From our friends at the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition:
Today, November 15, in federal court in Huntington, W.Va., Patriot Coal Corporation announced its intention to immediately begin phasing out all large scale surface mining in Appalachia. The announcement follows an historic agreement with the Sierra Club, OVEC and the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy, so ably represented by attorneys from Appalachian Mountain Advocates.
KFTC members work hard during the election season to build a stronger democracy. But we also work hard every day, all year long, to build New Power.
New Power means all of us working together for the things we all want: more and better jobs, affordable clean energy, fair taxes, healthier communities, and an honest democracy for all of us.
Will you invest in this vision?
This month we’re launching our fall fundraising campaign. The money we raise helps us do this work every day, all year long. It enables us to lobby in Frankfort, register thousands of voters across Kentucky, and work at the local level to improve our communities.
If you’re not yet a member, will you make a contribution this fall to become a member of KFTC and help us build New Power? If you would prefer to donate over the phone, please call us at 606-878-2161.
The goal for the Blue Ribbon Commission is to suggest reforms that will create a tax system that meets these principles:
Fairness
Competitiveness
Simplicity and Compliance
Elasticity
Adequacy
The Blue Ribbon Commission on Tax Reform took steps toward formulating a set of recommendations to overhaul Kentucky’s tax system at a day-long meeting on Thursday, with both some hopeful actions and some discouraging discussions.
Commissioners spent several hours talking about changes in individual income taxes, and put together a package of suggested reforms. There was broad support for a state refundable Earned Income Tax Credit, and they ended up settling on a level at 15% of the federal EITC – exactly what KFTC has supported in the Kentucky Forward Plan!
Rolling through streets and neighborhoods, members of the Southern KY chapter of KFTC visited the Westside where we have focused our canvassing, reminding people to vote with home made signs and our voices. We then visited two polling places and WKU, and finished on the square downtown.
We also did two interviews and video for WKU-TV with Ka'Seana Blanton and had a photographer follow us around for the whole ride.
We're also giving rides to the polls and fielding phone calls, and doing it all in style.
Here in the Central KY time zone, we have just over two hours left before the polls close.
Students from Dixie Heights High School, Samantha and Ally Lamar, in Northern Kentucky heard about the NKY chapter's get out the vote work, and came down to lend a hand!
Learning more about KFTC's work, they also decided to join, and look forward to joining the chapter at the upcoming NKY Loves Mountains event at Groove Coffee House this Saturday!
KFTC members work hard during the election season to build a stronger democracy. But we also work hard every day, all year long, to build New Power.
