300 leaders of EPISO organized a runoff accountability session at San Juan Diego Catholic Church late July. Reports the El Paso Times, "Vince Perez, a former communications director for U.S. Rep. Silvestre Reyes, and state Rep. Inocente "Chente" Quintanilla took questions from about 300 residents of the unincorporated community in East El Paso County during a two-hour event Sunday.

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"About 300 people attended the Interfaith Prayer Service for Immigration hosted by Voices Organized in Civic Engagement...Clergy leaders shared Scripture readings, prayers, poetry and other writings that described the church's responsibility to aid immigrants who seek a better life in America...The Rev. Tim Luschen, pastor of St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, read an excerpt from a United States Conference of Catholic Bishops document titled "Strangers No Longer, Together on the Journey of Hope.""

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COPS/Metro Alliance leaders applauded Maruchan's decision to withdraw their application for tax incentives and welcomed the company to Bexar County. "We reiterate our support for economic development and job creation," said Fr. Steven Gamez, pastor of St. Philip of Jesus Catholic Church and leader with COPS/Metro Alliance. "However, we strongly believe that it is a mistake to offer public subsidies when most of the jobs would pay minimum wage; the free market will take care that and Maruchan's decision proves it."

COPS/Metro leaders had publicly raised questions surrounding this deal because of the impact on working families.... "We agree with Maruchan leaders that 'the additional tax revenues for betterment of the community,' especially bringing up the skills of our workforce. We look forward to working with Maruchan, as well as city and county officials, to create opportunities for those workers who will earn the minimum wage."

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"Before the board meeting on Wednesday, the El Paso Interreligious Sponsoring Organization, or EPISO, and the Paso del Norte Civil Rights Project argued that the district's at-large elected board does not ensure equal representation throughout the communities it serves, particularly the Horizon City and Montana Vista areas....Six of the seven school board members live in Clint, and one trustee, Patricia Randleel, lives in Horizon City, said district spokeswoman Laura Cade.

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After months of battling for cleaner air, Pomona Valley leaders of the Inland Empire Sponsoring Committee leveraged multiple concessions on a waste transfer station agreement. A maximum of 50 trucks would be permitted on and off the site per day. All trucks would be required to operate on clean compressed natural gas or other alternative fuels. Tonnage limits (at 66% of the original proposal) will help prevent neighboring suburbs from shrugging off its processing responsibilities; the transfer station will accept trash almost singularly from Pomona. And a new code enforcement position has been created to monitor particulate standards and ensure that other stations in the region operates in complies with clean air standards.

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"Scotlandville has no shortage of convenience stores, but a true grocery store is hard to come by for this community of about 18,000 residents, according to Census data. And about 89 percent of these people live a mile or more from a true supermarket, said Edgar Cage, a member of St. Michael's and Together Baton Rouge, which has taken on the task of leading initiatives to make healthy foods more accessible to neighborhoods plagued by "food deserts" — whole communities where a grocery store is absent. "Scotlandville is the largest food desert in Baton Rouge," Cage said."

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When OG&E proposed a $73 Million rate increase, newly launched organization VOICE organized public hearings, in collaboration with the AARP and other entities, in defense of fixed-income families; VOICE succeeded in helping limit the increase to only $4 Million resulting in a residential rate increase of only 2% of the original proposal. VOICE leaders say, "rate increases have become very convoluted, expensive rituals and we are proud to have helped democratize the process...we helped save the public $69.3 Million!"

Regulators OK Settlement in Oklahoma Gas and Electric Co. Rate Case, News OK

When El Paso officials first envisioned a "quality of life" bond they slated $600 Million for stadiums, a zoo and high-art venues. EPISO and Border Interfaith leaders responded with a house meeting campaign in their institutions centered on the question: what would improve the quality of life for El Paso families and individuals? Upon hearing stories about crumbling roads, decaying parks, darkened neighborhoods and unpaved walkways, leaders returned to council members with reports on what would improve the quality of life for residents. Councilmembers resisted incorporating these day-to-day fixes until leaders organized a second round of house meetings that unearthed renewed energy to fight for these improvements. Leaders partnered with the City Manager to add $210M in certificates of obligation to pay for roads, streetlights, sidewalks and parks, and then leveraged a 6:1 council vote in support.

EPISO, Border Interfaith Gather Input on Quality-of-Life Bond, El Paso Times (04/29)

Jackson Free Press

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"Saturday morning, McClellan was one of 49 Inland Valley residents who participated in a jobs workshop organized by the Pomona Valley Cluster of the Inland Empire Sponsoring Committee, formerly known as One LA....

The workshop drew a diverse group of job seekers, among them recent high school graduates, people approaching retirement age, day laborers and out-of-work executives, said the Rev. Robert Linthicum, a retired minister who is a Sponsoring Committee leader.

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