Last chance: this week, get your #NoShutoffs letters and social media posts in to CUFA for delivery to Gov. DeWine. All we want for the holidays is a moratorium on utility shutoffs! Join our Sewer Justice Team this week at the Sewer Budget Hearing Thursday, and mark your calendars for the Dec. 15 Caroling & Letter Delivery next week to stop utility shutoffs.

Here are the top 3 actions you can take this week:

1. 1. This Friday, Dec. 11, is the deadline for letters to be included in our delivery: Tell Governor DeWine to Stop Utility Shutoffs! CUFA is demanding Gov. DeWine end utility shut-offs during the COVID pandemic. Have your kids (and you) write a brief letter, draw a picture, or use your social media to push DeWine to end shutoffs now. You can upload pictures of handwritten letters or drawings online here!
      
      
   2. Mark your calendar: Tuesday, Dec. 15, we are delivering our letters for Gov. DeWine to Hamilton County Health Commissioner Greg Kesterman, with holiday cheer & a wish list. RSVP here to join CUFA and our allies for #NoShutoffs Caroling & Letter Delivery.
      
      
   3. It's Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD) Budget Hearing time! Sign up to attend (via Zoom) with CUFA on Thursday, Dec. 10 at 1:00 PM. CUFA's Sewer Justice Team will be delivering comments on the proposed MSD budget. Come show your support for fixed sewers that we can all afford.

What's Happening This Week

Tell Gov. DeWine to end utility shutoffs during the pandemic! Get your letters in by Friday, December 11 to be included in our letter delivery!

We know Governor DeWine cares about his own grandchildren, so we are asking kids (and everyone else!) from all over Cincinnati to write a brief letter or social media post to him telling him why he needs to help people keep their water, gas, electricity and internet on.  We will put these letters in a short video for social media and ask the Hamilton County Health Commissioner to deliver them to DeWine Dec. 15. It’s the holidays, so let’s send our holiday wish list!

Sample letters

• Dear Gov. DeWine, All I want for the holidays is heat in my house.  Jonah, Cincinnati, age 6
  
  
• Dear Gov. DeWine, please help my mom pay our electric bill so we can have a Merry Christmas. MyKaliah, Cincinnati, age 13
  
  
• Dear Gov. DeWine, I cannot go to remote school without electricity and internet, and we can’t afford it.  Darius, Cincinnati, age 11

Draw pictures or decorate your letter to make it personal. Submit your kids' letters and pictures here.

Sample social media posts (post with a picture!)

• All we want for our holidays is to have heat and and electricity, @GovMikeDeWine #NoShutoffs @cufacincy
  
  
• I wish my parents could fill my wish list, but mom lost her job and we might not be able to pay utilities through the holidays. Thanks, @GovMikeDeWine #NoShutoffs @cufacincy
  
  
• Christmas would be better this year if my parents didn't have to worry about our electric bill. Don’t shut off our utilities @GovMikeDeWine #NoShutoffs @cufacincy

If you are using your own social media, quote your kids or use your own words. Gov. DeWine needs to understand what we are all going through, and why it’s so important that he protect Ohioans from utility shutoffs. Make sure to use Gov. DeWine's handle: @GovMikeDeWine (for Facebook & Twitter) and tag CUFA @cufacincy so we can share your post! Use the hashtag #NoShutoffs

Join our Sewer Justice Team at the MSD Budget Hearing

Join CUFA during the MSD budget process to tell our County Commissioners 1.) We need a forgiveness program for sewer bills in arrears 2.) MSD needs to honor its commitment to buy the homes on Muddy Creek that have been ruined by sewer overflows 3) ALL neighborhoods, not just wealthy neighborhoods, must be included in their plans to resolve sewer overflows. Come tell the Commissioners what the priorities for MSD's budget should be. (virtually)!

What: MSD Budget Hearing - Hamilton County Commissioners
When: Thursday, Dec. 10 @ 1:00 PM
Where: Zoom; Register here for instructions to join

Join CUFA for a Town Hall on Who Regulates Our Utilities

Ohio has witnessed corruption in our energy sector like never before.  Former Public Utilities Commission of Ohio chairman Sam Randazzo resigned in disgrace, and now Governor Dewine must choose a replacement.  Join CUFA's energy team and a statewide coalition working for utility reform to tell the governor, we need to ensure ratepayers & consumers are represented by the next PUCO commissioner. The PUCO should work for us; not the industry they are supposed to regulate. Come to the Utility Corruption Town Hall this Thursday, December 10, at 4 p.m.  Register at http://tiny.cc/utilityjusticetownhall

Other Important Information

CUFA Victory! Water Bill Forgiveness Program now accepting applications!

The City of Cincinnati has a new program to forgive water and storm water bills for low-income residents experiencing COVID-related hardships. Find out more about the program and apply here.

 
Get Your CUFA Yard Sign Today

We know that "Together, We Will Make a Difference."  Let your neighbors know that you support CUFA.  Call us at 853-3947 to get a yard sign. Donate to offset the cost yard signs here.

We need your help to build CUFA's power by building our membership.  Mail these postcards (below) to your family and friends. Get your postcards today.

Tell Our Senators to Pass a COVID Relief Bill Now

Join Peoples Action and other grassroots organizations across the country to tell the Senate that our priority is getting relief to the most vulnerable members of our community during the pandemic. Click here to send a message to your federal legislators.

The National THRIVE Agenda

We must build a new economy to address the inequality and racism the COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare. On September 10, People's Action and several allied groups released a national agenda with eight key pillars: 

1. Creating millions of good, safe jobs with access to unions.
2. Building the power of workers to fight inequality.
3. Investing in Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities.
4. Strengthening and healing the nation-to-nation relationship with sovereign Native Nations.
5. Combating environmental injustice and ensuring healthy lives for all.
6. Averting climate and environmental catastrophe.
7. Ensuring fairness for workers and communities affected by economic transitions.
8. Reinvesting in public institutions that enable workers and communities to thrive.

Read more on each of the pillars here and take action to ask your Representative to support it.

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