The state's budget outlook has gone from very bad to even worse.  Despite devastating cuts to funding for after-school programs, environmental protection, community mental health services, and higher education, as well as meager pay increases for teachers and state employees that don't even touch the rising cost of living, and cuts to education that have reduced the number of teachers and staff while class sizes swell, Governor Beshear is warning that even deeper cuts are in our future.

Beshear's warning comes as the state Budget Office predicts a General Fund--the fund that enables us to invest in education, clean water, college affordability, etc.--shortfall of about $294 million for this year.

The legislature failed to pass revenue reforms during the last legislative session; the House passed some provisions, but the Senate failed to follow suit. 

To read about the revenue reforms that KFTC supports, take a look at our Tax Justice pages.  You can read more about the state Budget Office's predictions in these Herald-Leader and Courier-Journal articles.

     “Sickened,” was the prevailing emotion after someone left an effigy of Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama hanging in a tree on the University of Kentucky’s campus. Students, staff, faculty and community members crowded UK’s Memorial Hall to show their anger and concern. But also to show that they would not stand for racism at UK. There were speeches from University President Dr. Lee Todd, Lexington Mayor Jim Newberry along with representatives from College Democrats, College Republicans, Student Government, Lexington’s Urban League, UK’s Black Student Union, UK’s Vice President for Institutional Diversity, the Interfaith Alliance and Pleasant Green Baptist Church. All of them condemning the perpetrator, and condemning the prejudice that led to this incident.

     “I was sickened, sick for this campus, for greater Lexington and for this Commonwealth,” said President Todd, in a sentiment echoed in many of the speeches.

     The speakers also urged Kentuckians to act. Rev. Thomas Peoples of Pleasant Green Baptist Church asserted that “we cannot afford to allow a small segment of our community to damage the progress we have made…or let this affect the work we have done.” And Dr. Judy Jackson, Vice President for Institutional Diversity noted that while people should “take it upon yourself to act,” the whole community will have to work together.

     Many Central Kentucky KFTC members attended this forum. And UK-KFTC collaborated with Student Government, College Democrats and Republicans and the Black Student Union on a forthcoming statement condemning the incident. UK-KFTC will be collaborating with these, and other allied organizations on diversity and awareness events in the coming days.

     While the crime itself was a terrible reflection on UK, Lexington and our Commonwealth, the swift response by community members and leaders shows that many citizens are ready to fight for a day when discrimination is wiped out of our laws, habits and hearts.

                                                                  - UK KFTC Member, Danny Cotton

This morning, UK students found a likeness of Barack Obama hanging by noose from a tree just off Rose Street along the walkway to W.T. Young Library. 

The effigy was taken down by 9am and both UK and Lexington police are investigating the case and have also notified federal agencies.

KFTC has no stance with respect to the candidates for president, but we also refuse to stand by as hatred is allowed to be displayed like this and thinly-veiled threats of violence made, harking back to a time of open racism and hangings of African Americans.

UK President Lee Todd issued an email to all students faculty and staff shortly thereafter

Unfortunately, this morning an effigy of Senator Barack Obama was discovered hanging in a tree on campus. I am personally offended and deeply embarrassed by this disgusting episode. This is not reasonable political expression; it is just malicious. And it is unacceptable.

On behalf of the University of Kentucky I apologize to Senator Obama and his family. I will personally assure them that this is not who we are as a University or as a state.

As President of the University of Kentucky, I feel outraged and hurt. I am outraged because we work very hard, every day, to build bridges across the divides. Diversity and inclusion are among our most precious core values. Episodes like this serve only to erode our confidence in and respect for one another.

Regardless of your political opinions or the candidates you support, a University such as ours must be a place where spirited discussion can take place, but within the bounds of civility, common sense, and respect for the views and feelings of others. We have insisted - and we will continue to insist - that we as a University and as a state rise above hatred and acts of malice or ignorance. The line separating civil discourse from unacceptable behavior has been crossed, constituting a clear violation of the University's code of ethics, and possibly constituting criminal acts, which would also violate University regulations. Such acts will not be tolerated. Those found responsible will be subject to the full force of university, state, and federal rules and regulations.

There is an on-going investigation into this incident, which includes federal authorities. If you have any information that would assist in this investigation you have a responsibility to contact the UK Police Department (257-1616).

Tonight at 7pm at UK's Memorial Hall there will be a vigil in response to the hanging of the Obama effigy.  UK KFTC members will attend and one of them will speak at the event.  Please come if you can.

News links:

UK Kentucky Kernel

WKYT, Channel 27

Courier Journal

Associated Press

The Kentucky Election is close - in 1 week on Tuesday, November 4th and polls are open from 6am to 6pm.

Take a moment to visit KentuckyElection.org for critical, non-partisan information about candidate stances, voting locations, and more.  This website is a great one-stop destination for all you're voting needs, so visit it often and share it far and wide. 

www.KentuckyElection.org

You can also volunteer with your local KFTC chapter to help give rides to the polls on election day, pass out voter guides, help operate one of our sound cars on election day, or be a part of our phone banks to call all 18,000 of our contacts across the state one more time to remind them to vote. 

Contact your local chapter organizer if you're interested in getting involved, or email Dave Newton at Dave@kftc.org if you'd like to participate from a non-chapter area of the state. 

Through the online networking site Facebook, we've also recruited nearly 5,000 people to pledge to vote.   If you use Facebook, please add this to your list of events and invite all your friends. 

This is a big election in a lot of ways - a historic election.  We don't want to look back on this day and wonder if maybe we could have done more to have an impact than we did. 

So come on out and get involved.  Be a part of KFTC history, Kentucky history, national history, and indeed, global history - and help to shape our collective future through voter empowerment. 

Over 80 folks gathered in Berea last night for the Madison County fall friendraiser.  The event kicked off with a delicious potluck which included everything from homemade spring rolls to fresh apple cake. 

There was also a short program where KFTC members Beth Bissmeyer, Zach Sieben, Gina Chamberlain, and Bill Stolte talked about chapter accomplishments over the year and ways to get involved in the future including supporting KFTC's work financially.  A special thanks to Eastern Kentucky KFTC member Sara Pennington for attending and speaking briefly about the work KFTC is doing in Eastern Kentucky. 

The evening was rounded out with musical guest and KFTC member David Hurt who entertained the group with several great songs on his Banjo!

Thanks to everything who supported the event and helped make it, and all of KFTC's work, possible!

If you live in Madison County, please join us for our next chapter meeting this Monday, October 27th at the Child Development Lab on Jefferson St. in Berea.

Kentuckians' concerns about the economy, according to a Lexington Herald-Leader/WYMT poll in today's Herald-Leader, top the list of concerns that Kentuckians will be carrying into the voting booth.  You can find the whole article here, and excerpts from a couple of paragraphs below:

The poll showed that of all voters, 54 percent said the economy was the single most important issue in determining their vote. No other issue was even close. About 10 percent of voters said taxes were the most important issue, and 9 percent said gas prices. Rounding out the list were national security, moral values and the war in Iraq."

"Of approximately 600 potential voters, 36 percent said McCain would best handle the nation's economy, compared to 32 percent who said Obama would be better for the economy. That's contrary to most national polls that show Obama clearly ahead of McCain when voters were asked about the candidates' economic plans."

 If you're interested in learning more about what national tax and economic policy groups are saying about the candidates' economic plans, here are some resources:

• Citizens for Tax Justice is a nonpartisan, nonprofit research and advocacy organization dedicated to fair taxation at the federal, state, and local levels.  This link takes you to the reports page, which includes several reports about Obama and McCain's tax plans. 
• United for a Fair Economy - UFE is a national, independent, nonpartisan, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that raises awareness that concentrated wealth and power undermine the economy, corrupt democracy, deepen the racial divide, and tear communities apart.  See especially UFE's "Fair Economy Guide to the Presidential Candidates" and their Action Toolkit around "Evaluating Candidates on Taxes", which offers suggestions for both national and state elections. 
• Alternet - Alternet's "Progressive Voter Guide to the Economy," covering a range of issues from health care to housing to income inequality to trade. 
• And of course, KentuckyElection.org, which offers many candidates' responses to concerns of KFTC members.  Goes without saying, but we'll say it anyway!

Feel free to share your thoughts!

Madison County KFTC member and Berea College student Beth Bissmeyer on Thursday presented her findings from a energy study she has been working on in partnership with KFTC and Berea College's Center for Excellence in Learning Through Service.  She presented the results at Berea College during its campus sustainability week. 

The study surveyed 259 Madison County residents and attempted to gauge the extent to which Kentuckians, specifically middle and low-income families, are being impacted by rising energy costs. Almost half of respondents (48%) had an income of $25,000 or less.  The study found 94% of local residents are being impacted by the rising energy costs.  She also found that only 27% of folks could identify coal as the main source of Kentucky’s electricity.

She compiled her results into a full report and will present her findings at the next KFTC chapter meeting -- this Monday, October 27th at 7 p.m. at the Child Development Lab in Berea.

According to a University of Louisville report released this month, the price of Kentucky’s electricity has increased 30% between 2000 and 2006.  And Kentuckians use 55% more energy than the national average. “Kentucky’s inefficient electricity use, coupled with the escalating cost of coal, will leave low and middle-income Kentuckians out in the cold if we don’t rethink our energy strategy in Kentucky,” said Bissmeyer.

One interesting finding was that 75% of those who said they have NOT been impacted by rising energy costs were renters. This is a high percentage when compared to the 41% of renters in the overall sample.  An interesting follow-up question that the survey did not address would have been to look at if the renters pay their electricity bill in their rent or if it is hidden within the cost of their rent. 

A special thanks to KFTC member and 2008 Berea College graduate Ian McHugh for his help in conducting the survey and compiling the data for the study!

The GAO report heavily criticizes our federal government’s reliance on the assumption that carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies will be the solution to curb massive amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted from coal-fired power plants. Based on a review of where the technological development of CCS stands, the report concludes that sole reliance upon it, as a strategy to curb carbon emissions, is both unrealistic and dangerous. About half of our nation’s electric power is generated from coal. As you can see in the graphic, coal-based power is the number one national source of CO2 emissions, comprising about 33% of the total. CO2 is a greenhouse gas, known to contribute heavily to global warming and climate change. During the combustion of coal to produce electricity, large amounts of CO2 are released into the atmosphere. There is no U.S. restriction or regulation to prevent CO2 emissions today.

As the U.S. is the top per capita contributor to global CO2 emissions, the federal government, in particular the Department Of Energy (DOE) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) knows that unlimited emissions cannot continue in the face of the international climate crisis. In recent years (rather than pursue alternatives to coal dependence), it has turned to CCS as the future solution to the problem, literally dumping billions of dollars into researching this technology. The DOE hopes CCS technology is the primary way to reduce CO2 emissions. The idea is that the CO2 would be captured as a gas, pressurized until it turned into a liquid, transported by pipeline to a suitable location, and pumped a mile or so below ground, intending for it to stay there forever.

The GAO report concludes that CCS faces serious technological, economic, legal and regulatory barriers to use, including the following:

• There are no viable ways to capture carbon on an industrial-scale proven effective as of today and the theoretical methods to do are extremely costly.
• Because there is no national CO2 emissions regulation, such as a carbon tax or a cap-and-trade system, there is no current economic motivation for coal-fired power plants to reduce emissions, even if CCS were available.
• To implement CCS at an industrial scale, the International Energy Agency estimates that as many as 6,000 CCS projects would be needed, each injecting a million metric tons of CO2 a year into the ground. At our current emissions rate, the U.S. only has enough potential storage space to last approximately 100 years!
• The potential environmental and human health hazards are largely unknown. While the GAO commends EPA for publishing information related to the hypothetical effects of the stored carbon on drinking water, it charges that EPA has failed to investigate other potential impacts thoroughly.
• It is unclear if the stored carbon would be classified as toxic waste. If it is, who is liable for this waste? For example, if it leaks, contaminating drinking water or agricultural crops, who is responsible? There are strict laws in this country that govern the transport and disposal of hazardous waste, making the generator ultimately responsible. In the case of CCS, however, the coal companies want the public to assume all liability from the carbon that power plants store—even though the hazards are largely unknown!

The GAO charges the DOE to more earnestly consider these major barriers and more accurately determine if continued funding under the current energy platform is appropriate and cost-effective. If, as many scientists are charging today, CCS is not found to be viable, the federal government should invest its time and our resources into real solutions—renewable, clean energy sources that decrease our fossil fuel dependence.

The report is available in full here.

For those of you who are interested in getting an in depth understanding of many different aspects of the quickly changing renewable energy markets, this is a great resource. Inside Renewable Energy, through its weekly podcast, walks a good line between breaking things down so they can be easily understood but also digging into the issues so you really learn what is happen with everything from carbon sequestration to wind tax credit and ground breaking algae developments. Highly recommended.

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