Three Things Thursday, Jan. 21

Dear Michigan LCV Family,

 

Welcome to the January 21, 2021 edition of Three Things Thursday! Today, for the first time in four years, we can think about Washington, D.C. with some semblance of peace, knowing that we have a president in the White House who is committed to rolling up his sleeves to build unity in a deeply polarized nation and addressing the major crises of our time, fostering hope all along the way.

This week’s Three Things include:

• A peak at the Biden/Harris inauguration and early actions on the part of the new administration;
• The Wege Lecture at UM;
• A look at the state’s financial situation, including Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s proposed 2021 budget; and
• A puppy photo for good measure 😉

1.The Biden/Harris Inauguration!!

Joining millions of people across the nation (and around the world), I tuned in yesterday to watch the inauguration of Joe Biden, the 46th President of the United States of America, and his amazing Vice President, Kamala Harris. It was an incredible ceremony and series of events, including performances by J.Lo and Lady Gaga, the Howard University marching band (accompanying VP Harris on her walk down Pennsylvania Avenue) and Amanda Gorman, our country’s first National Youth Poet Laureate, who delivered her poem, entitled “The Hill We Climb”,* with passion, conviction and grace.   Like so many of you, I’m sure, I felt a huge weight lifting off my shoulders as President Biden spoke and was completely blown away by Ms. Gorman who, at 22 years old, completed her poem following the January 6th riots, capturing the challenges we have faced over the last four years and the potential we have before us as we move into a new era of hope and possibility.  As Ms. Gorman recited:

Let the globe, if nothing else, say this is true:

That even as we grieved, we grew

That even as we hurt, we hoped

That even as we tired, we tried

That we’ll forever be tied together, victorious

Not because we will never again know defeat

but because we will never again sow division

And…

So let us leave behind a country

better than the one we were left with

Every breath from my bronze-pounded chest,

we will raise this wounded world into a wondrous one

We will rise from the gold-limbed hills of the west,

we will rise from the windswept northeast

where our forefathers first realized revolution

We will rise from the lake-rimmed cities of the midwestern states,

we will rise from the sunbaked south

We will rebuild, reconcile and recover

and every known nook of our nation and

every corner called our country,

our people diverse and beautiful will emerge,

battered and beautiful

When day comes we step out of the shade,

aflame and unafraid

The new dawn blooms as we free it

For there is always light,

if only we’re brave enough to see it

If only we’re brave enough to be it

Wow. (Her poem, in its entirety can be found at the end of this message.)

Following all the formalities and ceremonies, President Biden and his team got to work. Indeed, President Biden signed more than 15 Executive Orders and two Executive Actions on the first day in office. In addition to critically important action on COVID-19, the President signed orders to address the climate crisis and the challenges we face in terms of racial justice and equity.

President Biden rejoined the Paris Climate Accord (the international agreement that Trump pulled the U.S. out of, citing unfair restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions and blaming other nations for trying to take advantage of the U.S.).

The President took action to roll back Trump’s orders targeting environmental protections. As you remember, over the past four years Trump:

• Repealed fuel economy and emissions standards
• Repealed environmental regulations that directly impacted public health
• Repealed protections of national treasures, like Bears Ears National Monument
• Opened up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil drilling and exploration
• Disbanded the Interagency Working Group on the Social Cost of Greenhouse Gases, an entity that helped to address  climate risk, environmental justice, etc.
• Permitted damaging oil and gas projects, such as the Keystone XL pipeline

This was all turned around yesterday by President Biden.

President Biden also took initial steps to implement the most ambitious and aggressive plan in history to address the climate crisis, a plan that includes:

• Transitioning to clean energy
• Creating new, clean energy jobs
• Protecting our land, air and water
• A “30 By ‘30” pledge  to preserve and protect 30% of public land in the U.S. by 2030 (This plan is a huge step for the conservation community and deeply connected to tackling climate change.)

President Biden also issued important orders that focus on racial justice and equity including:

• A halt to construction of the border wall
• A reversal of the ban on Muslim immigration
• An initiative to advance racial equality
• Protections for undocumented immigrants
• Protections for the LGBTQ+ community against discrimination

For all of us who work hard every single day to address environmental injustices and the deeply rooted racism that plagues our nation; to protect public health and this incredible planet we are fortunate to inhabit, yesterday was a day to celebrate.  After four years of an administration that denied scientific fact; denied the existence of climate change; crippled environmental protections and regulations; fueled hate and division, through consistent racist, bigoted words and actions; and put our natural resources and public health at risk, these were incredibly important first steps and a strong indication of what lies ahead with the Biden/Harris administration.

Along with other state environmental leaders, we issued a statement in response to President Biden’s Day One actions. You can read that statement here.

Please know that team Michigan LCV already has plans in place to work closely with our allies here in Michigan and across this nation to ensure continued bold action at the local, state and federal levels to address the climate and water crises. With a host of friends inside the administration, we are energized and ready to go! This means active support and robust accountability on both sides of the aisle. With changes in both the White House and US Senate, the time to manifest meaningful and lasting change is now!

2. The Wege Foundation’s Annual Commitment to Bringing National and Global Leaders to Michigan

The Wege Foundation carries on the commitment to educational opportunities and environmental protection begun and fostered over decades by the venerable Peter M. Wege.  As  part of this work, each spring the Foundation sponsors two fabulous lectures, one at the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) and one at Aquinas College (Grand Rapids). Over the years, both institutions have invited nationally and internationally recognized experts to deliver the lectures focusing on critical issues of sustainability and many Michigan LCV staff and board have been fortunate to attend.

Past years I have personally attended lectures by outstanding speakers, such as Dr. Mustafa Santiago Ali, Bill McKibbon and Christiana Fugueres. This year–as many events continue to be cancelled due to COVID-19–I’m delighted to say that the two Wege lectures will proceed…in an all-virtual fashion.

On March 10, 2021 from 7-8pm, the School for Environment and Sustainability at the University of Michigan will host a virtual conversation with award-winning journalist, columnist and best-selling author Naomi Klein.  The conversation will cover the moment we find ourselves in now, in 2021, as we continue to work to address climate change, environmental justice and other impacts of our way of life on our planet and within society. You can register for the virtual event here.

The second virtual event, which is traditionally hosted by Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, is likely to take place in late May. While the speaker has not yet been formally announced, past years are a clear indication that this will be an event not to be missed. I will share more information once it is publicly available.

 

3. Governor Whitmer’s $5.6 billion COVID-19 recovery plan and Michigan’s 2021 budget

On Tuesday of this week, Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced a $5.6 billion plan to get Michigan back on track as our state and nation continue to struggle with the COVID-19 pandemic. The announcement came as Michigan’s Republican-majority legislature threatened to block any spending requests from the Governor’s office unless she relaxes what they see as “overly aggressive restrictions to businesses and restaurants.”

While $575 million of this $5.6 billion plan comes from state funding, the majority of the Governor’s plan relies upon stimulus funding from the latest federal relief plan, including $1.7 billion for Michigan’s schools, more than $700 million for COVID-19 testing and vaccine distribution, and more to aid a variety of state programs.

The 2021 state budget, as whole, is expected to be announced after Gov. Whitmer’s State of the State address, which is scheduled for January 27th. Team Michigan LCV has been actively communicating our priorities for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 budget, which include: 

• Ensuring programs that promote energy efficiency improvements are well-funded, including a new ‘Green Revolving Fund’ within the Department of Technology, Management, and Budget (DTMB) that would provide financing for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects at state facilities, and the ‘Michigan Saves’ program that provides financing so energy consumers can access the capital they need to invest in clean energy on residential and commercial projects.
• The establishment of a ‘Home Health and Safety Fund’ that would allow low-income homeowners and affordable housing landlords to do necessary home renovations needed before they can pursue certain weatherization programs. In Detroit, 75% of all approved weatherization services are deferred because of poor housing stock, including leaking roofs, mold and moisture problems, and structural issues. This funding would create a pilot program in DHHS to grant out dollars for home improvements needed to allow a weatherization investment.
• Funding for a ‘Climate Resiliency Program’ that would support climate resiliency in local communities by providing grants for climate planning.
• Grant programs for elementary schools to eliminate lead contamination by helping them purchase and install filtered water fountains (keeping our children safe from toxins)

Although state budget forecasts looked grim throughout 2020, updated estimates presented at the state’s Consensus Revenue Estimating Conference last Friday provide a sense of relief. After experiencing an initial $2.2 billion budget gap during FY 2020, the state will actually end up with a surplus of $2.5 billion in the General Fund and $1.2 billion in the School Aid Fund thanks to federal assistance, some cost-savings, and an improving economy. Based on this surplus, it is expected the state will finish the FY 2021 year with an extra $2.7 billion. While we’re not out of the woods yet, this is excellent news for our state, as a whole, and particularly for the budget items advocated for by our team.

As always, thank you so much for your trust in our work.  There is much to do to support the Governor in her work to tackle climate change and our ongoing water crisis, as well as work with our congressional delegation in taking federal action to protect human health and the environment.

 

Until next week, be safe, be well and be sure to lift a glass (if you haven’t already) to a new era of leadership in Washington, DC, an era made possible in no small part by the awesome national and state Leagues across this nation.

 

Onward!

Lisa

PS Here’s the full text of Amanda Gorman’s amazing poem, followed by an updated puppy photo to remind us of the simple things in life.

 

*The Hill We Climb, by Amanda Gorman

When day comes we ask ourselves,

where can we find light in this never-ending shade?

The loss we carry,

a sea we must wade

We’ve braved the belly of the beast

We’ve learned that quiet isn’t always peace

And the norms and notions

of what just is

Isn’t always just-ice

And yet the dawn is ours

before we knew it

Somehow we do it

Somehow we’ve weathered and witnessed

a nation that isn’t broken

but simply unfinished

We the successors of a country and a time

Where a skinny Black girl

descended from slaves and raised by a single mother

can dream of becoming president

only to find herself reciting for one

And yes we are far from polished

far from pristine

but that doesn’t mean we are

striving to form a union that is perfect

We are striving to forge a union with purpose

To compose a country committed to all cultures, colors, characters and

conditions of man

And so we lift our gazes not to what stands between us

but what stands before us

We close the divide because we know, to put our future first,

we must first put our differences aside

We lay down our arms

so we can reach out our arms

to one another

We seek harm to none and harmony for all

Let the globe, if nothing else, say this is true:

That even as we grieved, we grew

That even as we hurt, we hoped

That even as we tired, we tried

That we’ll forever be tied together, victorious

Not because we will never again know defeat

but because we will never again sow division

Scripture tells us to envision

that everyone shall sit under their own vine and fig tree

And no one shall make them afraid

If we’re to live up to our own time

Then victory won’t lie in the blade

But in all the bridges we’ve made

That is the promise to glade

The hill we climb

If only we dare

It’s because being American is more than a pride we inherit,

it’s the past we step into

and how we repair it

We’ve seen a force that would shatter our nation

rather than share it

Would destroy our country if it meant delaying democracy

And this effort very nearly succeeded

But while democracy can be periodically delayed

it can never be permanently defeated

In this truth

in this faith we trust

For while we have our eyes on the future

history has its eyes on us

This is the era of just redemption

We feared at its inception

We did not feel prepared to be the heirs

of such a terrifying hour

but within it we found the power

to author a new chapter

To offer hope and laughter to ourselves

So while we once we asked,

how could we possibly prevail over catastrophe?

Now we assert

How could catastrophe possibly prevail over us?

We will not march back to what was

but move to what shall be

A country that is bruised but whole,

benevolent but bold,

fierce and free

We will not be turned around

or interrupted by intimidation

because we know our inaction and inertia

will be the inheritance of the next generation

Our blunders become their burdens

But one thing is certain:

If we merge mercy with might,

and might with right,

then love becomes our legacy

and change our children’s birthright

So let us leave behind a country

better than the one we were left with

Every breath from my bronze-pounded chest,

we will raise this wounded world into a wondrous one

We will rise from the gold-limbed hills of the west,

we will rise from the windswept northeast

where our forefathers first realized revolution

We will rise from the lake-rimmed cities of the midwestern states,

we will rise from the sunbaked south

We will rebuild, reconcile and recover

and every known nook of our nation and

every corner called our country,

our people diverse and beautiful will emerge,

battered and beautiful

When day comes we step out of the shade,

aflame and unafraid

The new dawn blooms as we free it

For there is always light,

if only we’re brave enough to see it

If only we’re brave enough to be it