter’s work on social media @JCKFTC on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. 4. Contact alicia@kftc.org to learn more about Participatory Budgeting and the chapter’s work. Thank you to everyone who worked to bring Participatory Budgeting to Louisville!
KFTC Organizing Academy Graduates KFTC launched the Organizing Academy in 2017, with the first cohort of 20 members graduating in June of this year. The Academy is a multi-track leadership and organizing training program, and the foundation of KFTC’s expanding leadership development strategy. More than 100 online and in-person (chapter-level and statewide) trainings were offered in 2018.
June 2018
www.kftc.org | December 6, 2018
18 | Balancing the Scales
Leadership Development
2019 leadership development and training opportunities Leadership Development has always been at the heart of KFTC’s organizing model and is a key strategy. One of the commitments made at the KFTC leadership summit after the 2016 election was to create more training and support for organizers on the ground around the state – to support existing organizers and members and to cultivate new leadership. The past few years have brought some exciting new training and organizing programs to KFTC, including the initial Organizing Academy cohort. KFTC is excited to build on the success of the pilot cohort and expand some new opportunities in 2019. 2019 Online Trainings and Digital Organizing Manual One of the goals of KFTC’s leadership development work is to create an online training manual to live on the KFTC website that includes training templates, tools and resources for members, allies and friends to access easily and use in organizing efforts across the state and beyond. Starting in January: • KFTC will release a new training topic each month. • KFTC will host a video conference training that will feature one of the trainings included in that month’s training focus. • KFTC leaders from across the state, staff members and Academy cohort graduates will lead the
online trainings and contribute to development and compiling training templates, tools and resources for the manual. This project creates a clear connection between our electoral work and long-term power building by providing ongoing trainings to support members and folks across Kentucky to build grassroots power all year long, as well as during election seasons. The monthly training topics will coincide with the KFTC annual calendar; therefore, January 2019 will be focused on basics of community organizing, building grassroots power, and how members engage in the 2019 Kentucky General Assembly. 2019 Organizing Academy Cohort The Organizing Academy program will have its second cohort in 2019. Like the pilot cohort, the focus will be to give
participants a basic working knowledge of community organizing. Titled “Organizing 101: Building Power Through Organizing,” topics covered will be understanding and relating to power, KFTC and a history of organizing and activism in Kentucky, nonviolent direct action, anti-oppression and inclusion, grassroots base building and fundraising, deep canvassing, one-on-one conversations, and other basic grassroots organizing concepts, including healing and self-care. The application process for the 2019 Organizing Academy Cohort is underway and can be accessed at http://bit.ly/KFTCAcademy2019 The cohort will be scheduled for a period of three months and will meet every other Saturday (March – May 2019) from 10:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. ET in the central Kentucky area. More details to come.
Donating stocks and bonds Did you know that your donation to KFTC can be in the form of stocks or bonds? KFTC – or the Kentucky Coalition for tax-deductible giving – are set up to receive transfer of stocks and bonds. It is a simple process. To learn more, contact jerry@kftc.org or 606-496-6402. THANKS!
KFTC members show up in Washington, DC for coal miners and a Just Transition KFTC members were in Washington, DC several times throughout the year, meeting with members of Congress to push for urgently needed legislation for a Just Transition for coal miners, their families and their communities.
September 2018
www.kftc.org | December 6, 2018
19 | Balancing the Scales
Economic Justice
Trump officials approve Bevin plan to take away health care From Kentucky Voices for Health The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in November re-approved Kentucky’s 1115 Waiver, known as Kentucky HEALTH, despite the state having maintained the harsh penalties and onerous reporting requirements that will lead to more than 95,000 Kentuckians losing access to health care coverage. The re-approval process began shortly after a federal court ruling that vacated CMS’s original approval of Kentucky HEALTH on June 29. In his ruling, Judge Boasberg cited the Health and Human Services secretary’s failure to account for the thousands of comments against the waiver and stated that the waiver did not meet the core purpose of the Medicaid program,
which is to provide access to health care services to lowincome people. “Kentucky Voices for Health and our partners are deeply disappointed that CMS and, by extension, the state, have once again ignored the voices of their constituents,” said Emily Beauregard, executive director for Kentucky Voices for Health. “During the 2018 federal comment period, thousands of Kentuckians spoke up to share why access to health care is critical to their ability to be good parents and caregivers, productive employees, successful entrepreneurs and contributing members of their communities. “Re-approving a waiver that makes hard-working
Kentucky’s progress in child health care coverage stalls, begins decline After cutting the uninsured rate for children in half since 2008, Kentucky showed no progress in expanding health coverage to children in the past year, according to a new report released by the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families. The state’s rate of uninsured children was 3.8 percent with an estimated 41,000 children uninsured in 2017, an increase of 6,000 more uninsured children since 2016. “We’ve made so much progress in Kentucky since 2014,” said Emily Beauregard, executive director of Kentucky Voices for Health. “By getting parents covered under our Medicaid expansion and health insurance marketplace, we’ve seen a dramatic decrease in the number of children who were uninsured. It would be a shame to allow all that we’ve achieved for Kentucky’s children fall by the wayside.” The report found that nationwide more than 276,000 children joined the ranks of the uninsured last year, the first significant increase in nearly a decade. “With an improving economy and low unem-
ployment, the fact that our nation is going backwards on children’s health coverage is very troubling,” said Joan Alker, executive director of the Georgetown University research center. “The report should serve as a warning sign to policymakers that they must take action to get back on track.” Three quarters of the children who lost coverage live in states that have not expanded Medicaid to working families. Nine states saw statistically significant increases in the most recent data. No state, except the District of Columbia, saw significant improvement. The decline of coverage nationwide comes amid a period when Congress sought to repeal the Affordable Care Act and cap federal Medicaid funding, as well as a delay in funding renewal for the Children’s Health Insurance Program . “Health coverage is essential for leading healthy, successful lives,” said Dustin Pugel with the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy. “When parents are covered, their children are more likely to be healthy and the whole family is more financially secure, and when kids are covered it pays off for them later in life.”
Kentuckians jump through hoops to keep their coverage will no doubt have the opposite effect.” An analysis conducted by the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy found that 96 percent of all comments submitted during the most recent federal comment period were opposed to the changes proposed in Kentucky HEALTH. “Re-approving these harmful barriers to quality coverage through Medicaid ignores the nearly 8,500 official comments that laid out the many ways people will be left behind,” said Dustin Pugel, policy analyst for the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy. “Kentucky’s historic gains in health coverage have led to real progress in our economic recovery and our health – especially in struggling rural areas – and CMS’s decision today turns the clock back on those gains.” Sheila Schuster, executive director for Advocacy Action Network, said, “Stakeholders and advocacy groups across the state offered their comments and reached out to work with the cabinet to create a truly innovative waiver that could have a positive impact on Kentuckians’ lives and health. That the administration has elected once again to double down on harmful policies rather than listen to experts is gravely troubling.” “Our concerns with the waiver's treatment of vulnerable individuals remain,” said Adrienne Bush, executive director of the Homeless and Housing Coalition of Kentucky. “We know from research and practice that access to health coverage is a critical housing support, and we oppose any barriers that could potentially limit homeless individuals’ access to health care.” “I continue to be concerned with the complexity of Kentucky HEALTH’s many administrative requirements,” said Marcie Timmerman, executive director of Mental Health America of Kentucky. “Kentucky quickly moved the proverbial needle on substance abuse and behavioral treatment access when we adopted Medicaid expansion. Single adults without dependents were finally able to access care. Many sought help for the first time in their life. “I’m concerned many will fail to understand the new requirements and so will not be able to maintain their coverage, putting them back where they started – in our jails and on our streets instead of in treatment.” A hearing on the implementation of Gov. Bevin’s Medicaid changes is scheduled before a legislative committee on December 11.
www.kftc.org | December 6, 2018
20 | Balancing the Scales
Economic Justice
Wealthiest Kentuckians pay lowest tax rate, problem worsening From the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy A new study by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) finds that, on average, the wealthiest Kentuckians pay just 6.7 percent of their income in state and local taxes while middle-income Kentuckians pay 11.1 percent. This means the effective tax rate paid by middle income Kentuckians is 167 percent of that paid by the wealthiest Kentuckians. The study, Who Pays? A Distributional Analysis of the Tax Systems in All 50 States, evaluates the major components of state and local tax systems – including personal and corporate income taxes, property taxes, sales taxes and other excise taxes – for their overall distributional impact across income groups. For example, Kentucky’s low-income tax credit means that people in poverty do not pay state income taxes. However, because the state fails to provide refundable tax credits to offset sales, excise and property taxes paid by low-income people, and because the state has a flat as opposed to graduated income tax rate structure, the poorest 20 percent of Kentuckians pay an effective tax rate 1.42 times higher than that paid by the top 1 percent. “The wealthiest Kentuckians benefit the most from our growing economy, and by a widening margin,” Kentucky Center for Economic Policy Senior Policy Analyst Anna Baumann said. “It would be reasonable for them to pay a little more in taxes, according to their ability, for the investments that benefit us all. But instead, we have been cutting their taxes, cutting investments in our schools and community based services, and leaning more heavily on middle-
and low-income Kentuckians.” As a result of asking more of low-income people and less of the wealthy as a share of income, almost all states’ tax systems, including Kentucky’s, exacerbate income inequality. Before state and local taxes, the wealthiest 1 percent of Kentuckians make 94 times more in income on average than the bottom 20 percent. But after taxes, they make 96 times more. Because poverty and wealth are concentrated in certain regions of Kentucky, and because long-term systemic barriers to education, housing, jobs and more prevent Kentuckians of color from economic advancement, our tax system also widens geographic and racial income divides. Tax changes passed by the 2018 General Assembly – overall, a shift in reliance from progressive income taxes to regressive sales taxes – made Kentucky’s tax system even more upside-down than it already was. Because of these changes, Kentucky now ranks 25th worst among states on ITEP’s inequality index, which measures the effect of state tax systems on income inequality. Without those changes, Kentucky would have ranked 34th.
why invest in KFTC? As a member of KFTC, you help to build healthy communities and a bright future for Kentucky. Your membership supports local campaigns around housing, minimum wage, mining issues and more, and statewide campaigns for voting rights, clean energy , racial justice and tax reform. You’re part of a growing community of Kentuckians working toward a vision for our state, where everyone enjoys a better quality of life and the voices of ordinary people are heard and respected.
To renew your membership or join KFTC, fill out the form on the back page or go online to www.kftc.org/support.
“To ensure the wealthy chip in, state lawmakers should restore a graduated income tax, clean up corporate tax breaks and reinstate the estate tax. Unfortunately, some political leaders have indicated they would like to see Kentucky’s income taxes cut further and an even greater reliance on sales taxes,” said Baumann. “But that would mean additional tax cuts for the wealthy, a shift in paying taxes over to everyday Kentuckians, and less reliable revenue growth for our investments over time.” “Rising income inequality is unconscionable, and it is certainly a problem that local, state and federal lawmakers should address,” said Meg Wiehe, deputy director of ITEP and an author of the study. “Regressive state tax systems didn’t cause the growing income divide, but they certainly exacerbate the problem. State lawmakers have control over how their tax systems are structured. They can and should enact more equitable tax policies that raise adequate revenue in a fair, sustainable way.” ITEP’s full report can be found at https://itep.org/ whopays.
www.kftc.org | December 6, 2018
21 | Balancing the Scales
Economic Justice
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act supercharges racial wealth divide From the Institute for Taxation and Economic Policy Last year, Congress had a tremendous opportunity with the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) to help low-income and middle-class families – particularly those of color – build the wealth needed to secure their share of the American Dream. Unfortunately, by spending the majority of the $1.9 trillion within this law to provide large tax breaks for the wealthy and multi-billion-dollar corporations, Congress chose to actively invest in policies that exacerbate economic inequality rather than
mitigate it. Even worse, in designing and enacting the 2017 tax law, Congress not only chose to grow the economic gap between rich and everyone else, but also between White households and households of color, thus further perpetuating a long history of systemic racism that undergirds government policies and American society at large. A newly released report by Prosperity Now and the Institution on Taxation and Economic Policy, Race, Wealth and Taxes: How the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Supercharges the Racial Wealth Divide, finds that the
TCJA not only adds unnecessary fuel to the growing problem of overall economic inequality, but also supercharges an already massive racial wealth divide to an alarming extent. Using ITEP’s microsimulation model, which generates tax estimates for a sample of representative taxpayer records, this study provides the first quantitative analysis to examine the racial implications of the TCJA and how these tax cuts reward existing White wealth at the expense of the economic security of households of color, poor households, and a stalling middle class.
Key findings from Race, Wealth and Taxes Of $275 billion directed in TCJA tax cuts in 2018, $200 billion (72%) goes to the top 20% of households. Instead of boosting the middle class and working Americans, this is a giveaway to the richest 20% of Americans.
Because wealthiest families are overwhelmingly White, it is inevitable that a tax cut geared to the very top would shower out-sized benefits on White households relative to the overall population and households of color. For instance, while 1.2% of White families earn enough to place them among the top 1% percent of earners, just 0.4% of Latino and Black families are members of this group. Put another way, White families are three times more likely than Latino and Black families to be among the nation’s top earners. As a result, households of color are largely excluded from accessing the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act’s benefits.
More than 40% of all tax cuts from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act go to the White households in the top 5% of earners, despite only representing 3.9% of all tax returns.
Of the $275 billion in tax cuts the TCJA provides to individuals this year, $218 billion (80%) goes to White households. On average, White households will receive $2,020 in cuts, while Latino households will receive $970 and Black households $840.
www.kftc.org | December 6, 2018
22 | Balancing the Scales
Just Transition
New climate report affirms need for Empower Kentucky Plan “Earth’s climate is now changing faster than at any point in the history of modern civilization, primarily as a result of human activities,” a report released by the U.S. Global Change Research Program acknowledged. Kentucky is not being spared the effects, even as state officials look for ways to burn more coal. “The impacts of global climate change are already being felt in the United States and are projected to intensify in the future,” the Fourth National Climate Assessment concluded. “The severity of future impacts will depend largely on actions taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to adapt to the changes that will occur.” The report, released the day after Thanksgiving, gave a rather blunt assessment. It described how climate change already is impacting the United States and world – and the dire consequences of further inaction. “Neither global efforts to mitigate the causes of climate change nor regional efforts to adapt to the impacts currently approach the scales needed to avoid substantial damages to the U.S. economy, environment, and human health and well-being over the coming decades.” The Climate Assessment report came a few weeks after the United Nations warned that the world has about a dozen years to reverse its current path, or face catastrophic consequences. In Kentucky, the impacts are being felt and likely to get worse. In a November 27 report, WFPL-FM reporter Ryan Van Velzer documented what is happening
and can be expected in Kentucky. •
• •
•
Trees such as sugar maples and American beech “will begin to disappear from Kentucky’s forests as they struggle to adapt to conditions brought about by warming temperatures.” Higher minimum nighttime temperatures may cause plants like corn to become less productive. Longer summers could “increase the transmission of vector-borne diseases like ticks and mosquitoes. The climate assessment shows Louisville’s weather conditions are suitable for Aedes aegypti, a species that can spread dengue fever and the zika virus, though it’s not very common now.” Extreme rainstorms, such as ones Kentucky has experienced this year, will be more common. This causes flooding and can overwhelming sewer systems, causing the release of raw sewage.
While the impacts of climate change abound, the state’s elected leaders have largely ignored the problem and in some cases tried to make it worse. • •
In 2018, Republican Rep. Jim Gooch came very close to passing a bill to dismantle what progress Kentucky has made with rooftop solar. Legislators have ignored opportunities for at least a decade to give modest support to legislation shifting Kentucky’s energy use to renewables and promoting energy conservation.
•
•
In a 2017 meeting about the Empower Kentucky Plan (www.empowerkentucky.org), Kentucky Energy Cabinet Secretary Charles Snavely told KFTC members the Bevin administration was working for increased mining and burning of coal. Kentucky’s Senators Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul backed President Trump’s withdrawal from the international agreement on climate change.
Kentuckians, though, have taken initiative. In April 2017, KFTC members released the Empower Kentucky Plan after more than two years of getting input from Kentuckians, in-depth research and lots of data analysis. “The Empower Kentucky Plan makes it clear that a Just Transition to a clean energy economy is possible in Kentucky,” said Elizabeth Sanders, the KFTC chairperson at the time. “This plan accelerates energy efficiency and renewable energy across our economy, and puts a low price on harmful pollution. It delivers more jobs, less healthharming pollution and lower home energy bills than the business-as-usual case, while slashing greenhouse gas pollution and investing in a Just Transition. “In short, this plan offers a blueprint, a positive vision and agenda Kentuckians can get behind as we work to build a bright future that we know is possible.” The plan, including data analysis and an environmental justice assessment, are available at www. EmpowerKentucky.org.
LGBTQ+ Pride across the state
New fairness groups, inaugural PRIDE events, local fairness ordinances and celebrating who we are – KFTC members work for inclusion, acceptance and equality.
Every day
www.kftc.org | December 6, 2018
23 | Balancing the Scales
KFTC News
Remembering the life of poet and prognosticator Jim Webb KFTC members were sad to learn of the passing of Jim Webb in October. Webb was a friend and inspiration to so many across Kentucky and central Appalachia, and a long-time Letcher County KFTC member. Webb was a poet, activist, radio producer and festival organizer. More than any of that, he was a remarkable wit and friend. From his place near the summit of Pine Mountain, perched near the top of the world between Harlan and Letcher counties, he hosted all manner of gatherings and goings-on and built community. An article about Webb by Scott Goebel, written a couple of years ago and excerpted here, appeared in the Journal of Kentucky Studies, Northern Kentucky University. The full article is available at: https://bit. ly/2KUo0BA, and a good read. Jim Webb: A Poet’s Path of Resistance, or The Bigger the Windmill, the Better By Scott Goebel Poet Jim Webb’s poems, plays, radio broadcasts and commentaries have inspired his activist and literary peers and are widely recognized as an important part of the Appalachian Literary Renaissance of the 1970s. Webb supported and promoted his contemporaries for over thirty years through readings, publications, financial support, swaps and radio broadcasts. Over the years Webb shared the stage at literary readings with such writers as James Still, Wendell Berry, Frank X. Walker, James Baker Hall, Richard Hague, George Ella Lyon and Gurney Norman. In 1982, Webb and his writings were featured alongside the work of Wilma Dykeman, Jeff Daniel Marion and Jim Wayne Miller in a literary exhibit at the University of North Carolina Asheville. Webb’s most famous poem, “Get In, Jesus,” has been called the most famous poem in Appalachia. Along with iconic art by Robert Gipe, the full text of the poem has been published in 15 editions of T-shirts over the last 20 years. Webb is also proprietor of a private campground on top of Pine Mountain. Wiley’s Last Resort is the scene of fundraisers and celebrations for activist groups. These include Rotary Club picnics, music festivals, weddings, and gatherings to support sustainability and reigning in destructive mining practices. In the early 1980s, Webb was an early member and supporter of organizations like SAWC [Southern Appalachian Writers Cooperative] and Kentuckians For The Commonwealth. He participated in public protests and rallies opposing strip mining and mountaintop removal. By the early 1990s, Webb had become a visible agent for change through his writings and (carefully) through his community radio broadcasts reaching four states. His goal of raising awareness was working and … Webb sauntered a raconteur’s path, using the oral traditions and storytelling so long a part of southern mountain culture. [I]t’s clear that his voice of resistance has not been quelled by attempts to keep him from stirring the pot of community awareness. Today’s regional writers owe much to Webb ….
Looking ahead to the 2019 Kentucky General Assembly The 2019 Kentucky General Assembly gets underway early in the new year. Legislators will meet for 30 working days. As is their custom, legislators will meet for four days in early January and then recess until early February and remain in session until late March. The January session, sometimes called an organizational session, is when House and Senate members elect their leaders, receive some training (especially new legislators) and get themselves oriented and organized. In recent years, they have sometimes used this time to pass legislation, such as in 2016 when Republicans railroaded seven bills through in the first week, using an unusual Saturday session to accomplish their agenda. Here is the schedule for 2019 (subject to modification): Tuesday-Friday, January 8-11 – Part 1 Organization Session Tuesday, February 5 – Part 2 Regular Session begins Legislators will meet Monday - Friday most weeks, except as noted. Plan on being in Frankfort with KFTC and allies. Monday, February 18 – Presidents’ Day, Legislative Holiday Friday, March 8 and Monday, March 11 – No session Thursday & Friday, March 14 & 15 – Last days before a two-week recess Thursday & Friday, March 28 & 29 – Final two days of the session, during which they may consider any vetoes by the governor
24 | Balancing the Scales
www.kftc.org | December 6, 2018
KFTC news
Feeling positive about 2018, Steering Committee looks ahead KFTC Steering Committee members found a lot of positives to lift up as they evaluated KFTC’s electoral work in 2018, even as they recognized the need for bigger and better efforts in the coming years. Committee members for an overnight retreat, November 30 - December 1 at the Nazareth Retreat Center. They focused on building grassroots power in Kentucky and reviewed lessons learned during the 2018 elections. Among several items discussed on Friday night, they received a report from Steering Committee leaders who attended the recent Facing Race Conference in Detroit, where racial justice was the focus. Chandra Cruz-Thomson from Jefferson County shared her reflections on the conference. She lifted up several quotes from conference speakers. Activist Bree Newsome reminded conference attendees of the power of art in organizing by stressing that it is important to “use art to show people something they can’t imagine.” Summer Bolton, the Southern Kentucky chapter representative, also participated in the conference. “It took me long time to process everything I experienced, the people I talked to, what I heard," Bolton said. "I felt like I was going through a 12-step process of deprogramming white supremacy from my brain. I walked out a better person, more educated despite my comfort level." Throughout the weekend, Steering Committee members were encouraged to imagine the future that KFTC is working towards as they discussed KFTC’s history of involvement in elections and the 2018 election results in Kentucky and nationwide. These
visioning exercises informed the committee’s planning for the 2019 and 2020 elections and beyond. Mary Love of Oldham County recalled KFTC’s work to successfully pass a state constitutional amendment to prohibit abuses by coal mining companies. “My first involvement with KFTC was in 1988. I voted in the election where we had the constitutional amendment to do away with the broad form deed.” As members discussed the work that KFTC did during the 2018 election season, several lifted up 26 races where candidates endorsed by KFTC’s New Power PAC won. “We In planning for next year, steering committee members brainstormed had more people win [this election things they would like to reduce, increase, learn and invent. Amy season] than we had ever endorsed Copelin, the at-large member of the executive committee, shared before,” Rebecca Tucker of Madison some of her ideas. County noted. Cassia Herron of Jefferson County lifted up that Leslie Bebensee of Scott County echoed Bolton’s robust staff support for KFTC members was important perspective, saying, “I had great conversations talking to KFTC’s electoral work. “Our staffing has been good to voters at their doors in Georgetown” and really important for helping members have the Members of the new KFTC Cumberland chapter capacity to do this work. The staff supported member (Knox, Laurel, Pulaski and Whitley counties) were involved in voter empowerment work for the first time. leaders making in making important endorsements.” Bolton noted the importance of face-to-face con- “We registered voters. These folks had never voted beversations with voters about local issues for motivating fore. And we got contact information from new folks turnout on election day and support for specific candi- who are interested in KFTC,” reported David Miller, dates. “I see value in having meaningful conversations the chapter representatives from Knox County. with voters.” continued on next page
Poor People’s Campaign
A National Call for Moral Revival A strong moral imperative drives people of faith and many others to challenge the evils of systemic racism, poverty, the war economy, ecological devastation and the nation’s distorted morality. KFTC supported and many members participated in Poor People’s Campaign actions in 2018.
June 2018
25 | Balancing the Scales
www.kftc.org | December 6, 2018
Steering Committee plans for growing grassroots power in 2019 and beyond
Support a PowerBuilder and double your gift Right now, during KFTC’s fall fundraising campaign, all gifts to PowerBuilders will be matched dollar for dollar up to $25,000. What’s a PowerBuilder? A PowerBuilder is a KFTC member who hosts a personal fundraising page to raise funds for KFTC and invite new folks into the work. You can find our PowerBuilders at: www.actionfordemocracy.causevox.com When you renew your membership or join KFTC by giving to one of these PowerBuilders, your gift will be doubled! And your support will build grassroots power for 2019. The generous donor who is offering this match had this to say about PowerBuilders: The PowerBuilders are the people of KFTC. They embody the spirit of grassroots folks and what’s important to the people at home and what matters to them. The PowerBuilders are folks who believe that it is person to person that makes the difference.
Thanks for giving generously!
continued from previous page Amy Copelin of Boone County noted the Northern Kentucky chapter’s work to register voters. “We registered over 100 voters in our chapter.” Although there are challenges facing folks working to build new power, Copelin emphasized, “I feel like it is encouraging when we look over the candidates that the New Power PAC endorsed. They outperformed expectations. If we can keep building that momentum, that leads to change in the long run.” “We closed a lot of gaps and got really close in many places,” Shannon Scott of Boyle County and the Wilderness Trace chapter added. “We also gained a lot of experience, learning as we go. Every time we do something together we are getting better.” Committee members were provided a detailed report about KFTC electoral work, including election turnout and statewide results. “I find these numbers to be really optimistic. I know there was a lot of heartbreak in this election, but I find a lot of hope in it,” Chandra Cruz-Thomson said. “All the data beneath the wins and the energy that was mobilized, and the energy we are putting in so we can learn from this in the future. Especially in a climate that was not built for us, to have the wins that we did in this climate is really hopeful.” Tucker noted, “Having good candidates brings energy. Having friends to get involved and volunteer with brings energy. Having the tools to be successful is empowering.” Members also discussed KFTC’s endorsement process. During 2018 KFTC members formed over a dozen locally-based Democracy Teams. These teams met throughout the year to discuss the political landscape in their regions, the issues in the election and the candidates running for public offices. “Having Democracy Teams was really important. It is important to have local leaders’ and local experts’ points of view in this process,” Cassia Herron said. KFTC Secretary-Treasurer Christian Torp of Fayette County added, “The Democracy Teams were extremely helpful. It was nice to have a chapter-centered analysis to give the Executive Committee with endorsement recommendations.” KFTC Steering Committee members reflected on their experiences during the 2018 elections and shared their insights from across the state to develop a fuller picture of the election results in Kentucky. These insights informed the Steering Committee’s ongoing strategic approach toward making an impact in future elections across the state. Other items the Steering Committee discussed include KFTC’s work around Racial Justice organizing, the upcoming 2019 General Assembly session and KFTC’s 2019 hiring decisions and staffing. Committee members were happy to meet at the Nazareth Retreat Center, a place where social justice and environmental awareness is practiced. They were welcomed by Sister Carol McKean, who briefly discussed the work at Nazareth to promote environmental justice.
www.kftc.org | December 6, 2018
26 | Balancing the Scales
KFTC News
Alexa Hatcher joins KFTC staff; other changes announced The KFTC Steering Committee approved several staff transitions and hirings for 2019 at its December meeting. Alexa Hatcher was hired as organizer apprentice to work with the Southern Kentucky chapter based in Bowling Green, starting in January. Hatcher is involved in chapter work as an active member and most recently as a voter empowerment organizer for the fall election cycle. Hatcher graduated from Western Kentucky University, where she studied sociology with a minor in citizenship and Alexa Hatcher social justice and a concentration in community, environment and development. It was during her time as an undergrad that she grew extremely passionate about, and began to practice, community organizing. Hatcher also was a member of the pilot cohort of the KFTC Organizing Academy. She lives in Bowling Green, although she will always call Hart County home. Alexa has a background in food justice and gardening, but she is also deeply devoted to working against poverty and inequality. Hatcher will work with Laura Harper Knight,
a current organizer apprentice who will move into the permanent Southern Kentucky chapter organizer position. Molly Kaviar, now the SOKY organizer, will move to Louisville to work as the Jefferson County chapter organizer. In June 2017, KFTC hired 14 organizer apprentices for an 18-month position that ends on December 31. Three additional organizer apprentices were hired in July 2018. Fourteen of those are still on the staff, and several will transition to permanent organizer positions. • • • •
Angel Hill and Jacob Mack-Boll will become eastern Kentucky organizers. Meredith Wadlington will become the Central Kentucky chapter organizer. Nikita Perumal will become an organizer working with the New Energy and Transition Committee and Rowan County chapter. Tayna Fogle will become a Democracy Fellow.
•
Taylor Adams will have her organizer apprenticeship extended and continue to work in eastern Kentucky.
Other organizer apprentices who will complete the apprenticeship on December 31 are DeBraun Thomas, Sharon Murphy, Lesley Garrett, Alexandria Goldsmith, James Line, Alvin Madden-Grider and Lakin Dillingham. Beck Jones, Aubrey Clemons and Jonah Cabiles previously left the staff. Laura Greenfield, who has worked with KFTC this year on a part-time consulting role, joins the staff as a full-time member of the communications and development team. She will continue her focus on data visualization. In addition, Amy Hogg, KFTC’s current development director, will become the communications and development director, as those teams have completed their merger. Some changes are effective immediately, and all will be completed by January 1.
Like our new KFTC T-shirt? You can get one for free when you become a Sustaining Giver! Use the form on the back cover.
KFTC members take part in a week of climate action in California Seven KFTC members represented KFTC in San Francisco for a week of climate actions called Solidarity to Solutions (Sol2Sol), aimed at bringing grassroots voices and solutions to the forefront during a major global climate summit.
September 2018
www.kftc.org | December 6, 2018
27 | Balancing the Scales
calendar of events
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
December 10 Jefferson County chapter holiday party! 6:30 p.m. at the First Unitarian Church 809 S. 4th St., Louisville Info: E’Beth@kftc.org or 502-589-3188
January 3 and February 7 Rolling Bluegrass chapter meetings 6:30 p.m., Scott County Public Library 104 S. Bradford, Georgetown Info: Joe@kftc.org or 859-380-6103
December 13 and January 17 Rowan County chapter meetings and holiday party (December), 6 p.m. at St. Albans Church, 145 E. 5th Street, Morehead Info: Nikita@kftc.org or 502-488-3830
January 6 Cumberland chapter meetings 2-4 p.m. location TBD Info: Angel@kftc.org or 606-261-4955
Louisville E’Beth Adami, Alicia Hurle and Carissa Lenfert 735 Lampton Street #202 • Louisville, Ky. 40203 502-589-3188
January 7 Wilderness Trace chapter meeting 7 p.m. at InterCounty Energy 1009 Hustonville Road, Danville Info: Sasha@kftc.org or 859-358-9713
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
January 8 First day of the 2019 General Assembly
Northern Kentucky Joe Gallenstein, Caitlin Sparks and Dave Newton 640 Main Street • Covington, Ky. 41005 859-380-6103
December 16 Western Kentucky chapter meeting 3 p.m. at 208 Faculty Hall Murray State University Info: Lesley@kftc.org or 270-564-8687 December 17 and January 21 Perry County chapter meetings 5:30 p.m., 420 Main Street, Hazard Info: Jacob@kftc.org or 606-497-9262 December 18 – Holiday Potluck Southern Kentucky chapter with the local Sierra Club chapter, 6:30 p.m. at the Lost River Cave’s River Birch Room 2818 Nashville Rd. in Bowling Green Info: Molly@kftc.org or 502-599-3989 December 18 and January 15 Northern Kentucky chapter meetings and holiday party (December) 7 p.m. at Center for Great Neighborhoods 321 ML King Boulevard, Covington Info: Joe@kftc.org or 859-380-6103 December 20 and January 17 Shelby County chapter meetings 6 p.m. at the Stratton Center 215 Washington Street, Shelbyville Info: Carissa@kftc.org or 502-741-8759 December 20 and January 17 Central Kentucky chapter meetings and holiday party (December), 7 p.m., Episcopal Mission House, 203 E. 4th Street, Lexington Info: Meredith@kftc.org or 859-276-0563
January 8 Big Sandy chapter meeting, 6 p.m., KFTC Prestonsburg office (152 N Lake Drive) Info: Jacob@kftc.org or 606-497-9262 January 19 Pikeville Women’s March & Rally 12 noon-3 p.m., Pikeville City Park Info: Jacob@kftc.org or 606-497-9262 January 21 – Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Please join an activity in your area January 28 (no December meeting) Madison County chapter meeting 7 p.m. at the Berea Friends Meeting House 300 Harrison Road, Berea Info: Sasha@kftc.org or 859-358-9713 February 2 KFTC Steering Committee meeting 10:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Location: TBD Info: Michael@kftc.org or 859-756-4027 Find an occasionally updated list of events at www.kftc.org/calendar
FIELD OFFICES
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 #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 | December 6, 2018
28 | Balancing the Scales
You can help build grassroots power
Here’s what you can do today:
During KFTC’s fall campaign, we’re inviting you to renew your membership and bring others into the work.
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.
Why support KFTC? We build grassroots power. We talk about issues – with each other, with candidates and with lawmakers. We develop community leaders. We work to expand voter rights and build a healthy democracy.
Renew your membership today
We take action on issues you care about.
Your gift of any size will make you a member for another year.
Your membership makes it possible. Give at www.kftc.org/support
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 Mail to: KFTC, PO Box 1450, London KY 40743
Name: _________________________________________ Address: _________________________________________ City: ___________________ State & Zip: _____________ Home Phone: ________________ Cell Phone: ______________ Email: _________________________________________
Make me a Sustaining Giver!
$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.
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:
I would rather make a one-time gift of:
Payment Method:
XS S M L XL 2X Or skip the premium and put more of your donation straight to work.
Check or money order enclosed. Bank withdrawal: Please return this form with a voided check. (Best option for Sustaining Givers) Credit card: Complete card information: Visa Mastercard Am. Express Discover Card Number: __ __ __ __ -__ __ __ __ -__ __ __ __ -__ __ __ __ Expiration Date ___ ___ / ___ ___
Bank Withdrawal/Credit Card Payment Authorization 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: _____________________