March 2013 - balancing the scales

balancing the scales Volume 32 Number 2 March 14, 2013

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In Memory of Betty Howard pg. 3

Broad grassroots effort continues to push for House Bill 70

pg. 5

Think about running for public office in 2014

pg. 6

Members prepare for tax reform Special Session

pg. 7

Testimony describes how clean energy creates jobs

pg. 8

Harlan Hosts Appalachia’s Bright Future Conference

pg. 10

Legislation would halt study health impacts

pg. 12

Rowan County members speak up for their vision

pg. 13

Lexington City Council supports restoration

pg. 14

Shelby County members expand their organizing

pg. 15

Georgetown College students and faculty organize for fairness

pg. 17

I Love Mountains Day energizes citizens for a brighter future

pg. 11

balancing the scales, March 14 , 2013

Table of Contents

balancing the scales is published by Kentuckians For The Commonwealth and mailed third class from Lexington, Kentucky. Reader contri butions and letters to the editor should be sent to 250 Southland Drive Suite #4, Lexington, KY. 40503 or [email protected]. Subscriptions are $20 per year.

Executive Committee Corner page 3In Memory of Betty Howard page 3

Voting Rights UpdateBroad grassroots effort continues to push for House Bill 70 page 5Think about running for public office in 2014 page 6

Economic Justice UpdatesMembers prepare for tax reform Special Session in spring page 7Federal sequester to hurt Kentucky families, cost jobs page 7

New Energy and Transition UpdateTestimony describes how clean energy creates new jobs page 8New Power Leader profile: Steve Wilkins page 8How to help in Ray Tucker’s Electric Co-op Campaign page 9Steering Committee adopts ambitious 2013 Program of Work page 9Appalachia’s Bright Future Conference comes to Harlan page 10

Canary Project UpdatesI Love Mountains Day energizes citizens for a brighter future page 11“Walk” brings message of transition from mountains to capitol page 12Legislation would halt radical mining, study health impacts page 12

Local UpdatesGrowing Appalachia conference sparks ideas and innovation page 13Rowan County members speak up for a vision for east Kentucky page 13Lexington City Council unanimously supports restoration page 14Shelby County members continue to expand their local organizing page 15Fairness, dancing, art – all in a month’s work in Madison page 16Water was central focus at NKY film screening page 16Georgetown College students and faculty organize for fairness page 17Multi-chapter potluck brims with enthusiasm and excitement page 18East Kentucky chapters host at-home meeting with Sen. Smith page 19

Member Profile: Harrison Kirby page 19Dangerous selenium proposal delayed by quick citizen action page 20Calendar page 20

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For bank drafts, return this form with a voided check from the account you wish to have the withdrawal made. Make checks payable to KFTC or the Kentucky Coalition and mail to: KFTC • P.O. Box 1450 • London, Ky. 40743-1450.

Kentuckians For The Commonwealth

is a statewide grassroots social justice orga nization working for a new balance of power and a just society. KFTC uses directaction organizing to accomplish the following goals:

• fosterdemocraticvalues• changeunjustinstitutions• empowerindividuals•overcomeracismandotherdiscrimination• communicateamessageofwhat’spossible• buildtheorganization•helppeopleparticipate• winissuesthataffectthecommonwelfare• havefun

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 toequality,democracyandnonviolentchange.

KFTC Steering Committee

Sue Tallichet, chair Dana Beasley Brown, vice chair

Rick Handshoe, secretary-treasurerMegan Naseman, at-large memberSteveBoyce,immediate past chair

Chapter RepresentativesHomer White, Scott County

Christian Torp, Central Kentucky Ted Withrow, Rowan County

Ben Baker, Northern Kentucky ShekinahLavalle,JeffersonCountyTravisLane,SouthernKentucky

JackBall,HarlanCountyClevelandSmith,PerryCounty

Meta MendelReyes, Madison County Elizabeth Sanders, Letcher County Whitney Blackburn, Floyd County Daniel Morgan, Wilderness Trace

Leslie McBride, Shelby County

Alternates: Rosanne Fitts Klarer, Scott County;Greg Capillo, Central Kentucky; Lisa Bryant, Rowan County; Rick Traud, Northern Kentucky; Nan Goheen, Jefferson County; Alan Smith, Southern Kentucky; Carl Shoupe, Harlan County; Katie Pirotina, Perry County; Steve Wilkins, Madi-son County; Ada Smith, Letcher County; Leah Bayens, Wilderness Trace; Patrick King, Shelby County.


Executive Committee Corner

e-mail any staff member at [email protected] except for Jessica Hays Lucas -- use [email protected],

Beth Howard -- use [email protected], and Beth Bissmeyer -- use [email protected]

KFTC Offices and StaffMAIN OFFICE

Morgan Brown, Robin Daugherty & Burt LauderdaleP.O.Box1450

London,Kentucky40743606-878-2161Fax:[email protected]

FIELD OFFICESLouisville

JessicaGeorge,JerryHardt,AliciaHurle

Carissa Lenfert, and Colette Henderson901 Franklin StreetLouisville,Ky40206

502-589-3188

WhitesburgTanya Turner P.O.Box463

Whitesburg,Ky41858606-632-0051

Central KentuckyTim Buckingham,

JessicaHaysLucas,Beth Howard, Erik

Hungerbuhler, Heather Roe Mahoney, DaveNewtonandOndineQuinn

250PlazaDriveSuite4Lexington,Ky40503

859-276-0563

Northern KentuckyJoeGallenstein859-380-6103

Floyd CountyKristi Kendall and JessieSkaggs

154NorthLakeDrivePrestonsburg,KY41653

606-226-4159

Bowling GreenDenney Breeding270-779-6483

BereaLisaAbbott,BethBiss

meyer,AmyHogg,SaraPenningtonandKevinPentz

140MiniMallDriveBerea,KY40403859-986-1277

Teri Blanton118 Baugh StreetBerea,Ky.40403859-986-1648

by Rick HandshoeKFTC secretary-treasurer

“If there’s one thing we can count on from the Beshear administration, it’s a willingness to sacrifice Kentucky’s water to the coal industry.”

That statement, from a Lexington Herald-Leader editorial, gets proven time and time again. The most recent attempts are in the form of House Bill 424 and a proposed new water quality standard for selenium. Both are designed to let coal companies off the hook for creating water pollution that doesn’t easily wash away with the next rain.

I know that these problems don’t go away. My stream has been dead for several years as a result of pollution from a discharge pipe that carries water off of a mine site now operated by James River Coal. I’ve had state and federal inspectors there, even the governor, yet instead of getting better, the problems have gotten worse to the point where it is a real danger to live along Raccoon Creek. My neighbors and I discovered that watering your garden out of the creek is a way to kill your tomato or sweet potato plants. You can’t use it to water your cattle or chickens, either. I didn’t eat anything from my garden last year. Even with the coal company treating this water constantly, nothing is able to live in the creek. That’s what makes the new selenium standard the governor wants a real problem – it’s not enforceable. He wants to switch from a standard for selenium that tests water to one that tests fish tissue. In the headwaters there are no fish, so they will have to go downstream to do fish sampling. Then who do you point the finger at? From that point, there may be five different coal companies upstream. If they did water testing right at the point of discharge, then they could know if there’s a problem. You could pinpoint the

source of the selenium. That’s why Environmental Protection Commissioner Bruce Scott wouldn’t answer questions about how their proposed selenium standard would be enforced when KFTC and allies met with him twice in February. What happened here on Raccoon Creek illustrates the need for long-term water treatment. That’s where House Bill 424 becomes a problem. In HB 424, the new reclamation bonding pool being set up is specifically prohibited from being used “for long-term treatment of substandard water discharges and subsidence.” And with no “water treatment trusts” that Natural Resources Commissioner Steve Hohmann told KFTC members would be in the bill (taken out because coal companies didn’t want the accountability), then what protection do the people living below these mines have? And how do we protect taxpayers from this potential liability? U.S. EPA inspectors have told me they’ve looked at some areas for 15 years, not as bad as Raccoon Creek, and they’ve never seen an improvement. It’s a sad situation, made worse when the Beshear administration gave a reclamation award to James River Coal subsidiary Laurel Mountain Resources, shortly after the company had been fined $11,000 for water pollution violations. Laurel Mountain is the same company that KFTC and the Sierra Club exposed in December 2011 for unpermitted selenium pollution. It’s too late for where I live. So why do I still have hope? My community is not the only place. There’s still a lot of good places to protect, communities that mining hasn’t impacted yet. KFTC’s new water testing program is a key. Getting a history of how good some of our streams still are will give us information to challenge coal companies when they apply for new permits. It’ll remind us of how good all of our streams can be, and what the cost is when we don’t protect them, with Raccoon Creek as an example of what can happen. Our focus on water means we’re seeing fewer hollow fills, like in Benham and Lynch, where local residents helped slow new mining permits, and Lotts Creek, where the federal EPA forced the company to have fewer hollow fills and ponds.

Litigation around Clean Water Act violations is making a big difference. The settlement last fall with ICG was a victory for people from my house down through Ashland, a victory for everybody downstream. And we’ve been able to at least delay the selenium proposal and bring a lot of scrutiny to what the Beshear administration is trying to do. I was in the head of a holler, where the mining hadn’t gotten to, last summer during the drought. My nephew and I were digging some water seeps my grandfather had shown me, so the animals would have a place to drink, and we actually found some crawdads. That’s an indicator of the health of a stream. That reminded me not to give up hope. I see the attitudes of people changing. People are starting to remember how important our water is, and that this work to protect it is about more than coal. This is about looking past coal, which is what we’ve got to do. Water that is safe is a key to our future. Our good work means that some day the governor will understand this, too.

You can learn more about Rick Handshoe’s situation at: www.kftc.org/rick-handshoes-water

In Memory of...Betty Howard Long-time KFTC member Betty Howard passed way on Monday, February 18. Howard was known in the community for her public service on the Benham Garden Club and as a former mayor of Benham. She was responsible for many of the major projects in Benham, such as the Coal Miner’s Memorial Park and The Coal Miner’s Memorial Theater. “Betty had a vision for Benham that moved us into the 21st Century,” said Carl Shoupe. “She didn’t just dream it up. She figured out what people wanted, how to

fund it, and motivated dozens of people to make it hap-pen. Betty was a wonder woman and Benham wouldn’t be the same without her years of dedication to us.” Others knew Howard as a member of the “Petti-coat Mafia,” a group of strong women who were getting posi-tive work done in the community. Howard and the Benham Garden Club helped with countless KFTC mountain witness tours. She had a strong vision for her community which she shared in the KFTC project “Voices from Black Mountain.”


Issue Summary Status

KFTCSUPPORTSTaxReformHouseBill142

HouseBill142wouldmakeKentucky’staxsystemmorefair,adequateandsustainablewithabroadvarietyoftaxreforms.Itwould raise about $800 million, mostly from income and transactionsthatcurrentlygountaxed.

HB142wasfiledonFeb.5andwasassignedtotheHouseAppropriationsandRevenueCommittee.Ithas8cosponsors.

KFTCSUPPORTSCleanEnergyOpportunityActHouseBill170

HouseBill170wouldcreateaRenewableandEfficiencyPortfolioStandard requiring utilities in Kentucky to get an increasing share oftheirelectricityfromclean,renewablesourcesandenergyefficiency programs. It would also establish a Feedin Tariff that sets a guaranteed rate for renewable energy producers.

TheCleanEnergyOpportunityActwasintroducedonFeb. 5 by Rep. Mary Lou Marzian. It has been assigned totheHouseTourism,Development,andEnergyCommittee. The committee held a “discussion only” hearing on Feb.28.

KFTCSUPPORTSRestorationofVotingRightsAmendmentHouseBill70

HouseBill70,theRestorationofVotingRightsAmendment,callsforaconstitutionalamendmenttoautomaticallyrestorevotingrights to most former felons upon the completion of their sentence.

TheRestorationofVotingRightsAmendmentpassedoutoftheHouseElections,ConstitutionalAmendments&IntergovernmentalAffairsCommitteeonFeb.12byavoteof6-1,andpassedthefullHouse75-25onFeb.20.ItisnowintheSenatebeforetheStateandLocalGovernmentCommittee.

KFTCSUPPORTSStreamSaverBillHouse Bill 86SenateBill29

Thislegislationwillprohibitthedumpingoftoxicminewastesinto“an intermittent, perennial, or ephemeral stream or other water of the Commonwealth.”

TheStreamSaverbillhasbeenfiledintheHouse(HB86)andSenate(SB29)thisyear.HB86hasbeenassignedtotheHouseNaturalResourcesandEnvironmentCommittee.SB29hasbeenassignedtotheSenateNatural Resources and Energy Committee

KFTCOPPOSESReligiousBeliefActHouseBill279

HouseBill279givesindividualstherighttoactorrefusetoactinamannermotivatedbyasincerelyheldreligiousbelief,evenif counter to a law. The bill is written so broadly that it could allow forchallengestoexistinganti-discriminationlawsinKentuckythatprotectindividualsfromdiscriminationinemployment,housingand public accommodations.

HB279passedtheHouse82-7onMarch1.TheHouserefusedtoaddlanguagethatwouldhaveensuredthecontinuedprotectionofcurrentcivilrightslawsinKentucky. The bill made its way quickly through the Senate, withapprovalbytheSeanteJudiciaryCommitteeonMarch6andbythefullSenate,29-6,onMarch7.

KFTCOPPOSESMine Reclamation BondingHouseBill424

HouseBill424istheEnergyandEnvironmentCabinet’sbilltomakeimprovementstothebondingprogramforcoalminereclamation,includingsettingupabondpooltocoverreclamationcostswhenforfeitedbondsareinsufficient(mostofthetime).However,thebillspecificallyprohibitsthefundstobeusedtoaddress longterm water pollution discharges, which are common andusuallyexpensivetotreat.

HB424wastakenfromtheHouseNaturalResourcesandEnvironmentCommitteeandgiventworeadingsontheHousefloor,evenbeforethebillwasheardincommittee.HB424wasnotbroughtupduringaMarch4specialcommitteemeetingcalledspecificallyforthatpurpose,butwasamendedthenextdayataspecialmeetingandthenpassed by the full House 901. It is now in the Senate Natural Resources & Energy Committee and has already receivedonereadingontheSenatefloor.

KFTCOPPOSESWaterQualityExemptionsHouse Bill 165

HouseBill165exemptslandownersfrompermitsandwaterqualitystandardsforrockquarriesontheirownland,iftheexcavatedrockisfortheirownuse.Itwouldbeanexemptioninvitingabuse.

HB165passedtheHouseonFeb.26,91-3.Ithasgonetothe Senate but has not yet been assigned to a committee.

KFTCSUPPORTSIndustrial HempHouseBill33Senate Bill 50

SenateBill50andHouseBill33setuparegulatorystructurebywhichindustrialhempcouldbegrowninKentucky,providedawaiveroffederalrulesisobtained.

HB50isthebillthatismoving.ItwasapprovedbytheSenateAgricultureCommitteeonFeb.11andthefullSenate,31-6,onFeb.14.ItwasapprovedbytheAgriculture and Small Business Committee in the House on March 6 and is now before the House Rules Committee. OnTuesday,March12,Rep.RockyAdkinsfiledaflooramendment, largely rewriting the bill.

2013KFTC’sLegislativeIssuesataglanceHere’s a quick look at the bills KFTC has a position on in the 2013 General Assembly. The KFTC Executive Committee (which serves as

the legislative strategy team) reviews bills and amendments weekly. For a current update, visit www.kftc.org/billtracker.

This information is current through Thursday, March 14. Check the KFTC web site at www.kftc.org/billtracker for updates on these bills and others that are not listed in this issue of balancing the scales, or the Legislative Research Commission web site at

http://lrc.ky.gov/record/10RS/record.htm


Voting Rights UpdateBroad grassroots effort continues to push for House Bill 70 One of KFTC’s major legislative campaigns is to restore voting rights to former felons who have served their debt to society. Kentucky is one of just four states that disenfranchise all former felons unless they can get a partial par-don from the governor. Nearly a quarter million Kentuckians can’t vote because of this law. Kentucky’s answer is House Bill 70, an amendment to the state constitution to restore voting rights to most former felons when they’ve served their debt to society. KFTC members started off the year with a large voting rights coalition meet-ing in Louisville with 40 participants, including representatives from labor groups, faith organizations and a broad range of other community groups. About one third of the participants were former felons themselves. To-gether, a plan was made to move HB 70 forward. When the General Assembly began its 2013 legislative session, KFTC mem-bers launched a broad campaign to raise awareness and connect with legislators by sharing stories of former felons to help legislators relate to the issue and encouraging them to vote yes on HB 70. Members campaigned by getting hundreds of people to call in, send post-cards, write letters, make presentations, submit letters to the editor and go to Frankfort in person to talk to their legis-lators. HB 70 passed the House Elections and Constitutional Amendments Com-mittee with a bipartisan vote of 6 to 1. On one of the many days former fel-ons travelled to talk to legislators, Jason Smith and Sean O’Donley from Eliza-bethtown got to talk to many legislators. This was O’Donley’s first day as a citizen lobbyist in Frankfort. He doesn’t have the right to vote, but has been fighting to get it back for the past six months. “I had no idea it was like this or that people could just flag down their repre-sentative and have a conversation with them. It’s kind of exciting,” he said. “He’s a Republican and I’m more of a Democrat,” said Smith, gesturing to O’Donley. “But I don’t care who people vote for nearly as much as I care about whether they’re allowed to vote. And we should all be allowed to vote.” A little later, HB 70 passed over-

whelmingly on the House floor with a 75 to 25 vote and made it over to the Senate. Representative David Floyd spoke on the House floor in favor of voting rights, asking, “Are felons forever con-demned or can they be restored? I think if you’ve served your debt to society, you’ve served your debt to society. I want the people of Kentucky to vote on this and that’s what HB 70 does.” The very next day, KFTC had six teams of citizen lobbyists in Frankfort talking to senators, and kept it up day after day the entire session. HB 70 gained the support of several new senators, adding to an impressive bloc of support including two members of Senate Republican leadership. But other Senate leaders did not allow it to come to a vote in the Senate. On March 6, members held their largest lobby day in Frankfort focused on voting rights. Despite snowy weather that kept many citizens home, about 260 people raised their voices for voting. Several former felons took the po-dium to share their stories and urge pas-sage of House Bill 70. Aileen Bryant, a former felon from

Louisville, recalled that at one time she was told she’d never amount to any-thing. “Today I am somebody,” she said. She urged those gathered to talk to their legislators about House Bill 70. “We need to let them know we deserve that right. Don’t give up.” Michael Hiser of Bullitt County said he has obtained his bachelor’s degree and is working on a master’s degree since serving his time. He has regained custody of his children and paid $15,000 in back taxes. But he still can’t vote. Ed West, another former felon, said it feels good to be a citizen again, even paying taxes. “It feels good to be re-sponsible and be able to pay a debt.” But gaining voting rights for former felons will take a powerful movement. “We need to continue to voice such powerful voices.” KFTC member Tayna Fogle, who emceed the rally, said she wants to set an example for her two children and seven grandchildren. “I want them to be able to believe in this democracy.” They visited with dozens of law-makers and left hundreds of postcards for Senate President Robert Stivers. In the end, the Senate failed to allow

HB 70 to come to a vote in their chamber despite broad support. But KFTC members are relentless and patient, and are already planning fieldwork in the coming months to build support, put pressure on key senators like Robert Stivers, Katie Stine and Joe Bowen, and explore the possibility of passing city council resolutions like Lex-ington’s in other cities throughout the state.

Tanya Fogle shared her story and pas-sion while emceeing the voting rights rally to pass HB 70.


Voting Rights UpdateThink about running for public office in 2014 There are no scheduled Kentucky elections in 2013, so KFTC mem-bers are putting a lot of the effort they would have put into massive voter registration and mobilization and instead focusing on planning and training for the 2014 elections. Next year, Kentucky will have elections for a U.S. Senate seat, six U.S. House seats, 19 of the 38 state Senate seats, all 100 state House seats, plus many local county and city offices. KFTC encourages members and al-lies to consider running for public office themselves in 2014. Additionally, KFTC will host a candidate training later in the

year to help people prepare to run. One of the most common questions people ask is, “What would that take?” Some general answers include time, dedication, an idea of how to make things better, a solid connection to your community, friends, a willingness to ask others to invest in your campaign, and a lot of drive and self-motivation. It depends a lot on what office you’re interested in running for, but a good way to illustrate the amount of effort it would take to win an elec-tion is to talk about how many (or few) votes it has taken to win differ-ent offices in past similar elections.

Here are some examples – using the 2010 results in most cases since it was the last year Kentucky had a U.S. Senate race in a non-presidential year, similar to how next year will be structured.

• State Representative races, 2010 – 8,290 votes (average). In 2010, only 55 of the 100 state House races were contested in the general election. The 45 other candidates ran with no opposi-tion. Of those 55 contested races, in 33 races the winner received 8,290 votes on average, with winning vote counts as low as 5,120 votes or as high as 15,019 votes. • State Senate races, 2010 – 20,709 votes (average). In 2010, only 13 of the 19 state Senate races were contested in the general election. In the other six, candidates ran with no opposition. Of those 13, the winner received 20,709 votes on average, with win-ning vote counts as low as 16,291 votes or as high as 30,305 votes. • U.S. House of Representatives races, 2010 – 145,387 votes (average). In 2010, the winner received 145,387 votes on aver-age, with winning vote counts as low as 119,812 votes or as high as 155,906 votes. • Lexington Urban County Council races (District), 2010 – 3,363 votes (average). In 2010, 5 of the 12 seats were contested. The winner in those 5 district races received 3,363 votes on average, and winning Lexington council members received vote counts as low as 1,570 votes or as high as 4,210 votes. And of course city and county races of areas less populated than Lexington take fewer votes to win. Dosomeresearchaboutofficesyoumightbeinterestedinrunning for. It might not be as hard to win as you might imagine.

When did you make your last gift to KFTC?

Look at the cover of balancing the scales. Under your name we have listed your

last gift date and amount!

Feel free to donate as you can! Thank you to those who have renewed your dues. We’ve been getting a lot of renewals in the door these past couple of

months. If you haven’t done it yet, you might as well.

The Kentucky Voting Rights Coalition held a meeting in early February to strategize for the legislative session.


Economic Justice UpdatesMembers prepare for tax reform Special Session in spring KFTC members have been working to continue the impressive momentum generated by the Blue Ribbon Commis-sion hearings across the state last year in preparation for an anticipated special legislative session focused on tax reform. At the Economic Justice Lobby Day on Feb. 7, significant cuts had just been announced to the Child Care Assistance Program and the Kinship Care Program. One member explained that her childcare provider expected to close their doors because of the budget cuts, putting all those workers out of the workforce and causing an array of hard choices for the families who depended on it. Jefferson County member Molly Tevis-Orona, who testified at the Blue Ribbon Commission meeting in Louis-ville and was quoted extensively in The Courier-Journal, explained how the cuts to the Child Care Assistance Program will likely impact her family, as well.

Members took these stories and oth-ers stories – of struggles to keep up with tuition increases, of outdated textbooks, of never-ending job searches, and more – to legislators to ask them to finally do something about it by reforming Ken-tucky’s tax structure. Throughout the session, members continued meeting with legislators, reminding them of the overwhelming take-away from the Blue Ribbon meet-ings: Kentuckians want revenue because they believe in what Kentucky can be. Legislators are likely to have an opportunity to act on Kentuckians’ mes-sages during an upcoming special legis-lative session that the governor said he will call for tax reform. Members are currently planning at-home meetings for immediately after the current regular session. If you’d like to help organize a tax reform meeting with your legislators, call Jessica Hays Lucas at 859-276-0563.

The Impact of Kentucky’s Budget Cuts since 2008

On February 5, the governor’s Cabinet Secretary (and former state budget director) Mary Lassiter testified about the dire outlook for the state budget and the programs and people who depend on state fund-ing. This is what she shared with the members of the House and Senate Appropriations & Revenue Committees:

• Budget cuts in the last 5 years have taken $1.6 billion from essen-tial state programs and services, representing about 38% of these agencies’ budgets.

• Legislatorshaveprovidednomoneyfortextbooksinthelastfiveyears.

• Tuition is up over 200 percent at state universities and community colleges since 1998.

• Two-thirdsofstudentswhoqualifyforneed-basedfinancialaid–about 73,000 students – are being denied this assistance because of a lack of funds.

• There are more than 7,000 fewer state employees than there were in 1974 (and they’re doing more work but without a raise in 4 years).

• There has been no increase in funding to Kentucky’s community mental health centers since 1998; support for Kentucky’s behav-ioral health services was once tops in the nation and now we’re ranked 45th . We’re also losing school nurses, who are often the front line of ensuring that our children are healthy.

• Environmentallawsarenotenforcedduetoinadequatestaffing.• 300,000 fewer Meals on Wheels will be served this year than in

2010.• We have fewer state police on the road than we’ve had in a gen-

eration.• School safety programs have been cut by 60%.• There’s a moratorium on applications for the Child Care Assistance

Program in April and a reduction in eligibility for FY 14.• There’s a moratorium on applications for Kinship Care Program.• About 100 additional children entered the foster care system in-

stead of receiving intensive services that would keep them in the family home as a direct result of the elimination of Diversion Ser-vices in Community Based Services.

• Withoutnewrevenue,therewillbea$300millionrevenuedeficitinthefirstyear(FY2014-15)ofthenextbiennialbudget,anda$1billion shortfall by 2020.

Federal sequester to hurt Kentucky families, cost jobs Instead of commonsense tax in-creases on the wealthiest U.S. residents, Congress, in an effort spearheaded by Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell, opted for a series of drastic federal bud-get cuts that took effect on March 1. Be-low is a list of the impacts on Kentucky, taken from a report from The Washing-ton Post. Senator McConnell has said that the budget cuts are “modest.” But the list of impacts on our commonwealth alone suggests that the impact of these cuts will be drastic and long-lasting.

What the sequester means for Ken-tucky:• Head Start and Early Head Start ser-

vices will be eliminated for approxi-mately 1,100 children in Kentucky.

• Up to 500 disadvantaged and vul-nerable children could lose access to child care because of federal budget cuts. This is in addition to the state budget cuts to the Child Care Assis-tance Program.

• In Kentucky around 1,350 fewer

Kentucky children will receive vac-cines for diseases such as measles, mumps, rubella, tetanus, whooping cough, influenza, and Hepatitis B.

• 160 teacher and aide jobs are at risk.

• 21,000 fewer students will be served and approximately 40 fewer schools will receive federal funding.

• About 90 teachers, aides, and staff who help Kentucky’s children with disabilities will lose funding.

• Around 1,710 fewer low-income students in Kentucky will receive aid to help them finance the costs of college.

• Around 470 fewer students will get work-study jobs that help them pay for college.

• Around 16,690 fewer Kentuckians will get the help and skills they need to find employment because of cuts to job search assistance, referral, and placement programs.

• 1,200 fewer people will be admitted to substance abuse programs.

• 2,100 fewer HIV tests will be given.• About 11,000 Department of De-

fense workers will be furloughed in Kentucky, reducing their gross pay by about $54.4 million.

• Kentucky could lose up to $93,000 in funds that provide services to vic-tims of domestic violence, causing up to 400 victims to be denied help.

• Kentucky will lose approximately $677,000 in funds that provide meals for seniors.


Compelling testimony about the benefits of clean energy and energy ef-ficiency incentives and programs was delivered to the House Tourism Devel-opment and Energy Committee on Feb-ruary 28. “This [bill] is a recognition that there are alternatives,” said House Bill 170 sponsor Rep. Mary Lou Marzian. “It’s about jobs , jobs, jobs. We need to start looking at the future and building on what we have in terms of renewables and bio-fuels … [and] making Kentucky residents and Kentucky businesses less vulnerable to rising energy costs.” Electricity usage can be cut 30-50 percent by cutting waste, testified John M. Smith of General Refrigeration. His company specializes in improving ener-gy use at supermarkets and refrigerated warehouses by reclaiming waste heat and water. “We’ve done this in several Ken-tucky area stores … and their electric bill was only $7,500 a month that would normally be in the $12-15,000 a month range,” Smith said. For the businesses he works with, these energy savings translate into low-er food costs for consumers, Smith said. “So it benefits the entire community.” However, utilities need a push to get involved in and be more support-ive of these efforts. “Power companies haven’t given so much consideration to the technical side of heat reclaim [and] upgrades are expensive. We’d like to see the utilities to provide these monetary incentives.” House Bill 170 would require utili-ties to find ways to increase energy ef-ficiency. John A. Smith of Smith Insulation cited similar benefits for residential en-ergy users. He has been in the business of residential energy improvements for 15 years in eastern and central Ken-tucky. “Most homes are less than 30 per-cent efficient,” he testified, meaning that there’s great potential for savings. For the homeowners he has helped, savings range from 30-70 percent. However, “a lot of home owners can’t afford upgrades,” he said. That’s why programs like How$mart, which allow upfront costs to be repaid through savings on energy bills, are so impor-tant. “With the increased work, it’s al-

lowed me to hire additional employees and buy equipment,” Smith said. “This is helping jobs. This is helping individu-als be more comfortable in their homes.” In addition to requiring utilities to find ways to increase energy efficiency, the Clean Energy Opportunity Act would require them to invest in renew-ables, with a goal of generating 12.5 percent of their electricity from these sources within 10 years. John Cotten, the marketing director at Alternative Energy Kentucky in Dan-ville, told the committee of the benefits of supporting this goal. AEK is Ken-tucky’s only solar panel manufacturer. His company is growing, but that’s largely from orders coming from out of state. Job growth could be much more robust if Kentucky committed to di-versifying its energy portfolio, he said. Having renewable goals to get utilities to cooperate would make this happen. “As we continue to look into the future, we do see there are opportunities to level the cost for consumers by diver-sifying the portfolio.”

New Energy and Transition UpdateTestimony describes how clean energy creates new jobs

AEK was involved in the installa-tion of several solar energy systems on farms in the Tennessee Valley Author-ity service area in southern Kentucky. Those farmers were motivated by the feed-in tariff program offered by TVA. A feed-in tariff provides owners of renew-able systems a guaranteed price for the surplus energy they produce. After a typical 7- to 8-year payback period, “the savings for farmers over the long term is an amazing amount of money,” Cotten said. HB 170 would set up a similar feed-in tariff program for all utilities in Ken-tucky. The goal of the legislation is to “fos-ter more of those kinds of partnerships” that the Smiths and Cotten described, said Joshua Bills, a certified energy man-ager with the Mountain Association for Community Economic Development (MACED). There were several questions and comments from legislators, including Rep. Kim King, who wanted to know what would happen if utilities did not

meet the efficiency and renewable goals, and Rep. Tom McKee, who touted the role of agriculture in developing renew-able energy sources. Bill Bissett of the Kentucky Coal As-sociation testified against the bill. “The serious concern is the tremen-dous cost that will be imposed on every consumer,” he said. “HB 170 is about re-defining Kentucky’s energy production … [and] seeks to supplant coal with en-ergy made possible only through public subsidies.” HB 170 does not require any use of public funds. Bissett also said that HB 170 rep-resents a “political mandate” being pushed by “anti-coal activists.” He add-ed that most of the energy “will come from out-of-state sources” rather than using Kentucky coal. Not enough time was allowed to discuss the bill in more depth, and no vote was allowed. Committee chair Rep. Keith Hall said, “I like the task force idea” as a way to continue discussion, but no steps were taken to set this up.

How long have you been involved with KFTC, and how did you get involved? I’ve been a member for about 10 years, but I got actively involved about four years ago when I retired. While I was originally drawn to KFTC’s commit-ment to stop mountaintop removal, the “Stop Smith” campaign (to prevent a new coal-burning power plant) was just ramping up and that’s where I directed my energies. Now, I’m involved in all of KFTC’s efforts that relate to the electric energy sector.

Why did you decide to become a New Power Leader?As KFTC moves toward its goal of 25,000 members, there needs to be a way that the organization can remain accessible, respon-sive and personal. The New Power Leader approach creates intimate clusters where the relationship is still person-to-person. How did you decide whom to include in your New Power cluster? I chose friends. Also, I live in a small cul-de-sac community, so it made sense to include neighbors who were acquaintances. What are some things you’ve done with your cluster?I actually wish I had done more than I have. We had a block party cookout. I’ve also com-municated with many of my cluster on an individual basis. What are your plans or aspirations for your cluster members?I’d like to have more “community conversa-tions.” Ideally, some of my cluster would go on to become a New Power Leader for their own clusters.

What are some of the outcomes you’ve seen?We’ve done letter writing to legislators, and my cluster members have also passed on their desires and concerns, which I am able to relay to others at KFTC. What’s your vision for your commu-nity and Kentucky?My vision is the realization of what we call our state ... a common-wealth. Not a wealth of the wealthy, nor the well-con-nected, nor this part of Kentucky at the expense of this other part. Healthy, sus-tainable communities where all industrial and extractive activities balance profits with the welfare of the communities in which they operate. A common-wealth with a tax base that is adequate and gained in a fair and balanced way. What do you think would be the impact of having 1,000 New Power Leaders in Kentucky?Well, if each NPL had a cluster of 10-15 households, KFTC would have lobbying potential powerful enough to counterbal-ance those whose dollars buy them an in-side track to legislative decision-making.

New Power Leader profile: Steve Wilkins


Steering Committee adopts ambitious 2013 Program of Work In its first meeting of 2013, the KFTC Steering Committee celebrated the work of last year and approved the Program of Work for this year. The Program of Work is a guiding document that includes specific objectives for the year for all of KFTC’s strategies and campaigns. At the February 9 meet-ing, Steering Committee members and staff gave brief presentations in each cat-egory that touched on accomplishments in 2012 and lifted up priorities for 2013. In speaking about diversity, one of KFTC’s fundamental strategies, Meta Mendel-Reyes of Madison County said, “I think our commitment to diversity has three parts.” She described these parts as commitment to ourselves, commitment to Kentucky and commitment to our future. These commitments mean mak-ing sure everyone thrives and ending oppression in all its forms. KFTC vice chairperson Dana Beasley Brown of Bowling Green described lead-ership development, a primary KFTC strategy: “Our purpose firstmost is to create leaders and get people involved

in our democracy.” KFTC doesn’t want to be an internet-only organization, she said, stressing the importance of per-sonal relationships built within KFTC. KFTC’s strong and growing voter empowerment work is another primary strategy. Central Kentucky member Christian Torp shared highlights from the 2012 voter work, including KFTC’s registration of nearly 5,000 new voters. The committee also discussed the importance of the 2014 elections in Ken-tucky, which will include races for the U.S. Senate and House. Member Homer White of Scott County encouraged the group to re-member KFTC’s emphasis on telling our stories and lifting up a positive mes-sage, whatever the political landscape. “I think this is just a great time not to be politically wily,” he said. Steve Wilkins of Madison County encouraged the committee to think about how the 2014 elections might be “an opportunity for us to build our is-sues and get them front and center.” The day-long meeting also touched

New Energy and Transition UpdateHow to help in Ray Tucker’s Electric Co-op Campaign In the last issue of balancing the scales, we told you about Ray Tucker, former KFTC chairperson and Pulaski County farmer, who is running for the board of directors of the South Kentucky Rural Electric Cooperative. Since that time, Tucker’s name has been officially placed on the ballot, and his campaign is gearing up. And he can use your help. Tucker is running to not only make his co-op more open to member par-ticipation, energy savings programs and clean energy, but he wants to use this op-portunity to build a strong community in the South Kentucky area that works together for a brighter future. Beyond his campaign goal of getting elected to the board, Tucker wants to increase democratic participation and build sup-port for KFTC in the area. This is where others can help. For Tucker to accomplish his goals, lots of folks will need to be having one-to-one interactions with lots of other folks in the southern Kentucky area around Som-erset, including in Pulaski, McCreary, Wayne, Clinton, and Russell counties.

What can you do to help Tucker’s campaign?

• Visit Tucker’s website at www.Ray-ForSouthKentucky.com and watch his inspiring campaign video;

• Send an email about Tucker’s web-site and campaign video to people you know in the South Kentucky area. Ask them to fill out the survey on his “I Want to Hear From You” page;

• “Like” Tucker’s campaign page on Facebook and encourage people you know who are interested in democ-racy, transparency, energy efficiency and clean energy to do the same. You don’t have to be in the South Kentucky area to like the campaign. Building excitement throughout Kentucky for his campaign will help. His Facebook page is here: facebook.com/RayFor-SouthKentucky;

• Sign-up to make phone calls to talk with South Kentucky RECC members about Tucker’s campaign. KFTC will host “virtual” phone banks during the first week of April with a goal of reaching at least 3,000 co-op mem-bers in three days. Lots of folks from

throughout KFTC’s membership are excited to make calls together about Tucker’s campaign. If you have a computer and a phone, you can be a great help. Contact Tucker at [email protected] to let him know you want to make calls.

Tucker wants RECC customers to imagine the progress that can be made

if people in the local South Kentucky area, as well as KFTC members from Shelbyville to Elliotsville, from Law-renceburg to Whitesburg, are spreading the word about the potential for New Power in Kentucky: new democratic people power, new clean energy power, and new economic power in the form of energy savings and the local jobs that can be created in the co-ops.

on the Kentucky General Assembly, national discussions around climate jus-

tice, and ideas for inviting more college students into KFTC’s work.

Ray Tucker talks with friends, neighbors and KFTC members about why he is running for the South Kentucky Rural Electric Cooperative board at a house party he hosted at his Solar Place Farm on March 3.

Steering Committee members (left to right) Megan Naseman, Ben Baker, Lisa Aug and Patrick King listen intently during a discussion.


New Energy and Transition UpdateAppalachia’s Bright Future Conference comes to Harlan An exciting three-day conference on the challenges and opportunities facing eastern Kentucky and ways to shape a just transition for the region has been announced by KFTC. “Appalachia’s Bright Future: A Conversation on Shap-ing a Just Transition” will take place in Harlan April 19-21 and is open to all who care about the future of the region. “I come from a long line of hard-working Appalachian people. My great grandfather worked in timber. My grandfather and father were coal min-ers. I was a coal miner. And I’m proud to tell you that my son is one of the best underground miners I know,” Harlan County KFTC member Carl Shoupe said recently. “But the world we’ve known is changing. It’s changing fast, and we have to change too. I do believe that we can have a bright future here in Ken-tucky, including in eastern Kentucky. We can create new jobs, we can have safe energy, and we can live in healthy com-munities.” Those ideas were echoed by Letcher County member Elizabeth Sanders, who said, “More and more, people are rec-ognizing that we need to transition. But we don’t want any transition. We want a just transition – one that is equitable to all. “The debate we need is bigger than jobs. It’s about the kind of jobs we want and deserve. We need to think longer term and make economic decisions that are good for our land and our people,” she added. “It’s clear to most people that rapid economic transition is already underway in eastern Kentucky. In this moment of rapid change, we have an opportunity, if we pull together, to build

a bright future.” The conference program will high-light positive examples of economic transition from eastern Kentucky and other Central Appalachian communi-ties. Panelists will also include guests from places that have been through major economic upheaval, including Wales, the north Atlantic, the Pacific Northwest, and rural Pennsylvania. The program will engage partici-pants in many ways, including through art, music and theater as well as more traditional conference formats. Addi-tional program details can be found at www.kftc.org/abf. More than a dozen workshops will focus on promising pathways for job creation and community development in areas like renewable energy, land and stream restoration, arts and culture, broadband internet access, sustainable forestry, and energy efficient affordable housing. Additional workshops will explore what a just transition in eastern Ken-tucky means, and what it will take, from the perspective of journalists, workers, and young people in the region. This event is open to all people who are interested in shaping a bright future in eastern Kentucky and Central Appa-lachia. Registration fees are on a sliding scale of $5 to $100, which covers the cost of all conference programs and several meals. Information about lodging is avail-able on the registration form, including places to reserve a room and ways to request a lodging scholarship. Do act soon, however, because many of the rooms reserved in local hotels are only guaranteed through March 19.

April 19-21HarlAn, KentucKyhArlan Center

For information and to register, visit www.kFtC.org/abf

Below is a simplified agenda for the conference. Visit www.kftc.org/ABF for a more detailed schedule.Friday, April 191 pm Optional pre-conference tours —various locations in Harlan County5 pm Conference registration & info expo at the Harlan Convention Center7 pm Opening Session at Harlan Convention CenterThis session will feature film clips and a discussion with guests from the Appalachian region and Wales about that country’s experience before, during and after coal mining ended in the 1980s.

Saturday, April 208 am Conference registration and information expo continue at Harlan Center9 am Welcome and Opening Plenary: Perspectives on a Just Transition

This opening session will feature presentations and discussion about key oppor-tunities and challenges we face as a region and perspectives on a just transition.

11 am Panel: Transition StoriesThis panel will explore Transition Stories from other communities and regions that have been through economic upheaval.

12 pm Lunch and time to network and enjoy the information tables1 pm Workshops

Arts and culture; Community-Based Transition Efforts; Local Food Economy; Entrepreneurship; Broadband Internet Access; A Conversation About Transi-tion from the Perspective of Local Journalists.

3 pm Forum TheaterThis session is an opportunity to test out and practice honest, hard and con-structive conversations about the future of eastern Kentucky.

5 pm Break6:30 pm Dinner and Concert

We’ll relocate to the East Kentucky Social Club in Lynch for an evening of great food, music and fellowship. An evening performance will start at 7:30 pm and feature guests Anna Roberts-Gewalt, Chris Owen, the Mount Sinai Spirituals, and other local artists and musicians.

Sunday, April 218 am Breakfast served at convention center9 am Workshops

Community Assessments As A Tool For Local Development; Energy Efficient, Affordable Housing; Sustainable Forestry; Land And Stream Reclamation; Models For Providing Long-Term Investment In The Region; A Conversation About Transition From The Perspective Of Workers.

10:45 am Closing SessionIn this final session we’ll invite reflections about the weekend from panelists and participants. We’ll enjoy a presentation of a mural and other artwork cre-ated during the conference. And we’ll discuss ways to move forward and make progress on good ideas.


Canary Project UpdatesI Love Mountains Day energizes citizens for a brighter future KFTC members and friends cel-ebrated their hope for Appalachia’s Bright Future at the annual I Love Mountains Day march and rally in Frankfort on Valentine’s Day. “I believe in Harlan County’s Bright Future, in Kentucky’s Bright Future, in Appalachia’s Bright Future,” member Carl Shoupe of Benham told the crowd on the capitol steps. “But we must do more than want it. We have to dream it. We have to build it and protect it, to-gether. We have to demand it and work for it every day. We have to organize for it and we have to vote for it.” More than 1,100 people met at the Kentucky River and marched up Capi-tal Avenue to call for New Power – new energy, economic and political power

– and an end to mountaintop removal and other destructive mining practices that threaten our mountains, water, air and health. Twelve-year-old Ella Corder of Somerset, winner of the first I Love Mountains Day essay contest, read from her winning esay at the rally. “We all have a fire in our hearts. It may have started as a small, weak, flick-ering flame, but it grew, as does our love for our treasured mountains. We need to use that burning fire to stand up for what we believe in and let our voices be heard.” Keynote speaker Silas House chal-lenged those gathered to take action. “For the past decade, KFTC has actively worked toward solutions with four main goals: enforcing existing laws, passing stronger laws where needed to protect health and environment, devel-oping a diverse and sustainable local economy, and, lastly, developing clean energy solutions in the region. New Power.” Elizabeth Sanders, who left the mountains with her family before high school and than returned as an adult, said, “Like many people I know, I re-ject the idea that people have to leave eastern Kentucky if they want oppor-tunities and a good life. Some people will choose to leave; that’s their call. But many of us are choosing to stay, or choosing to come back. We love this place. We are committed to building a better future here.” People traveled from across Ken-tucky and beyond – some for the first time and others as an annual tradition. “Every time I do something with KFTC, it’s energizing and inspiring,” said Perry County member Katie Piro-tina. “It gives you energy. When you’re with a big group of people, you know

you’re in this together and are sharing this experience.” “I’m here because I’m so frustrated with mountaintop removal, and it’s just got to stop,” said first-timer Jenny Neat of Frankfort. “It’s destroying mountains we’ll never have again and people are getting sick and the water’s getting pol-luted, and it’s just got to stop.”

Twelve-year-old Isaac Owens of Floyd County made the long trip to Frankfort and even got his picture taken with the lieutenant governor. He left a note for Rep. Greg Stumbo: I am 12 years old and I want my kids when I grow up to be able to see all the beautiful mountains and be healthy and not have orange water like I do. PLEASE HELP!

I Love Mountains Day speakers (left to right): KFTC Chairperson Sue Tallichet, retired miner Carl Shoupe, Kentucky author Silas House, Ella Corder, and Elizabeth Sanders.

Not only is I Love Mountains Day a time to celebrate but it is a time to educate youth about state government. Twelve-year-old Isaac Owens of Floyd County made the long trip to Frankfort and even got his picture taken with the lieutenant governor.

More than 1,100 people travelled to Frankfort to march and rally for a clean energy future for Kentucky.


Canary Project Update“Walk” brings message of transition from mountains to capitol

by Sarah-Jane Poindexter

From February 1-14, Footprints for Peace, a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating change through peaceful ac-tions, conducted its annual “Walk for a Sustainable Future.” To raise awareness about the negative effects of mountaintop removal on Ken-tucky communities, the group walked ap-proximately 150 miles from Prestonsburg to Frankfort, starting with a mountaintop removal site tour with KFTC member Rick Handshoe and Floyd County orga-nizer Kristi Kendall and culminating at the state capital for I Love Mountains Day. I had the privilege of joining this diverse and inspiring “community of walkers” for a number of days on the road. Approximately half of the group were Kentuckians. The other half were Buddhist monks, Veterans for Peace, a documentary filmmaker, and activists, mostly from the Ohio Valley and Appala-chian region. Our representative from the Kentucky coalfields was Russell Oliver of Perry County, making his fifth walking trip with Footprints. When asked why he chose to partici-pate in the walk, Oliver said, “Because it was a way that I could express my op-position to mountaintop removal and encourage a sustainable future to supply jobs for people in Kentucky. The I Love Mountains Day rally takes the message

to the politicians at the capitol; the walk through the coalfields takes the message to the people of the coalfields. Politicians can help the people, but the people them-selves must become aware of their own needs and find local solutions through the empowerment of people.” In years past, Footprints encountered a few hostile comments, but according to Oliver, “We have been treated nicer every year. This year a woman came out of a gas service station and waved at us. One church minister invited us on a cold day to come into his church and warm up with refreshments. Several cars stopped and said that they supported us.” A typical day started early: morning prayer led by the monks, packing up of sleeping bags and supplies, a communal breakfast, then embarking on the road. Weathering a fickle February, our walks averaged 12 to 15 miles a day with short breaks every three miles, a lengthier lunch rest, and an ever-present support vehicle. Each evening we entered a new com-munity and settled into our lodgings, always donated at the generosity of local allies. Communal dinners and conversa-tions further strengthened the bonds we formed on the road. Early to bed, we start-ed again the next day, journeying among the Kentucky landscape and peoples that make our state unique and irreplaceable. As our group neared Frankfort, the country roads gradually became more

urban, and as we were joined by increas-ing numbers of supporters, the foot traffic grew heavier until eventually we were absorbed into the thousands of citizens marching up Capital Avenue toward the statehouse. Footprints participant Bob Thompson metaphorically compared the journey to the many streams running into a river, a literal evocation of our cause’s adage, “We all live downstream.” I heartily encourage KFTC members to join this allied organization in 2014 for the annual march from the coalfields to the capital. Walk for just one day, one hour, or perhaps simply use your local

network to arrange overnight accommo-dations or other amenities for the group. Lastly, I would encourage KFTC members to help connect the walkers with the communities through which they pass by hosting potlucks or facilitating other community events. One of the greatest strengths of the KFTC membership is facilitating dialogue. Increased commu-nity engagement through partnership between KFTC and Footprints will help to make our shared mission all the more ef-fective. In the words of Footprints walker Larry Crane, together, “we can carry the banner for all those who we pass.”

Legislation would halt radical mining, study health impacts The Appalachian Community Health Emergency Act (H.R. 526) – leg-islation that would require the first com-prehensive federal study of the health dangers of mountaintop removal coal mining – was introduced in Congress last month by Rep. John Yarmuth of Ken-tucky and Rep. Louise Slaughter of New York. H.R. 526 would place a moratorium on all new mountaintop removal mining permits while federal officials examine health consequences to surrounding communities. “Every American has a right to live and work in a community free from en-vironmental health risks,” said Slaugh-ter, a native of Harlan County, Kentucky. “And it is our duty to ensure that this right is not infringed upon by industries that consider community health and

environmental protection to be less im-portant than their profit margins.” “Mountaintop removal coal mining destroys entire ecosystems and con-taminates the water supplies in mining communities, making people sick and jeopardizing their safety,” said Yarmuth. “This legislation will provide families in these communities the answers they need and the protection they deserve. If it can’t be proven that mountaintop re-moval mining is safe, we shouldn’t allow it to continue.” There is a growing body of evidence that people living near mountaintop re-moval coal mining are at an elevated risk for a range of major health problems. About 20 recent peer-reviewed stud-ies have examined the question more systematically and revealed compelling results.

“All the research points to what mountain people have known since mountaintop removal began: It is not possible to destroy our mountains with-out destroying ourselves,” said KFTC member Bev May, a family nurse practi-tioner and resident of Floyd County, in a Yarmuth press release. “It’s not possible to poison our streams without poison-ing our children for untold generations to come. The research is not complete, but there’s more than enough research to justify an immediate moratorium on mountaintop removal.” One peer-reviewed study in Environ-mental Research found that communities near mountaintop removal mining sites showed elevated levels of birth defects – including circulatory and respiratory problems and damage to the central ner-vous system, musculoskeletal and gas-

trointestinal systems – when compared with communities surrounding non-MTR mines. “I will have to make a lot of im-portant choices in my life, but of all the major choices I will have to make, won-dering whether or not it’s safe to birth my future children in my homeland of eastern Kentucky should not even have to register on that list,” said Ivy Brashear, a fifth-generation Perry Countian who is a graduate student in the Community and Leadership Development Program at the University of Kentucky. “I, nor any other young woman who wishes to have children in the place of their own birth, should ever have to think about the ramifications our future children might have to endure simply from living where our families have lived for generations.” H.R. 526 has 26 cosponsors.

Footprints for Peace hosted its annual “Walk for a Sustainable Future” that began in Floyd County and ended in Frankfort at I Love Mountains Day.


Save The Date: 2013 Annual Meeting, August 16-18, General Butler State Park

The fourth annual Growing Ap-palachia conference, an event hosted by the Floyd County KFTC Chapter, was a great success. Nearly 120 people turned out on March 9 for a day of workshops about ways to earn and save money through small-scale agriculture, energy efficien-cy and renewable energy. “Twelve months ago, if I heard the name KFTC I’d probably move fast in the other direction,” said one participant. “But I’m amazed to learn more about the organization and all the different work you are doing.” Throughout the day workshops were offered on topics ranging from ex-tending the growing season to harvest-ing wild edibles and medicinal herbs, and from building low-cost, low-energy homes to do-it-yourself energy efficiency strategies. Other classes focused on small-scale dairy production and beginning organic gardening. Participants also enjoyed workshops on canning food, renewable energy in the mountains, and commu-nity supported agriculture. Many sessions were led by local KFTC members, while others were taught by experienced farmers and hous-

ing contractors who donated their time. Over lunch, a panel of local entre-preneurs discussed their challenges and successes in building new business opportunities in eastern Kentucky. One panelist, Floyd County farmer Todd Howard, described his journey from being laid off in 2010 to starting to farm and helping to build a thriving Floyd County farmers’ market. “I think we are just scraping the sur-face of what the local food economy can be here,” Howard said. Amelia Kirby, who together with her husband launched a successful restau-rant and bar in downtown Whitesburg, also shared her experiences with a start-up business. “We thought about the kinds of things that we leave eastern Kentucky for. We leave town for better food, live music and art. So that’s what we’ve worked to create. We found there are tons of resources and capacity in our lo-cal community. We’ve been able to draw on the amazing skills and strength of lo-cal people. And a lot of pieces sort of fell together.” A third panelist, Berea College pro-fessor David Cooke, described lessons he’s learned about entrepreneurship in

Local UpdatesGrowing Appalachia conference sparks ideas and innovation

the mountains over many years as an ex-tension agent in southern West Virginia. “Do something you love,” he urged. “Starting a new business is going to take everything you’ve got. So make sure it’s something you love to do.” The Floyd County chapter is already

discussing their plans for 2014 and workshops they plan to offer through-out the year. If you would like to join the ongoing discussion, join us on the Facebook group "Growing Appala-chia" at https://www.facebook.com/groups/424672807618375

by Annie Adams

The Rowan County chapter has been raising public awareness about the debt the coal industry owes to east-ern Kentucky and the voice citizens should have in the legislature. On February 26, members of the chapter published two substantial commentaries in The Morehead News that urged residents to take control of the resources and processes that are rightfully theirs. Responding to an editorial that er-roneously claimed that “Kentucky coal has taken a beating from the federal government and environmentalists and, as a result, statewide production is down sharply,” Sue Tallichet rightly countered that the production of rela-tively cheap natural gas, the depletion

Rowan County members speak up for a vision for east Kentuckyof “‘economically recoverable’ coal in central Appalachia,” and the abun-dance of “surface-mined coal from the West’s Powder River Basin” have all “resulted in a sharp decline in the de-mand for central Appalachian thermal coal used for generating electricity.” Instead of worrying how the “last gasp of eastern Kentucky’s coal mining” benefits the industry and its friends, Tallichet argued, we should be focusing on the people and the land that will remain long after the compa-nies have gone. Raising coal severance taxes – and making them “permanent to pay for more scholarships, for programs to retrain former coal miners and to take more serious steps toward investing in renewable resources and diversifying eastern Kentucky’s economy” – is the

only way for the region to move for-ward into a new economy. In a letter to the editor, Bob Burns and Lisa Bryant cautioned residents about the “preferred alternative” se-lected for the KY Route 32 Improve-ment Project. Noting that the purported “alter-native” for “improvement” is actu-ally the construction of a new highway right next to the existing KY 32, Burns and Bryant underscored the real cost of such a proposal: not only will “the tax-payers of Rowan and Elliott counties … soon be paying for the maintenance of the ‘old’ sections of KY 32,” but the “preferred alternative will cost [all Kentuckians] more than a staggering $100,000,000 for 13 miles of new road” and “require the state to seize with em-inent domain and buy many hundreds

of additional acres of private land.” The people of Elliott and Rowan counties, Burns and Bryant argued, have already spoken, repeatedly ask-ing for the Practical Solutions Alterna-tive that will preserve the scenic by-way. Stressing that there is “still time to stop this boondoggle,” Burns and Bryant urged citizens to call Represen-tative Rocky Adkins and attend the public meetings to make the Trans-portation Cabinet accountable to the citizens. Bryant also published a letter in The Trailblazer, the student newspaper of Morehead State University, decrying the destructive practice of mountain-top removal and exhorting all people who care about the region to join KFTC at I Love Mountains Day.

Participants enjoyed a locally sourced lunch at the Growing Appalachia conference.


Local UpdatesLexington City Council unanimously supports restoration

by Abigail Dority

On February 28, the Central Ken-tucky KFTC Chapter celebrated a local victory that had been a year in the mak-ing. Working with the Lexington Fayette Urban County Government, local allies and coalition members, KFTC members were instrumental in the passage of a resolution showing Lexington’s sup-port of House Bill 70. If passed in the Kentucky legisla-ture, this bill would place on the state-wide ballot a constitutional amendment that, if approved, would allow the automatic restoration of voting rights to most former felons after they’ve served their debt to society. The Lexington resolution did not, in and of itself, change the law, but it did serve as a powerful testament. In no uncertain terms, the resolution makes clear that Lexingtonians believe that former felons should be able to vote once their debt to society has been paid, and that the citizens of Kentucky should be able to decide this issue by a vote, without the impediment of politi-cians in the capital. For many, the passage of this reso-lution was in some ways a homecom-ing. At the start, it was members of the Central Kentucky chapter who first brought the voting rights issue to the attention of KFTC after encountering countless frustrated former felons dur-ing voter registration drives. But after seven years of tireless lobbying and constant road blocks in

Frankfort, the Central Kentucky chapter decided to take this issue back to the local level. It was their belief that with the support of local government bodies, the Kentucky Senate (where the bill had stalled several years in a row) would feel more pressure to put HB 70 up for a vote. Twelve months and hundreds of hours went into meetings, emails and phone calls. Their efforts culminated in February in a public hearing and the subsequent unanimous passage of the resolution. The public hearing was an example of how political leaders, community groups and individuals can come to-gether to make our system work. In a packed room, council members listened intently to their constituents tell their stories and plead their case for the pas-sage of Councilman Chris Ford’s resolu-tion. Many of the people who testified at the hearing offered statistics that pointed to the injustice and discrimina-tion inherent in our voting rights laws. Others offered up personal stories of loss, redemption, and perseverance. While the statistics related to Ken-tucky’s voting restoration policy are shocking, they don’t tell the whole story. The numbers don’t convey the true sum of damage: the humiliation, the hurt, the hopelessness. For it is only in the stories of those affected that one can hold the wreckage in his hands and bear witness. If you have not been fortunate enough to hear some of the first-hand accounts of how our voting laws affect

the former felons that reside in the commonwealth, seek them out. They will break your heart, hum-ble your soul, and hopefully, inspire you to action. But their sto-ries are not mine to tell. My story is one of collateral damage and com-munity. It alludes to the sad truth of what we all lose when we stand idly by, while our brethren are

stripped of their civil rights and dignity. Fifteen years ago my elder brother found himself on the street at the age of 16. I’ll be the first to admit he was not an easy child. He and my parents fought for what seemed like years. Feeling ex-hausted with his difficult behavior and failed attempts at reform, my parents asked him to leave. And while things settled down for the rest of my family, my brother’s penchant for trouble con-tinued. Instead of acting as the reality check it was meant to be, independence only accelerated his fall to the bottom. In less than two years my brother was arrested, convicted and sent to prison on felony charges. While in prison, my brother, like many other inmates before him, began to get his life together. He took every opportunity for self-betterment that was offered. In anticipation of freedom, he fought to put together a semblance of the skills he would need to survive in the outside world. Upon release, he was more than ready to start over. Unfortunately, his rosy view of re-entry was soon shattered. Kentucky didn’t see the new man he had become or the great man he hoped to be. Ken-tucky only saw a valueless criminal that couldn’t be trusted with our most basic

and yet most sacred right. And so, feel-ing ashamed and angry, he decided to leave Kentucky and move to a state that recognized his rights and treated him with the dignity he knew he deserved. In his new home, my brother went about the business of making a life. And while he still faced obstacles from his past, he never considered failure. Tire-lessly, he toiled to create a life he could be proud of. He started by going back to school, and in four years graduated summa cum laude from the university. While in school, he met and married a wonderful woman and together they started a business that went on to be very successful and very lucrative. But his success was about more than dollar bills and IRAs. He and his wife are now vibrant members of their community. They pay their taxes, hire local folks, volunteer their time and money, and actively campaign for the politicians they believe in. What more could be asked of any citizen? I often ask my brother if he’d ever consider moving back to Kentucky. He always answers with a question of his own. He asks me why, after spending his entire adult life putting his past be-hind him, he would consider moving to a state that would forever see him as a

KFTC members and allies gathered with Council Member Chris Ford after his resolution to restore voting rights to former felons was unanimously approved to be on the docket for the February 28 LFUCG Council meeting. Subsequently, the measure passed the council unanimously and was presented to the governor and members of the House and Senate at the March 6 Voting Rights lobby day.

Central Kentucky chapter members worked with council member Chris Ford for more than a year to win support for the resolution to support former felons. Members also met with each LFUCG council member, the vice-mayor and mayor. (continued on next page)


Local UpdatesShelby County members continue to expand their local organizing

criminal. And I can’t blame him. Changing this law is about more than hurt feelings or high ideals; it’s about loss. And it’s a loss we can ill afford. With unemployment high and budget reserves low, how can we stand to lose our most precious re-source? Want to know how a community dies? Travel a little east or west and visit the empty hollers and dy-ing towns of our neighboring counties. Communities

need talent and ideas and taxes to survive. They need people to start businesses, and yell at school boards. They need people to watch each other’s kids and feed each other’s cats. They need people to vote for good politicians to make our state great and people to give those same politicians hell when they don’t. My brother is not the only former felon to leave this state for better pastures, but hopefully with the passage of this resolution and HB 70, he will be one of the last.

Film “Anne Braden: Southern Patriot” screened in Lexington

to enthusiastic crowd

More than 100 people gathered to view Appalshop’s first-person documentary Anne Braden: Southern Patriot on February 28 at the Central Library’s Farish Theater in Lexington The documentary chronicles the life of Anne Braden, an American civil rights leader who was charged with sedition for attempting to desegregate a Louisville neighborhood in 1954. Braden used the attack to embrace a life-time of racial justice organizing. “We made the film because Anne Braden had an extraordinary story to tell of personal transformation leading to a lifetime of racial justice organizing,” said filmmaker Mimi Pick-ering. “Although historians consider her one of our great civil rights leaders, she is little known even in Kentucky. Perhaps this is because she is a woman, because she was a strategist who worked behind the scenes, or maybe her message of our responsibility to undo white supremacy made many people uncomfortable. Anne Lewis and I hope the film will encourage new generations to follow in Anne Braden’s footsteps.” Janet Tucker, a long-time KFTC member who worked alongside Braden, introduced the film and filmmaker and spoke of her admira-tion of the civil rights activist. “Our children and grandchildren will not read about Anne Braden in their history books, unfortunately. It is up to us to keep this history alive. Tonight is an important first step,” Tucker said. After the screening, KFTC member Tanya Torp spoke to the audience about the issues of race and class that still exist in her neigh-borhood, such as gentrification, poverty, food deserts and the need to restore voting rights to former felons. She challenged the audience to get involved as a way to continue Anne Braden’s work. Torp asked the audience to stand on their feet and in the tradition of the Civil Rights Movement she led them in song. “Once we sang ‘I Woke Up This Morning with My Mind Stayed on Freedom’ together, twice . . . we were family” Torp said.

For more information about Anne Braden: Southern Patriot, go to annebradenfilm.org or appalshop.org.

LFUCG supports restoration of voting rights(continued from previous page)

by Lisa Aug

KFTC’s Shelby County chapter has launched a year of action on fairness, new energy, membership and fundraising. Members lobbied Shelby County Rep. Brad Mon-tell and Sen. Paul Hornback on the Stream Saver Bill and Clean Energy Opportunity Act and marched in the rally on I Love Mountains Day. The next week, on the Fairness Lobby Day, they lobbied Montell and Hornback again on the anti-dis-crimination and anti-bullying bills. Montell accepted a packet of information from Shelby members, and Hornback agreed to speak to the Judiciary Committee chair about getting an informational hearing for the fairness bills. Members also lobbied Montell and Hornback on the Voting Rights bill. Member Carlen Pippin is working closely with the Public Service Commission on transparency and fair elections at Shelby Energy rural electric co-op. He also got a commitment from Rep. Montell to work on changing the proxy voting process. Montell, a Shelby Energy member-owner, called proxy voting “undemo-cratic.”

With the encouragement of Fairness Coalition leader Chris Hartman, members plan to keep pushing the Shelbyville City Commission and Shelby County Fiscal Court to adopt a Fairness Ordinance. The re-cent adoption of a simple ordinance in Vicco in Perry County gives Shelby members a stronger argument, and they will use it. To promote membership and collect signatures on the petition to Shelby Energy for a Members’ Bill of Rights, Shelby members will have a table at the Cham-ber of Commerce Showcase in Shelbyville on March 16. This annual event draws 2,500 visitors, and members will distribute KFTC brochures and newsletters and solicit new members as well as signatures for the Mem-bers’ Bill of Rights petition to Shelby Energy. Shelby KFTC’s first fundraiser will be Trivia Night on March 22. Teams of 8 people will compete, and ad-mission is $10 per person. Two teams have signed up already, but there’s room for several more. Free pizza, beverages and dessert will be offered, plus door prizes. Email Ann Ellerkamp at [email protected] to register a team. The next Shelby KFTC meeting is Thursday, March 21 at 6 p.m. at the Stratton Center, 215 Washington Street, Shelbyville. Everyone is welcome.

GatheryourfriendstoshowoffyourknowledgeofTrivia.Teamsof8people will compete to answer questions in 10 categories.

JoinusFriday,March22attheStrattonCenter,215WashingtonStreet,Shelbyville,6:30p.m.to10:00p.m.

Entry fee is $10 per person; includes pizza, snacks and drinks. Teams can buy a bonus question in each category for $5 each. There will also be rafflebagsofgentlyuseditems.

First prize is uncontested bragging rights for your team, and aninvitationtodefendyourtitleatnochargeatthenextTriviaNight.

Toreservespaceforyourteam,[email protected]

TRIVIA NIGHT$10

Mar. 22

6:00PM


Local UpdatesFairness, dancing, art – all in a month’s work in Madison

Save The Date: 2013 Annual Membership Meeting is August 16-18 at General Butler State Park

by Cory Lowery

The Madison County Chapter hit the ground running this year, both in terms of fundraising and collaboration with allied organizations, old and new. Madison County members have continued to join with Bereans for Fair-ness to fight for the rights of Berea’s LGBT residents by working with Berea’s Human Rights Commission (HRC) and organizing public events like the Build-ing a Better Berea reception. The reception, hosted by Berea Cof-fee and Tea, gave Berea residents the chance to talk to members of the HRC and to hear about the commission’s plans for the new year. The momentum Bereans For Fair-ness built this year culminated in an an-nouncement from Mayor Steve Connel-ly that he would pass an executive order extending domestic partner benefits to Berea’s LGBT employees, describing his action as “the right thing to do.” Members of the chapter and their allies in Bereans For Fairness (led by KFTC member Kate Grigg) agree that it was the right thing to do, but will continue fighting until civil rights are extended to all Bereans, gay or straight.

The Madison County chapter has al-ready found fun ways to fundraise this year with a pair of events in February. The first was a pie auction and dance organized in collaboration with Berea’s Oh Contraire dancers, who lent call-ers and a dance floor for members and Berea residents to dance and haggle for pies. The dance was a success both in terms of fundraising and the forging of new relationships with allied organiza-tions. “This year’s pie auction brought two new allies to the table – Berea’s Oh Contraire Dance series folks and the Black Mesa Water Coalition,” said Megan Naseman, several of whose pies fetched high prices during the auction. The Madison County chapter is hoping to make the dance and pie auc-tion an annual event to be held in the weeks leading up to I Love Mountains Day. The second fundraising event the chapter put on in February was the No Greater Task poster and print show, which came to Berea February 14-21, hosted by the Berea Arts Council. On February 21, the band Sugar Tree played a concert for the dozens of resi-

dents and KFTC members who packed into the Arts Council to admire (and buy) the donated prints. All told, the chapter’s February fundraisers raised more than $1,200 dollars. While fundraising is important, di-rect action is the chapter members’ pride

and purpose. I Love Mountains Day has become a local event in Madison County that goes beyond the chapter’s member-ship. Along with the dozens of Madison County members who went to KFTC’s biggest annual event, students from local schools, including a group of students organized by Berea College’s Bereans For Appalachia, packed into vans, cars and buses to join the more than 1,000 Kentuckians who gathered in Frankfort to stand up for environmental and economic justice. Around 150 Madi-son County residents made it to Frank-fort to add their voices to the rally. A dozen members returned to Frankfort in the following days to keep the momentum going, joining KFTC’s allies for the Fairness Lobby Day.Progress on fairness, fundraising suc-cess and a strong showing at I Love Mountains Day carried members of the Madison County chapter through the coldest and darkest months of the year. The chapter looks forward to working with its allies in other chapters and in local grassroots organizations to achieve more victories in the months to come.

Madison County members gathered on February 20 at the Fairness Lobby Day sponsored by the ACLU and Fairness Campaign. Berea citizens have been or-ganizing for a local fairness ordinance for more than a year.

Water was central focus at NKY film screening On March 3, the Northern Ken-tucky KFTC Chapter hosted an an-nual film festival with the Northern Kentucky Sierra Club at the Erlanger Branch of the Kenton County Library. This event focused on the impor-tance of managing water and featured clips from well known documentaries like Gasland and Our Liquid Assets, a short film about water erosion in Covington. Speakers talked about the quality of local wetlands, reforestation projects and erosion. Jay Gray, who helped create the film C.O.R.E (Covington Ohio River Erosion) along with Caitlin Sparks and others, was pleased that his film was selected by the organizations. He told attendees about how the film began

from a local woman in Covington rais-ing concerns about erosion behind her property. Gray’s film has been shown to nonprofit groups like the Green Um-brella, the Sierra Club and student groups at Northern Kentucky Univer-sity, and utilized by the local sanitation district to show local concerns with water management. Gray hopes his film helps illustrate the need to align our aesthetics with the natural world around us. About 60 people attended the KFTC/Sierra Club film festival. Virgin-ia Johnson said she especially enjoyed the clip from Bag It, which focused on the harm that plastic bags can cause to the environment.


Local UpdatesGeorgetown College students and faculty organize for fairness

by Jamie McClard, Christian Nunez, and Homer White

The Scott County chapter recently acted in support of a new group at Georgetown College that seeks to per-suade the college to expand non-dis-crimination protections to include such things as sexual orientation. Georgetown College is a historically Baptist institution that traces its roots back to 1787, claiming as one of its fore-bears Elijah Craig, the Kentucky Baptist preacher and Bourbon maker. Long a stronghold of moderate Bap-tist thinking, the college adopted a for-mal policy prohibiting discrimination against gay students in 2008, though college officials shy away from public acknowledgment of these policies. The college refused to formally sponsor a gay student group until 2011, when gay students on campus boldly came out in the student newspaper and made the campus aware of the bullying and harassment to which they were at times subjected. Even then, the college insisted that the name of the group (Campus Spectrum) should not directly suggest anything about its mission, which is to welcome and support all students, re-gardless of sexual orientation. In the Spring of 2012, about 90 per-cent of the faculty voted in favor of a proposal to expand non-discrimination in hiring to include sexual orientation. The proposal was considered especially timely in view of the fact that the college now does employ a few openly gay fac-ulty and staff members. This proposal would also bring the college in line with most other respected institutions of higher learning, includ-ing many religious institutions, which

have long since adopted similar policies. The proposal was brought before the college’s Board of Trustees last fall. In a surprise move, a committee of the board rejected the proposal almost unanimously, for reasons that board members have been unwilling to make clear. Since that time a growing number of students, faculty and staff have begun to voice their concerns. And some of them – who happen to be KFTC mem-bers – brought their concerns before the Scott County KFTC Chapter at one of its monthly meetings. The chapter responded by asking KFTC staff to facilitate a Power Analy-sis of the issue at a campus meeting on January 22. More than 20 people attended the meeting and the Power Analysis galva-nized the group into a series of weekly meetings that have continued to grow both in numbers and in power. The organization has named it-self the Non-Discrimination Working Group. It aims not only to update non-discrimination policies, but to address other campus issues of justice and fair-ness in ways that empower those most directly affected and that make campus governance more participatory and more transparent. For example, the group has recently begun to monitor the college’s plans to outsource its grounds and maintenance divisions. On the non-discrimination front, the group is directly petitioning the board to re-address the original faculty proposal. In spite of pressure from adminis-trators, students and faculty have held a vigil together on the steps of Giddings Hall, the main administration building, and have distributed leaflets to board

members as they enter board meetings. Student members of the Working Group are soliciting support from nearly 50 other student groups on campus. Members are writing regularly for the campus newspaper, and are also hard at work on a week-long teach-in at the end of April. The teach-in will culminate in a rally, a “Silent Disco,” an all-night vigil on the eve of the next regular meeting of the Board of Trustees. Some members of the Working Group, looking back at the long history of the college, note that the college has a distinct tendency to “wait around” to see if it can afford to do the right thing. In pre-Civil War days, the college distanced itself from discussions of the morality of slavery. The Civil Rights

Georgetown College students and faculty held signs supporting a non-discrim-ination policy outside of a board of trustees meeting this past winter. KFTC members continue to support allies across to state working for fairness.

Movement of the 1960s also appears to have passed the college by. To be sure, questions surrounding fairness and gay marriage are hotly de-bated in Kentucky today, especially in the religious communities that the col-lege has long served. Nevertheless, Working Group members believe that gay rights are the civil rights movement of our time, and that young people especially are the drivers of this movement. They believe that if the college sits this movement out – waiting around once again until it thinks it can afford to do the right thing, or is forced to do so by passage of fed-eral or state farness laws – then it will miss an important teaching opportunity. They are in this for the long haul.

Southern Kentucky Member SpotlightJacob Abrahamson

I am a senior in high school from Bowling Green, Kentucky, and I have been interested in politics since the 2008 election, which took place during my eighth grade year. I have been a member of Kentuckians For The Commonwealth since January of 2012 in the newly named Southern Kentucky chapter. I was compelled to join by spiritual leaders and fellow members Peter Connolly and Jason Brown, who gave me many reasons

to join. After being a member for more than a year, I often wish I could have joined sooner due to the fact that this political organization co-alesces wonderfully with my own views. Since joining, I have had the opportunity to participate in acts of political action that will inspire what I do for the rest of my life. In February of 2012, I was able to lobby and rally in Frankfort at I Love Mountains Day. For one, I was able to meet with some great University of Kentucky students. I also had the chance to meet with Senator Mike Wilson and discuss a wide array of issues, focusing mainly on moun-taintop removal. My absolute favorite Kentuckians For The Commonwealth moment, however, was the Blue Ribbon Tax Commission meeting at Greenwood High School. There I was able to express to the commission how the tax proposals would affect all Kentuckians. I hope to take these memo-ries and use them to achieve greater things through Kentuckians For The Commonwealth in the future. Ioftenthinkaboutthe“ConsiderRunningforOffice”pageonthewebsite and wish I was old enough to make a run for myself. Until then, I hope to continue helping KFTC do great things for Kentucky.


Local UpdateMulti-chapter potluck brims with enthusiasm and excitement On a rainy Tuesday night, the Letch-er and Harlan County chapters came together for the second Potluck on Pine Mountain. Last year’s gathering was on the Letcher County side of Highway 119 in Eolia and included local music, soup beans, corn bread, sides and desserts from all over both counties. This year the gathering was held in the Cumberland Library, on the Harlan County side of the mountain. More than 30 people made it through the wet and cold for world-famous Lynch BBQ, live fiddling music, cobbler with Cumberland-grown black berries, and dozens of other delicious dishes. Event organizers were even excited to host city council members from com-munities in both counties. KFTC members and friends shared stories and celebrations of great work from the last couple of months, across the state and close to home. We heard tales from a January meet-ing in Hazard with new Senate Majority Whip Brandon Smith, as well as several other updates of bills moving (or stand-ing still) in this General Assembly. Ada Smith of Letcher County said of the meeting with the senator, “We had a good conversation with him about vot-ing rights and clean energy. He supports us on these issues and that’s important. He’s not quite willing to stick his neck out, but we’re getting there. We’re gonna stay on him.” Rutland Melton, of Lynch, led the room in applauding three of the terrific I Love Mountains rally speakers who were around the table: Elizabeth Sanders, Carl Shoupe and Teri Blanton. Melton said, “That was the best part of the day, seeing y’all up there for all of us. I enjoyed that.” Folks also shared wonderful news about ongoing community organizing across Letcher and Harlan counties. The Caudill family, from Civil War Gap in Carcassonne, was happy to report won-derful news from their ongoing efforts to save a family cemetery near their home. It was only a couple of months ago that a notice appeared in the Mountain Eagle about a coal company’s intention to relocate the cemetery, as they saw min-ing move closer to the property. After appearances at Letcher Fiscal Court meetings, in national news outlets, and on the cover of Letcher County’s Mountain Eagle, they beamed with the

news that the fiscal court had made a call to the coal company to let them know moving the cemetery was not an option. “I just can’t say how relieved we are and thankful to all the people who’ve supported us. People we didn’t even know have called us up to offer advice and support. We hope some of our work will keep this from happening to anyone else,” Mike Caudill shared. Residents of Mill Creek weren’t able to attend the potluck, but their story was shared about their continued pressure on the Letcher Fiscal Court. At the last Letcher County KFTC Chapter meeting, the chapter voted to sign on to a letter, with Mill Creek resi-dents, to the U.S. EPA asking for emer-gency assistance. Not only did he prepare the tremen-dous BBQ, but Lynch City Councilmem-ber Bennie Massey delivered an exciting update about the work happening in Lynch to save the city money through energy efficiency. “Work is finally happening. We’ve been paying out over $4,000 a month and now we’re gonna be saving a lot of juice and a big amount of money for the city,” said Massey. “We already got a new heat pump for the water plant and better lights and they’re working on the insula-tion now. We were losing money all over the place. These energy projects work. It really works. The taxpayers were paying those big bills. All the departments are looking to save money now.” An update was also given about current organizing and research around the location of a new federal prison in Letcher County, most likely in the Rox-anna community. Sylvia Ryerson, WMMT program-mer and author of a recent Daily Yonder article on this topic, shared some updates about what she knows of the project’s progress, U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers’ involve-ment, and lessons learned from neigh-boring communities. “It just never plays out how they expected,” she reported “The jobs, the revenue, never showed up like they were all told.” Just this past fall, KFTC adopted to its platform the “opposition of prison ex-pansion as economic development” after the Letcher County chapter submitted the addition for consideration. The grand finale of the evening was an overdue celebration of long-time

KFTC member, author, radio personality and Letcher County mover and shak-er Jim Webb. This year Webb slipped quietly into retirement from WMMT pro-gramming. Luckily he still hosts his radio shows, Appalachian Attitude and Ridin’ Around Listenin’ to the Radio, on Mondays and Wednesdays. However, this is a real milestone in his decades of vision for and service to Appalachia, Kentucky and Letcher County. From the Rotary Club to huge festivals on his infamous campground on Pine Mountain, Wiley’s Last Resort, Webb takes steps every day to make life in the mountains better for everyone. To celebrate him and his ongoing labor of love to his community, the chapters

scheduled a big cook out and clean up at Wiley’s for Saturday, May 11. A closing circle served to finish out the celebration and offer space for every-one to share any final thoughts from the evening. A few words were shared and Carl Shoupe offered up this before Rev. Albert Phillips closed in prayer: “Its always wonderful to be together with all of you. Now we’re all here together feeling strong and ready to take on the world. But tomorrow we’ll all be separated again, back to our regular grind, and this work can seem more and more difficult, alone. Here’s to keeping this good spirit with us and carrying on together, even when we’re apart!”

Members from Harlan and Letcher counties gathered for their annual Potluck on Pine Mountain. Members shared stories and celebrated victories.

Why invesT in KenTuCKians For The CommonWealTh?

your donaTion To KFTC supporTs The imporTanT WorK We do To build a sTronger demoCraCy, inCluding supporTing ConsTiTuenTs in TalKing To Their legislaTors, moniToring aCTiviTy in FranKForT While legislaTors are in session, and giving members opporTuniTies To TaKe aCTion on imporTanT bills. you also supporT our WorK To eduCaTe voTers abouT Where CandidaTes sTand on The issues We all Care abouT.

ConTribuTions To KFTC are noT Tax-deduCTible. maKe your CheCK payable To KenTuCKy CoaliTion iF you Wish your ConTribuTion To be Tax-deduCTible.


Local UpdateEast Kentucky chapters host at-home meeting with Sen. Smith Just days before traveling back to Frankfort to begin the 2013 legislative session, new Senate Majority Whip Bran-don Smith met with KFTC members at the Perry County Library. This was one of several at-home meetings KFTC members organized to open up communication during this General Assembly as well as to build support for the Clean Energy Opportu-nity Act. Members from Perry, Harlan and and Letcher counties met with Sen. Smith about these legislative priorities as well as the Kentucky Voting Rights Amendment (House Bill 70) and other local issues. Sen. Smith recently attended the first Singing for Democracy gospel fest in eastern Kentucky at Consolidated Baptist Church in Hazard, along with other elected officials and more than 60 members of the public. The senator shared that he’d heard many of those testimonies before and has always supported the voting rights work and will continue to do so. He encour-aged KFTC members to continue their work in Frankfort, telling stories, target-ing committee members and keeping the pressure on. Sen. Smith told the room full of con-stituents, “We’ve had a complete change in leadership. This changes the game.” Members are hoping to move him to a more specific action on HB 70 once it passes through the House and is in Sen-ate committee. Katie Pirotina, of Perry Coun-ty, transitioned the conversation to the Clean Energy Opportunity Act. The bill, a collaboration of the Kentucky Sustainable Energy Alliance, could cre-, could cre- cre-cre-ate more than 28,000 local jobs across the state in energy efficiency and renewable energy production. The group shared stories of local community college students getting through an Energy Audit Training Program here at home just to be forced to seek out jobs in neighboring states like North Carolina, where similar bills have passed. Ada Smith of Letcher County shared her concern that “these new businesses can’t survive in Kentucky. They go to other states.” Lynch City Councilman Bennie Massey stated he’d spent 14 years min-ing underground and told Smith, “We’ve

missed out on opportunities. We need to send our miners to school, to show them there is another way. Give them the op-portunity to learn something else.” Massey asked Smith, “What are we going to do after coal? The younger gen- The younger gen-The younger gen-eration has to live here, and they don’t want to live under the old way.” Smith agreed, saying, “Things are changing for us here. We are facing some big changes here and they’re going to find out what we’re made of and what leadership will do about it.” He noted that he has “pushed for a diverse energy portfolio.” He fielded questions about every-thing from industrial hemp to federal mine safety from retired mine inspector Stanley Sturgill. The hour-and-a-half meeting closed with at least thirty min-utes of informal exchange between Smith and nearly everyone who attended.

KFTC members from Perry, Harlan and Letcher County chapters met with Sen. Brandon Smith. Pictured above (left to right): Carl Shoupe, Harlan County; Josh May, Letcher County; Sen. Brandon Smith; and Stanley Sturgill, Harlan County.

Member Profile: Harrison Kirby

How did you first get involved with KFTC?My first experience with KFTC was at I Love Mountains Day 2012. I went lobbying for the Clean Energy Opportunity Act, started showing up at the meetings, and before I knew it, I was a member.

Why are you a KFTC member?Kentucky is a great home, but it is lacking in a lot of ways. The best way to change things, though, is by working together as a unit, and I’m a part of that unit. I want to be able to live here when I’m older, and raise a family here if that’s where life takes me. But I want Kentucky to be a just, healthy and thriving place first, and I help achieve that through KFTC.

Where are you from?I was born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky. (They’re both im-portant to me!)

What is your vision for KFTC?I don’t see a day when everything KFTC stands for will be ac-complished. We’ll complete the projects we have now but find new goals just as soon. I think the biggest thing KFTC does is educate people about important issues in our state, as it has done for me. KFTC will always be an engine for progress, and I think its growth will continue to bring about real change.

What goals do you have for the Jefferson County chapter?I think the biggest thing the Jefferson County chapter can do in the near future is expand into more parts of the city. As a grassroots orga-nization, it’s our responsibility to help every person’s voice be heard.

What KFTC events are your favorite?I Love Mountains Day and Louisville Loves Mountains Day have the best energy, but my favorite things with KFTC include any-thing where I get to go and see more parts of Kentucky. Eastern Kentucky, southern Kentucky, anywhere. It’s all beautiful and I fall in love with my home again every time I drive out of Louisville.

What does New Power mean to you?I see New Power as power being shared equally in Kentucky’s de-mocracy. New Power involves every Kentuckian in an active way with their communities, and it gives them a voice.

How do you plan to stay involved with KFTC once you go to college?One of my top choices for college is Centre, and if I go there I would be able to stay an active member of KFTC. I’d probably get more in-volved, as I could stop by Frankfort and badger legislators every time I drove back to Louisville! If I go out of state, I plan to keep myself updated on issues and KFTC as much as possible. Wherever I go, my education will help me do more for KFTC once I’m out of college.


Strong testimony from KFTC members and allies helped delay a Beshear administration plan to significantly weaken public protection from selenium exposure. The Energy and Environment Cabinet wants to replace the current water quality standard for selenium with one based on weak science and that would be difficult to enforce. Its apparent intent is to let coal companies off the hook for selenium pollution, which is expensive to treat. “We ask that you use your oversight authority to extend the comment period to the usual 30 days, so we may analyze the shoddy science these regulations are based on, and to give those of us who live near selenium-contaminated streams an opportunity to voice our concerns,” KFTC member Bev May said at a hearing of the Administrative Regulation Review Subcommittee on February 11. May told them that she lives along Wilson Creek in Floyd County, a stream that remains contaminated with selenium today even though the strip mining at the head of the hollow occurred about 20 years ago. She reminded them that a 2009 Kentucky Division of Water study “found extensive selenium contamination, sometimes at highly toxic levels, below mountaintop removal and valley fills.” However, the state delayed release of these findings so that it would not have to require coal companies to monitor their selenium pollution as a condition of their water pollution permits. The new standard would change both the level of acceptable selenium concentration in water and the test to one that looks at concentrations in fish tissue and ovary eggs. “By the time to you get to this [new] criterion there won’t be any ovaries to look at,” KFTC member Ted Withrow testified. He added that the methodology is “backed up with old science that was discredited years ago. The science is overwhelmingly flawed to be put forth in a rushed way.” Selenium is a biotoxin that accumulates in fish tissue. So even small exposures can have devastating long-term health impacts. The lack of proper public notice – the cabinet gave less than a week’s public notice of this major change – also was mentioned in the hearing by Lane Boldman of the Sierra Club, Art Williams of the

Kentucky Conservation Committee and Tom FitzGerald of the Kentucky Resources Council. “I am deeply concerned as a matter of process,” said FitzGerald, who said the state’s proposal was made at the “eleventh hour with no notice and no opportunity for comment. It feels like a bait-and-switch situation.” The state did give notice last year that it was contemplating changes in the selenium standard. It received public comments and took those into consideration, said Bruce Scott, commissioner of the Department for Environmental Protection. But the amended proposal that was made public on February 5 was “a dramatically different proposal than what they asked comment on,” pointed out FitzGerald. Written comments on the proposed selenium standard were submitted to the committee along with the oral testimony. They were prepared by Appalachian Mountain Advocates on behalf of KFTC and a number of allies. Rep. Jimmie Lee spoke to “the importance of testimony from folks who are most impacted” and moved to defer adoption of the regulation until the committee’s March meeting. Scott agreed to this plan. However, the cabinet did not submit the proper notification in time to be taken up at the subcommittee’s March 12 meeting. It is now expected to come up on April 9. KFTC members have been meeting with members of the subcommittee, which has the authority to reject the cabinet’s amendment. Most committee members were unaware of the extent of selenium pollution below coal mines and the dangers it poses to fish and wildlife and to human health.

Dangerous selenium proposal delayed by quick citizen action

Members of KFTC and ally groups had a visible presence at the subcommittee hearing.

Mar. 19 Northern Kentucky chapter meeting, 7 p.m. at Roebling Books and Coffee at 306 Greenup St. Contact [email protected] or call 859-380-6103.

Mar. 19 Perry County chapter meeting and potluck, 6 p.m., Bring a dish to share if you like, or just enjoy some food and fellowship with us! HCTC Tech Campus Ow-ens Building 115B. Contact [email protected] or call 606-263-4982.

Mar. 21 Central Kentucky chapter meeting, 7 p.m. at the Episcopal Diocese Mission House (corner of Martin Luther King Blvd. and 4th Street) in Lexington.

Contact [email protected] or call 859-276-0563.

Mar. 21 Shelby County chapter meeting, 6 p.m. at The Stratton Center, 215 W Washington Street. Contact [email protected] or call 859-893-1147

Mar. 21 Rowan County chapter meeting, 6 p.m. at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church on 5th Street in Morehead.

Mar. 22 Shelby County Trivia Fundraiser. Teams of 8 people will compete to answer questions in 10 categories.At the Stratton Center, 6:30 p.m. Entry fee is $10 per person; includes pizza, snacks and drinks. Teams can buy a bonus question in each category for $5 each. There will also be raffle bags of gently used items. First prize is uncontested bragging rights for your team, and an invitation to defend your title at no charge at the next Trivia Night. To reserve space for your team, call Ann Ellerkamp at 502-437-5040 or email [email protected]

Mar. 23 Land Reform Committee Meeting, 10:30 a.m. Hazard Community and Technical College. Contact [email protected] or call 606-335-00764.

Mar. 25 Madison County chapter meeting, 6:30 p.m. at Berea College Appalachian Cen-ter, 205 N. Main St., Berea. Contact [email protected] or call 859-314-2044.

Mar. 26 Southern Kentucky (SOKY) chapter planning meeting, 6:30 p.m. at The Foundry, 531 West 11th St. Contact [email protected] or call 270-779-6483.

April. 1 Wilderness Trace chapter planning meeting, 7 p.m. at Inter-County Energy Community Room, 1009 Hustonville Road, Danville. Contact [email protected] or call 859-314-2044.

April 4 Scott County chapter meeting, 7 p.m., at the Georgetown Public Library. Email [email protected] or 859-420-8919 for more information.

April 8 Jefferson County chapter meeting, 6:30 p.m. at the First Unitarian Church, 809 South 4th Street in Louisville. Contact [email protected] or call 502-589-3188.

April 8 Floyd County chapter meeting, 7 - 8:30 p.m., Location has changed! For more information contact [email protected] or call 606-226-4159.

April 9 Letcher County chapter meeting, 6 p.m., Whitesburg KFTC office. Contact [email protected] or call 606-632-0051.

April 19 -April 21 Appalachia’s Bright Future Conference, Harlan Center in Harlan,

Kentucky. For more information contact [email protected] or call 859-200-5159.

Calendar of Events

March 2013 - balancing the scales

Documents

Transcript of March 2013 - balancing the scales