tithing back to the festival

Why am I donating back and how did I come up with the amount I gave?

Maybe first things first, n'est-ce pas?

This is the 15th day of the Savannah Music Festival, which is in its 35th year.

There's a fundraiser that's been going since the first day this time around.

It's called "$17,000 in 17 Days", giving it a kinda sorta Jules Verne flair.

(smile!)

So, how does that fundraiser operate?

One of the donors is matching all donated funds during the course of the festival - i.e. during the 17 days of scheduled concerts - and that money will go toward various programs for students and music education.

I decided a few days ago to donate, but only had a QR code to use.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, nope!

My phone doesn't speak squiggly lines in a square.

I had even gone to the website, to no avail... until today!

Hooray!

(smile!)

Somehow, though the $35 I'd intended to donate to the cause didn't feel right.

Then I realized something: today I volunteered at my tenth concert of this SMF.

Tenth, did I say?

That's a nice, familiar fraction for me.

So, I added up the money it would have cost for me to have attended the eleven shows for which I am volunteering.

In other words, that's what I was essentially "paid" as a volunteer.

Then I tithed back ten percent: $41.20.

(smile!)

That felt wonderful!

Here's the link, for those inspired to give music to others!

making my points feed others

I don't usually get that option on the AARP website.

What option is it that I speak of?

To allow my points earned for watching videos and answering questionnaires help others.

The AARP Foundation only allows a small number of such trades, and it seems to be once a quarter that 4000 points can 'buy' food to help end senior poverty.

I know how much food costs have increased in the sixteen years since President George W. Bush allowed gas prices to skyrocket.

I do hope my contribution helps.

i already pay the city for my h2o, thanks

Apparently, someone in Congress - and that's someone from Savannah, by the way - has put forth a bill to allow privatization of Georgia's drinking water.

No, thanks.

Why would anyone want to allow a single person to control water rights?

Of course I reacted as soon as I read the alert from One Hundred Miles. 

Dear Representative Derek Mallow,

Please vote NO on HB 1146. Our coast's drinking water is precious and in short supply—especially in Effingham, Bryan, Chatham, and Liberty Counties. 

HB 1146 would facilitate the privatization of our coast’s precious water supply. 

Please, I ask that you vote NO on this bad bill.

HB 1146 would allow private water utilities to outcompete public water utilities, bypass consistency with local government planning, and sell their access to Georgia’s limited drinking water supply to the highest bidder.

Please consider the following potential impacts of HB 1146:

HB 1146 could set up the circumstances for developers and private water providers to overthrow responsible planning efforts that are limited by a shared public resource. Worse, HB 1146 would allow the limited public resource to be privatized by bypassing the public utility mandated by law to ensure its equitable and responsible distribution.

HB 1146 applies to the entire coast and could result in unbridled growth all in every coastal county. The bill would allow private water providers to operate like public water providers and locate points of withdrawal outside of the mapped service area, putting them in direct competition with public water providers, who are required to coordinate with local governments to accommodate growth.

These same areas would likely suffer from inadequate firefighting infrastructure. Especially because these new developments will be outside of previously planned growth areas, the burden of the new firefighting capacity necessary to protect these new communities will fall on the taxpayers.

HB 1146 is full of infrastructural holes that would ultimately increase the burden on taxpayers. The bill does not address access to sewer, even though providing water outside of local government growth priority areas will likely result in a proliferation of septic tanks to accommodate the growth; this is not a sustainable, responsible, or long-term waste water management method for higher density residential developments.  

Finally, HB 1146 encourages an increase in private water providers. If a private water operator goes out of business or the private system fails, water operations will become the responsibility of the taxpayers.

If passed, access to our limited, shared drinking water supply will be granted to the highest bidder. 

HB 1146 is a bad bill. 

I urge you to vote NO on HB 1146! 

Sincerely,

Faustina

sorry, ms. jackson, SB 132 is not good for the Okefenokee

Well, since HB 370 failed to make headway, some disreputable politico changed up some wording to still help whoever is paying them get what they want.

Thanks, One Hundred Miles, for letting me know so I could alert Edna Jackson!

Dear Representative Edna Jackson,

I am very concerned about a bill in the House that seems like it's great for the Okefenokee—but it is NOT. I am referring to SB 132.

The House Rules Committee recently substituted language in Senate Bill (SB) 132 that would impose a statewide moratorium on new dragline mining permit applications to the Georgia EPD for three years.

A moratorium on mining sounds like an excellent way to protect the Okefenokee Swamp. HOWEVER, SB132’s moratorium would be meaningless, with no lasting benefits to the Swamp it's claiming to protect.

I am concerned about two key bill provisions in particular:

First, the moratorium would only prohibit new applications for dragline mining, a type of mining that is not currently utilized by any company in Georgia. Twin Pines has a pending application with GA EPD for a dragline mining permit on Trail Ridge. But even if the bill passes and the moratorium is implemented, it would not affect Twin Pines’ current application for dragline mining or limit other types of mining by Twin Pines or other companies.

Second, the bill contains a loophole that could allow Twin Pines to avoid the moratorium altogether. Despite a three-year moratorium on new dragline permit applications, the bill would allow for modifications to existing permits or permit applications submitted or granted before June 30, 2024. Therefore, even if SB132 passes, this dangerous loophole could allow them to amend their permit or permit application to include the entire 8,000 acres the company plans to mine.

For more than five years, OHM has worked in good faith with hundreds of community members and coalition partners to prevent mining from harming our Okefenokee Swamp. In response to Twin Pines’ mining application, concerned citizens from across the country have voiced support for a permanent legislative solution, like the one proposed in HB71.

As you likely know, there has been tremendous pressure to act. SB132 is a short-sighted, watered-down bill that is an attempt to trick the public. The swamp is not safe and will not be, even if SB132 passes.

Please oppose SB132 because it is a meaningless moratorium that will not result in permanent or long-term protections for the Okefenokee Swamp against mining. Protect our Swamp: Vote AGAINST SB 132!

Sincerely,

Faustina, your constituent

four women for international women's day!

I've been having a bit of a pity party, but what better way to celebrate the end of that moping than by helping other women?

And what better time to do so than on International Women's Day?

Indeed!

This action was especially beneficial to me because it made me feel part of something bigger than myself, part of a world family working to decrease suck.

Yes, I'm talking about being Fliss of Nerdfighters!

Three of the loans I chose were referred by that group, with a special boost: for every 5 Nerdfighters that helped each loan, the Piggy Bank would put in an extra $25.

Yes, please!

I did my part at 2 AM, before bed.

When I checked just now, those three loans had achieved that boost!!!

 

I'll have to see about adding Olga Christina to their list, so she can get the perk.

She's the one I had already selected before I came upon the Nerdfighter challenge.

She lives in Columbia - South America, not South Carolina - and has her own business selling textile products retail in the municipality of Riosucio.

After my demon-slaying foray yesterday, and given part of her name being that of my first niece, I thought helping this young Spanish-speaking starfish would be a nice part of the bday41 gift to Christina Ann.

Yes, there's an inside joke for my niece.

(smile!)

After choosing that loan, I stumbled onto the Piggy Bank challenge from Nerdfighters.

Clementine, part of the group villageoise Saint Michel in Congo (DRC), is a widow, 45 years old, and has 4 children who are all in school.

She reminded me of my mother at that age, though I was out of school and in the Navy, and Mama was already a grandmother by then.

Clementine has her own business, now 12 years old, of selling shoes and wants to expand her inventory of footwear and add handbags to sell.

She's doing that in a conflict-affected area, too.
Now she has my group helping to support her group!

(smile!)

 

Speaking of mothers who are grandmothers, Kady was the next person to benefit from me and the Piggy Bank.

That's her, the friendly woman in blue, waving from the midst of her group, in Senegal.

She is my first niece's age but has six children, as well as two grandkids living with her.

Kady sells honey and beeswax to pay for the children's education.

Glad to be of help to her!

(smile!)

 

Nadia in Egypt was next for me.

Married, she started her grocery store four years ago to help support their three children, and now she is expanding her business with more choices for her customers, maybe even buying a taxi for her husband to have a steady income as well as serve their community.

Under 30 and on top of her game!

(smile!)

valentine to brighten a gloomy and chill day

What to do when the weather has been dreary and rainy for over 24 hours?

Search elsewhere for a bright spot to soak up some sunshine for the soul!

Now, I'm 1 of 6 Nerdfighters fighting gloom in Mexico!

Yes, that's right, I went off to Kiva to find something to lift my spirits, and found it, too.

Here's the link for any who want to join in!

These are the bright flowers, with the highlight on Isabel, second from the left.

Here's her story:

"El grupo ´Las florecitas” se conforma de mujeres trabajadoras y responsables, que comparten un solo objetivo que es el bienestar familiar, viven en colonias populares donde las condiciones de vida son regulares.
Como es el caso de la señora Isabel quien tiene 2 hijas menores de edad vive con su esposo.
Se dedica a la fabricación de muebles, ella realiza esta actividad desde hace más de 5 años en compañía de su esposo es quien realiza esta actividad, durante estos meses han invertido más en su carpintería ya que tiene más clientes. Su sueño es que este negocio crezca y aumentar la producción de muebles y automatizar su taller.
Junto con Isabel componen el grupo las señoras: Yareli, Maricela, Daniela, Gabriela, Nayelis y Julia. "

Furniture makers?

As I told them, I have two brothers who make wooden furniture!

I even own wooden furniture, as I like it much better than metal plastic.

Yes, helping them has brightened my day!

Plus, I was able to practice my Spanish!

(No worries, the website has the story in English, too.)

(smile!)

reminding congress: social security is not part of national debt

That's something they would be expected to know.

Every fifth grader knows that.

Are they not smarter than fifth graders?

 

Perhaps they have simply forgotten.

That's why, when the AARP sent the email alerting me to the latest shenanigans of the elected officials, I jumped at the chance to remind them how Social Security is financed.

 

------------------

This was sent to my elected Senators, Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock.

 

Dear [Senators],

As one of your constituents, I’m asking you to keep Social Security OUT of any discussions on the national debt.

Social Security is NOT a driver of the national debt. It is self-financed. Unlike government programs that receive funding through general revenue, Social Security is a separate, pay-as-you-go system financed directly by payroll tax contributions from American workers and their employers.

We, the voters, pay into Social Security based on a promise from the United States of America that we will get the money we’ve earned after we retire. It would be unfair for Congress to break this promise by cutting Social Security in order to reduce the deficit — especially when Social Security is NOT a driver of this country’s debt.

Social Security puts retirement in reach for so many. Every day, nearly 67 million Americans are able to count on Social Security to help put food on the table, pay for medical bills, and afford other daily expenses.

As your constituent, I ask that you oppose any cuts to Social Security or Medicare in order to reduce the nation’s debt.

Thank you,
Faustina Smith

---------------

 

Dear reader, you may want to remind your elected officials, too.

Just go to this link and let them know, just in case they have forgotten what fifth graders already know.

saving salt marshes from construction damage

Honestly, it boils down to this: people's selfishness.

One Hundred Miles is watching out for that, too, especially when such actions threaten the salt marshes of Georgia, and the flora and fauna that call those areas home.

 

I again answered the call to action!

Please consider doing the same, using this link.

Many thanks!

 

Here is what I wrote.

------------

Dear Ms. Jill Andrews [of the Coastal Resources Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources],

I write to voice my concern regarding the Coastal Resources Division (CRD) proposed changes to state regulations regarding the upland component of projects affecting our coastal marshlands (Chapter 391-2-3-.02).

The buffer areas of our coastal marshlands are critically important to the overall health of Georgia’s salt marsh. I support CRD’s continued regulation of the 50-foot buffer for marinas, community docks, commercial docks, fishing piers, boat ramps and bridges over coastal marshlands. But I believe CRD should continue to regulate or oversee smaller projects that affect our marshes—especially shoreline stabilization projects.

Buffers play in an essential role protecting the form and function of marshlands. Buffers allow the marsh to migrate as sea level rises, they filter pollutants, and they defend our uplands from storm surge and rising seas – important ways to protect upland property and structures. Hard shoreline stabilization projects like bulkheads, however, separate the marsh from the uplands and can cause major problems for neighboring property owners who choose not to harden their shoreline.

The Coastal Marshlands Protection Act states activities must be regulated to ensure the values and functions of the coastal marshlands are not impaired. CRD should continue to play a role in permitting shoreline stabilization projects within the 25-foot buffer behind the marsh.

Please do not proceed with the proposed rule change until:
- The amended rules offer greater clarity on the diverse roles of regulatory responsibility for protecting our marsh buffers,
- CRD retains some oversight of approving activities that will affect the health of the marsh, such as shore stabilization projects.
- The agency convenes a task force to develop recommendations to present to the DNR Board.

Do not leave the health of our marshes and the security they offer at risk by rushing forward with this rule change.

Sincerely,
Faustina Smith

[ CC: GA Dept. of Natural Resources Board of Directors ]

saving salt marshes, again

I could hardly believe it when One Hundred Miles told me that HB 370 was again up before the House of Representatives in Congress.

Of course I'd let my Congressperson know my stance again!

Perhaps you will, too?

Here is the link to make that action easy-peasy!

Thanks!

Here's my letter to Edna Jackson.

-----------

Dear State Representative Edna Jackson,

House Bill 370 is a direct threat to more than 50 years of salt marsh protection in Georgia.
As someone who values this unparalleled public resource, I ask that you vote NO on this terrible bill. 

Please consider the following: 

- It is relatively common to possess a Kings Grant. It is extremely uncommon to be able to prove clear title from the time of the issuance of the Kings Grant to the salt marsh. Since state legislators decided that State ownership was the best way to protect Georgia's salt marsh, it is always presumed that the State owns all salt marsh until an individual proves otherwise. In other words, the burden of proof falls on the individual. 

- HB 370 establishes a process whereby an individual merely needs to present a Kings Grant (not the accompanying documentation) to the State Properties Commission (not the Attorney General’s office) and assigns a time period of 180 days for the state agency to verify the Kings Grant. If the State Properties Commission cannot do this within 180 days, it is presumed that the individual's Kings Grant is valid. This bill flips the burden of proof to the State of Georgia. 

- 180 days is NOT enough time to properly scrutinize the legitimacy of the additional titles, deeds, and other evidence a person must present to the State Attorney General (AG) to prove all the conditions of the Kings Grant have been met and maintained. It is the AG's responsibility to authenticate and verify these documents, and that takes time. 

House Bill 370 is a workaround to allow individuals the ability to avoid the necessary scrutiny associated with verifying centuries of paperwork. The result could be a massive giveaway of one of the state's most notably protected natural resources--our salt marsh. Please do not vote in favor of this bill. 

If you are concerned about arguments in favor of HB 370, consider placing the bill in a study committee. There has not been a recent audit of the Attorney General's process for validating Kings Grants. There has been no analysis of how many Kings Grants exist. We do not have a clear understanding of the perceived problem. Before a bill is proposed that could have disastrous ramifications for our salt marsh, more study is needed to ensure that the right solution is proposed. 

Please do not pass HB370. It goes too far and could destroy coastal Georgia's most iconic landscape. 

Thank you for considering my comments.

Sincerely,
Faustina Smith

helping horseshoes

When the message came in from One Hundred Miles to help out these marine creatures with the prehistoric flair, I jumped at the chance!

Maybe you will, too?

Just go to this link by January 31 and fill in the information... many thanks!

 

Here is the letter I sent.

------------

Dear Leslie Furr [of the United States Pharmacopeia],
I want to express my strong support for the adoption of Chapter 86, the proposal that would grant competitive status to endotoxin tests that use synthetic horseshoe crab reagents.

Horseshoe crabs have a vital purpose in providing a renewal food source for other coastal species.

More than 360,000 migrating shorebirds use Georgia’s coast as an essential stopover site as they migrate thousands of miles to and from their nesting grounds in the Arctic and wintering grounds in South America. Some threatened species, like the Red Knot and Whimbrel, fly thousands of miles before stopping. When they do, horseshoe crab eggs provide an essential food source that fuels the birds’ migration and mating.

I applaud the work of the Microbiology Expert Committee in developing this new proposal. It will provide a reliable and sustainable source for endotoxin testing material that does not use the blood of a wild animal. Further, based on real-world evidence with medicines already on the market, the recombinant agents have been shown to be as good as, or better, than traditional testing using limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL).

Finally, we would encourage the United States Pharmacopeia to expedite the process of adopting the new chapter to facilitate earlier adoption by companies that want to convert to recombinant reagents prior to November 2024.

Thank you for considering my comments.

Sincerely,
Faustina Smith

so nice to be a marine supporter!

How do I know?

They sent me a note of thanks!!!

(smile!)

 

* * * * *

"Faustina, I am so grateful for this community and the support you provide to protect our ocean.
I’d like to take a moment to say thank you—for caring about marine wildlife, for helping us foster the next generation of explorers, and for keeping wonder running deep.
I’m always excited to welcome the start of a new year—it’s a pivotal moment to map out the goals that we want to achieve and the progress we’re excited to make. Our year-end campaign raised more than $46,000 from 334 donors, meaning we’re starting 2024 strong!
No gift is too small to propel us forward, ensuring our marine sanctuaries and monuments will continue to be celebrated, respected sites for learning and exploration.
It’s thanks to support from folks like you that everyone here at the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation can work towards creating a better future for our planet. I can’t wait to see what we achieve this year, and I hope you’ll be a part of our journey.
We’re already diving into the work of this new year, so stay tuned for an exciting announcement coming later this week! Until then, thank you once again for your dedication.
Warmly,
Joel R. Johnson
President and CEO
National Marine Sanctuary Foundation" 

* * * * *

Happy to have been of service, y'all!