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Stop Utility Shut Offs! Don't leave our elders and infirm without utilities! Support SB 598!

5/16/2017

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Dear Friends:​

As many of you know, we have been long-time partners with The Utility Reform Network (TURN) that advocates for people over utility company profits.

We join with TURN now to support Sen. Ben Hueso (D-San Diego) whose bill, SB 598, will reduce shut offs for our elders and those with life-threatening conditions requiring the use of supportive machines.  Shut offs have skyrocketed among struggling households, no matter the life circumstances of the people involved.

Over 2 million Californians were affected in 2015—most of whom are children. Currently, shutoffs for non-payment can be used as a debt collection strategy by utility companies even if a member of the household is dependent upon life-support equipment at home. These disconnects lead to worsening medical conditions, threats to safety, housing displacement and homelessness, not to mention undue stress among those affected. 

SB 598 will prohibit shutoffs for residents with life-threatening medical conditions, providing increased protections to the most medically vulnerable families. This bill also require the CPUC to adopt rules to reduce shutoffs by 50% by 2021; moving California closer to universal utility service for all by requiring the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to develop policies, rules, or regulations to reduce gas and electric service disconnects for nonpayment by residential customers and adopt shutoffs as a metric in order to measure utility service reliability, public safety and affordability.

SB 598 has passed the Senate Energy, Utilities, and Communications Committee UNANIMOUSLY.  However, there will be opposition ahead.  Now is the time for us to be heard.  It will come to the Senate floor on or about May 30. 

Please start contacting your Senators today and asking them to support SB 598. It will:
  • Prohibit shut offs for residents with life-threatening medical conditions
  • Requires the CA Public Utilities Commission to create uniform rules for all utilities with respect to reducing shut offs by 50% by 2021
  • Measures the impact of utility rate increases on the escalation of shut offs as more and more people with medical necessity cannot keep up with payments.

This is a basic, good sense bill. To assure your legislators in Sacramento agree, please speak out now to remind them that a critical part of a functional state is how we care for those who are in greatest trouble.  This is where our voice as people of faith becomes powerful.

To access your state senators in the Capitol or in your local district, please go to:  http://www.churchimpact.org/take-action.html  

Please speak out for those at risk of losing their heat, light, power source over a short-sighted tactic to collect debt.  Bills can and should be paid, but utilities have the alternative of creating repayment plans and strategies for those in need and with dangerous medical conditions.  No one from children to our elders should be treated as deadbeats when they are struggling with the care for their family members.  SB 598 will move us toward a more rational and compassionate strategy for the good of all.

Thank you!

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Facing a Grave Constitutional Crisis? What You Can Do

5/10/2017

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Dear Friends:​

Yesterday's firing of the FBI Director, James Comey, has led to what is now a grave Constitutional crisis.  Comey was the key figure investigating whether American citizens, including key federal office holders and staff, colluded with a foreign government to corrupt our 2016 presidential election.

Firing the man in charge of the investigation is a most dangerous step toward totalitarianism and certainly to a cover up.  Our system requires unfettered access to information by our duly elected representatives.  Anything that thwarts this action is anti-democratic and a threat to the survival of truth and the operation of a functioning Republic.

While Congress continues its own work, we now must have an absolutely neutral outside force continuing the inquiry. 

Please call or contact the Department of Justice and contribute your voice to the call for an independent investigation. 

Contact information is here                     

You may make a written comment on this site or call the DoJ main public comment number   202-353-1555   Tell Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein that you want him to appoint and independent investigation of the issues and people involved in the ongoing inquiry to Russian tampering with our election.

We never thought this would be an issue for us again.  After the lessons of Watergate 1972-1974, we thought our nation and beloved democracy was safe from craven personal manipulation, from exploitation and abrogation of due process.  We at Church IMPACT are charged with examining public policy, but we did not excpect to have to mobilize all of you to defend the basic principles of open and honest government, especially not at the federal level.  But we cannot stay silent in the face of such a threat to our system of justice and right.

Please pass this on to your friends, allies, family - anyone who thinks we must speak out on the basic principles of democratic justice.  Please encourage them to sign up with us to stay abreast of developments and actions they can take.  We face a real crisis in our government, and it will take all of us working together to make sure we pass safely through these rough seas. 

They may sign up at http://www.churchimpact.org/take-action.html

Thank you.  May Peace and Justice prevail for us and our nation.

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Health Care Vote occurred - House killed ACA. Now, onto the Senate

5/4/2017

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Dear Friends,

By TWO votes, the House just  killed essential aspects of the Affordable Care Act.  They don't know what it will cost, whom it will harm, what the implications are, but by golly they got a "win".

This is the first step toward killing the Affordable Care Act.  We now must prevent the second.   This bill must pass both houses before it can be signed into law. Let's stop it in its tracks now!

The goal of killing ACA is to "save" billions that would be spent on health care for Americans and divert it into tax cuts for the wealthy.  This is not a laudable plan. This betrays working families, those whose members have serious and costly conditions, women who are being deprived of maternal care, and families whose children have autism or any other chronic condition. We cannot let this happen.

It is now time to address your Senators.

No matter who they are or how much they may agree with us on the importance of preserving ACA, please keep talking to them.  They need to tell their colleagues that you have spoken, that hundreds of thousands to millions have made clear that ACA is worth saving and that we, the people, are watching.

Please continue your calls to 202-224-3121 and ask to be connected to your Senators.  It will take two calls, one to each, but it is well worth the time and effort. 

Alternatively, you may contact them via text by setting up an alert daily to contact the at 50409.  Just type "Resist" into your text to get started. There will be prompts on where to go from there.  If you don't want to respond to the daily alert to post a new message, just deleted the alert.   

You may also go to their offices in DC or the district via our site http://www.churchimpact.org/take-action.htm

Please start urging your Senators to vote NO on the alternative health care bill.  It's irresponsible, fiscally unsound, and morally reprehensible. 

  • It imposes an 'age tax' by letting older people be charged FIVE TIMES what younger people are charged.
  • It removes all guarantees for coverage of pre-existing conditions
  • It gives states the right to remove the 10 essential benefits as rights with no additional charge
  • It makes being female a pre-existing condition as well as domestic violence, a C-section, sexual assault.   These experiences can be grounds for denying health care coverage at all.
  • It allows states to remove the 10 essential benefits from employer -sponsored plans.
This isn't health care coverage.  It's back to the past of frightening insecurity where affordable coverage may be ripped from us at any moment simply for using that coverage at all.

Please start writing, calling, texting today.  We have a good chance of stopping this travesty. We must have your voice to do it.

Thank you!

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    Author

    The Rev Dr Rick Schlosser

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