Yearly Archives: 2017

The landmark 2010 Offshore Wind Economic Development Act should have made New Jersey a national leader in offshore wind. Yet, for seven years, little action has been taken to capitalize on this opportunity for creating family-sustaining jobs, increasing clean energy production, and stimulating economic development. Governor Christie, much like the Trump Administration has stalled, and rolled back progress on climate policy. It’s rare to find such broad consensus on policy issues, but on August 16, several dozen leaders gathered under the shadow of massive wind turbines at the Atlantic City Utilities Authority to demand New Jersey take action on offshore wind. The United Steelworkers District Director joined the Offshore Wind Business Network executive director as well as labor, faith, environmental and community organizations gathered to discuss offshore wind as a foundational strategy in the fight for more clean energy jobs and less greenhouse gas emissions. Read the full Opinion-Editorial in the Star-Ledger by John Shinn, Director of District 4, United Steelworkers and WEC Board Member and Dan Fatton, executive director, WEC.

The latest hurricane disasters are yet another wake-up call. Climate change is happening and causing sea-level rise, worsening storm surges, increasing air temperatures that lead to more rainfall, and boosting water temperatures — all of which make storms more severe. July 2017 was the hottest month ever measured on earth, raising the temperature (up to 7.2 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than average) of the Gulf of Mexico, and making Harvey wetter and stronger, jumping to a Category 4 hurricane just hours before making landfall — an unprecedented event in decades of record keeping. Millions of people have been affected. People are in need of shelter and services, and just as we saw after Superstorm Sandy, damaged facilities are spewing toxic materials into communities, and public health is at risk. Recognizing the urgency of the climate crisis, more than 50 organizations formed Jersey Renews; labor unions, faith leaders, community and environmental organizations are standing in solidarity and urging action. Climate change poses a massive threat to our coastal state, yet we believe that strong actions to counter it also offer an opportunity to prepare New Jersey for the future. Read the full Opinion-Editorial in NJ Spotlight by Dan Fatton, executive director for the New Jersey Work Environment Council. October 3, 2017 [...]

Christie was decisive in finding $300 million to address emergency conditions at the Statehouse.  However, the very conditions the governor decried in the Statehouse exist in public schools across New Jersey. Unfortunately, his approach to addressing similar, or worse, emergency conditions in Schools Development Authority (SDA) public schools has been woefully inadequate. Under Abbott v. Burke V, the state is required to fund all capital projects fully, and improvements in the SDA districts (formerly known as Abbott districts) to make buildings safe, relieve overcrowding, and ensure educational adequacy. By law, SDA districts can not fund facility improvements over $500,000. While it is true the Christie administration has committed significant funds to rebuild schools in Trenton, Camden and other districts, the commitments followed years of inaction and is greatly dwarfed by the need. To not decisively address emergent conditions in SDA districts would be -- as Christie says -- shameful and an embarrassment to the people of the state, impacting the health and safety of the people who study, work, visit and have business in schools.   Read the full Opinion-Editorial in The Star Ledger by Jerell Blakeley, campaign organizer for the New Jersey Work Environment Council and John McEntee, President of the [...]