Thursday afternoon hundreds gathered at Northern Kentucky University to speak out for more revenue, and to ask legislators to honor the commitments we have made to students across Kentucky.
The crowd began to gather before noon. Members of the broader community included KFTC, the International Brotherhood of Electric Workers, and the Northern Kentucky Justice and Peace Committe. However, the majority in attendance were students and faculty who were most likely to be impacted by the new state budget. Many came with signs illustrating issues impacting the NKU community. From rising costs of tuition, a tax structure that hurts lower and middle income Kentuckians, and what the impact of further cuts could mean to universities across the state.
In April KFTC members launched the Power House Project, an exciting effort to build New Power in every sense of the word: new economic power, new clean energy power, and new political power.
On March 29, nearly a 150 people from across Kentucky and central Appalachia gathered in Harlan County for a community conversation with each other and with Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II and Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis, as part of the national listening tour of the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival.
KFTC works for an open, healthy democracy and a high quality of life for all people. In recent days we witnessed some of the best examples of democratic participation and the worst examples of political manipulation. As legislators passed bills that undermine our democratic values and sense of basic fairness, Kentuckians stood up on the steps of the capitol and across the state to demonstrate the grassroots power at the heart of democracy.
As we move forward in this fight, it’s important that we stand together. We are working for a Kentucky that we haven’t yet achieved, where politicians don’t have the power to divide us. By being part of a movement that is inclusive and builds off the strength that we have when we work together, we can create such a Kentucky.
All Kentuckians deserve access to food, shelter, education, and other basic needs.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (aka SNAP and formerly known as food stamps)is part of the Farm Bill, a piece of legislation reauthorized every five years. The bill also includes agriculture programs such as crop insurance and subsidies and rural development. The Farm Bill needs to be reauthorized by September 30, 2018.
Members of the KFTC Executive Committee adopted the following statement to express KFTC's solidarity with public employees, including teachers, and all workers who are under attack by Gov. Matt Bevin and leaders in the Kentucky General Assembly.
KFTC's Executive Committee urges Kentuckians to create an inclusive movement by choosing not to play into harmful and divisive language.
Kentuckians For The Commonwealth works for an open, healthy democracy and a high quality of life for all people. We stand with teachers and public workers in the fight for a fair pension.
We understand the hurt and anger caused by Governor Bevin when he called Kentucky’s teachers and other public workers “selfish and short-sighted” and said they displayed a “thug mentality” when speaking out. He should apologize.
The word “thug” has a complicated history. It was used to disparage unions of working people throughout labor’s history. Over time, it’s meaning shifted and today, the word “thug” has racial undertones. It’s a word that causes hurt and pain for Black Kentuckians and other people of color.
That language seeks to divide us, and repeating it has unintended consequences.
I am a retired UMWA coal miner from western Kentucky and a KFTC member.
I worked underground for many years and very proud of that work. When I put on my bank clothes to go underground I did so secure in the knowledge that the benefits I was earning would be there for my wife and myself to survive during our retirement years. But now, thousands of retirees like me all across the coalfields will lose their pensions due to the 2008 financial crisis and coal company bankruptcies.
Congress should renew a tax on coal companies that supports medical treatment for miners disabled by black lung and expires at the end of this year. A vicious resurgence of the incurable disease gives lawmakers little choice.
KFTC works for an open, healthy democracy and a high quality of life for all people. In recent days we witnessed some of the best examples of democratic participation and the worst examples of political manipulation. As legislators passed bills that undermine our democratic values and sense of basic fairness, Kentuckians stood up on the steps of the capitol and across the state to demonstrate the grassroots power at the heart of democracy.