Public Policy
News releases, reports, statements and associated documents from public policy organizations whose goal it is to influence the debate Washington.
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State Lobby for Big Corporate Special Interests Starts Spending to Try to Save Scott Walker
MADISON, Wisconsin, Aug. 16 -- One Wisconsin Now, a liberal issue advocacy organization that focuses on advancing progressive leadership and values, issued the following news release:
Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce (WMC) has entered the November electoral fray dropping nearly $1 million on a television ad attacking Gov. Scott Walker's general election opponent, Tony Evers.
The following are the statements of One Wisconsin Now Executive Director Scot Ross:
"It's no surprise the state big corporate lobby would run a television ad lying about the record of Scott Walker's opponent.
"This same
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MADISON, Wisconsin, Aug. 16 -- One Wisconsin Now, a liberal issue advocacy organization that focuses on advancing progressive leadership and values, issued the following news release:
Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce (WMC) has entered the November electoral fray dropping nearly $1 million on a television ad attacking Gov. Scott Walker's general election opponent, Tony Evers.
The following are the statements of One Wisconsin Now Executive Director Scot Ross:
"It's no surprise the state big corporate lobby would run a television ad lying about the record of Scott Walker's opponent.
"This samegang spent $1 million on an ad to try to win a State Supreme Court race in which they disclosed identifying information about child victims of sex assault. Then they refused to take it off the air, even after the family of the victims publicly pleaded with them to do so.
"The WMC is going to pull out all the stops to try to keep the biscuit wheels from falling off the gravy train they have running with Scott Walker in office. Based on their past despicable behavior, misleading voters on the facts is just the start."
The WMC maintains a cadre of lobbyists and annually spends in excess of $1 million on behalf of big corporate special interests. Gov. Walker has been particularly willing to accede to their demands, signing into law massive tax giveaways and turning the privatized state economic development agency, which until recently had the chair of the WMC board as its board chair, into a virtual piggy bank for Walker campaign donors.
New Tax Credit Program Spurs Torrington Development
CHEYENNE, Wyoming, Aug. 16 -- The Wyoming Business Council issued the following news:
An innovative financing tool now available in Wyoming paved the way for a 10 a.m. groundbreaking on Aug. 20 for the new $6.8 million Cobblestone Hotel & Suites on South Main Street in Torrington.
Sixteen local investors and two banks came together with the help of MoFi and the federal New Market Tax Credit program in a true community effort to finance the Cobblestone.
The hotel will bring an economic boost and much-needed lodging capacity to Torrington when it opens in early 2019. The groundbreaking will take
... Show Full Article
CHEYENNE, Wyoming, Aug. 16 -- The Wyoming Business Council issued the following news:
An innovative financing tool now available in Wyoming paved the way for a 10 a.m. groundbreaking on Aug. 20 for the new $6.8 million Cobblestone Hotel & Suites on South Main Street in Torrington.
Sixteen local investors and two banks came together with the help of MoFi and the federal New Market Tax Credit program in a true community effort to finance the Cobblestone.
The hotel will bring an economic boost and much-needed lodging capacity to Torrington when it opens in early 2019. The groundbreaking will takeplace on Monday with appearances by local investors, the owners of Cobblestone Hotels, and local stakeholders and elected officials.
Project sponsor Paul "Cactus" Covello Jr. sees the hotel as a catalyst for future development along the south end of Torrington.
"The help from the New Markets Tax Credit Program, facilitated by MoFi, provided the critical missing piece in our financing stack, which allowed us to move the project forward," Covello said. "We fully expect other things to spring up around it in the corridor south of the railroad tracks. It's the perfect place for a convenience store and we imagine it will revitalize restaurants in the area as well."
The New Markets Tax Credit Program helps finance economic development projects in low-income areas around the country. MoFi works with investors to turn the credits into cash, and then uses that cash to fund catalytic development projects in Wyoming, Montana and Idaho.
"Since 2009, we've used New Markets Tax Credit financing to catalyze nearly $450 million in investment across the Northern Rockies," said Dave Glaser, MoFi President. "We are thrilled to be bringing this tool to the people and communities of Wyoming."
"As the state works to diversify its economy through the ENDOW (Economically Needed Diversity Options for Wyoming) initiative, we have recognized how important the tourism industry is for leisure and business travelers alike," said Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead. "Having tourism infrastructure like hotels helps to grow local tourism economies and adds to Wyoming's available services provided to visitors. The Cobblestone Hotel & Suites is a welcome addition to Torrington and Wyoming."
"We know that tourism is the second-largest industry in Wyoming, but Goshen County hasn't fully capitalized on its potential economic impacts," said Ashley Harpstreith, CEO of the Goshen County Economic Development Corporation (GCEDC). "We knew we were missing out and adding more hotel rooms was a piece of that puzzle."
The hotel will provide 10 new jobs to the community and feature 54 rooms, a pool and meeting space.
While the Cobblestone Hotel is MoFi's first New Markets Tax Credit project in Wyoming, Glaser said the company is currently working on additional projects in the state. For-profit and nonprofit businesses with projects greater than $4 million in size may qualify for the federal program. To learn more and find out if your project qualifies, contact Dave Glaser, at 844-728-9234 or daveg@mofi.org.
Maldives: Opposition, Media Under Attack
NEW YORK, Aug. 16 -- Human Rights Watch issued the following news release:
The Maldives government's intimidation of the political opposition and media threatens prospects for free and fair elections in September 2018, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. The government of this Indian Ocean archipelago has also interfered with the judiciary and the national electoral commission in order to tighten its grip on power.
"The Maldives government has cracked down on any and all dissent, from activists and journalists to Supreme Court judges," said Brad Adams, Asia director. "Immediate
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NEW YORK, Aug. 16 -- Human Rights Watch issued the following news release:
The Maldives government's intimidation of the political opposition and media threatens prospects for free and fair elections in September 2018, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. The government of this Indian Ocean archipelago has also interfered with the judiciary and the national electoral commission in order to tighten its grip on power.
"The Maldives government has cracked down on any and all dissent, from activists and journalists to Supreme Court judges," said Brad Adams, Asia director. "Immediatesteps are needed to restore political freedoms and democratic rule to ensure free and fair elections in September."
The 52-page report, "'An All-Out Assault on Democracy': Crushing Dissent in the Maldives," documents how the government of President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom has used decrees and broad, vaguely worded laws to silence dissent and intimidate, arbitrarily arrest, and imprison critics. These include counterterrorism laws widely used against opposition activists and politicians; anti-defamation laws used against the media and social media activists; and restrictions on assembly that prevent peaceful rallies and protests. Religious extremists and criminal gangs - including many that enjoy political protection - have assaulted and sometimes murdered dissenters with impunity. This has had crippling effects on the Maldives' nascent democracy and struggling civil society.
The United Nations and key international partners should call upon Yameen to end repressive measures that have eroded fundamental human rights, including freedom of association, expression, peaceful assembly, and political participation, Human Rights Watch said.
Ahead of the elections scheduled for September 23, the Maldives government should take urgent steps to end politically motivated abuses against the opposition, journalists, activists, and judges. For elections to be free and fair, they need to be held in an environment free from coercion, discrimination, or intimidation of voters, candidates, and political parties, Human Rights Watch said.
In February, Yameen declared a state of emergency to annul a Supreme Court ruling that quashed the convictions of nine opposition leaders. Those leaders include former President Mohamed Nasheed, who in 2015 was convicted in a trial that violated due process standards and sentenced to 13 years in prison. Two Supreme Court justices were arrested on politically motivated charges after rulings that favored the opposition. The Yameen government has also issued decrees through the Election Commission blocking opposition leaders from contesting elections. The authorities jailed opposition leaders under vague provisions of the Anti-Terrorism Act, restricted protests, and arrested peaceful protesters. Under international pressure, Yameen lifted the state of emergency on March 22, 2018.
The Maldives government should drop all prosecutions for the peaceful exercising of basic rights, including criminal investigations and terrorism charges brought against individuals for their criticism of the government, and end politically motivated arrests and detention, Human Rights Watch said.
Extremist groups in the Maldives, often endorsing violent ultra-nationalist or Islamist ideology, have harassed and attacked media outlets and civil society groups with impunity. They have targeted those who criticize the government on social media, publish material they deem as offensive to Islam, promote the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people, or support other political causes they oppose. There has also been a rise in violent attacks on journalists, most notably the near-fatal stabbing of Ismail Hilath Rasheed in 2012; the disappearance of Maldives Independent journalist Ahmed Rilwan in August 2014; and the murder of blogger Yameen Rasheed in April 2017. Police have been slow to investigate these threats and attacks, which have had a chilling effect on speech. At a campaign rally on August 7, 2018, President Yameen, who has repeatedly refused to meet with Rilwan's family, declared that the journalist was dead - a claim he retracted and apologized for after coming under criticism. On August 2, after the Maldives criminal court acquitted two men of abducting Rilwan, the judge called the police and prosecution negligent, careless, and said they had failed to conduct a thorough investigation.
Human Rights Watch called on concerned governments to press the Maldives to protect the rights to peaceful expression and assembly. If the Maldives government fails to ease restrictions, key actors should support targeted sanctions against senior ruling party officials, as the European Union has proposed.
"President Yameen should not believe that he can crush dissent and manipulate the elections without international censure," Adams said. "His government needs to act quickly if the Maldives' donors are going to take the elections seriously."
Groups Call for Zero Waste Master Plan
BOSTON, Massachusetts, Aug. 16 -- The Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group issued the following news release:
On the eve of the Commonwealth's drafting of their next Solid Waste Master Plan, several organizations are calling for robust changes to that Plan, including a clear and enforceable commitment to policies that enact zero waste. "We cannot recycle our way out of the disposal problems in Massachusetts," said Janet Domenitz, MASSPIRG Executive Director, who provided editorial support to a national report entitled Trash in America earlier this year. "We need to turn the garbage truck
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BOSTON, Massachusetts, Aug. 16 -- The Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group issued the following news release:
On the eve of the Commonwealth's drafting of their next Solid Waste Master Plan, several organizations are calling for robust changes to that Plan, including a clear and enforceable commitment to policies that enact zero waste. "We cannot recycle our way out of the disposal problems in Massachusetts," said Janet Domenitz, MASSPIRG Executive Director, who provided editorial support to a national report entitled Trash in America earlier this year. "We need to turn the garbage truckaround, and commit to a goal of zero waste."
Although the Commonwealth set a goal in its 2010-2020 Master Plan of reducing disposal to 4.5 million tons a year, the most recent figures show that 5.6 million tons of waste a year are heading to incinerators and landfills, an increase from 2010. "We work with citizen groups all over the state who have lived in the shadow of incinerators and landfills and their pollution for too long," declared Sylvia Broude, Executive Director of Toxics Action Center, a co-author of the national report. "We should be phasing out dirty disposal and working much more aggressively to get to zero waste."
The Solid Waste Master Plan is the Commonwealth's blueprint for dealing with waste, required by law to be issued every 10 years since 1990. Conservation Law Foundation's Zero Waste Project Director, Kirstie Pecci, who has worked on waste reduction efforts for over a decade, commented, "The 2010-2020 Plan has been stalled and blocked by the waste industry so they can keep expanding landfills and operating incinerators. In central Massachusetts where I live, Southbridge was 'host' of the state's biggest landfill. Now the Fitchburg/Westminster landfill is the biggest, which Waste Management is trying to expand by taking over 85 acres of the Leominster Forest. We need to stop expanding these dirty facilities and instead expand and enforce zero waste programs."
Zero waste is not simply a concept, but internationally recognized public policy that emphasizes "...consuming less, reusing more, redesigning products to be long-lasting and easy to repair, recycle or compost," according to the national report, Trash in America. Amy Perlmutter, a Massachusetts-based zero waste consultant and former Recycling Program Manager for the city and county of San Francisco said, "Zero waste is possible, many cities in our country are almost there, and the Commonwealth can get there as well if we can muster the will; put the right policies, programs, and education in place; and look at this as an economic development as well as an environmental opportunity."
Several organizations are banding together, using the drafting of the 2020-2030 Solid Waste Master Plan to point out the obstacles standing in the way of progress towards reducing waste, and lay out a process and plan for moving forward. "What we throw in the trash and then bury and burn often makes its way back into our bodies and all too often incinerators, landfills and transfer stations are located in communities of color or low income communities that are already overburdened by pollution and other harms," said Elizabeth Saunders, Massachusetts Director of Clean Water Action. "Companies, like Wheelabrator in Saugus, that profit from the generation of trash have stood in the way of progress towards zero waste for too long."
Click here for the "Trash in Massachusetts: State of the State" (https://masspirgedfund.org/reports/maf/trash-massachusetts-state-state) well as a link to the national report, Trash in America (https://uspirg.org/sites/pirg/files/cpn/USP-041218-A10-REPORT/Trash-in-America-2018.html?_ga=2.235436993.1511447659.1534471038-1430344421.1534471038).
Forest Service Releases Fire Management Strategy While Zinke Deals in Doublespeak, Climate Denial, Exploitation, Inflammatory Language
WASHINGTON, Aug. 16 -- The Sierra Club issued the following news release:
The Forest Service today released a new forest management strategy for wildfire. The strategy has a strong emphasis on science and climate change, and calls for prescribed fire and other proven safety measures.
In contrast, Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke is continuing his media tour on current wildfires, but focusing on inflammatory language, denying climate change's role depending on the outlet he's speaking to, and exploiting the ongoing fires striking communities across the West to push his and Donald Trump's political
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WASHINGTON, Aug. 16 -- The Sierra Club issued the following news release:
The Forest Service today released a new forest management strategy for wildfire. The strategy has a strong emphasis on science and climate change, and calls for prescribed fire and other proven safety measures.
In contrast, Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke is continuing his media tour on current wildfires, but focusing on inflammatory language, denying climate change's role depending on the outlet he's speaking to, and exploiting the ongoing fires striking communities across the West to push his and Donald Trump's politicalagenda.
In response, Associate Legislative Director for Lands and Wildlife Kirin Kennedy released the following statement:
"It's a breath of fresh air to see science, instead of politics, inserted into forest and fire management. We know that climate is changing fire season; we know that focusing on defensible space around buildings can limit damage; we know that allowing fire to function naturally is good for our forests and communities. The longer Ryan Zinke continues to ignore these facts the greater the risks to homes and families."
Clean Cars Rollback: Absurdity of Trump Administration's Safety Claims
WASHINGTON, Aug. 16 -- Public Citizen issued the following news release:
Since being implemented in 2012, the Obama-era fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions standards, also known as clean car standards, have dramatically reduced tailpipe emissions that cause global warming and have saved consumers more than $60 billion at the gas pump.
However, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) released a proposed rule (PDF) on Aug. 2 that would freeze clean car standards at 2020 levels through 2026. The plan also would revoke
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Aug. 16 -- Public Citizen issued the following news release:
Since being implemented in 2012, the Obama-era fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions standards, also known as clean car standards, have dramatically reduced tailpipe emissions that cause global warming and have saved consumers more than $60 billion at the gas pump.
However, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) released a proposed rule (PDF) on Aug. 2 that would freeze clean car standards at 2020 levels through 2026. The plan also would revokea waiver that allows 13 states and the District of Columbia to set more stringent tailpipe pollution standards. The agencies titled the rule "The Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficient (SAFE) Vehicles Rule," and claimed it would save 12,700 lives over a decade. But the evidence does not justify either the moniker or the claim.
Documents released this week reveal that even the Trump administration's own EPA advised the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) that its analysis was wildly off base.
"The Proposed standards are detrimental to safety, rather than beneficial as suggested by the As-Received version," William Charmley, director of the Assessment and Standards Division of the EPA, wrote to OMB officials on June 18. "In other words, results with our code revisions indicate that the proposed standards would result in an increase in the fatality rate of 7 deaths per trillion miles driven."
Independent analysis shows that freezing the standards could cost consumers up to $500 more per year in fuel costs and would pump an additional 2.2 billion metric tons of global warming pollution into the atmosphere by 2040.
It appears that the administration resorted to cooking the books when defending its decision.
The original standards were based on thousands of hours of research and analysis, as well as a significant amount of technical expertise and stakeholder input. And while the facts haven't changed, the administration has. Less than two months after taking office, President Donald Trump promised to let the automakers out of their commitment to build cleaner, more fuel efficient vehicles, even if doing so required the agencies to do a complete 180 on the previous technical analysis.
In explaining why it was undermining such a successful program, the administration claimed that a freeze would save consumers money. How? Officials inaccurately claimed that meeting the standards would increase the cost of vehicles by more than consumers would subsequently save from improved fuel economy. While independent modeling shows complying with the standards costs as much as 40 percent less than originally predicted, the administration's new rule takes the already overestimated compliance costs and inflates them by a factor of more than two.
The administration is required to justify its proposal because existing law calls on the federal government to set fuel economy requirements from 2021 to 2030 at the "maximum feasible standard." It is inconceivable that freezing standards could represent the maximum feasible standard achievable, especially given that the current year requirements for the European Union and Japan already exceed those planned in the United States for 2021.
Safety Canards
The Trump administration's safety arguments are:
1. The rule will save lives because people will drive less, thus decreasing overall risk. (This accounts for 50 percent of the lives the administration promises to save.)
2. The rule will save lives because it will encourage purchase of new vehicles, which officials believe would be safer. (This accounts for 49 percent of the lives the administration promises to save.)
3. The rule will save lives because it will lead to the manufacture of heavier vehicles, which the rule says would be safer. (This accounts for one percent of the lives the administration promises to save.)
These claims are demonstrably false. See our full memo (PDF) for more details (http://qz.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?key=-1&url_num=10&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.citizen.org%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Fford2g-clean_cars_safety_response.pdf).
Adrian Dominican Associates Gather for Partners VI
ADRIAN, Michigan, Aug. 16 -- Adrian Dominican Sisters issued the following news:
About 50 Adrian Dominican Associates, along with some Sisters, gathered in Adrian August 10-12, 2018, to study and discuss the Congregation's General Chapter Enactment on Resilient Communities, reflect on Dominican spirituality, deepen relationships with one another, and to welcome three new Associates.
The gathering, Partners VI, is an annual event that signifies the partnership in Mission between the Associates and the Sisters.
Sister Patricia Harvat, OP, General Councilor and liaison to Associate Life, welcomed
... Show Full Article
ADRIAN, Michigan, Aug. 16 -- Adrian Dominican Sisters issued the following news:
About 50 Adrian Dominican Associates, along with some Sisters, gathered in Adrian August 10-12, 2018, to study and discuss the Congregation's General Chapter Enactment on Resilient Communities, reflect on Dominican spirituality, deepen relationships with one another, and to welcome three new Associates.
The gathering, Partners VI, is an annual event that signifies the partnership in Mission between the Associates and the Sisters.
Sister Patricia Harvat, OP, General Councilor and liaison to Associate Life, welcomedthe group, which included Associates from Michigan, the Dominican Republic, Florida, and California. She reflected on the meaning of St. Dominic's dying wish to be buried at the feet of his Dominican brothers. "His request expresses the reality of his brothers' fraternity as a place of holiness," she said. "There's the sense of that holiness among us tonight. It is the holy preaching that you'll hear about tonight, all day tomorrow, and Sunday."
Associate Trudy McSorley prepared the group for the work of the next day: study and discussion on the Congregation's General Chapter Enactment on Resilient Communities. The Enactment calls on the Sisters and Associates to pledge their "lives, money and other resources to facilitate and participate in creating resilient communities with people who are relegated to the margins, valuing their faith, wisdom, and integrity."
Trudy noted that the Adrian Dominican leadership had designated 2018 as a year of study to learn more about resilient communities. As preparation for the work of the next day, Trudy showed a video with excerpts from a Resilient Communities Symposium, hosted by the Adrian Dominican Sisters and featuring a panel of thought leaders on five aspects of resilient communities: vision, economic empowerment, racial equity, environmental justice, and collaboration.
On the morning of August 11, Associate Dee Joyner, Director of the Congregation's Office of Resilient Communities, led participants in further exploration of resilient communities and of the people who are relegated to the margins in local areas.
"People are very confused about what is a resilient community," Dee said. "If you Google it online, you'll find many references. Each group has a different take on what that means to them." She invited participants to spend time as a group "unpacking" the meaning of the Congregation's working definition of a resilient community: "one that has a long-range sustainable vision that emerges from the community through an inclusive, collaborative process that engages diverse grassroots leaders and person who have traditionally been marginalized; creates partnerships built on trust; seeks equity and justice; draws on spiritual wisdom and is healing; and reflects a concern for future generations, living within Earth's regenerative capacity (i.e., 'one-planet thinking'). These elements combine to promote the well-being and vitality of the community and its ability to address ongoing stressors from crises or disasters and sustain itself into the future.
Each local Mission Chapter of the Adrian Dominican Sisters has been asked to set up a Resilient Communities committee, co-chaired by a Sister and an Associate, to ascertain geographical areas of need and to work with the people in that area to address the needs that the people themselves experience, Dee explained. Participants were also asked to discuss the ways in which they as individuals envisioned themselves becoming involved in local resilient communities.
Sister Tarianne DeYonker, OP, Co-director of Vocations, began the afternoon session August 11 by suggesting ways that Associates can help Catholic young adults in their discernment for vocations to the priesthood or religious life. She suggested that the Associates invite other adults in their neighborhoods or parishes to a dessert gathering to raise their awareness of young adults that they know who might have a vocation - who might be active in their parish or in community service. "Young adults want their lives to make a difference," she said. "They need to be accompanied and they need to be invited."
Sister Patricia gave a presentation on Dominican spirituality. "Our spirituality is not about special ways of praying but finding a good attitude in the midst of all that is and all that happens," she explained. "We rely on grace. There's no other way we can sometimes get through life."
She drew on Lumen Gentium, the dogmatic Constitution of the Catholic Church issued at the time of Vatican II, to explain the Dominican charism. A charism is a gift of the Holy Spirit, given to a religious congregation for the benefit of the Church, she said. The Dominican charism is to preach the Word of God. "Our mission is to live the charism - a common gift, one that belongs to us as Sisters and Associates. It's dynamic and unfolding and constantly being rediscovered."
The evening included the Rite of Acceptance of three new Associates: Gladys Cruz, of Isleton, California; Judi Engel, of Columbus, Ohio; and Eileen Negus, of Adrian. Read more in the accompanying article. The Associates wrapped up Partners VI on Sunday morning before celebrating the Sunday Liturgy at St. Catherine Chapel.
Associates are women and men - married or single - at least 18 years of age and committed to sharing the Mission and Vision of the Adrian Dominican Sisters. While maintaining their independent lifestyles, Associates share in the Sisters' mission and vision and participate in Congregational, spiritual, and social events with the Sisters.
For more information on becoming an Adrian Dominican Associate, contact Mary Lach, Director of Associate Life, at 517-266-3531 or mlach@adriandominicans.org. If you are a single Catholic woman interested in discerning vowed religious life with the Adrian Dominican Sisters, contact Vocation Co-Directors Sister Tarianne DeYonker, OP, at 517-266-3532, tdeyonker@adriandominicans.org or Sister Mariane Fahlman, OP, at 517-266-3537, mfahlman@adriandominicans.org.
