As part of this year’s “I Love Mountains” day, more than 20 KFTC young people – all between the ages of 5 and 25 – met with five members of Governor Beshear’s staff.  The purpose of the meeting was to discuss concerns about the harm that mountaintop removal coal mining creates as well as talk about creating a transition towards a clean and sustainable energy economy.  The KFTC meeting was entirely youth-planned and youth-led.

Six-year old Makayla Urias from Pike County shared what it is like living next to a mountaintop removal operation.  She talked about her polluted water, being scared from the large blasting noises, and having to cover her face when going outside because of the dust pollution.  She even brought some of her dirty water to share with the Governor’s office. 

The young KFTC members presented scientific information about the pollution and destruction created by mountaintop removal coal mining.  They also presented information about the economic benefits and jobs that could be created in Eastern Kentucky and the rest of the state if Kentucky chose to invest in energy efficiency and renewable energy alternatives.

The group used a large board to list the questions they asked the administration with a space to mark answers they received as a “yes”, “no”, or “waffle.”  By the end of the meeting, the group received a commitment to meeting with Governor Beshear within a month.  The youth delegation is excited to begin preparing to meet with Governor Beshear.  They are even talking about having their next planning meeting over waffles! 

Below is a complete summary of their questions and responses received.

1.) Will Governor Beshear support S.B. 139 and H.B. 416, the Stream Saver Bill?
    Answer:  Waffle

2.) Will the Governor create and announce a plan to end mountaintop removal and valley fills coal mining?
    Answer:  No

3.) Will Governor Beshear support H.B. 408, the Clean-Energy bill?
   Answer:  ? (Will get back to us soon once they study the bill – stay tuned for their response.)

4.) Will the Governor begin working vigorously to create new, green jobs and a new clean energy economy in Kentucky, especially for coal-producing areas and workers?
    Answer:  Yes

5.) Will Governor Beshear meet with KFTC – within a month – to talk about mountaintop removal and Kentucky’s clean energy future?
    Answer:  Yes

Here is a 7-minute video summary of their meeting.  Click on the video to watch it.

KFTC youth-led "I Love Mountains" meeting with Governor Beshear from Kentuckians For The Commonwealth on Vimeo.

Here is a 2-minute video summary of just the discussion around renewable energy possibilities in Kentucky.

"Renewable is Doable" KFTC youth meeting with Beshear Administration from Kentuckians For The Commonwealth on Vimeo.

On Saturday, 14 KFTC members came together to plan a meeting with Governor Beshear's top staff this Thursday as part of "I Love Mountains" day.  They plan on talking to the governor's staff about the problems with mountaintop removal coal mining, the need to transition away from coal and towards sustainable energy, and the opportunity for jobs and a new economy that clean energy can create for Kentucky.

They also plan on speaking to this issue with a unique perspective -- they are between the ages of 5 and 25.  They think their youth allows them to speak to the importance of investing in a clean future for Kentucky.  Stay tuned to hear about how their meeting goes and next steps that come out of the meeting. 

And this group would love to see all of you at "I Love Mountains" day this Thursday, February 11th at 11 a.m. at the State Capitol.  More information and registration can be found at www.kftc.org/love.

The Central Kentucky Chapter held a fundraiser for KFTC last Saturday at Al's Bar in Lexington. This wasn't just any old fundraiser though, it was a punk rock show! Organized by KFTC member Jack Cofer, the show featured three great bands from Lexington; the Butchers, J. Marinelli, and the Tense Kids. Also joining everyone was the all female punk trio from Chicago, 8" Betsy.

Over 60 people attended the show and raised $260 for KFTC. Jack Cofer and Katie Meyer spoke from the stage about the importance of grassroots organizing, and why people should be involved in making their communities a better place.

Don't forget to come out for the next Al's Bar KFTC fundraiser, our old-time music showcase on Saturday, February 6. Doors open at 8 p.m., and the cover is $10.

The 2010 state legislative session in Frankfort began last Tuesday.  15 KFTC members from all across the state were at the capitol to greet the legislators to another session and to inform them of the issues at hand. KFTC welcomed back many of the legislatures and hand-delivered pieces of informational material. The book, Plundering Appalachia and a report, Who Pays, from the Institute for Taxation and Economic Policy were given to every legislature possible in order to inform and educate them on the background to some of our most important issues.

KFTC citizen lobbyists met with 21 legislatures throughout the course of the day. The legislators were all smiles and handshakes- attentive and respectful.  And all those with KFTC were boasting smiles and nodding their heads when asked if they would come back and lobby again at the end of the day.

Being in Frankfort gives people a firsthand look into politics and the opportunity to hear stories from inside the closed office doors of legislatures. KFTC is ready to take on another legislative session and welcomes any participation. Mark your calendars for our upcoming events: “I Love Mountains” rally and lobby day is February the 11 and the "Bake Sale for the Budget" is January 20!!!

***Be on the look out for more first-hand lobbying updates***

KFTC’s annual “I Love Mountains” day at the state capitol is just around the corner.  This big event, which attracts more than 1,000 Kentuckians each year, calls attention to the scale of destruction created by mountaintop removal coal mining in Kentucky and the need for a clean water and energy future.

This year the day includes a special emphasis and participation from young Kentuckians – including a youth-led delegation to meet with Governor Beshear.

KFTC has requested a meeting with Governor Beshear in the afternoon of “I Love Mountains” day on February 11. Would you like to be part of this youth-led delegation or do you know a young person within the ages of 5 and 25 who would be? 

What it involves:  Each youth would be responsible for attending a planning meeting (hopefully a face-to-face, but maybe on a conference call) with other youth group delegates, as well as the meeting with Governor Beshear on February 11 in Frankfort.  In the event that Governor Beshear is unwilling to meet with us, the youth-group will also discuss and develop an alternative plan for making our voices heard.

How to get involved:  If this sounds like you, please write a short letter telling us about yourself, how old you are, and why you are interested in talking to Governor Beshear about mountaintop removal coal mining. A committee of KFTC members will review the letters and select the delegation. Letters are due by the end of the day on Friday, January 15.  You will be notified of a decision by Friday, January 22.  And the youth group will schedule a meeting sometime between January 25 and February 6.

Spread the word:  Also, please pass this announcement along to anyone you may know who would be a great addition to the youth team! 

Where to apply:  Letters can be emailed to carissa@kftc.org or mailed to KFTC, 435-R Chestnut St, Suite 2, Berea, KY, 40403.  Please call or email Carissa Lenfert (859-893-1147) with any questions.

After warming up from the cold and grabbing a bite to eat, join with youth from all across Kentucky to discuss next steps for youth in the important fight to end mountaintop removal coal mining. We will hear a debrief from the youth delegation that meeting with the governor and formulate different ways for youth to continue to have a strong voice on mining and energy issues for the remainder of the legislative session and beyond. Join us in the Capitol Annex, room 129, at 2 p.m. Please call or email Beth Bissmeyer at (502) 751-2998 and beth@seac.org with any questions or suggestions for agenda items.

There are a lot of challenges to running and winning in Easten Kentucky. 

But is all hope lost? 

Heck no!

               - Mike Dixon

In partnership with Wellstone Action, KFTC organized a Candidate and Campaign training this past weekend in Hindman with 30 participants.  The focus was overwhelmingly on running for office in Eastern Kentucky, but some members from other parts of the state came as well.

The goal was to encourage people to run for office or to help their friends run by providing a top-notch campaign training focusing on campaign planning and budgeting, telling your story, grassroots voter contact, fundraising, base-building, stump speeches, developing a winning message and more.

"KFTC nationally is held up as a kick-ass gold standard of community organizing," said Ben Goldfarb, Director of Training Programs for Wellston Action.  "I'm a little nervous to be training you all, but I think it will be great."

Local members with experience in Eastern KY races joined us to add what they've learned locally to the Wellstone model of running for office including Mike Dixon (mayor of Blackey), Bennie Massey (Lynch City Council), Carl Shoupe, (Benham City Council) and Randy Wilson (recent candidate for his Jackson Rural Electric Co-op).

"A big part of running is getting out there and talking to your neighbors, getting to know them, and talking about issues that they care about.  A lot of us are doing that anyway and we should be doing it even more."

This is the fourth time Wellstone Action has visited Kentucky and KFTC members have participated in each of the trainings.  We're considering another training if the Voting Rights constitutional amendment gets on the ballot next year. 

We're trying to schedule a smaller candidate training based on what we learned this weekend, tentatively in October in Lexington to replicate pieces of this training.  We'll put it on the KFTC Calendar as soon as we settle on a date and location.

The Kentucky Social Forum, July 31st-August 2nd at Berea College, looks as if it is shaping up to be a great weekend full of workshops, speakers, music, film showings, and more.  The goal of the weekend will be to create space for progressive people from all over the state to come together and learn more about each other and find connections between our issues.  KFTC is co-sponsoring the event and will be hosting several of the workshops.  Today is the last day to register for the Forum at a reduced cost.  The registration fees are as follows:

• $10 for students
  
• $15-$50 sliding scale for individuals
  
• $40 for organizations registering 3+ people

Below is just a sample of some of the workshops and panels that are listed for the weekend.

• "Reforming Immigration for America - The Kentucky Angle"
• "Organizing Fairness in Kentucky: Senate Bill 68 & Beyond"
• "The Fight for Fair & Healthy Food"
• "Building New Power in Kentucky's Rural Electric Cooperatives"
• "Employee Free Choice Act Now"
• "Making Change Together: Building Community through Strong Partnerships"
• "Kemet / Ancient Egypt: The Theological Understanding of the Medu Neter"
• "Using Reproductive Justice to Address Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault"
• "Media Justice: A Dialogue on the Right to Hear and Be Heard"
• "The Economic Crisis and the Solidarity Economy"
• Plenary I: Black Women Unite to Fight: Homophobia

Sixteen Kentuckians with KFTC and our allies at KY Jobs With Justice have been in Nevada for the last several days at a big convening of the PUSHBACK Network.  Over 160 members and staff from PUSHBACK ally organizations gathered to make connections between our various grassroots base-building organizations so we can learn from eachother, particularly around voter empowerment campaigns to educate and mobilize voters in our respective states.  

It's an honor and a privilege to be here and to share with this group.  It's about meeting people and really coming together to build the world we want to see. - Tayna Fogle, Kenton County

    

Workshops included pieces on the US Census, inter-generational organizing, integrating voter work with issue work, fundraising, green jobs, voter list management, and tax and fiscal policy.  There was also a strong emphasis on peer-to-peer learning - making connections between organizations and members to lead to more exchanges and learning in the future.

"The networking here is great," said Jim Shepard of Perry County. 

I'm just so proud of Kentucky!  This is a powerful coalition and we're really representing our state and leading so much of it." - Angela Rudd, Louisville

"I thought this was really great," said Janet Tucker of Lexington.  "I still have so many questions."

"There's also a lot of work to get done," added Sean Thomas.  "But we're better equipped and motivated to do it!"

As in so many other communities in the past few weeks, Bowling Green KFTC members gathered earlier today for a lobby training to talk about what it takes to have an impact in the Kentucky General Assembly, building support for progressive tax reform, the streamsaver bill, green power, and voting rights.

Members talked about our bills, lobbying experiences, a typical day in Frankfort, role-played conversations with legislators, and even planned a series of at-home events aimed at communicating with the General Assembly.

I care about this issue (HB 70) because I've tried to register so many people across the tracks and they haven't been able to because of something in their past... Our Democracy is important, but sometimes I feel like I'm asking people to buy into a really flawed and system when I try to get them to register (to vote).  We need to make the system better."  - Greg Capillo

I really feel prepared now to lobby in Frankfort.  I know what it's going to be like and it's not as mysterious," said Rebecca Katz.  "I'm ready.