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Hello Keystone Advocates!
For your Information This Week!
Good News From Our King County Executive Director
Sound Transit has expanded service to a big swath of King County with three new light rail stations which opened this past Saturday. The 4.3-mile Northgate Link Extension opened its doors with these new stations:
Northgate
Roosevelt
University District
This is incredible progress built on years of hard work and determination.
Mobility matters. It matters to us individually -- it matters to our regional economy. The ability to commute to your job and arrive on time, the option to leave your car at home while running errands -- spending less time on the road and more time with family and friends -- all of these are tangible benefits of a robust public transit system. This is the innovation we've been working for.
Not only are we getting three new light rail stations, but we are also getting 200,000 bus transit hours and 38 of our bus routes will come back online as our Metro service returns to 95% of pre-pandemic levels. Every day, we are working to build and strengthen our region's public transit into the robust, connected system needed to get people where they need to go, reduce traffic and carbon emissions, and create opportunity for every neighbor.
FROM OUR GREEN TEAM THIS WEEK
Let Us Continue to Make Calls to Senator Manchin for Climate Action!
Time: Tuesdays and Thursdays - Through the end of October!
Let us continue to Advocate for Climate Action!
6 – 8pm EDT (3-5 PST)
Location: Virtual event
About this event
Join us from anywhere to make calls to Senator Joe Manchin's office for climate action!
For the months of September and October you have the opportunity to join us any Tuesday or Thursday evening starting at 6pm to get involved and make your voice heard! You and other volunteers will be making phone calls to West Virginia voters to talk about the importance of the Clean Electricity Performance Program. If the voter is excited about the CEPP then they will be patched through to Senator Manchin's office to voice their support of the bill.
We will give you all the tools you need - RSVP now to get the Zoom link to hop on a call and learn more.
Please bring up the link below for more information and times to call!
https://www.mobilize.us/ccanactionfund/event/416726/
ANOTHER GREEN TEAM ACTION ITEM!
To Our Next Mayor - Commit to Seattle's Climate Goals!
Take a look - Open the link below and please sign this petition to tell the next mayor to start achieving climate goals and not just setting aspirational goals.
Join 350.org Wednesday for ‘Climate Justice Not Cops’ -- an organizing call for everyone in the local climate movement to learn more about the Solidarity Budget, why it's essential to achieving the goals of Seattle's Green New Deal and how you can get involved!
Wednesday, Oct 6, 7:00 - 800PM
Online, via zoom
RSVP & more info here
We have the solutions: what we need is funding at the scale of the crisis.
Let's Continue to Push Harder for
The Build Back Better Act
This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make essential investments in jobs, healthcare, childcare, education, climate change, housing, and more. If we made the tax code fair, it would pay for all these investments and put a dent in the massive wealth gap in our country.
Greedy corporations and the wealthy elites don't want to lose their tax breaks and are doing everything in their power to stop Congress from making them pay their fair share.
Last year, 55 Fortune 500 companies paid $0 in taxes. Billionaires increased their wealth by $1.8 trillion. The rich take advantage of the rigged tax code to hoard wealth, while parents are struggling to afford the basics, workers are being denied paid time off to care for our new babies and elders, and the people who care for our children are underpaid and undervalued. But it doesn't have to be this way.
Corporate lobbyists are hounding members of Congress to block provisions in the Build Back Better Act that would make the rich pay their fair share because they don’t want to give up their tax breaks.
Corporations want to continue making themselves richer while hard-working people fall further into the widening wealth gap. From 1979-2015, the average household income has grown 229% for the top 1% -- compared to 46% for the bottom 90%.
We deserve a country where everyone's basic needs are met, and fundamental rights are realized. Can you help us build a future we're proud of for our kids to inherit?
Demand the rich and corporations start paying their fair share.
SIGN AND SEND THE PETITION
WE NEED TO PASS CRITICAL IMMIGRATION
PROTECTIONS NOW! END TITLE 42
Tell the Biden Administration and Congressional Democrats:
"We need decisive action on immigration. We urge you to eliminate ICE and detention centers and criminally charge those committing human rights violations at our border and detention centers; end Title 42; end deportations; and finally develop a pathway to citizenship for ALL, including Dreamers, farmworkers, and essential workers."
Did you know the Biden administration is still defending the Trump-era use of Title 42 to hold up asylum-seekers on public health grounds, a practice that has directly led to a backlog of more than 400,000 asylum applications?
Title 42 is what is being used as a rationale to deport Haitian refugees, despite tremendous political unrest and a devastating earthquake in their country of origin. That is unacceptable!
We suffered through four years of xenophobic, racist immigration policies under the Trump administration. These policies must end.
We have a responsibility to migrants, refugees, and frontline workers to hold lawmakers to the commitments they made on the campaign trail. Sign if you agree! Dignity, respect, and nothing less! Tell Congress and President Biden they must pass permanent immigration protection and relief this year.
Thank you for all you do to demand accountability from our elected leaders and to fight for the needs of working families, the vulnerable, the sick and the poor.
From the Coalition on Human Needs
FOR YOUR INFORMATION THIS WEEK - SIERRA CLUB NEWS
Global Grassroots Leaders Climate Summit
The Sierra Club and Friends of the Earth US are convening top grassroots leaders from around the globe to participate in the second annual Global Grassroots Leaders Climate Summit from from October 19 to 22. The summit comes ahead of the G20 leaders summit and the UN Climate Summit this fall, where world leaders must up their ambitions and climate commitments.
Learn more about the Global Grassroots Leaders Climate Summit and RSVP!
Climate Strike in Pictures
September 24 marked the first time climate activists returned to the streets en masse since the coronavirus struck in 2020.
Here's what it looked like.
PennEast Pipeline Canceled
Last week, the developers of the controversial PennEast pipeline project announced they were canceling the project after being denied necessary water quality permits. “This is a big win for communities in New Jersey and Pennsylvania,” said Patrick Grenter of the Beyond Dirty Fuels campaign.
Learn how organizers and community members defeated the project.
Student Squads for Climate Action
The Sierra Student Coalition will host an open house on October 21 to launch its Squad Program for young organizers. Whether you want to work on school campuses, in community centers, or function as the youth arm of existing organizations doing climate and environmental justice work ,the Squad Program focuses on leadership skills while sharpening political and analytical acumen in service to the cause of climate justice.
Register for the open house on October 21 at 4:30 PM PST / 7:30 PM EST.
Thank you Keystone for Speaking Up!
May we continue to educate ourselves and take nonviolent action, advocating for justice and the well being of all people here and in our world!
In Peace and Love!
Barb, Rich V, and Jim
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