We got a lot of good quotes and feedback from our KFTC delegation to Fancy Farm last week.  Here they are.

"It feels good to be down here with all these members of KFTC getting our issues out there at a wonderful event and a huge part of Kentucky politics. Everybody else should come down next year!" - Danny Cotton, Central KY KFTC

"There was a lot of tension and... it was so partisan.  To encounter people and say ‘we’re a non-partisan, grassroots organization. I think people from all kinds of backgrounds responded to that and seemed more open to what we had to say. That was really cool." - Meredith Wadlington, Bowling Green KFTC

"I think KFTC made a huge difference to the whole landscape of Fancy Farm" - Greg Capillo, Madison County KFTC

"I had a blast. This was my first time at Fancy Farm.  So many people came up and asked me about my sign and told me it was a good cause. I had long debate with someone who didn’t agree with us, but that felt really productive too." - Colton Jessie, Bowling Green KFTC

"The candidates were okay. The issues are more important, but that’s what we’re here for. It makes a pretty good weekend. First time down- probably going to come back."
David Hunter, Northern KY KFTC

"I was really pumped that KFTC was able to get so much info out there. Everywhere we went there were people carrying our stickers and fans and such. It’s really awesome to have a strong presence." - Kevin Smiley, Bowling Green KFTC

"The lack of people of color who attended the 130th annual Fancy Farm Picnic was very disappointing. With one person of color present on stage and very few in the crowd, it was as if non-white people have no place in the political arena.  I believe part of the picnic's problem is that it doesn't seem to really welcome people of color. I say this because of the experience my colleagues and I had at the hall of Knights of Columbus #1418, the main food vendor for this event.  We were seated in the only diverse section of the hall and we were watched over, harassed and I was asked to leave. It was so bad that one of the three white males at our table said, "Man, they just won't leave y'all alone."" - Toma Lynn Smith, Jefferson County KFTC

"I had so many people ask me what KFTC was. I had such a good time today spreading the message especially about felon disenfranchisement. I thought it was very valuable for us to be here and let people know that just as their minds were starting to turn toward the fall election season and voting that there are 186,000 plus Kentuckians who didn’t have that ability or that privilege to do that, because their rights had been stripped."  - Antonio Mazzaro, Northern KY KFTC

"Fancy Farm is this giant ruckus. This big crazy party where everyone screams and no one is sure what’s going on. It’s a bit like British parliament. I feel like I could show up in a straw hat and tweed suit and still be okay. Of course, George Washington and Abe Lincoln fought it out earlier, so. Then, there was a caveman. I’m not actually making any of this up. It was all here at Fancy Farm." - Nate Kinsman, Northern KY KFTC

"I talked to people who were wearing Rand Paul stickers and I talked to people that were wearing Jack Conway stickers. It seemed like a little glimmer of hope for Kentucky as far as being able to work between the parties. I’ll try to come back every year if I can." - Meredith Wadlington, Bowling Green KFTC

"I really enjoyed meeting and talking with some people, even though some of them were kind of ridiculous. And, I look forward to coming back next year." - Tony Zeller, Northern KY KFTC

The annual Fancy Farm Picnic is an odd Kentucky political tradition in which partisan political campaigns, barbecue enthusiasts, Bingo players, and thousands of political enthusiasts come together at St. Jerome's Parish in far, far Western Kentucky for a day of stump speeches, RC Cola, and Bingo, and way too much food. 

The event is largely about the candidates, who launch searing political attacks against each other in a hostile environment as supporters of the opposing candidate try to shout them down and boo them off of the stage.

If that doesn't sound like what Democracy should look like to you, Kentuckians For The Commonwealth members ardently agree with you, which is why we brought several dozen members out to the event from Louisville, Bowling Green, Northern Kentucky, Lexington, as well as some of our members far Western Kentucky.

Our plan was to challenge the partisan, zero-sum, and frankly mean dynamics at Fancy Farm and to instead try to have conversations with candidates and other political enthusiasts about real issues that we can work together on to make Kentucky a better place for all of us.

We passed out over 400 fans with KFTC's Vision Statement on the back and about 750 lapel stickers for our Voting Rights campaign, plus hundreds of copies of our newsletter balancing the scales.

With 43 KFTC members canvassing the crowd, we managed to have a lot of key conversations with candidates, elected officials, allies, media outlets, KFTC members in Western KY we don't usually get to see, and others.  Prominent Republican and Democratic Party leaders alike commented on the strong showing by KFTC, something we hope they both remember during the Legislative Session early next year. 

KFTC has brought smaller groups to Fancy Farm for the last few years, but never nearly this many.  It was the first trip to Fancy Farm for about 3/4 of our members, most of whom say they're looking forward to making next year's trip even bigger.

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Fancy Farm, 2010 - By The Numbers

43 - KFTC members volunteering at some point during the event.  

130 - Years the Fancy Farm Picnic has been held.

400 - Fans with KFTC's Vision Statement passed out to the crowd.

720 - Total miles traveled by our crew from Northern Kentucky to get to Fancy Farm and back

750 - "I Voted, But 186,000 Kentuckians Could Not" stickers passed out to  people at the event.

15,000 - Total estimated attendance.

19,000 - Pounds of pork and mutton cooked up for the barbecue (that's very close to a metric ton)

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We'll have more reports from Fancy Farm in the coming days, including reactions from members who came out with us. 

Last week in Washington, D.C., a bipartisan group of U.S. Senators and Representatives introduced a bill that would help rural electric co-ops provide "on-bill" financing for energy saving programs.

The Rural Energy Savings Program Act would provide rural utilities, including the rural electric co-ops, with the means to help folks with the up-front costs of financing energy efficient upgrades to their homes; these utility customers would pay back the utilities on their bill with part of their savings.

Representative Ed Whitfield of western Kentucky is an original co-sponsor of the Act. "[I]t is essential we explore ways to improve energy efficiency and, in turn, better manage the demand for electricity,” Whitfield said. “Increasing our energy efficiency is one of the best proven ways to free up energy on our electricity grid. This bill is a win for American consumers and a win for improving energy efficiency across the country.”

Whitfield is joined by members of Congress from throughout the U.S. and both political parties, as well as by the rural electric cooperatives themselves. Whitfield deserves thanks for stepping out in front on this issue that could be so beneficial to rural electric co-op members across the state. In addition to stopping the proposed coal burning Smith plant, the East Kentucky Power Cooperative could help its members even more with the loans for energy efficiency provided by this bill. It will help their customers save energy, save money, and help prevent further pollution, protecting the public health of Kentucky. If you live in Whitfield's district, you can email him (using the form at this link), or anyone can leave a message for him at his office in D.C. by calling (202) 225-3115. Let him know you appreciate his leadership on the Rural Energy Savings Program Act. 

According to the think tank, The Third Way, "This federal program, run through the Rural Utilities Service, [could] provide low-interest loans to 1.4 million rural households to make energy efficiency improvements, creating 25,000-35,000 jobs each year for the next ten years."

More information on what the Act would do:

Home weatherization improvements create jobs, lower emissions, and save money for consumers. But for most families, the upfront costs are too big and the payoff takes too long. This proposal would eliminate these barriers at a tiny cost to the federal government by providing rural homeowners low-interest loans through rural electric co-operatives. Homeowners would then repay the loans through their utility bills with the cost of the loan fully off-set by energy savings. And if they move, both the loan and the energy savings could be passed on to the next homeowner.

Even the rural electric co-ops, often resistant to progressive energy policy, is backing the bill. According to Hoosier Ag Today:

National Rural Electric Cooperative Association CEO Glenn English said, “This gives us an opportunity to keep the electric bills as low as we possibly can…it gives us the opportunity to avoid building power plants…which will be extremely expensive and have the potential of increasing electric bill costs to our membership.” [...] Typical loans will run between $1500 and $7000, and cover sealing, insulation, heat pumps, heating and ventilation, boilers, and roofs.

Stay tuned to this blog for more information on the bill and what other actions you might be able to take to help move the legislation forward.

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Links for more information:

• Grist: "How to provide relief to rural Americans, create jobs, and lower emissions ... all at once!"
• Press release from Senator Jeff Merkley, sponsor of the bill in the Senate.
  
• A good article in the Charleston (SC) Post & Courier on the bill: "Energy initiative to expand"
  
• The text of the bill from the Thomas Register.

The Cash Creek Coal Gasification Plant is one of three proposed huge coal gasification projects, which would process coal into expensive ‘synthetic gas’ planned for the Owensboro-Henderson area in western Kentucky. These plants – the Cash Creek Generating Station, Peabody NewGas, and Indiana Gasification – are financially risky and would adverse impact public health.

Monday's hearing concerns the water pollution permit that the Cash Creek plant must get from the Kentucky Division of Water. The plant would require 14 million gallons of water daily, and would discharge polluted water that contains arsenic, selenium and cyanide.

The hearing will take place from 6-9 p.m. in the Henderson County Fiscal courtroom, located on the third floor of the Henderson County Courthouse, at First and Main Streets in downtown Henderson.

Download a Sierra Club factsheet here.

Earlier today, fifteen KFTC members, friends and allies participated in the annual Fancy Farm picnic and political event in Graves County.  The major issue of the day for us was restoring voting rights to former felons who have served their debt to society. 

We passed out almost 400 stickers, thanked a few legislators for voting for the measure in the past (like Representatives Will Coursey, Mike Cherry, and Jody Richards) and talked with candidates like Trey Grayson, Daniel Mongiardo, Rand Paul, Darlene Fitzgerald Price, Jack Conway, and Gatewood Galbrath.  

Special thanks to our allies at the Catholic Conference and  People Advocating Recovery for helping to connect with people at the picnic.

   

   

The Obama administration yesterday nominated a Pennsylvania bureaucrat and coal industry ally
 as the new director of the U.S. Office of Surface Mining (OSM).

The White House called Joseph Pizarchik "a pragmatic innovator with 17 years of involvement in many progressive advancements in Pennsylvania's mining program." He has been the director of the PA Bureau of Mining and Reclamation, Department of Environmental Protection since 2002.

However, he also approved mining permits knowing that they would lead to acid mine drainage and cause subsidence and damage to area residents' houses. He supported the disposal of toxic coal combustion waste in old coal mines even though the National Academy of Sciences has warned that such a practice would damage groundwater.

Last month, the Mountain Watershed Association based in Pennsylvania publicly opposed the potential nomination of Pizarchik. In a letter to  their U.S. senators, the group wrote:

We do not believe this is a good choice as several environmentally dangerous policies have been expanded under his watch. One of these is the practice of burying power plant waste in unlined pits, sometimes in old mines, creating contamination in groundwater.

Pizarchik's record and the concerns of the environmental community had been made clear to the White House and Department of Interior.

KFTC had twice written to Department of Interior officials urging the nomination of someone who was not a bureaucratic insider or had close ties with the coal industry. OSM has been plagued with inefficiency, has supported the weakening of mining and water protection rules and has some glaring failures in its oversight of state mining programs. KFTC supported candidates like Joe Childers and Pat McGinley who could help change OSM's non-enforcement culture.

   Bowling Green KFTC Members met with new Kentucky Senator Mike Reynolds earlier today, as part of a broader resolution by KFTC to spend more time building relationships with legislators outside of the annual General Assembly sessions near the start of each year.

   Apart from just teaching Senator Reynolds about KFTC's background, members talked about local issues including housing problems and our issues in the state legislature, including the Streamsaver bill.

Reynolds was very aware of the legal system in Bowling Green with respect to landlords and tenant law, said member Dana Beasley-Brown.  "It'll be really useful to keep that conversation going, including what kinds of legislation we can pass on a statewide level to make things safer for renters here."

   Members also thanked Reynold for his support of HB 70 to restore voting rights to former felons who have served their debt to society. 

It was really important to have your vote on the Senate committee for that," said Greg Capillo.  "We hope to bring the bill back to you next year and get a hearing from the Chairman so we can pass it."

  

   

   This was the first time some of the nine KFTC members who made it out to the meeting had ever lobbied a legislator.

He was really frank and easy to relate to and it was great to work on building a relationship with him," said Kristen Houser.  "It was easy and we should do this kind of thing more often."

   Bowling Green KFTC members will have the opportunity to meet with another legislator quite soon, actually.  They have a meeting with Congressman Brett Guthrie tomorrow morning.

KFTC is joining with the United Mine Workers, the Appalachian Citizens Law Center, the AFL-CIO and others in calling for the defeat of House Bill 119.

HB 119 would reduce the number of Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs, also known as mine emergency technicians or METs) required at smaller mines.  Currently the law requires that two EMTs be available when miners are working.

But HB 119 would reduce that to just one miner if the shift is less than 18 miners.

“We worked so hard to get new laws to protect the miners and now the politicians want to start taking them away when they think the people aren’t paying attention,” said Carl Shoupe, a disabled coal miner, former UMWA organizer and KFTC member in Harlan County.

He expressed surprise and disappointment that the attempt to weaken this law is coming from eastern Kentucky legislators. HB 119 is cosponsored by Reps. Keith Hall of Pike County, Ancel Smith who represents Knott, Magoffin and part of Letcher county, and Ted Edmonds who represents Breathitt, Estill and Lee counties.

Rep. Hall told the Lexington Herald-Leader that he was looking out for  "the small Mom-and-Pop operators," who have trouble keeping trained EMTs available. Read John Cheeve's story here.

Hall has interests in coal mining operations that have fewer than 18 workers per shift.

The required number of EMTs at each mine was just increased by the General Assembly through the passage of Kentucky’s landmark mine safety law in 2007. That legislation was in direct response to and designed to prevent situations like the accident that claimed the life of David “Bud” Morris at H & D Mining in Cumberland (Harlan County), where the only EMT on the shift failed to treat Morris’ life-threatening injuries. Had there been another EMT on site, Morris likely would not have bled to death.

B
Bud Morris

According to the federal accident investigation report, both the ambulance service medic and the emergency room doctor who treated Morris stated that the results would have been different had Morris been properly treated by the EMT at the mine.

On Monday, a letter was delivered to all members of the Kentucky House asking them to vote against HB 119. That letter came from the United Mine Workers of America, the Appalachian Citizens Law Center, the Kentucky AFL-CIO and Morris’ widow, Stella Morris.

“The financial impact of maintaining the current number of METs is small, especially in light of the life-saving services which they provide,” the letter stated.  “Now is not the time to cut back on safety measures that were so recently enacted. Saving a few dollars for a coal mine operator is not worth risking a miner’s life.”

The Kentucky House could vote on HB 119 this week.  The legislation previously passed the House Natural Resources Committee without discussion or dissent even though Reps. Jim Gooch, Fitz Steele, Tim Couch, and Hubert Collins are on the committee, all of whom represent coal mining districts.

“There ought to be more EMTs than less. You never know the situation when someone is going to get hurt,” said Elmer Lloyd of Cumberland, also a KFTC member. “Instead of cutting back on EMTS, everyone in the mines ought be qualified for the training.”

MET training is provided free by the Office of Mine Safety and Licensing at all six district office locations in the state.

Lloyd said when he worked at the Scotia mine the miners’ contract required an ambulance standing outside and two EMTS on site. But that was when miners were represented by the UMWA.

Mike Reynolds (D) won the special senate election against J Marshall Hughes (R) in Warren and Butler counties yesterday 8,283 to 6,858 .  The election was to fill the vacancy left by Brett Guthrie (R) as he ascended to become a US Representative early this year. 

KFTC members mobilized to vote in the special election, including many hundreds of voters that we registered this past year.  

For the full election numbers, visit the Secretary of State's Office website Here.

Reynolds will be sworn in and will start in the Senate early next week, but now is a great time for him to hear from his constituents about issues they care about.

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.