News and Alerts

February 2014

by UU FA Office

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Wednesday, February 5th

Liaison Conference Call Minutes

 Attendance:
Sally Gellert (Paramus)
Frances Prestianni (Princeton)
Lorraine Wearley (Summit)
Cecilia Cosca (Montclair)
Diane Finn (Montclair)
Lynne Quinto (Washington Crossing)
Rev. Craig
Jim deBoer
Congregational Updates

Paramus (Sally) World Book Night is in April, and Central Unitarian Church is participating. This is a literacy campaign tied in with Shakespeare’s 450th birthday.

Princeton Frances is exploring possible collaboration with an organization that educates people about how to enroll under the Affordable Care Act.

Summit (Lorraine) The congregation is sending 15 people to the “Moral March” rally this weekend in Raleigh, N.C.

Montclair (Cecilia, Diane) Montclair organized a social justice themed Sunday service, and prepared a survey on UULMNJ and how people can get involved. As yet relatively few people have replied to this survey, and the social action committee is considering next steps.

Washington Crossing (Lynn) – The congregation has prepared a survey to solicit feedback about the UUA’s congregational study issue.

Issue / Task Force Updates
The New Jim Crow (Jim deBoer)

Work continues to move towards the creation of a separate task force for this issue. The position paper is almost complete and ready for submission for the Board’s consideration at its February meeting. Please let task force chair Al Stawsky know if anyone in your congregation might like to get involved with this (alynways@gmail.com).

Sandy Relief (Lorraine)

The state Department of Community Affairs has recently released its proposal for how it intends to spend the next round of federal Sandy relief funding. Its technical title is “substantive amendment #7”. Our partner organizations, the Housing Development Network of New Jersey and Fair Share Housing, are critical of this proposal, in that it doesn’t sufficiently address the needs of those who need replacement affordable housing, those who are renters, or those who are minorities.

There are three public hearings scheduled for next week on this proposal; those underlined havevolunteered to attend:

Tuesday, Feb. 11th: Stockton University, Atlantic County (101 Vera King Farris Drive, Galloway, NJ 08205; Performing Arts Center; 4–7 pm)

Wednesday, Feb. 12th: The NJ Institute of Technology, Newark (150 Bleeker Street, Newark, NJ 07102; Campus Center; 5:30–8:30 pm) Sally Gellert and Jim deBoer

Thursday, Feb. 13th: Brookdale Community College, Monmouth County (Robert J. Collins Arena; 765 Newman Springs Road, Lincroft, NJ 07738; 4–7 pm) Lorraine Wearley and Rev. Rosemary Newberry

As you can see, we need someone for the first session in Atlantic County! It is very important that we participate in this process because of the numerous problems in how the state expended the initial round of Sandy funding. In addition to the issues mentioned above, African-American and Latino applicants were turned down at substantially higher rates than Euro-Americans. And, of those whose initial requests were denied, 80% had their requests accepted upon appeal. This raises the question of how thorough the initial application review process was — presumably if uniform standards had been applied, we would not have seen such a disparity between initial determinations and subsequent post-appeal determinations.

The task force is preparing talking points for people willing to give testimony. If you are interested, please register online: http://bit.ly/SandyPublicHearings.  In addition to next week’s hearings, we have until March 5th to submit written comments by email: sandy.publiccomment@dca.state.nj.us  or by mail to Gabrielle Gallagher, NJ Department of Community Affairs, 101 South Broad Street, P.O. Box 800, Trenton, NJ 08625.

Minimum Wage (Lorraine)

A request has come in from the national level for us to contact Senator Menendez to encourage him to sign on as a co-sponsor of the federal minimum wage legislation, and also for us to send letters of support to local newspapers. We are unsure however what the timing is of this legislation. Please stay tuned for more details.

Gun Violence Prevention (Craig and Diane)

The winter agenda will include several bills that are being re-introduced in the state legislature, involving magazine limits, background checks, and safety training. We are hopeful that many of these bills will again find support among the legislature, and are considering how to encourage the governor to support these measures as well.

Meanwhile, New Jersey Together (a faith-based community organization) is asking mayors and town councils to evaluate their gun procurement policies. Of all guns sold in this country, 15% are bought by local law enforcement, and 25% are purchased federally. Our goal is that as municipalities put out bids, they ask gun manufacturers how/whether they are:

  • developing smart gun technologies that use biometrics to make sure that guns are only used by the people to whom they have been issued
  • microstamping of bullets
  • monitoring of the distribution of the guns they manufacture

At this point, the goal is to obtain some baseline information. Perhaps later on, we can think about beginning to make purchasing decisions based on the gathered information. West Orange recently passed such an ordinance, requesting the information from its suppliers.

How can UU’s get involved? There will be some upcoming training by New Jersey Together. We might also think in terms of a statewide conference call for people to learn more about how to do this in their communities. Diane will develop a list of where New Jersey Together is already active.

Upcoming Action Alerts

Jeh Johnson (pronounced ‘Jay’) is the new Secretary of Homeland Security. The Immigration Task Force would like to write letters to him expressing concern about the immigrant detention policies in Essex County. You’ll get this letter via Salsa, which will enable you to send it directly to him as an email.

The National Day Laborers’ Organizing Network has filed a petition to the government to reduce and halt deportations. There will be a mobilization on April 5th entitled “2 million, Too Many, Not 1 More”. (The figure of 2 million refers to recent deportations.) Sally will keep us posted.

The governor withdrew New Jersey from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative several years ago. A lawsuit is underway to reinstate REGGI, and we will be circulating a petition in support of REGGI.

Other Notes
Annual Plenary

Coming up soon on Saturday, April 5th, is our Annual Plenary. Please register early! We’re planning a liaison training to take place after the meeting; other details will be announced shortly.

Departure of Jim deBoer

UULMNJ Issues Organizer Jim deBoer is stepping down from the Legislative Ministry at the end of February in order to accept a call as pastor of the Federated Church of Livingston. Thank you very much for an excellent opportunity to learn more about advocacy in our state and to make a difference!

The Next Call – Wednesday, March 5th, 8:00pm

Thank you for your participation!

January 2014

by UU FA Office
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Wednesday, January 8th

Liaison Conference Call Minutes

Attendance:
Sally Gellert (Paramus)
Cecilia Cosca (Montclair)
Toby Tyler (Morristown)
Rev. Craig
Jim deBoer
Congregational Updates

Montclair (Cecilia)  Recently hosted Rev. Craig, who preached at a UULMNJ / justice, equality, and compassion – oriented worship service on Sunday, January 5th. In conjunction with this service, the congregation is launching a UULMNJ interest survey through survey monkey. Additionally, back in December members of the social action team tabled at coffee hour in support of Instate Tuition for undocumented high school graduates.

Princeton  In the process of generating enthusiasm for more work on immigration-related issues.

Issue / Task Force Updates
Reproductive Justice

A Task Force is forming on this topic under the leadership of Rev. Kathleen Green. Rev. Green will be a 2014 fellow of the Faith and Reproductive Justice Leadership Institute at the Center for American Progress in Washington, D.C. where she will be developing a plan for UULMNJ’s Reproductive Justice advocacy program. The initial phone call is scheduled for Thursday, January 9th with nine prospective participants. Liaisons – please think about ways to engage new people with this task force!

Environmental Justice

The efforts towards developing a long-term sustainable energy plan for the state are gathering steam. Several meetings are taking place with one of the public utilities to gauge the possibility of their participation. The draft legislation is expected to become public before long and at that time, congregations will be encouraged to begin contacting their legislators about this.

Mass Incarceration / Racial Justice

A meeting took place on Monday, January 6th with Rev. Craig, Jim deBoer, Lorraine Wearley (as Chair of the Economic Justice Task Force), Al Stawky, and Emilia Colon. We decided to move forward with plans to explore establishing a separate task force to address this topic. We are inviting people to participate in an initial phone call to take place later this month. During that call, we will begin to prepare an issue statement to present to the board for approval in February or March.

Organizational Development

SALSA Legislative Advocacy Letter for Instate Tuition – a request for emails to state legislators was sent out to our list via SALSA in December generated 150 emails within 24 hours. In Paramus, 6 letters were generated by Sally printing, faxing, and emailing the text to the members of the congregation. One of the best ways to take advantage of this resource is to make a computer available during coffee hour. That way, people could generate their own emails in a quick and reliable manner.

How to make our congregational relations more effective?

–          “Even if there’s only a few of us on conference calls, it’s good information.”

–          “I participate in order to support Legislative Ministry; I’m not coming with the expectation that I’ll gain a great deal of new information from the call. People are interested, but they don’t always have the time. So, how do we stimulate the interest?”

 

Other Notes
Annual Plenary

Please mark your calendar: Saturday, April 5th will be the Plenary / Annual Meeting!

The Next Call – Wednesday, February 5th, 8:00pm

Thank you for your participation!

Sandy Aid Action Alert February 10, 2014

by UU FA Office
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Dear UULMNJ Liaisons and friend,

If you have been paying attention to the news, the award of Sandy Relief Funds have by most accounts have been mismanaged and skewed.  The new round of funds are becoming available without much change in the allocation plans.  We need to speak up now.  Public hearings are this week.  If you would like to testify, see below.  Registration is required to speak at the hearings.  UULMNJ will be submitting testimony and we have several volunteers attending each hearing.

NJ State Public Hearings on Sandy Aid
The State of New Jersey has scheduled three public hearings to solicit comments on the State’s plan to allocate $1.46 billion in aid. 

The three public hearings are:

Tuesday, February 11, 2014, 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, Performing Arts Center
101 Vera King Farris Dr., Galloway, NJ 08205

Wednesday, February 12, 2014, 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm
New Jersey Institute of Technology, Campus Center
141 Summit St., Newark, NJ 07103

Thursday, February 13, 2014, 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Brookdale Community College, Robert J. Collins Arena
765 Newman Springs Rd., Middletown, NJ 07738

If you would like to speak at one of the hearings, you must register online in advance. There are limited spaces so register ASAP. Those interested in speaking will be given up to three minutes. Register here.

You may also submit written comments at the public hearings, by email to sandy.publiccomment@dca.state.nj.us or by mail to:

Gabrielle Gallagher
NJ Department of Community Affairs
101 South Broad Street, PO Box 800
Trenton, NJ 08625

All comments must be received by 5 pm March 5, 2014 to be considered.
A downloadable flyer with more information is available here. 

That important points of the UULMNJ testimony as well as talking points are available here for your use.  If you testify, identify your congregation as well so that they realize this is a statewide coalition, not just one organization,   The more who can attend these meeting around the state the better.  If you are available, please attend even if you don’t wish to testify.  Numbers are important to impress upon our state how critical this is to the public.    If you can make it, please let us know.

 

YUUR Voice in Trenton: Jan 2014

by UU FA Office

YUUR Voice In Trenton

Happy New Year from UULMNJ.   New Jersey politics are always interesting and the most recent revelations of Bridgegate are no exception. The New Jersey Legislature is a little preoccupied right now with fact-finding investigations. But UULMNJ just keeps its coarse, focusing on the issues rather than the politics. And here is the latest:

  • A new Reproductive Justice sub committee is forming to address women’s health issues in New Jersey. If you are interested or can be a resource to this group, please email Rev. Kathleen Green, Chair to be included
  • A new Criminal Justice Reform: The New Jim Crow Task Force is forming to address mass incarceration and all that it entails. If you would like to join or be a resource to this task force, please email Al Stawsky, Chair alynways@gmail.com
  • You can now receive UULMNJ Action Alerts directly. If you haven’t received on already, it means you are not in our database. If you would like to receive these in the future, please send your contact information to admin@uulmnj.org and we will sign you up.
  • New Liaison Conference Call time: Our liaison conference calls are held on the first Wednesday of the month at 8 PM. Each liaison should be receiving notices. If you are a liaison and are not receiving notifications from our Executive Director, please email Rev. Craig Hirshberg at director@uulmnj.org
  • And finally, Save the Date, APRIL 5, 2014 for the 5th Annual UULMNJ Plenary, at the Princeton Unitarian Universalist Church in Princeton. Mark your calendars today. More details will follow shortly.
  • If you find that UULMNJ involvement is calling your inner best self, give is a call 609.672.7331. We can always use more volunteers.

As the New Year begins, we would like to extend a note of gratitude to all the people around the state who supported UULMNJ over the past year. It is your work and involvement that makes UULMNJ possible.

In faith,

Rev. Craig Hirshberg

director@uulmnj.org

Tuition Equity Compromise: December 20, 2013

by UU FA Office

Dear friends,

Politics is indeed strange.  And often enough it can leave us a bit dispirited, even when public policy indeed advances toward a more progressive outcome.  It’s just not very satisfying a lot of the time.

As you probably heard , on Thursday, December 19, 2013, the New Jersey Legislature and the Governor reached a “compromise” on tuition equity for DREAMers — the number one bill of the Lame Duck session and the thing we’ve been going back to you again and again to call your legislators, get congregants to act, and so on.  And then, right at the time the Assembly was going to vote on the “full” proposal, i.e, with financial aid included, there’s a compromise.  Under the compromise, DREAMers get instate tuition, but they don’t get access to state financial aid.  Better than what they have now, but still not treated as the full New Jerseyans that they are.  One momentary benefit is that they get it right away, which I think means it applies for the Spring Term 2014.

This story is all a bit like the marriage equality fight.  We pushed and pushed, attended rallies and signed petitions, organized with other advocates, all to persuade the Legislature to override the Governor’s veto.  It was going to be a sweet victory, especially since it included a snub to Governor Christie, who progressives would say certainly needs a snub or two.  Then, the court decisions come through and suddenly the Governor decides not to continue the appeal of the lower court decision.  That decision stands — no ringing Supreme Court decision (although the procedural one comes pretty close — read it if you haven’t already done so), and no veto override that would be a clear defeat for the Governor.

How are we to react to these events?  I would say we do so by celebrating the victories we get and then moving on.  I spent my working career on the edge of politics, most of those years in New Jersey.  There were lots of “sort-of wins,” accomplishments that didn’t fully satisfy, and lots of times for trying again.  For me, that’s the nature of things in the public arena.

Did we make this happen?  Would DREAMers not get instate tuition if we had not been there, pushing for a good cause?  Well, no, certainly not UUs by ourselves.  But I fully believe that it would not have happened without the advocacy of all the active and involved groups, organized in a strong coalition, and of course not without the presence and the eloquence of the young people themselves.

Let us grasp the hands of these fellow New Jerseyans.  Let us keep in our minds that there is still work to do, both for the DREAMers’ need for access to state aid and for other immigration issues in our state.  Let us keep active in the coalitions.  And let us continue.

Peace,

Ted Fetter
Immigration Task Force Chair

Tuition Equity Action Alert December 17, 2013

by UU FA Office

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Action Alert   •   Tuition Equity

The UU Legislative Ministry of New Jersey is asking you to act now.  The NJ Tuition Equity bill, Assembly Bill #A4225, will probably be coming up for a vote as soon as this Thursday, December 19, 2013.  This proposed legislation, which provides instate tuition for undocumented youth in New Jersey and access to financial aid, is a matter of simple fairness and justice.  The students for whom it makes a difference are New Jerseyans: they live here, they have been educated here, and overwhelmingly they intend to stay here and build careers and families.  They are our neighbors and friends, our fellow New Jerseyans.  You can help by sending a letter to your NJ Assembly representative today, asking him or her to support Bill #A4225.  By clicking the link below, you will be prompted to enter your zip code in order to identify your state legislators.  After providing some basic information, you will automatically be able to sign and send a letter electronically directly to your legislator.

These young people are ours.  They are growing up here, and they belong to all of us.  They are part of our schools, part of our communities, and part of our state.  Help them receive the opportunity they deserve by clicking the link below.

Write-Now

Sincerely,

Rev. Craig Hirshberg

The Spirit of Humanity Shines

by UU FA Office

On April 2 , 2011, Senator Loretta Weinberg and Rev. Bruce Davidson were recipients of the first Spirit of Humanity Awards, given by the UULMNJ Public Policy Network for exemplifying a commitment to justice, compassion and equality in New Jersey public affairs.

The beautiful etched glass awards were given at a Champagne Reception, where both Rev. Davidson and Senator Weinberg noted that our organization has made a large impact in a short period of time.

Senator Weinberg urged us to continue to provide support and encouragement for legislators who share our values, and Rev. Davidson reminded us that we are a necessary counterbalance to the strong conservative religious voices that are already out there.  Funds were raised to support the work of the Public Policy Network.

Report on Affordable Health Care Realities in New Jersey

by UU FA Office

Our friends at NJ Policy Perspectives have put together an excellent report [tt_vector icon=”fa-external-link”] for those trying to understand the Affordable Care Act realities in NJ. The news release is below.  I would strongly suggest clicking on the link and reading the full report.  This would be a good thing to have at our coffee tables and to distribute to those who are concerned about the Affordable Care Act.

Thanks,

Craig

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:  Maura Collinsgru, NJ Citizen Action: 609-519-0408

Jon Whiten, NJPP Deputy Director: 917-655-3313

The Sky Isn’t Falling: NJ Consumers With Substandard Health Plans Have Choices (And the State Can Help)

Trenton – State officials are facing important policy choices regarding substandard health plans that will impact the availability of comprehensive health care that is affordable to as many New Jerseyans as possible, according to a new Issue Brief released today by New Jersey Policy Perspective (NJPP). Consumer health advocates from the NJ for Health Care Coalition joined NJPP’s Ray Castro to discuss the findings and reinforce that consumers have many good options to obtain quality coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

“Consumers haven’t heard the message – they have choices. If and when they need new coverage, they can access the coverage and protections offered by the ACA and apply for subsidies to help them cover the cost,” said Maura Collinsgru, Health Policy Advocate with NJ Citizen Action.

The report examines the range of choices available to policy makers and consumers regarding substandard health plans and the potential impact of cancelling or continuing them. It suggests the impact that cancelling substandard plans would have on consumers has been overstated since only one percent of New Jerseyans – 110,000 – have substandard plans, and they already have the option of extending these plans for up to one year.

“The problem of individuals losing their substandard health plans because they do not meet ACA requirements has been exaggerated and can be managed by the state, insurers, and federal government as long as they work together to address the real needs of these consumers. This issue needs to be put in its proper perspective,” said Ray Castro, Senior Policy Analyst at NJPP and author of the report.

While eliminating substandard plans is consistent with the state’s longtime goal to provide comprehensive insurance coverage for everyone, further extending substandard plans would lead to higher costs for others who purchase comprehensive insurance and could threaten important consumer protections guaranteed by the ACA. Those who stick with their current plans will not be eligible for tax credits or cost sharing assistance. They will also lose important benefits that outlaw discriminatory rating practices, as well as annual and lifetime caps on coverage.

The report recommends that New Jersey take a more hands-on role as several other states are doing by offering supplementary premium assistance to make comprehensive coverage more affordable. Most New Jerseyans would happily replace substandard plans with comprehensive insurance if increased costs were not part of the deal. While the ACA provides generous subsidies for insurance, these may not always be sufficient in New Jersey, which has one of the highest costs of living in the nation. The good news is that the state can help – and it should – by tapping the hundreds of millions of dollars each year it will begin saving in 2014 as a result of the Medicaid expansion to provide additional assistance to consumers.

Although not widely reported, or understood by New Jersey consumers, those who face cancellation this year have the option to continue in their current plan for one year if they re-enroll before December 31st. However, advocates strongly urged consumers to instead obtain the more robust and comprehensive coverage available through the Marketplace.

Consumer advocates say New Jerseyans need more information in order to make the choice that is right for them. To make the transition easier for those consumers affected, the state needs to oversee, monitor, and evaluate the transition process and ensure that consumers are aware of their rights and options.

The Coalition is renewing their call for the Governor to utilize the 7.6 million dollars remaining from a state planning grant to educate New Jerseyans on the range of new coverage options available to them and to help clear up the misconceptions that unnecessarily alarm consumers.  The money could be lost if the Governor fails to submit a plan to Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight (CCIIO) over the next two months.