If you're in Boston on Thursday, help prevent tar sands development and climate disaster

We're posting this for our friends at Tar Sands Action Network.

Dear Climate Activists,
We need you to join us outside Senator Scott Brown's office, 2400 JFK Building, 15 New Sudbury Street, Boston, on Thursday at 11 a.m. prevent future natural disasters from hitting our Commonwealth and nation.

RSVP here if you can make it--we need 48 people to sign up to represent the 48 states that have each had a FEMA-declared national disaster this year.

Fossil fuel companies are trying to force a decision on the Keystone XL pipeline by attaching it to the payroll tax cut bill rapidly working its way through Congress. This pipeline would accelerate the development of the Tar Sands, meaning "game over for the climate" (according to NASA's top climate scientist) and countless new natural disasters across Massachusetts and the world. Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown is one of the few swing votes on this bill. It's up to us to win his vote or expose him as a puppet of the fossil fuel industry.

Scott Brown is a member of the Massachusetts National Guard and is on the Subcommittee for Disaster Recovery in the Senate, so he should know and care that 2011 was a record year for FEMA-declared emergencies. It should be clear to him that climate change is already costing us lives and billions of dollars--yet his campaign bill is footed by massive fossil fuel corporations such as Koch Industries and Exxon Mobil.

Tomorrow's action is a follow-up to a meeting with constituents held on Monday, at which they asked him to help prevent future Hurricane Irenes by blocking the pipeline. The alternative? Increased funding for FEMA and the National Guard to deal with the upcoming disasters that burning the Tar Sands oil will create.

If he does not pledge to vote against the pipeline before Thursday at noon, we will start a march, led by a former National Guardsman and a giant puppet of Scott Brown, through the streets of Boston to the local Massachusetts National Guard recruiting office to let them know to start recruiting and training future disaster responders to deal with the more frequent and more serious natural disasters that will be brought by burning the Tar Sands.

Want to be a part of this? Show up on Thursday at 11AM at Brown's office (2400 JFK Building, 15 New Sudbury Street, Boston). RSVP here--we're asking willing individuals to commit to specific roles in our demonstration before the march.

Please dress professionally. We need to show Senator Brown and those considering voting for him that we take our future very seriously. We will be polite, professional, and principled. Please wear the nicest outfit you have that you feel comfortable marching two miles in.

Please forward this email widely to your networks. Thank you all for your efforts, and we hope to see you on Thursday.

- Craig, Roger, Kathryn, Nathalie, Alli, and other Massachusetts supporters of Tar Sands Action network

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OREP Action Bulletin out now

The Oregonians for Renewable Energy Policy (OREP) Action Bulletin is online here. Check it out! Highlights include upcoming events, links to online video on feed-in tariffs, frequently-asked questions to bring you up to speed on equitable and localized development of solar power. OREP is a sponsored project of Alliance for Democracy.

Did you know...
Last month, OREP was invited to join the Steering Committee for Alliance for Renewable Energy... That OREP's outreach to Occupy Portland activists added feed-in tariffs to the Solutions Work Group's discussion... that OREP is now a member of the NW Energy Coalition, an alliance of more than 100 environmental, civic, and human service organizations, progressive utilities, and businesses in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Alaska and British Columbia. NWEC promotes development of renewable energy, energy conservation, consumer protection, low-income energy assistance, and fish and wildlife restoration.

For more information, see the OREP website, www.oregonrenewables.com.

Check out OREP organizer Judy Barnes on the Alliance for Democracy show, "Populist Dialogues":

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In Maine, East-West Highway feasibility study moves forward

by Chris Buchanan, Defending Water in Maine

LR 2358, An Act To Provide Funding to the Department of Transportation for a Feasibility Study for an East-West Highway, has been given the green light for consideration this session. If you live in Maine, see below for actions you can take with AfD's Defending Water in Maine campaign to help protect your state's ecosystems.

Background
The idea of a Maine East-West highway has been kicked around the Maine Legislature since 1981. However, public and/or private funding has never been provided to study the feasibility of such a highway or to finance its construction.

Canadian businesses want an East-West highway to move goods more cheaply from inland Canada to its eastern provinces and to a proposed Super-Port at Halifax, Nova Scotia, for export. Maine would be used as a throughway. But the highway could also accelerate the exploitation of Maine’s natural resources. Of particular concern to Defending Water in Maine, is the likelihood that the highway would make it economical for giant corporations to profit from cutting down Maine’s forests to supply wood chips to Europe as “green energy” and from exporting Maine’s water in bulk and in bottles to global markets.

Defending Water in Maine and others ask: How will increased truck traffic crossing the state benefit the people of Maine? Simply, it will not. But, it will benefit transnational corporations like Nestlé which can profit from using the highway to exploit and export Maine’s water to sell it around the world.

Why now?
Peter Vigue, CEO of Cianbro, Maine’s largest construction firm, has reignited conversations among business leaders about the East-West highway. The last time Vigue was vocal about the project was in 2007, when he proposed the private toll road from Coburn Gore to Calais. Vigue again is promoting the highway to be built on private land with other business leaders and with state legislators. Cianbro is poised to profit considerably, as the owner of this toll road.

Plans to construct the road are well developed. Cianbro has already identified a route, and contacted major landowners; however, Cianbro has yet to make public the route they are pursuing. See our website for a map of the most likely route.

Key business leaders appear unified, and are organizing influence.

• Eastern Maine Development Corporation has formed Mobilize Eastern Maine, a new business leader group to promote economic development. They appear to be networking with community college educators. For instance, Washington County Community College (WCCC) is starting a new international commerce business program, stating that they anticipate the East-West highway and increased business at the ports.
• The Summit to Connect Education and Business in Eastern Maine is hosting an event to reach out to educators on December 8. (Here is information on this event, and the new program at WCCC: WCCC creates new International Commerce Business program)

LR 2358 was just unanimously moved forward for consideration as an emergency bill by the Legislative Council for the upcoming second legislative session. In 2007, Vigue said that, except for river crossings and connecting to the interstate, Cianbro didn’t need to go to the government for permitting, since this would all be privately funded on private land.

However, Senator Doug Thomas just sponsored a bill for a feasibility study. The bill summary states it, “would provide funding for an independent, investment-grade feasibility study to determine the need for and location of an east-west highway in Maine.” Bill sponsor, Senator Doug Thomas, said that, “a surprising amount of work has been done,” that this project is “doable”, and that this would be a boost to the Maine economy. (video of Thomas's testimony is here.)

Action Items
Join our east-west highway watch group. We will maintain a separate list of people who want more information on the development of this threat so we can continue to update you and network without burdening everyone on our listserv.

Identify Landowners. If you or someone you know has been approached about the highway running through their land, let us know! In the near future, we will be organizing to canvass the area as well and will need your help.

Contact your Local Representative and Senators, and the Members of the Transportation Committee re LR 2358. Some talking points:

• There is no reason for this to be considered as an emergency bill. Even Rep. Thomas admits that this has been under discussion for 20 years. The “emergency” seems to be that Cianbro wants to move ahead.
• Emergency legislation will not take into account potential environmental impacts of this highway, particularly impacts to Maine’s water and forests.
• A feasibility study of the East-West highway as a private toll road should not be funded by potential investors. It is unethical to have an investor-funded study of a project that benefits investors. Any study must be unbiased, because we are confident that an East-West highway will not benefit Maine people, or the environment.
• This bill is being rushed through to serve the interests of Cianbro, a private corporation, and Canadian businesses looking to cut transportation costs, without looking at the public interest of all Mainers. Will the cutting down of our forests, the selling of our water, and being a transport throughway be in the best interest of Maine residents now and in the future?

List of Transportation Committee Members:
Senators:
Douglas Thomas- R (sponsor) 277-3017 firewood@tds.net
Ronald Collins- R 985-2485 SenRonald.Collins@legislature.maine.gov
Bill Diamond- D 892-8941 SenBill.Diamond@legislature.maine.gov

Representatives:
Wayne Parry- R 286-9145 RepWayne.Parry@legislature.maine.gov
Alexander Willette- R 689-8332 alexander.willette@gmail.com
James Gillway- R 548-6372 RepJames.Gillway@legislature.maine.gov
Kimberley Rosen- R 469-3779 Kurlykim40@aol.com
Peter Rioux- R 659-2293 RepPeter.Rioux@legislature.maine.gov
Richard Cebra- R 693-6782 RepRich.Cebra@legislature.maine.gov
Ann Peoples- D 287-1430 RepAnn.Peoples@legislature.maine.gov
Charles Theriault- D 728-4526 RepCharlesK.Theriault@legislature.maine.gov
Edward Mazurek- D 542-0017 RepEd.Mazurek@legislature.maine.gov
George Hogan- D 423-4293 RepGeorge.Hogan@legislature.maine.gov

Please let us know whom you have contacted. Thanks!

Chris Buchanan, chris@defendingwater.net

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Our support letter to the LA City Council

AfD Co-chairs Nancy Price and David Delk wrote the following resolution support letter to the LA City Council:

December 5, 2011

Honorable Los Angeles City Council Members
Los Angeles City Hall
200 North Spring Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
RE: Resolution 11-0002-S123 - Corporate Activities in Electoral Processes

Dear Los Angeles City Council Members,

We write on behalf of the Alliance for Democracy in support of Los Angeles City Council resolution 11-0002-S123 - Corporate Activities in Electoral Processes which calls for a Constitutional Amendment and other legislative actions to establish that only living human beings, not corporations, have inalienable Constitutional rights and that money should not be protected as a form of free speech.

The Alliance for Democracy is a national organization that has members and Branches in California and is also a member of the Move to Amend coalition.

The pernicious doctrine of "corporate personhood" promulgated by the courts has meant that the rights originally intended for natural persons and to protect American citizens from the potentially oppressive powers of our government now belong as well to the corporation, an artificial entity.

Corporations claim these constitutional rights in Federal court to overturn, weaken, or by-pass laws designed to protect the environment, worker safety, public health and a myriad of other laws, including campaign finance laws, of which the Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission is the most recent and egregious example.

A recent poll by ABC News/Washington Post reveals that over 80% of the American public already
oppose the concept of “corporate personhood’ and that this opposition cuts across the political
spectrum.

We urge the City of Los Angeles to join in the movement to reverse the doctrine of corporate personhood and that money is equal to speech and on December 6th we ask for your “Aye” vote on this vitally important resolution.

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LA City Council approves resolution against corporate constitutional rights

Congratulations to Move to Amend Los Angeles. Organizing paid off as hundreds of supporters packed the City Council's chambers to speak in favor of a resolution barring corporations from accessing constitutional personhood rights, and allowing the re-regulation of political spending. LA now becomes the first major US city to rule that corporations are not people and money is not speech.

The council's unanimous vote came before a standing room only crowd. The resolution was sponsored by City Council President Eric Garcetti and seconded by Council Members Bill Rosendahl and Paul Krekorian with passionate support by Council Members Richard Alarcon and Paul Koretz.

Mary Beth Fielder, Move To Amend-LA founder, spearheaded the effort to bring the resolution to the LA City Council. “It’s a great day for Los Angeles and it’s a great day for the United States of America," Fielder said. "I hope this is the vote heard around the world and that it will inspire other who want to reclaim our democracy to begin organizing in their communities. Together we can build the grassroots support we need to actually amend our constitution.”

“Every struggle to amend the constitution began as just a group of regular Americans who wanted to end slavery, who thought women should vote, who believed that if you’re old enough to be drafted, you should be old enough to vote,” said Council President Eric Garcetti. “These are how American amendments move forward from the grassroots when Americans say enough is enough. We’re very proud to come together and send a message but more than that, this becomes the official position of the City of Los Angeles, we will officially lobby for this.

"I also chair a group which oversees all the Democratic mayors and council members in the country and we’re going to share this with all our 3,000 members and we hope to see this start here in the west and sweep the nation until one day we do have a constitutional amendment which will return the power to the people. ”

“What we saw in that chamber today was the beginning of a sea change in the way people think about politics in America and I hope that this will be the first day of a long and sustained movement that changes the way we represent ourselves and the way we demand the kind of government that we deserve,” said Council Member Paul Krekorian.

“I could not believe the coalition of energy that filled the council chambers today,” said Council Member Bill Rosendahl. “It made a huge difference. It was democracy at its best! ”

Here's the video:

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Los Angeles may be the first major US city to call for an end to corporate personhood

Move to Amend LA and Move to Amend write:

Next week the Los Angeles City Council will vote on a resolution that calls on Congress to amend the Constitution to clearly establish that only living persons--not corporations--are endowed with constitutional rights and that money is not the same as free speech. If this resolution is passed, Los Angeles will be the first major city in the U.S. to call for an end to all corporate constitutional rights.

The campaign in Los Angeles is the latest grassroots effort by Move to Amend, a national coalition working to abolish corporate personhood. “Local resolution campaigns are an opportunity for citizens to speak up and let it be known that we won’t accept the corporate takeover of our government lying down," said Kaitlin Sopoci-Belknap, a national spokesperson for Move to Amend. "We urge communities across the country to join the Move to Amend campaign and raise your voices.”

Earlier this year voters in Madison and Dane County, Wisconsin overwhelmingly approved ballot measures calling for an end to corporate personhood and the legal status of money as speech by 84% and 78% respectively. In November voters in Boulder, Colorado and Missoula, Montana both passed similar initiatives with 75% support.

“We are experiencing overwhelming support for what may be a historic turning point in restoring a voice to the voters and setting an example for the rest of the country," stated Mary Beth Fielder, Coordinator of Move To Amend LA. "This action would provide the basis for overturning the recent Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission.”

Move to Amend volunteers in dozens of communities across the country are working to place similar measures on local ballots next year, including West Allis, WI, a conservative suburb of Milwaukee where last week local residents successfully qualified a measure for their spring ballot.

Move to Amend’s strategy is to pass community resolutions across the nation through city councils and through direct vote by ballot initiative. “Our plan is build a movement that will drive this issue into Congress from the grassroots. The American people are behind us on this and these campaigns help our federal representatives see that we mean business. Our very democracy is at stake,” stated Sopoci-Belknap.

The campaign in Los Angeles is endorsed by a growing list of organizations including Common Cause, Occupy LA, LA County Federation of Labor, Physicians for Social Responsibility, The Environmental Caucus of the CA Democratic Party, Southern California Americans for Democratic Action, MoveOn LA, Progressive Democrats of the Santa Monica Mountains, Democracy for America, Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, Strategic Actions for a Just Economy, AFSCME 36, LA Green Machine and California Clean Money Campaign.

Here's a list of resolutions passed to date. You can read Move to Amend's proposed amendment here.

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"Hallelujah Corporations!"

Get into the corporatized spirit (wait--isn't that a contradiction in terms?) with this "Hallelujah Chorus" spoof sung by Stanza XXI.

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