To correspond with KFTC’s statewide “Bake Sale for the budget” in Frankfort, the Madison County Chapter of KFTC held a “Berea Bake Sale for the Budget” last Wednesday. The event was held on Berea College’s campus.

In just two hours of selling baked goods, almost twenty dollars was raised, and over 55 action cards were signed and ready to be sent to the Governor’s office. One might think that twenty dollars does not a good bake sale make, but the awareness that KFTC generated around tax reform was worth more than any pennies to go into the states depleting coffer.

By definition Berea College students come from families who live at the end of the regressive tax system, they make less money and pay a high percentage of that money back into their taxes. An average Berea student makes $200 a month- so to collect nearly twenty dollars from those at the end of the state’s food chain was heartwarming. The students were given recipe cards that described House Bill 13, and some were shocked to find that the state was 1,500,000,000.00 dollars in debt.

Maren Hudson, a senior at Berea College stated, “How can a state be $1.5 billion dollars in debt when I am feeling the pinch of student loans breathing down my neck in a few months. Soon I am going to be graduating and going off into the “real world” so I guess I should start paying attention because maybe Kentucky really is not the place I want to settle my family.”

Mrs. Hudson is originally from Tennessee and lives off campus with her husband, a Kentucky native and fellow Berean. By signing individual cards that acted as a personal letter to the governor, Berea students were able to get their voices heard while they got their stomachs filled. The money, as well as the action cards will be personally delivered to the Governor’s office while KFTC continues its lobbying efforts in Frankfort.

Remember I Love Mountains Day is Feb 11th

On Monday night more than 20 Madison County chapter members gathered to meet with State Representative Lonnie Napier.  Chapter members discussed with him KFTC's 2010 legislative agenda -- everything from fair tax reform, voting rights, clean energy policies, the stream-saver bill, and even our campaign to stop the construction of a a proposed coal-burning power plant.  Representative Napier agreed to support our tax reform and voting rights legislation.  He also agreed to meet with us further to discuss our policy proposals related to increasing energy efficiency and renewable energy options in the state. 

"I thought it was a good meeting.  Rep. Napier agreed on a lot of our issues and was also realistic with us about what the session may hold," said Madison County member Megan Naseman.

The chapter's meeting with Rep. Napier was part of a series of at-home lobby meetings the chapter was having leading up to the legislative session.  Rep. Harry Moberly met with the chapter in August.  Senator Worley declined to meet with the chapter in the district.

Madison County Premier of Coal Country 

This film by Mari-Lynn Evans and Phylis Geller is a dramatic look at modern coal mining. We get to know working miners along with activists who are battling coal companies in Appalachia. Both sides in this conflict claim that history is on their side. Come and find out for yourself!  This film has been drawing sell-out crowds inother cities.

The Madison County Chapter is screening the film at the Madison County Public Library of Berea (319 Chestnut St.) at 6:30 p.m. on November 19th and also in Room 108 of EKU's library in Richmond at 6 p.m. on November 9th.  The event is open to the public.  Admission is free but donations to KFTC are appreciated.  We hope you can join us!

The 4th Annual Berea Solar Tour will be held Saturday October 3 in conjunction with the National Solar Tour. Thirteen Berea homes and other buildings that use solar energy will be open for public viewing and conversation with the owners. A guided bus tour of some of the sites, a car caravan to a Garrard County off-the-grid home, and three public presentations on home solar energy use and energy conservation round out the day.

The Madison County Chapter of KFTC will be hosting a workshop as part of the event called "Clean Energy, Green Jobs."  The workshop will focus on KFTC's campaign to stop a coal-burning power plant and describe how an equivalent investment in energy efficiency and renewable energy could generate more jobs and great economic development to meet the area's energy needs.  The workshop will be from 4 to 5 p.m. at 302 Center Street.  Please join us if you can!

The Solar Tour provides an opportunity to learn from homeowners who are already using solar, and to consider whether some type of solar energy makes sense for your house.

Click here for more information and a copy of the Tour Guide with times and locations of the solar presentations and guided tours, and locations and descriptions of the solar open houses.

Members of the Madison County Chapter held their chapter annual meeting last night in Berea.  “The annual chapter meeting is a great opportunity to reflect on the previous years work and gear up to move the Commonwealth’s democracy forward,” said Madison County KFTC Chapter co-chair Jeff From.

The first hour of the meeting focused on business that all KFTC chapters handle once a year:  electing new chapter officers, setting issue priorities for the upcoming year, and more.  The second hour featured a conversation and questions with State Representative Harry Moberly (D-Richmond). 

The group talked to Rep. Moberly about everything from clean energy to voting rights.  Rep. Moberly had positive comments to make about KFTC’s work in interjecting our social and economic justice issues into the public dialogue.  He was also positive about many of the issues we raised and agreed to meet with us again before the session to dig even deeper into our issues.

“I always look forward to meetings when our local elected officials are speaking.  Not only does it give us a chance to talk about issues that are important to us, it also helps us develop a good rapport with our representatives in Frankfort,” said Berea KFTC member Toby Wilcher.  “During the legislative session, when KFTC members spend a great amount of time lobbying legislators from all over Kentucky, we have a built-in, cordial working relationship with our own legislators, which often proves to be very beneficial,” she added.

"The people who are going through this are the ones who need to be a part of the solutions," Madison County KFTC member Toby Wilcher laid out Saturday morning during a KFTC tax and budget workshop in Berea.  The workshop, "As If People Mattered: Bringing Justice to Kentucky’s Taxes," was designed to give participants a better understanding of how the state’s deficit is affecting our community (where the rubber meets the road), learn about a fair tax system that values lower and middle-income families struggling during today’s hard times, and develop strong, simple talking points to have conversations with others in our community.

"It was very informative," said KFTC member Elwood Sturtevant who traveled from Louisville for the workhop.

Part of the workshop was to get a handle on how to talk about this issue with other folks in the community in a way that makes it meaningful and helps people feel connected.

"Language is important," said Richmond KFTC member John Wernegreen during the workshop. "When the press pick up on the phrase 'tax burden' -- that is counter-productive.  Government is not the evil we think it is."

Participants left with a better understanding of this issue and its importance, but also a set of concrete next steps to take action.  First up, the Madison County Chapter of KFTC will be meeting with one of their local legislators, Rep. Harry Moberly, on August 24th to talk about this and other KFTC related issues.

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

Recently more than a dozen local KFTC chapter leaders converged in Frankfort for a “Build Power, Build Chapters” training.  Leaders from Central Kentucky, Madison County, Jefferson County, where there are strong local chapters, came together to share their work and learn from each other.  KFTC members from Frankfort and Northern Kentucky also joined for the day to learn how to build a new chapter in their area.“I got a lot out of it,” said Jefferson County member Ben Evans. 

During the 5 ½ hour training leaders learned about the characteristics that make a strong chapter, a snapshot of how various, current chapters function, and how important local chapters are to building power. “I enjoyed seeing the “life-cycle of a chapter” graph – the ups and downs -- it reminded me of myself!” said Madison County member Tom Hubbard.

Folks also spent the afternoon discussing how to build our personal networks to connect more people to KFTC and strengthen our chapters.  

The energy throughout the day was great.  Leaders enjoyed sharing and celebrating all of their efforts with each other.  Jefferson County leader Becki Winchel said, “We need circle back pats to appreciate each other for all we do and the support we have from each other and give to each other to keep on doing it as often as possible.”