Newsletter, May 19, 2021
We are starting earlier, so please note the time difference!
Welcome
We were so excited to get this edition to you we sent it out a week early by mistake. Apologies for double posting, but hopefully you will find it is worth a second read, or first for those who have not already read it.
I would like to dedicate this issue to Ramsey Clark. Ramsey Clark was Attorney General under the Johnson administration, a defender of the underdog, and civil rights. But most importantly, he was our advisor who served on our Navajo legal team fighting forced relocation against the US government. I take the lesson he gave to us to you, our PAD audience, “The only way to win is to change the hearts and minds of the people”, not through litigation, but through the media. I hope in some small way this newsletter can help realize this radial transformation and translate into a big blue wave of Democratic victories and civic engagement.
The GOP is leading a MASSIVE Voter Suppression Campaign in over 28 states across the country to ensure Democrats can never win another election. Please see our ‘Take Action: Pass the For the People Act at the bottom of the newsletter’. ‘The For the People Act’ would stop the new wave of voter suppression.
My vision as Comms director is to build out our PAD community by standing with and amplifying grassroots voices for change. Our second newsletter is already expanding, as promised, in diversity of content and contributors. On the social media front we are getting lots of interaction with comments and ‘likes’. Please continue to like and share our page so we can continue to grow.
Democrats need a better messaging strategy. Help us brainstorm. We need messaging Democrats can use to win'. We set up a slack channel. Let us know if you want to participate and we will add you.
Our exciting ‘Speaker Series’ is growing, so get ready to hear more voices from the front lines. See below the showcasing for this month’s and next month’s speakers.
And please let us know how we are doing and what suggestions you might have to help us become better.
Thank you,
Rita
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Chair's Chair
Hello Friends and Neighbors,
I am writing this on May 12th. Yesterday was 2 weeks after I received my second Pfizer vaccine. I am fully inoculated. There is now a less than 1% chance that if I caught COVID I would need medical intervention. My wife and parents are also fully inoculated. Honestly, every time I say or write that, I feel a little lighter, then a little sad. What a year….
I don’t know about you, but I am ready to think about the future. I NEED to see you all again! This monthly meeting, May 26th at 6pm will probably be the last monthly meeting where we do not offer both an in person and a remote option. We are still working on details, but we need a June PAD PARTY! We’re thinking a picnic with music, a speaker, who knows what else!
Anyone interested in helping to organize, please email me: mike@plymouthareadeomocrats.org
Its hard to know what the rest of 2021 will look like, but I know we can start safely meeting in person again and I cannot wait.
Please get vaccinated if you haven’t already, we can’t wait to see to you all on Zoom on May 26th, then IN PERSON in June!
Love,
Mike
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Speaker's Series, May 26th, 6 PM
Our speaker for our monthly meeting, May 26th, will be Thea Sebastian. Thea is a civil rights attorney and activist who is currently the Policy Director for Civil Rights Corps, a non-profit organization that has been spearheading impact litigation and policy advocacy nationwide to end criminal-legal injustice and build a new, non-carceral paradigm for public safety.
Thea will speak about why criminal-legal policy change is so essential, as well as some key projects like support for the Breathe Act (dubbed the "Civil Rights Act of the 21st century") and the Vision for Justice campaign that she co-leads with the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. Recommended Readings and Books follow.
Reading recommendations from Thea Sebastian
Thea Sebastian, Policy Director for Civil Rights Corps, “Legal Justice Policy Change, to end criminal-legal injustice and build a new, non-carceral paradigm for public safety”, Presentation, May 26th, 2021
The BREATHE ACT, dubbed the “Civil Rights Act of the 21st century”
Vision For Justice
Bail / Pretrial Justice
Criminalization Of Poverty
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Speaker Series, June 30th, 6 PM:
Our following speaker, June 30th, will be John Gage, State Coordinator for New Hampshire, Citizens Climate Lobby (CCL).
John has lived in Windham, NH, and worked for Sun Microsystems and Oracle on enterprise application integration software for three decades. His deep concern about climate change and appreciation for Citizens’ Climate Lobby's focus on bipartisan federal legislation of expert-preferred solutions led him to join CCL in 2016. He is the volunteer CCL state coordinator for New Hampshire, co-leads the CCL NH South Central chapter, and helps guide the carboncashback.org town warrant article project. CCL's mission is to create the political will for effective and equitable climate solutions by helping individuals exercise their personal and political powers. See the CCL introductory video at citizensclimatelobby.org/why-carbon-fee-and-dividend/carbon-fee-dividend-video/.
Reading Recommendations from John Gage
State Coordinator for New Hampshire, Citizens Climate Lobby (CCL).
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The Sixth Extinction - Elizabeth Kolbert
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Storms of my Grandchildren - James Hansen
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Merchants of Doubt - Naomi Oreskes
Please read John Gage's article which follows immediately below, ‘news from the climate change mitigation desk’.
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'News from the climate change mitigation desk'
John Gage, State Coordinator for New Hampshire, Citizens Climate Lobby (CCL).
Let’s put a Cash-Back Price on Climate Pollution
Tackling climate change involves a little science, economics, policy, and politics. But please bear with me, because a safe future for human civilization and life on Earth depends on each of us right now!
We know the technical changes needed for a relatively safe climate future: reduce human-made greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero by 2050 and reduce the CO2 concentration in the air below 350 parts per million by 2100. We also know that when pollution is free we get too much of it. Climate pollution is still free in most countries. Nearly all leading US economists agree that the cheapest and most equitable way to reduce climate pollution is federal legislation of a three-part solution:
Carbon Fee: address the failure of the energy market to account for the future climate-related costs of using fossil fuels by charging coal, oil, and gas producers a steadily rising fee based on the climate pollution from their products;
Household Carbon Dividend: give all of the money collected to all households equally each month, to compensate families for damages from the pollution and protect household budgets from the trickle-down higher prices from the fee; and
Border Carbon Adjustments: put our climate pollution price on imports and remove it from exports in trade with countries that don’t price carbon, to maintain US business competitiveness, protect US jobs, and motivate our trading partners to match our carbon price, thus driving comprehensive, global climate pollution reduction.
A strong carbon price signal will incentivize energy efficiency, innovation, transition, and drawdown, making our climate ambitions achievable. Economies of scale will make clean energy affordable. Sending the carbon cash back to people will have a highly progressive effect: it will put more money in most families’ budgets, including nearly all low-income households. This equity will ensure the durability of this solution for decades to come and makes setting a high carbon price possible. Canada is using carbon fee and dividend as the foundational policy to achieve its climate ambitions, and Prime Minister Trudeau was re-elected thanks in large part to the popularity of that cash-back approach.
In the discussions over what to do within the Biden administration, one question keeps coming up: “is carbon pricing necessary?”. Leading experts say it is required in order to achieve the Paris Accord goals:
“Elicit carbon prices remain a necessary condition of ambitious climate policies” (IPCC SR15 chapter 4.4.5.2).
“We cannot solve the climate crisis without effective carbon pricing.” - US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen
Carbon Fee and Dividend by itself will not be enough to achieve a relatively safe future and ensure a just and equitable transition, but it is our best first step. Models show that with complementary policies - such as methane regulations, CES, and investments in energy efficiency, clean energy job training, and basic research - the powerful lever of cash-back carbon pricing makes it possible to achieve the best-case 1.5˚C warming target of the Paris Accord if we start now.
Cash-back carbon pricing is effective, equitable, and necessary. So what's preventing us from doing it right now? The only thing missing is political will. To help enable Congress to act, each of us can take effective action in this pivotal moment in humankind’s history. Ordinary citizens advocating for this is our last, best hope to avoid climate catastrophe. Citizens can write Congress directly at cclusa.org/write. Community and business leaders can endorse the federal bill at energyinnovationact.org. Then, please join CCL, and encourage your friends and family to do the same. The only way to solve this problem is by working together.
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'Notes from the desks of local conservation groups'
Campton Conservation Commission News, May, 2021. West Brook Forest Project
The Campton Conservation Commission is nearing completion of its efforts to purchase the 145 acre "Spokesfield Homestead" property and put it under a conservation easement. Closing is hoped to be in late June, after more than two years of work.
The Town's Conservation Fund, 3 Grants (totaling about $110,000), and about $36,000 from donors, are assisting the town in making this land acquisition possible. The Town of Campton will own the property, the Campton Conservation Commission will be the long-term stewards, with oversight by the Pemi Baker Land Trust (PBLT), who will hold the conservation easement. After the purchase is complete, the Conservation Commission plans to provide parking for a few vehicles, and a trail kiosk for information about the property's history and habitat features. This property will provide continued snowmobile use in winter, educational and low impact recreational experiences for residents and visitors.
The WBBF property will be a valuable asset to our community. The property has over 7,500 feet of frontage on the West Branch Brook and over 2,500 feet of intermittent streams, numerous vernal pools and other aquatic features that all together support salamander, turtle, frog, and numerous other aquatic-dependent wildlife. The property sits over a portion of the high quality stratified drift aquifer that the community depends on for potable water.
This property contains an important leg of the area’s snowmobile trail system in providing snowmobile access into the White Mountain National Forest over the Miller Trail. It also provides an extended, quality wildlife habitat in conjunction with the nearby White Mountain National Forest and the West Branch Brook watershed.
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Call to Action: 'Pass the For the People Act'
The For the People Act (S.1) contains scores of pro-voter, anti-corruption solutions designed to give power to people, including communities of color, and to strengthen the foundations of U.S. democracy.
The United States needs bold democracy reform such as the For the People Act to rebuild confidence in our political system and unblock progress on policies that Americans care about, such as more accessible health care, gun violence prevention, clean air and water, and so much more.
Today, tell your senators to pass the For the People Act, which would:
Establish uniform rules to protect and expand the right of all eligible Americans to securely vote and be fairly represented.
Reduce the corrupting influence of wealthy special interest money-and amplify small-dollar donations-so that lawmakers are incentivized to work on behalf of everyday Americans.
Enact tough new ethics laws so that all government officials work in the best interests of the American people.
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Call to Action: 'Grafton County Broadband' Survey
Fill out this survey if you want better and cheaper internet
The Grafton County Broadband Committee (GCBC) needs 5 minutes of your time. Here's how to help: The GCBC is asking for support from our fellow Grafton County communities to help identify and document broadband gaps and needs in the County. The following link will bring you to the survey.
That's it, fill out the survey and then we will have the data needed to make the case for grants and other funding opportunities that are rapidly becoming available.
Want more information? Below is some background and here is the link to the GCBC website. Our meetings are open to the public via Zoom if you'd like to learn more.
Don't forget to fill out the survey and forward it to all your contacts and ask them to do the same.
Background: In September 2020, the Grafton County Commissioners appointed a five-member committee consisting of Grafton County Town Administrators/Managers dedicated to improving broadband throughout the County. The Committee has been working diligently to identify and address the needs of the County with a focus on Economic Development, Distance Learning, Health Care/Telehealth Services, and Public Safety.
The Committee is leaning toward a primary goal of having the County develop the backbone network through population centers through a combination of building new fiber optic cable where there are obvious gaps and optimizing existing infrastructure. The backbone would be available for municipalities to then tap into that network and run additional fiber optic cable through their municipalities. The Committee has met with UNH staff that manages the IBEAM system, the NH Office of Strategic Initiatives, staff from our federal delegation, and members of our State delegation and have support. This network would connect to the Bristol broadband network that is scheduled for completion this summer that you can read more about here
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Blog
By Janet Lucas
It’s good to be back home in New Hampshire. I was away caring for our mother while my sister worked the last few months before her retirement. They live in Florida, another red state headed by a trumpist governor. Together we witnessed the general election and its chaotic aftermath, the Holidays, the January 6th Insurrection, and the Inauguration. We learned that the first COVID vaccinations given in Florida went to the governor’s wealthiest supporters in upscale retirement communities in the state’s central and southwest areas. At least 3 women in Clearwater were outraged by that little news item. Mom has a habit of speaking truth to power. After her last stroke relieved her of her filter, her pronouncements have been much more, er, succinct. Eventually my sister was able to schedule their vaccinations and they are fully immunized. Read more....
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Plymouth Area Democrats
info@plymouthareademocrats.org
www.plymouthareademocrats.org
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