The Economic Justice Mission Continues its Witness for the Common Good
The NHCUCC's Economic Justice Mission Group interprets the NH state budget through the lens of our faith. In our eyes, a budget is a moral document. Therefore, our Mission Group the has been playing a leading role in convening "NH Voices of Faith" from multiple traditions to pray and bear public witness for a humane NH state budget that responsibly addresses our state's pressing needs, especially the needs of the most vulnerable in our midst and the core investments that maintain beloved community.
Current Events
Webinar: "Public Education and the Common Good Under Attack"
Tuesday evening October 18, 2022
7:00-8:30 PM
Collaboratively offered with the NH Council of Churches, the American Friends Service Committee-NH Program and the NH Faith & Labor Coalition, the webinar will feature journalist Jennifer Berkshire who closely follows the intersection of anti-government and religious right forces and the resulting threats posed not only to public education and the common good but to democracy itself. Berkshire is co-author of the book A Wolf at the Schoolhouse Door: The Dismantling of Public Education and the Future of School. Also featured will be Zandra Rice Hawkins of Granite State Progress speaking on the "Free State Movement" in NH and WNHN-FM radio host Arnie Arnesen as program moderator.
The webinar planners explain, "This program is offered for people of faith and moral conscience to provide information about nationally-orchestrated, locally-manifested efforts to undermine what we value collectively as beloved community.”
Registration Required:
https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_5R1RdltcSDiZIcw6cLnFcQ
A Little State Budget Background
On April 1, 2016 the NH House passed a budget that was immoral on so many fronts -- ignoring critical and compelling needs of the poor, the disabled, the homeless, the physically and mentally ill, vulnerable seniors, students, and more. Although the Senate Finance Committee's recommended budget restores funding to Meals on Wheels, Service Link, and homeless services, and significantly reduces some of the House-approved cuts to higher education and programs which address developmental disabilities and substance abuse, its proposed budget still falls far short of our obligations to people in need as well as to state workers. We believe NH can and should be better than this!
Most problematic for us are a set of proposed business tax cuts that will drain millions from future budgets. These cuts will ultimately reduce revenue by $46M per year, leaving fewer resources for essential programs going forward. In addition, the Senate has declined to fund the continuation of the NH Health Protection Program (expanded Medicaid) and 40,000 current enrollees could lose access to health coverage after December 2016 unless the legislature allocates funds for the program. The failure to allocate $12 million to continue the expanded Medicaid program for so many of our state's working poor is a travesty. The NH UCC is on record in support of the expanded Medicaid program, and we will continue to maintain our moral witness in this regard as long as it takes. Please join us! You can connect with our Mission Group via email: economicjustice.nhucc@gmail.com.
Valuable Resources
Readers of Courage in the Struggle are also encouraged to check out this short YouTube clip that was produced at our Prayer Rally about the NH Budget held on May 5, 2015. Also, sign up to receive the American Friends Service Committee-NH Program's weekly e-newsletter, State House Watch, which, each Friday afternoon, will provide you with up-to-date information about policy matters of concern to many "voices of faith" in New Hampshire. Send a simple email to aalpert@afsc.org to say "Please add me to the State House Watch mailing list." The AFSC is a key partner of the UCC Economic Justice Mission Group and provides wisdom and staff support for a number of our economic justice and witness activities.