Peace WTP fam, is anyone else ready for sweater weather? I really want to pull out my larger than life scarfs and wrap myself tight like a cocoon not yet ready to welcome the world. But, these future leaders on our left are ready — they joined us for our press conference to oppose DTE rate hike! Well, as we all wait for our favorite season, let’s dig into what we’ve been up to this month.
Public Hearing on DTE’s Rate Hike
On Monday August 22, 2022 Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) held a public hearing on a Rate Case for the very first time due to pressure from community organizers. We worked in partnership with the Michigan Environmental Justice Coalition (MEJC) and Soulardarity to educate residents about the DTE Rate Case in preparation for the hearing. DTE customers have the worst power outages & higher rates than customers of most utilities across the country. Now, DTE is asking the MPSC for permission to raise residential rates 8.8% – without a plan to upgrade infrastructure that’s 25 years past its expected lifetime in Detroit and older suburbs. Here’s more information about their request. Community members showed out to demand the upgrade on infrastructure and affordability. You can sign the petition below to support the efforts.
REJECT DTE PROPOSED RATE INCREASE
PUBLISHED REPORT: The Public’s Case Against DTE Energy
To go along with our public action we also published a report that reveals the multitude of ways that DTE causes harm to the people of Michigan and present the public’s case against the utility company continuing to get a free pass by regulators and legislators. In this report we partnered with MEJC and LittleSis, and we found that DTE has extracted profit from its customers through hundreds of thousands of shutoffs, the second highest amount of rate hikes in the country, and unnecessary power outages that leave customers without power. They have invested heavily in new fossil fuel power plants that place significant health burdens on customers while blocking renewable energy initiatives. Finally, this report digs into the campaign donations of DTE executives, board members, and PAC to reveal how they utilize dark money to advance their profit-driven agenda. Read the full report below.
ACCESS FULL REPORT
RECAP: Energy Justice Open House
On August 16, 2022, twenty community members and leaders in energy justice from the central UP gathered in Marquette for the Energy Justice Open House. They got a crash course on energy companies and systems that directly affect their livelihoods. They also identified ways to advocate for their communities and made plans for future actions. This is long-haul work but we have small actions for community members to take right now that will strengthen this work in big ways! These actions are for everyone — whether you’re a college student trying to pay rent and the electric bill, an elder who is tired of putting on extra blankets in the winter to save a few pennies on heat, or a parent who panics every time their kids leave the fridge door open. To learn more about how to get involved contact Biidaaban Reinhardt (biidaaban@wethepeoplemi.org) and Robert Hazen (roberth@wethepeoplemi.org).
UPDATE: Migrant Leader School
Migrant Leader School participants have been hard at work launching their local organizing teams to mobilize immigrant communities across the state to win back driver’s licenses. These pictures represent teams from Niles, St. Joseph, Kalamazoo, and Traverse City. Teams in Detroit, Ypsilanti, and Grand Rapids are gearing up to launch very soon. If you would like to join any of the local teams, please contact diego@wethepeoplemi.org
Asking for more ARPA funds to address Child Care and Mental Health Crises
A group of concerned Marquette County residents are hosting a Children’s March on Tuesday, September 20th at 5pm on the front lawn at the Marquette County
Courthouse. We are supporting this initiative in partnership with the Great Start Collaborative (GSC) – Marquette. Right after the Children’s March, we will transition to anyone who wants to make public comment regarding the issue at the County Commission meeting at 6pm. Contact Johanna Bogater at
johanna@wethepeoplemi.org for more information.
Deep Dive into Deep Canvassing for New Field Team Staff
If you ask the field team staff to describe their work they would use words like:
compassionate curiosity, vulnerability, critical thinking and inquiry, active listening, persuasive skills and calling to action. These are all components of deep canvassing, which is a core value of the 2022 Field Team. Back in June, the newly hired Field Team Organizers attended an intensive Training for Trainers (T4T) with People’s Action and the Deep Canvass Institute. In August, the students became the teachers. The Field Team had experienced some turnover, and suddenly, we had four incredible new hires. In the interest of encouraging professional growth and development, as well as catalyzing connections among the team, three brave Field Organizers designed and implemented a 2-day/6-hour “nuts & bolts” training in the skillful art of deep canvassing. We are all so happy to be working for a genuine learning organization. Keep your eyes peeled for more innovative and collaborative work from the 2022 Field Team!
Community organizers challenged Bedrock’s latest Hudson’s site tax break in Detroit — and nearly won
Our Communications Director, Eli Day, wrote another brilliant piece about tax breaks in Detroit. The article touches on “the corporations that relentlessly and flagrantly misrepresent their benefits. The politicians and economic officials who confuse new buildings and new capital with human prosperity. And, most importantly, the organizers who’ve shown us that with just a little imagination, there’s an entire world of alternative paths we could take to actually improve people’s lives in the city”. Read the full article below!
Join our Next Lineage Artists Speaker Series
We are excited to host our second virtual Lineage event on September 19th highlighting Northern Michigan artists! We hope you can join us as we share their art while discussing their creative lineage, identity, and how they see their community inform their art practice. You can register below to join!
REGISTER HERE
SW Fest
Do you need something to do this weekend that is free, family friendly and surrounded by art and culture? We got you covered! Go dance at SW Fest, an annual music festival in Southwest Detroit. There will be countless music artists from all over the country coming together with a special highlight on Detroit artists like Gabriel Duran, Srchengn, Demaciiio, and Camila Cantu!
LEARN MORE ABOUT SW FEST
Earthwork Harvest Gathering
Mark your calendars for another music festival in Lake City, Michigan from September 16- 18th! There will be great music, tasty food and activities for kids. Learn more below!
HARVEST INFO
We are looking for temporary part-time staff (about 25 hours per week) in the Traverse City area that are interested in canvassing for the upcoming November elections!
If you know anyone who:
Is seeking a pathway into social justice movement work or politics.
Wants to see “people like me” in the political system.
Is interested in transforming communities and fighting back against the divide and conquer politics that have fueled corporate and political greed for decades.
Share this posting to anyone you know that may be interested by clicking on the link below to learn more!
JOIN US
As always thank you so much for sticking with us this month. We hope that peace, time for reflection and nice walks find you! Until next time!
In community,
Catalina Rios
Cultural Strategist
Facebook Twitter Instagram Custom Web Site
{{Disclaimer}}
440 Burroughs St, Detroit, MI 48202
If you believe you received this message in error or wish to no longer receive email from us, please (Unsubscribing is not supported in previews).
On Monday August 22, 2022 Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) held a public hearing on a Rate Case for the very first time due to pressure from community organizers. We worked in partnership with the Michigan Environmental Justice Coalition (MEJC) and Soulardarity to educate residents about the DTE Rate Case in preparation for the hearing. DTE customers have the worst power outages & higher rates than customers of most utilities across the country. Now, DTE is asking the MPSC for permission to raise residential rates 8.8% – without a plan to upgrade infrastructure that’s 25 years past its expected lifetime in Detroit and older suburbs. Here’s more information about their request. Community members showed out to demand the upgrade on infrastructure and affordability. You can sign the petition below to support the efforts.
REJECT DTE PROPOSED RATE INCREASE
PUBLISHED REPORT: The Public’s Case Against DTE Energy
To go along with our public action we also published a report that reveals the multitude of ways that DTE causes harm to the people of Michigan and present the public’s case against the utility company continuing to get a free pass by regulators and legislators. In this report we partnered with MEJC and LittleSis, and we found that DTE has extracted profit from its customers through hundreds of thousands of shutoffs, the second highest amount of rate hikes in the country, and unnecessary power outages that leave customers without power. They have invested heavily in new fossil fuel power plants that place significant health burdens on customers while blocking renewable energy initiatives. Finally, this report digs into the campaign donations of DTE executives, board members, and PAC to reveal how they utilize dark money to advance their profit-driven agenda. Read the full report below.
ACCESS FULL REPORT
RECAP: Energy Justice Open House
On August 16, 2022, twenty community members and leaders in energy justice from the central UP gathered in Marquette for the Energy Justice Open House. They got a crash course on energy companies and systems that directly affect their livelihoods. They also identified ways to advocate for their communities and made plans for future actions. This is long-haul work but we have small actions for community members to take right now that will strengthen this work in big ways! These actions are for everyone — whether you’re a college student trying to pay rent and the electric bill, an elder who is tired of putting on extra blankets in the winter to save a few pennies on heat, or a parent who panics every time their kids leave the fridge door open. To learn more about how to get involved contact Biidaaban Reinhardt (biidaaban@wethepeoplemi.org) and Robert Hazen (roberth@wethepeoplemi.org).
UPDATE: Migrant Leader School
A group of concerned Marquette County residents are hosting a Children’s March on Tuesday, September 20th at 5pm on the front lawn at the Marquette County
Courthouse. We are supporting this initiative in partnership with the Great Start Collaborative (GSC) – Marquette. Right after the Children’s March, we will transition to anyone who wants to make public comment regarding the issue at the County Commission meeting at 6pm. Contact Johanna Bogater at
johanna@wethepeoplemi.org for more information.
Deep Dive into Deep Canvassing for New Field Team Staff
If you ask the field team staff to describe their work they would use words like:
compassionate curiosity, vulnerability, critical thinking and inquiry, active listening, persuasive skills and calling to action. These are all components of deep canvassing, which is a core value of the 2022 Field Team. Back in June, the newly hired Field Team Organizers attended an intensive Training for Trainers (T4T) with People’s Action and the Deep Canvass Institute. In August, the students became the teachers. The Field Team had experienced some turnover, and suddenly, we had four incredible new hires. In the interest of encouraging professional growth and development, as well as catalyzing connections among the team, three brave Field Organizers designed and implemented a 2-day/6-hour “nuts & bolts” training in the skillful art of deep canvassing. We are all so happy to be working for a genuine learning organization. Keep your eyes peeled for more innovative and collaborative work from the 2022 Field Team!
Community organizers challenged Bedrock’s latest Hudson’s site tax break in Detroit — and nearly won
Our Communications Director, Eli Day, wrote another brilliant piece about tax breaks in Detroit. The article touches on “the corporations that relentlessly and flagrantly misrepresent their benefits. The politicians and economic officials who confuse new buildings and new capital with human prosperity. And, most importantly, the organizers who’ve shown us that with just a little imagination, there’s an entire world of alternative paths we could take to actually improve people’s lives in the city”. Read the full article below!
Join our Next Lineage Artists Speaker Series
We are excited to host our second virtual Lineage event on September 19th highlighting Northern Michigan artists! We hope you can join us as we share their art while discussing their creative lineage, identity, and how they see their community inform their art practice. You can register below to join!
REGISTER HERE
SW Fest
Do you need something to do this weekend that is free, family friendly and surrounded by art and culture? We got you covered! Go dance at SW Fest, an annual music festival in Southwest Detroit. There will be countless music artists from all over the country coming together with a special highlight on Detroit artists like Gabriel Duran, Srchengn, Demaciiio, and Camila Cantu!
LEARN MORE ABOUT SW FEST
Earthwork Harvest Gathering
Mark your calendars for another music festival in Lake City, Michigan from September 16- 18th! There will be great music, tasty food and activities for kids. Learn more below!
HARVEST INFO
We are looking for temporary part-time staff (about 25 hours per week) in the Traverse City area that are interested in canvassing for the upcoming November elections!
If you know anyone who:
Is seeking a pathway into social justice movement work or politics.
Wants to see “people like me” in the political system.
Is interested in transforming communities and fighting back against the divide and conquer politics that have fueled corporate and political greed for decades.
Share this posting to anyone you know that may be interested by clicking on the link below to learn more!
JOIN US
As always thank you so much for sticking with us this month. We hope that peace, time for reflection and nice walks find you! Until next time!
In community,
Catalina Rios
Cultural Strategist
Facebook Twitter Instagram Custom Web Site
{{Disclaimer}}
440 Burroughs St, Detroit, MI 48202
If you believe you received this message in error or wish to no longer receive email from us, please (Unsubscribing is not supported in previews).