FIXING THE FUTURE:

BUILDING A JUST and SUSTAINABLE ECONOMY

A monthly Friday night program of films and speakers that challenge the idea that we must choose between a strong economy and a healthy planet.

Friday, December 2, 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.

First Unitarian Church

536 Linton Street, Cincinnati, 45219

Drs. Heather Reynolds and Dave Rollo from Bloomington, Indiana will explain how, as the costs of our carbon-based economy rise, and the production in traditional energy sources fall, we are called upon to build other, more resilient support systems.

“Peak Oil and Building Community Resilience”

We know that unending growth cannot take place on a finite planet. Yet our leaders tell us growth is needed in order to create jobs. When oil prices start to rise and production fails to keep up with worldwide demand, how will we and our automobile-based economy cope? We must learn to view the current economic crisis less as a problem than as a opportunity and a condition to which we must adapt ourselves individually and collectively. We are called upon to build other, more resilient supports of our common life. We must find ways to build a new economy that operates within the Earth’s budget of energy and resources.

SPEAKERS

Dr. Heather Reynolds: Assoc. Prof, of Biology, Indiana University, Ph.D.in integrative biology from the University of California, Berkeley and a M.S. in plant ecology from the University of Connecticut. Heather is a member of the speaker’s bureau for the Center for Advancement of the Steady State Economy. Dr. Reynolds will explain the failures of our current economic system and describe the changes to it we must make in order to achieve environmental sustainability and provide jobs to all who want to work.

Dave Rollo: As a member of the Bloomington Indiana City Council, Dave sought to bring sustainability policies into local government. His policy initiatives include the creation of the Bloomington Commission on Sustainability, the city’s Green Building Ordinance and Authorship of the Council Resolution Supporting the Kyoto Protocol and the creation of the Bloomington Peak Oil Taskforce. His work on energy policy and community adaptation to energy decline has been featured in numerous publications.

For more information, contact Jeanne Nightingale jnightingale@fuse.net-471-6622 or Heather Zoller heatherzoller@me.com 859-442-0011

IF you believe that it is a huge mistake for the City to pull the plug on it’s aggressive effort to implement its Green Cincinnati Plan – and to save millions of tax dollars through energy conservation and state of the art recycling – you have an opportunity to let your voice be heard.

This Monday, August 1, the City Manager will present his proposed budget cuts to Council’s Budget & Finance Committee at 11 am at the Madisonville Community Center (5329 Stewart Ave.).  You will have an opportunity to sign up to speak for 2 minutes to share your concerns.

Letter from City Manager Milton Dohoney to City empolyees

From: Dohoney, Milton
Sent: Friday, July 29, 2011 3:53 PM
To: #CIN.City Mailing List
Subject: Budget issues

Due to our ongoing fiscal situation, it is necessary to make the next set of moves now in order to further prepare for the coming budget challenge.

Today I am transmitting a document to the Budget & Finance Committee to elaborate on the decisions that have to be made.  This Monday I will be speaking before the Committee.

I have met with the departmental leadership and sent a message to individuals within the affected departments.  While these moves by no means resolve our problems, they give us a beginning toward addressing our 2012 deficit of $33 million.  Any long lasting cuts we make now allow us to realize more savings from day one in 2012.

I cannot say with certainty how these recommendations, listed below, will be received by Council but we are moving on them out of economic necessity:

·         Department cuts totaling $5.1 million;
·         Dissolving the Office of Environmental Quality;
·         Dissolving the Department of Community Development and merging with the Department of Planning and Buildings;
·         Moving the Business Development Division of Community Development into Economic Development Division; and
·         Pursuing a COPS grant coupled with a layoff of 44 police officers.

These moves will provide some financial help in both 2011 and 2012, but it will still require some tough decision making in the budget that will be voted on this December.

These are difficult time, but we must persevere.

Milton Dohoney, Jr.
City Manager

Tell City Council what you think !