My meeting with the Editor

I met with the Editor of my State's largest newspaper last Thursday. Our meeting lasted 15 to 20 minutes. I told him about Citizens Climate Lobby, our mission, and how we started a local chapter this past winter. I gave him an overview of our proposed carbon fee and dividend legislation.

He wanted to clarify that it was a federal level legislative proposal.  He also asked if we were doing anything on the state or local level since the paper likes to stay local in its focus. I told him we have discussed it briefly, but have not come up with a State plan so far. We are currently focusing on the national level just as CCL does. I mentioned that will be watching the bill that is being passed around for discussion that would allow states to create their own carbon taxes.

He asked what do we do since we already have a progressive group of representatives for Vermont who already acknowledge climate change and agree something should be done. I mentioned that even though they are already allies there still more we can do to nudge them in the right direction towards carbon fee and dividend. I also mentioned that Sanders-Boxer climate change bill, proposed in 2013, and how it is the closest bill any politician has proposed to our fee and dividend, we are very happy that it was introduced, but we feel it could be tweaked to be more effective and accepted by both sides of the aisle. 

I also mentioned that, if passed, the carbon fee and dividend would negate the need for the new EPA rules, which would be another selling point for conservatives. Love or hate conservatives--we need them on board for this. I will note that I am very happy that President Obama is using his Executive power to do something about CO2 emissions (though more action is severely needed!)
 
He asked why was it so important that it was 100% revenue neutral. I said that it is important because it returns money to households to pay for the pass-through costs, and it doesn't expand government so that makes it more appealing to conservatives. Also, under this plan 2/3 of all households would break even or receive more in their dividend checks than they would pay in higher prices due to the fee, thereby protecting the poor and middle class. 

I highlighted how CCL just commissioned the REMI* Report (which is officially being released today 6/9/14) that shows a carbon fee and dividend as we propose would actually add 2.2 million jobs to the economy over 10 years and reduce emissions by 33%, and 2.8 million jobs and 52% reductions after 20 years. The report found that making it 100% revenue neutral will also increase the real-income of American households even after accounting for inflation. In an era of a shrinking middle-class and record corporate profits, this is good news.

He asked me why was I involved with this group and there were so many other groups that I could be involved in. I answered that Citizens Climate Lobby brings in policy experts, economists, climate scientists and others to contribute to the discussion. They are also the only group with a clear proposal for how to fix the climate crisis, and have just commissioned the REMI study to show that it would actually work! We are fighting FOR something, not just against. The "personal empowerment" portion of the mission is also why it's such an attractive organization. It inspires hope. You don't just have to sit at home feeling scared about climate change. I wish I had thought to say it when I was at the meeting, but before joining CCL there's no way I would've ever considered scheduling a meeting with the editor to talk climate change! or co-sign a letter to the Senate Finance Committee and then forward it to all of my members of Congress as a co-signer. CCL gives you the expertise and the tools to make politicians listen.

He asked more about the makeup of our group. I said that we have a core group of 6-8 very active members, and more members who are interested in our work but less active at this at this time. I noted that we are a group of concerned citizens, purely volunteers, we meet at a member's house to work on this. We do not have membership fees or a budget. I personally do this because I am a stay-at-home mom concerned about her two little kids and what their futures will be in the time of global warming. I do this in my spare time after the kids are in bed.
 
I think he was impressed or maybe even moved. I asked if he would do an editorial endorsing our carbon fee and dividend proposal. That very day he had published an editorial he wrote in support of the new EPA rules.  The paper does so few editorials each month, and since they like to stay with a very local focus, he didn't know if he could do another one so soon on climate change. He said he would think about it. He also said he would pass on the press packet I gave to him to a reporter. Look for it in newspapers around the country this week!

*REMI is a well-respected economic modeling group that is hired by State and Federal governmental offices in the US and around the world to analyze the economic implications of new policies.

Rich & Lazy, Poor & Crazy

The poor need to know the value of work. Pick themselves up by their bootstraps and find the American Dream by working harder! The rich worked hard for their money and deserve every penny of it. That's their reward for hard work and a job well done.

Or is it?

Yesterday's post was all about how bad income inequality has gotten in the United States and the emerging support in high places for raising the minimum wage. Today I want to share another video that I think further solidifies the case for paying people well enough to survive without unnecessary stress.

What motivates us to work hard and do a good job? The talk by Dan Pink (embedded below) explores how people are motivated to produce good work.  I urge you to watch the video for yourself, but here's a quick summary:

At 2:10 he points out that we commonly think that if we reward people for good behavior they will do more of that behavior, and if we punish them for bad behavior they will do less of it. A Federal Reserve Bank study showed that for mechanical tests of skill this common "carrot and stick" motivation works well and the promise of more money does produce better performance. For jobs requiring cognitive skill carrot and stick doesn't work. This has been replicated over and over by studies around the world. In fact, the workers offered the highest reward performed worse than the low and medium pay workers in these studies.

Around 4:50 he points out that people who receive low pay have low motivation. To get the best out of people you have to pay them enough to take money off the table. To get the best results from people you need to give them Autonomy, Mastery, and Purpose.

At about 8:40 he talks about the importance of Purpose Motive for companies. When the profit motive comes unhinged from the profit motive you not only get ethical lapses, but you get crappy products and services too. Sound familiar?

In conclusion, when money is taken off the table, and people have purpose and the ability to direct themselves we, and the world, are better off.

 

No Money, Mo' Problems

There's been a lot in the news lately about income equality, or really the extreme inequality in the United States. Just last week the Huffington Post published an article regarding a study showing that the US has the worst income inequality in the developed world. This result echoed another study done by the the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) that showed the US followed only Chile, Mexico and Turkey among all nations in income inequality. Anytime we can say "but at least we're better than Chile, Mexico and Turkey" is a sad day indeed. What happened to "the Greatest Nation?" Who let this happen?

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/15/income-inequality-wall-street_n_3762422.html

Wallstreet and the politicians who love them, that's who.

Thankfully, President Obama supports raising the minimum wage, which would help correct some of the inequality. Many left-leaning political organizing groups have recently taken the minimum wage issue on as one of their biggest causes. I'm seeing a lot of internet memes and quotes about how appalling it is that we subsidize corporate profits by allowing them to pay their workers peanuts and let public safety nets like foodstamps and Medicaid pick up the slack.

Pope Francis (the best Pope ever) recently called out global capitalism by saying:

Just as the commandment “Thou shalt not kill” sets a clear limit in order to safeguard the value of human life, today we also have to say “Thou shalt not” to an economy of exclusion and inequality. Such an economy kills. How can it be that it is not a news item when an elderly homeless person dies of exposure, but it is news when the stock market loses two points? This is a case of exclusion. Can we continue to stand by when food is thrown away while people are starving? This is a case of inequality.

And in the words of the late President Nelson Mandela, "Overcoming poverty is not a task of charity, it is an act of justice. Like Slavery and Apartheid, poverty is not natural. It is man-made and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings. Sometimes it falls on a generation to be great. YOU can be that great generation. Let your greatness blossom."

I'm grateful that there seems to be some national movement and mobilization on this issue. I hope something can be done on it before Obama's term is up. To conclude, here is an amazing video that really drives home why this is so important.