TVF BOARD MEETING

 

Happening tonight!

JULY 16th

6:00 PM 

SUPPORT LGBTq+ RIGHTS

What: Board Meeting

Who: Tanana Valley State Fair Association

When: 6pm July 16 (tonight)

Where: Agricultural Museum

Why: Come provide comment on how important an inclusive fair is to you, and support the community members who are serving on the board.

Fairbanks's PLAG-- an organization for  our trans, gay & lesbian citizens is requesting your supportive presence at a public meeting this evening.  Apparently, there is a BIG local movement to exclude their them/ events from the fair and other community venues. The language at public meetings has been provocative  misinformation promoting fear & hate. PFLAG is asking the community to: 

"...show up to the Tanana Valley State Fair Association Board meeting on Wednesday, July 16 at 6:00 p.m. in the Agricultural Museum on the fairgrounds. (Enter through the far blue gate. You can park immediately on your right. It's the small barn with a greenhouse next to it).

Just having your supportive presence would make a big difference, but also members of the public can give a 3-minute comment. "

Let's support FA I's LGBTQ community ensuring the promise of "Life, Liberty & the Pursuit of Happiness" for everyone. Each American deserves the same rights.  The propaganda, hate & exclusion is a big problem.  Consider going to show support. Take friends!!

PROTECT PUBLIC LANDS

 

POP-UP ARIAL PHOTO OP

FRIDAY, JUNE 27TH

Join us at Pioneer Park at

6:00 pm

Coming up Friday, there's a chance to stand up against selling public land. The Republican budget bill that might get voted on as early as Friday morning had threatened to sell off 77 million acres of Alaskan land held by the Forest Service and BLM, without oversight or a chance to object. 

The parliamentarian said that clause must be struck from the bill but Republicans are currently trying to reword it so it can pass. Please note, they are doing this to help pay for tax cuts to billionaires.

Say "no"!

Who: Outdoor enthusiasts, public land users, hunters, hikers, and those who fish. 

When: This Friday June 27th at 6pm.

Where: Outside of Pioneer Park’s Dance Hall, Fairbanks. 

What: Join us for a pop up aerial photo op protesting the sale of public land, which is currently included in the budget reconciliation bill being considered by the Senate. No signs necessary!

https://www.mobilize.us/farnorthindivisible/event/807710/

Budget Bill gives a $7 trillion tax cut on the backs of the poor and does NOT cut deficit!

 

Write a letter to your congressman or a letter to the editor about the new budget bill!

And, as I suspected, the new budget bill slashes services to the poor while handing out a tax cut to the billionaires. The U.S. House Committee on Financial Services wrote this: "Not only will this bill hand billionaires like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg a massive $7 trillion tax cut, but it also slashes $880 billion in Medicaid and funding for food stamps. At a time when our nation is facing a worsening housing and climate crisis, this bill guts funding for affordable, climate-resilient housing."

The US House Committee also says it will "Drive U.S. Toward 2008-Style Recession"


And it says the bill will " These sweeping deregulatory measures defund the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau which was created after the financial crisis of 2008 to protect working-class families from financial fraud and abuse and has saved consumers $21 billion since. It abolishes oversight bodies like the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, established to regulate auditors after two major accounting scandals and the Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC), and Office of Financial Research (OFR), leaving millions of American families vulnerable to a financial crash."
https://democrats-financialservices.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=413304


Furthermore, the Committee for a Responsible Federal Government says that “The Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) estimated that the bill as written would increase deficits by $3.8 trillion through 2034, or 1.1 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP); if all of its expiring policies are extended permanently, we estimate it would add $5.3 trillion to deficits, or 1.5 percent of GDP.”
https://www.crfb.org/blogs/permanent-ways-means-bill-could-add-53-trillion-deficits


So, they have made very harmful cuts that will impact the poorest of Americans and asked us all to sacrifice but they are NOT reducing the deficit or the debt, but raising it, while giving tax cuts to billionaires. I feel that this is sinister, and that we should all object to this bill.


Crushing dissent. A quote from the ACLU (May 13th) regarding the new budget bill:

“In an apparent effort to aid President Trump’s discriminatory clamp down on free speech, Republicans on the House Ways & Means Committee have snuck a dangerous anti-dissent bill into their massive, new tax package.

“This provision, formerly known as H.R. 9495, would grant the executive branch the power to effectively shut down any non-profit organization — including news outlets, universities, and civil liberties groups — by accusing them of “supporting terrorism” and using that accusation to suspend their tax-exempt status without any real due process. It was defeated last year, yet extreme politicians are now trying to resurrect it once again.”

https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/aclu-urges-house-committee-to-remove-dangerous-anti-dissent-provision-from-tax-bill


Allowing the government to curb our free speech in this manner is a dangerous road to go down, and smacks of totalitarianism.

Republican tax bill could slap ‘terrorism’ label on non-profits opposed to Trump

(From the Guardian, May 14th)

Fears sparked that Trump would wield law against groups that file lawsuits or organize voters against his policies

Chris Stein in Washington


Non-profit groups are sounding the alarm over an attempt by Republican lawmakers to insert a provision allowing the government to cancel the tax-exempt status of organizations it deems “terrorist supporting” in a massive bill under negotiation in the House of Representatives.

The provision’s potential inclusion in the spending and taxation legislation that Donald Trump and his allies refer to as “one big, beautiful bill” has sparked fears that the administration will wield it against groups who file lawsuits or organize voters against his policies.

Lia Holland, campaigns and communications director at tech policy non-profit Fight for the Future, described the provision as “a five-alarm fire for non-profits nationwide”.

“Any organization with goals that do not line up with Maga can be destroyed with a wink from Trump to the treasury”, likely those that oppose his policies towards Israel, or advocate for causes like racial justice and the environment, they said.

Trump had made plain his desire for revenge against his enemies, and since taking office has sought to deport foreign students who engaged in pro-Palestinian activism, blacklisted law firms who have worked for his political opponents and backed the arrest of a county judge on charges of obstructing immigration authorities.


“This provision has nothing to do with keeping Americans safe and instead is an attack on free speech, the security of our communities, and the work of non-profit organizations and charities,” said Skye Perryman, president and CEO of Democracy Forward, which has repeatedly taken the White House to court over its policies.

READ MORE:

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/may/14/tax-status-non-profits-terrorism-republicans

PROTECT ABORTION ACCESS AND TRANSGENDER HEALTHCARE, IN AK

 

The state legislature is working on the budget, now is a good time to review ALL of it and express your concerns to your legislators.  In particular, please see the attached regarding changes to state medicaid funding.

When you call/email please include:

Your full name, the city you live in,

and “please vote to remove all budget amendments that would limit Alaskan’s access to abortion or transgender healthcare!” or something similar

The amendments specifically make it so that Medicaid would not be allowed to cover abortion care or trans healthcare. If you want to say anything about why access to those services are important to you, please do!

Here are the emails of all the senators on the committee:Senator.James.Kaufman@akleg.gov, Senator.Lyman.Hoffman@akleg.gov, Senator.Bert.Stedman@akleg.gov, Representative.DeLena.Johnson@akleg.gov, Representative.Andy.Josephson@akleg.gov, Representative.Calvin.Schrage@akleg.gov

and the phone numbers:

Sen. Lyman Hoffman: 907-465-4453

Sen. James Kaufman: 907-465-4949

Sen. Bert Stedman, 907-465-3873

Rep. DeLena Johnson, 907-465-4958

Rep. Andy Josephson, 907-465-4939

Rep. Calvin Schrage, 907-465-4931

.

Tell your Members of Congress to Protect AmeriCorps!

 

ANOTHER HELPFUL ORGANIZATION ATTACKED

For decades, AmeriCorps members have responded to our country's most immediate and critical needs. They are the “people power” that local nonprofit, faith-based, and community organizations rely on to deliver services and make a difference in local communities. While helping others, AmeriCorps members develop in-demand job skills, preparing a cohort of Americans to succeed in the workforce, and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers experience a decrease in isolation and loneliness.

Despite being a model of efficient and effective government, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has taken steps to dismantle AmeriCorps. Since Wednesday, April 16th, DOGE has:

• Issued stop work orders to 750 AmeriCorps NCCC and FEMA Corps members, abruptly ending their service terms with no notice.
• Dismissed nearly 85% of AmeriCorps agency staff, disrupting key functions such as program operations, member enrollment and deployment, and grant disbursement.
• Terminated close to $400 million in grant funding, a move that will impact over 1,000 local and community organizations and prematurely end the service of over 32,000 AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers.

These actions will leave communities across the country without critical services and over 32,000 service members will be forced to exit the program, losing their AmeriCorps living allowances, benefits, and workforce development opportunities.  

In an outline of the President's FY26 budget request, AmeriCorps was proposed for complete elimination - which would mean more cuts to the AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors programs that Americans rely on. 

AmeriCorps funds respond to local needs and are largely administered by states, not the federal government, to keep state and local priorities front and center. At a time when states are experiencing significant natural disasters, increasing costs stemming from increased social service needs, workforce gaps, and more, AmeriCorps delivers urgently needed resources to support communities across the country.

We need your help.

Use this form to send an email to your senators and representative asking them to protect AmeriCorps. 

Follow this link to their webpage form to send an email!

https://voicesforservice.org/take-action/contact-congress/ 

On their website, they will supply you with this letter to digitally sign:

Protect AmeriCorps from Drastic Cuts

Dear [elected official],

As your constituent, I am writing to ask that you and your colleagues take every step possible to protect AmeriCorps, the national service program that brings people together to help communities tackle their toughest challenges. Each year, approximately 75,000 AmeriCorps members and 140,000 AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers serve with nonprofit, faith-based, and community organizations to respond to an array of challenges. These members are deployed in rural and urban areas across all 50 states and federal territories, addressing critical and urgent needs such as responding to natural disasters, connecting veterans and seniors to services, tutoring students, fighting the opioid epidemic, combatting hunger and homelessness, and much more. Despite its clear value, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has taken steps in recent weeks to dismantle AmeriCorps. DOGE ordered the AmeriCorps agency to terminate $400 million in grant funding, a sudden and severe move that will shutter more than 1,000 programs and prematurely end the service of over 32,000 AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers. DOGE also issued stop work orders and abruptly sent home 750 AmeriCorps NCCC and FEMA Corps members – many serving in communities impacted by natural disasters like Hurricane Helene and the wildfires in Southern California. Finally, nearly 85% of the employees at AmeriCorps have been dismissed and key agency functions – such as program operations, member enrollment and deployment, and grant disbursement – are likely to slow to a halt. These actions will eliminate crucial resources and services in communities across the country, and will leave service members without their AmeriCorps living allowance, benefits, and workforce development opportunities. AmeriCorps is a small federal investment that has an outsized impact on our nation, providing community organizations with the people power they need to address urgent local challenges. AmeriCorps is also a public-private partnership, with federal grant dollars matched by private, philanthropic, and local sources, increasing the value of the taxpayer dollar. This public-private partnership yields more than $17 in benefits to the community for every $1 invested by Congress. National service leads to long-term benefits. While helping others, AmeriCorps members gain marketable job skills, increasing their employability and earning potential, and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers experience a decrease in loneliness and isolation. AmeriCorps members also report strong personal attachment to the communities they serve in and often stay after their service term, continuing to work, volunteer, and give back. Communities like ours have faced an increase in new and complex challenges in recent years, and AmeriCorps is uniquely positioned to respond in a cost-effective, efficient manner. I strongly oppose the steps taken by DOGE to dismantle AmeriCorps through the sudden termination of grant funding, coupled with the drastic cuts to AmeriCorps agency staff and demobilization of AmeriCorps NCCC members. I hope the Administration will reverse these harmful decisions and Congress will ensure continuity of funding and operations. AmeriCorps is a powerful and cost-effective resource that our community cannot afford to lose. Thank you for your leadership and support for AmeriCorps.

-------------------------------------------

Bernie Sanders: Why Democrats Must Vote NO on the CR - URGENT

You need to email or call your senators!

The CR: What does it do? 

(From a speech given by Senator Bernie Sanders posted 3-13-25)

The CR (as it stands on 3-13-25) is making a lot of cuts to our services and laying the groundwork for a massive tax break to billionaires. It lowers the taxes of the richest 1% by over 1 Trillion dollars over the next decades. Richest 5% will see their taxes go down, but taxes will go up for the lowest 95% of Americans. Bernie Sanders says that the congress should vote "No" on the CR (continuing resolution that keeps the country going). He said that it gives a "green light" to all these cuts. The senate will probably vote on this on 3-14-25.

Senior Citizens/Social Security. They have fired thousands of workers at the Social Security Administration with plans to cut that staff in half. This Department is already understaffed. If they cut the staff in half then it may be a death sentence for thousands of seniors who need their benefits. Musk called Social Security a ponzi scheme. 

VA. Understaffed. They had 36,000 unfilled positions this year. They are short 2400 doctors, 6300 registered nurses, 1800 social workers, Trump and Musk are threatening to dismantle the VA by firing 83,000 employees. The CR cuts $20 billion in needed funding. 

Department of Education. They have fired half the staff of the Dept of Education and they will have a hard time administering the Title 1 program, and harder to administer the IDEA and to pay for the 180,000 teachers that they fund money for. The PELL grant application page has already crashed and is not working. 

Healthcare. 85 million Americans are uninsured, underinsured. Over 500,000 of our people go bankrupt paying medical bills.  60,000 people die in American each year because they can’t go to a doctor. And our life expectancy is 7 years shorter for low income people compared to wealthy Americans.  The CR cuts community health center funding by 3.2%, cuts national health service corp by over 5%,  cuts funds for teaching health centers by 13%. 

Housing Crisis. Over 20 million Americans spent more than 50% of their limited income on housing. The CR cuts rental assistance by $700,000,000, which could lead to more than 32,000 families being evicted from their homes. 

Climate Change. Trump thinks it is a hoax, but scientists say it is an existential threat. It doesn’t even specify funding levels for Climate Change and Environmental Justice. And JD Vance has said that if the Trump’s administration doesn't like anything in the CR, they’ll ignore it.

This CR is laying the ground work to give a big tax cut to billionaires, paid for by massive cuts to Medicaid, nutrition assistance, housing and education. 

https://www.youtube.com/live/Qb0Fh7o1Y6s?si=HQm_huAyojaYcxIx

_______________________________________________________________________

SAMPLE LETTER TO YOUR SENATOR:

[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[City, State, ZIP Code]
[Your Email]
[Your Phone Number]
[Date]

The Honorable [Senator’s Name]
[Senator’s Office Address]
United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510

Subject: Urgent Request to Vote NO on the Continuing Resolution (CR) on 3/14/25

Dear Senator [Last Name],

I am writing to urge you to vote NO on the Continuing Resolution (CR) currently before the Senate, as it stands on March 13, 2025. This budget proposal is unacceptable in its current form because it prioritizes massive tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans while slashing vital services that millions of working- and middle-class citizens depend on.

The CR lays the foundation for over $1 trillion in tax cuts to the richest 1% over the next decade while simultaneously raising taxes on 95% of Americans. This is an outrageous redistribution of wealth that benefits billionaires at the expense of hardworking citizens. Even Senator Bernie Sanders has called this bill a “green light” for devastating budget cuts, and I strongly agree.

If passed, this resolution will result in significant cuts to:

• Senior Citizens & Social Security – Reduced cost-of-living adjustments and eligibility restrictions will hurt retirees who rely on these benefits. The Trump administration wants to cut the staff in half this year.

• Veterans Affairs (VA) – A proposed budget reduction will limit healthcare, mental health services, and housing assistance for veterans who have served our country. Trump and Musk are threatening to dismantle the VA by firing 83,000 employees. The CR cuts $20 billion in needed funding. 
  
  

• Department of Education – Deep cuts will force schools to operate with fewer resources, worsening teacher shortages and reducing access to quality education, especially in low-income communities. They have fired half the staff of the Dept of Education.

• Healthcare – Medicaid and Medicare will see drastic funding reductions, increasing costs for the elderly and low-income families while further limiting access to life-saving treatments. 85 million Americans are uninsured, underinsured. Over 500,000 of our people go bankrupt paying medical bills.  60,000 people die in American each year because they can’t go to a doctor.

• Housing Assistance – Affordable housing programs will face funding cuts, exacerbating the housing crisis and leaving thousands more Americans at risk of homelessness. Over 20 million Americans spent more than 50% of their limited income on housing. The CR cuts rental assistance by $700,000,000, which could lead to more than 32,000 families being evicted from their homes. 
  
  

• Climate Change Initiatives – Critical environmental protections and clean energy programs will be stripped, further endangering our planet’s future. Trump thinks it is a hoax, but scientists say it is an existential threat. The CR doesn’t even specify funding levels for Climate Change and Environmental Justice.

This budget is a direct attack on the majority of Americans while serving only the interests of the ultra-wealthy. I urge you to stand with the people who elected you and vote NO on the CR. Instead of passing a resolution that enriches billionaires while gutting social programs, Congress should be focusing on fair taxation, strengthening essential services, and protecting the most vulnerable in our society.

I appreciate your time and consideration and hope to see you take a stand against this disastrous proposal. Please do the right thing and vote NO on March 14th.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[City, State, ZIP Code]