TCI Regional Policy Design Stakeholder Submissions

2BridgeCDX is an independent consultancy specializing in community engagement, community
development and active citizenship. 2BridgeCDX works across the nation offering expertise in facilitation,
training, research, evaluation and consultancy designing and conducting public involvement programs.
Having expertise in “exploring how public agencies can assess and improve their openness and ability to
respond to community influence”.

Fenceline community organizing is important in health education, absolutely because it reflects one of the field's
most fundamental principles, that of "starting where the people are. Community organizing also is
important in light of evidence that social involvement and participation can themselves be significant
factors in improving perceived control, empowerment, individual coping capacity, health behaviors, and
health status. “One of the key components is getting people to the table to speak for themselves and no
better way than with health education.”

• (1) implementation of an innovative community-owned and managed public engagement model;
• (2) bringing stakeholders together with diverse and conflicting viewpoints.

Please see attached NFIB comment letter dated January 9, 2020, on Transportation & Climate Initiative.

The Transportation and Climate Initiative
The Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI) is a 12- state regional effort to impose a stealthy and steadily increasing carbon tax on gasoline without requiring the politically perilous step of calling it either a carbon tax or a gas tax. The proceeds would be used to subsidize electric cars, increase public support for climate change policies favored by Governor Mills, the Natural Resources Council of Maine, the environmental left and other assorted climate alarmists. In Maine, in addition to protecting Democrats from risky electoral consequences, TCI is also constitutionally suspect. Article IX, Section 19 of the Maine Constitution restricts the use of fuel taxes to highway and bridge construction and associated costs:
Article IX, Section 19. Limitation on expenditure of motor vehicle and motor vehicle fuel revenues. All revenues derived from fees, excises and license taxes relating to registration, operation and use of vehicles on public highways, and to fuels used for propulsion of such vehicles shall be expended solely for cost of administration, statutory refunds and adjustments, payment of debts and liabilities incurred in construction and reconstruction of highways and bridges, the cost of construction,reconstruction, maintenance and repair of public highways and bridges under the direction and supervision of a state department having jurisdiction over such highways and bridges and expense for state enforcement of traffic laws and shall not be diverted for any purpose, provided that these limitations shall not apply to revenue from an excise tax on motor vehicles imposed in lieu of personal property tax.
The model for TCI is the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI or “Reggie”). RGGI places a carbon tax on electric power generation and uses the proceeds to fund energy efficiency and promote climate alarmism. In Maine, RGGI revenues are directed to Efficiency Maine, governed by an independent board established by the environmental left under Gov. Baldacci. In addition to subsiding solar power, LED light bulbs and heat pumps, Efficiency Maine has consistently underwritten (as in bought advertising on) Maine Public Broadcasting and the Maine Housing Authority, both strong promoters of climate alarmism.
RGGI and TCI are multistate “agreements” which never received congressional approval as required under Article 1, section 10 of the US Constitution (the Compact Clause):
“No State shall, without the Consent of Congress, lay any Duty of Tonnage, keep Troops, or Ships of War in time of Peace, enter into any Agreement or Compact with another State, or with a foreign Power, or engage in War, unless actually invaded, or in such imminent Danger as will not admit of delay.” (My italics).
RGGI was never congressionally approved because Democrats did not ask and Republicans did not insist, and objectors like myself did not have standing to sue (although I did look into it). The environmental left insisted that RGGI was “voluntary” and did not require Congressional approval. Senators King and Collins, recognizing the potential problems with this approach, have introduced legislation approving regional climate change policy compacts like TCI, which at least opens the door to court challenges if Congressional approval does not pass.
In the meantime, bi-partisan objections to TCI and carbon/gas taxes are increasing, just as they did in France with the yellow vest protests. Governors from Connecticut (Ned Lamont-D), New Hampshire (Chris Sununu-R), Vermont (Phil Scott-R) and Rhode Island (Gina Raimundo-D) have expressed reservations/opposition (D). Governor Mills has been non-committal, although her climate alarmism would suggest support.
Interested Mainers can submit public comment on the design of the TCI by filling out the TCI Stakeholder Input Form, available at https://www.transportationandclimate.org/main-menu/tci-regional-policy-design-stakeholder-input-form. Public comments are due by February 28, 2020.

I highly commend the bipartisan TCI and approve of its mission to develop a regional policy for low-carbon public transportation for the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic region. Transportation emissions account for 45% of Vermont’s total greenhouse gas pollution. To meet our carbon-reduction goals, we MUST reduce pollution from our cars and trucks. Expanding public, shared transportation is crucial and will cut down on pollution and offer opportunities to develop clean-energy-fueled transportation. And it will ALSO help address the social isolation of Vermonters (and residents of all TCI states) who do not own or drive their own vehicles -- giving them affordable public options to get to jobs, appointments, errands, and even other towns and states. Now is the time to create the future of transportation, not cling to the insufficient status quo.

My name is Ryan O’Malley and I represent Ward 4 on the Malden City Council. I believe it is important to reduce pollution from transportation because it greatly impacts the health outcomes of residents who live near transportation corridors like highways. Malden is entirely an Environmental Justice community and we are also surrounded by highways which produce greenhouse gases and particulates which make our air quality poor. These negative health outcomes disproportionally impacts communities of color, the working class, and the poor.

I would like to thank Governor Baker and his administration for the leadership and drive to join the program. Massachusetts always has and must continue to be a leader for environmental advocacy. I urge the Governor and his dedicated team to select the most aggressive greenhouse gas reduction target because bold and decisive action now will pay off dividends in the future.

The Commonwealth should prioritize investments in Environmental Justice communities like Malden and areas that are not currently served by public transit. Bus trap is transit is also a great and cost effective way to bring public transit to underserved areas. A local example of a low hanging fruit would be to extend the bus rapid transit program on Broadway in Everett up the rest of Broadway to Malden, Melrose, and Saugus. This project would completely transform commuting on the North Shore by providing a direct connection to North Station. The opportunity to utilize Encore casino mitigation funds should make this a top priority for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Sincerely,
Ryan O’Malley
City Councillor
City of Malden

Electrification Greenprint

1. Hearts and Minds. Run a campaign to motivate and educate the public about climate change and actions they can take right now (like supporting this list).
2. Commitment. Every city needs to join the Climate Mayors (climatemayors.org) and abide by the Paris Climate Agreement.
3. Community Choice Aggregation (CCA). Default to renewable energy, with an “opt-out” for cheapest energy on electric utility websites. Gradually increase the cheapest rates to subsidize the renewable option until they are equal, then consolidate to 100% green only (epa.gov/greenpower/community-choice-aggregation).
4. Rate Transparency. Impose variable Time-of-Use rates to unmask the higher cost of generation during peak usage. Aware customers will alter behavior to avoid peak rates, shaving peak demand off high generation rates.
5. Community Solar and Wind. Remove restrictions on investing in Municipal Solar and Wind Parks. If someone wants to fund $1,000, let them. Once fully funded, build more on any other undeveloped public spaces.
6. Energy Storage. It’s just as important as other renewable sources, so add it to the Green Energy Program. Homes not suitable for solar panels (like mine) can contribute to grid services and gain emergency backup power by co-funding distributed energy storage in their homes.
7. City Fleet Vehicles. Gradually replace government vehicles with EVs as they age out (driveevfleets.org). Please see the attached presentation that convinced the City of Newark, DE to start transitioning with the purchase 3 EVs in 2020. Update needed for Tesla Cyber Trucks wherever legacy pickup trucks are used now.
8. EV Charging Stations. Install Level 2 car chargers at all city parking facilities, starting with the busiest. One discounted fee for parking and charging. Proceeds to the city’s Green Energy Program after the chargers pay for themselves.
9. Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G). EVs sell power back to the grid during high demand. Nuvve (founded at the University of Delaware) is already installing and operating V2G systems worldwide.
10. Use the VW Diesel Scandal Lawsuit funds to purchase electric city and school buses as the current fleets age out and/or break down.

This bonus item is pretty extreme, but would have a huge impact once the momentum gets going.
11. Carbon Rebates. Expand RGGI to cap GHG emissions from gasoline, diesel, heating oil, and natural gas by applying a state tax. Use it to fund GHG reduction rebates and diversify revenue. Since the federal government is unwilling to stop subsidizing fossil fuels, this is using state power to get it back.