Category: UUFANJ News

UULMNJ is inundated with requests to respond to many issues.  They may come from our UULMNJ Task Forces, Congregational Social Action groups, coalitions with whom we affiliate, the UUA, or general public concern. Due to limited resources and time, UULMNJ is unable to respond to each issue equally, as addressing too many issues at once will only dilute the effectiveness of UULMNJ education and advocacy.

Therefore at the Fall Issues Workshop on October 29, each task force was asked to recommend one “front burner” issue to which UULMNJ will allocate its State level resources.  The issues are defined by our task forces and approved by the board, and will become the object of public and congregational education, advocacy and campaigns.  These issues will be reviewed yearly, as the issue is resolved or when other needs arise.

There are other important issues that UULMNJ can support by lending its name to and supporting actions of other organizations.  These issues will be recommended to/from the Executive Director or Task Force Chair.  Endorsement will be decided in consultation with the Public Policy Committee of the UULMNJ Board as needed.

Each task force will continue to consider several issues at a time, through research and study within the UULMNJ organization and New Jersey UU congregations.  And, of course, this in no way limits individuals and local congregations from participating in all issues however they see fit.

At ULMNJ’s Issues Workshop on October 29, the task forces recommended their primary issues, which were subsequently approved by the board:

Economic Justice

Jobs Creation – Advocating for legislation that requires the creation of real jobs, not just tax incentives.

Environmental Justice

Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) – New Jersey should remain part of this ten-state initiative.

Health Care

Health Care Exchanges – Advocating for an affordable and consumer-oriented health exchanges, a state determined portion of The Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act.

Immigration Reform

Wage Theft – insuring that employers pay the wages they promise, receive stiffer penalties if they don’t, and recourse for those with lost wages.

Congratulations to UULMNJ Board of Trustees President Rohn Hein, on his selection by the New Jersey Regional Coalition as  their 2011 Leader of the Year.  This award honors NJRC leaders who exemplify key principles and demonstrate outstanding leadership abilities and performance in the public arena.

Rohn’s award letter states, in part, “As a longtime NJRC Board Member and leader of the Lower Delaware Local District Council, as the President of the UU Church in Cherry Hill, and the President of the Board of Trustees of the Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry of New Jersey, you are an insightful leader who is not afraid to shoulder responsibility and who makes things happen.”

And we are grateful to Rohn for continuing go make things happen in UULMNJ, from his early involvement as Co-chair of the Steering Committee, to now and beyond.

UULMNJ Fall Issues Workshop
Saturday, October 29, 2011, 9am – 1pm
at The Unitarian Society in East Brunswick

It is time to register for the UULMNJ Annual Fall Issues Workshop to be held October 29 at the East Brunswick Society in East Brunswick. This workshop is open to anyone who would like to further the work of UULMNJ.

Highlights of the program include a presentation about sharpening our lobbying skills by Diane Guerin, long time activist and Justice Coordinator for the Mid-Atlantic Community of the Sisters of Mercy.

You will have an opportunity to hear first hand current issues being addressed by our Health Care, Immigration, Environment and  Economic Justice Task Forces and most importantly, to participate in strategizing our congregation and state-wide efforts.

To register, click on www.formdesk.com/uuforms/uulmnj  by October 25.  Late registrations will be accepted by contacting director@uulmnj.org.

Help us publicize this event by downloading a flyer to post and/or distribute in your local congregation.

 

There are many opportunities for involvement with UULMNJ – with your local congregation, as part of a task force or committee, and/or sharing your skills and talents with us.   Please browse our website and see what is of interest to you, and make sure to check out our volunteer section for a list of tasks – one might be just right for you.

We are especially finding individuals who would be interested in working on newsletters, and someone to help us get a Facebook page up and running.  Send an email to our Executive Director, Rev. Craig Hirshberg, and let her know what you would like to do.  We look forward to hearing from you!

UULMNJ periodically develops an Issues Survey to elicit input from New Jersey’s 21 UU congregations to help prioritize the issues that will be the focus of our efforts for the next two years or so.  Issues which overlap with the selected issues may also be addressed; there also may be compelling “emerging issues.”

When the issues survey is ready, please help us by completing it.  Your congregational liaison will have more information, or contact us at director@uulmnj.org.

Fund raising is a real necessity for the upcoming year. Therefore, the quieter summer months were a time for grant development.  UULMNJ received a Congregational Based Community Organizing Grant from the UU Funding Program.  This grant covered half of the CBCO training costs for up to five participants.  Two participants attended the NJ Regional Coalition community organizing training event in Valley Forge, PA, in August, one from Cherry Hill and one from Washington Crossing.  I, along with two other individuals will be able to take advantage of the grant in the next CBCO training probably taking place next Spring.  If you are interested, drop me an email at director@uulmnj.org.

Keep your fingers crossed!  An application for an Infrastructure Building grant was submitted to the UU Funding Program on September 15.  Thank you to two members of the UULMNJ finance committee, Carolyn Musser and Amy Tiedemann, who assisted in the grant writing.  Another grant letter of inquiry was submitted to The Funding Exchange (FEX.org), a funding consortium that specializes in funding advocacy and activists.

This is the second year of the two-year legislature, which means Trenton will be scrambling to pass existing legislation before they have to start over in January.   An important issue, and one UULMNJ will look at, is that of Health Care Exchanges. The decisions of how individuals and small businesses can pool resources and the oversight of that process will be decided within the next three to nine months.  You will be receiving regular updates as we proceed.

Finally, I just want to take a moment to thank all the hard working board, task force and liaison volunteers who have so graciously helped acclimate me to our state-wide advocacy movement. This is truly a collective effort.

I look forward to seeing you at the Fall Issues Workshop in October.

In faith,
Rev. Craig Hirshberg