Sierra Club Endorses Proposal 1

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, March 18 2015

Media contact:  David Holtz 313-300-4454 

Sierra Club Endorses Proposal 1

$115 Million in Transit Funding Addresses Critical Michigan Need

LANSING—The Michigan Chapter of Sierra Club today announced its endorsement of Proposal 1 on the May election ballot, citing a key component of the measure that increases funding for public transit.

“Proposal 1 provides essential funding for Michigan’s public transportation needs that have long been neglected,” said David Holtz, Chair of the Sierra Club Michigan Chapter Executive Committee.  “This complex proposal may not be ideal, but it is a bipartisan compromise that will increase financial support for transportation while not harming schools, cities and other important environmental priorities.  If it fails, all of these will be put at risk.”

Proposal 1 will provide $115 million a year in increased funding for public transportation throughout Michigan. This will likely allow expanded bus service for seniors, low-income workers and others while reducing the use of cars and greenhouse gas emissions.  Proposal 1 will also provide $10 million a year to the Department of Natural Resource’s Recreation Improvement Fund which provides grants for the operation, maintenance and development of recreation trails and restoration of lands damaged by off-road vehicles and inland lake cleanup.

The decision to endorse Proposal 1 was made by Sierra Club’s 18-member Michigan Chapter Executive Committee and its Political Committee and will be communicated to the group’s 60,000 members and supporters in Michigan.

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NEWS: Sierra Club Endorses McKenzie in Michigan 11th

For Immediate Release,
October 13, 2014

Contact:
Mike Berkowitz
248-345-9808
Mike.berkowitz@sierraclub.org

Sierra Club Endorses McKenzie in Michigan 11^th
Cites Commitment to Public Transportation, Clean Energy and R&D

Livonia, MI – Today, Sierra Club’s Michigan Chapter announced their endorsement of Bobby McKenzie in the race for the 11^th Congressional District. The district includes a large portion of the Detroit metropolitan area including Rochester Hills, Farmington and Livonia. McKenzie is running against David Trott, former partner at Enbridge Energy Partners. Enbridge is responsible for the July 2010 tar sands oil spill that dumped a million gallons of oil along 35 miles of the Kalamazoo River and its tributaries, the largest inland oil spill in American history. 

In response to today’s announcement Anne Woiwode, Director of the Michigan Chapter of the Sierra Club, issued the following statement:

“Bobby McKenzie will be a key voice in the fight to protect Michigan’s great natural heritage. Bobby will be a leader in working to transform critical transportation options in some of Michigan’s hardest hit cities, work that isn’t just great for the environment, but will also go a long way to giving the Detroit region an economic jump start.

Voters have a stark decision to make in the November election: On the one hand, a candidate who sided with the banks during the financial crisis, a candidate who worked with Enbridge,  the company responsible for the largest inland oil spill in American history. While on the other; voters can choose a candidate who has pledged to work for our communities and not the banks that held us hostage, to strengthen the economy not give a free pass to predatory industries, and to create a clean, safe environment that all Michiganders can enjoy.

Bobby is the clear choice to be the next Congressperson for Southeastern Michigan.  His commitment to strong environmental protections, rolling back decades of industrial pollution and support of increased investment in research and development are clear signs he’s ready to lead Michigan towards forward thinking 21^st Century solutions to our energy, economic and environmental challenges.”

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Sierra Club Endorses Pam Byrnes for U.S. Congress

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASETuesday, March 4, 2014

CONTACT:

Emily Rosenwasser, Emily.Rosenwasser@sierraclub.org, 312-251-2680 x119

Sierra Club Endorses Pam Byrnes for U.S. Congress

Nation’s Largest Grassroots Conservation Organization Praises Pam Byrnes’ Commitment to Protecting Michigan’s Clean Energy Economy

DEXTER, MI - Today, the Michigan Chapter of the Sierra Club announced its endorsement of Pam Byrnes in the election for Michigan’s 7th Congressional District.

“Pam Byrnes is the right choice for Michigan’s 7th Congressional District because she’s fought tirelessly to bolster clean energy jobs right here in Michigan during her time in the state legislature,” said Mike Berkowitz, Political and Legislative Director for the Sierra Club Michigan Chapter. “As our nation embraces moving away from dependence on dirty fossil fuels, we need a leader like Pam Byrnes representing Michigan as a clean energy champion in Washington.”

During her tenure in the Michigan state legislature, Pam Byrnes fought for Michigan clean energy jobs through her sponsorship of House Bill 5907, a bill that upped renewable energy goals for Michigan’s fossil fuel-dependent utility companies. She also worked to ban the dumping of toxic mercury into landfills, and to protect the Great Lakes from polluters.

Pam Byrnes’ main challenger, Tea Party Republican Tim Walberg, voted to give oil companies billions of dollars in taxpayer subsidies, and allowed them to drill in the Great Lakes.

“The Great Lakes are one of Michigan’s greatest resources, and Tim Walberg has put our drinking water and our livelihoods at risk by making them open for business to big polluters,” said Richard Barron, Political Chair of the Sierra Club Michigan Chapter. “Pam Byrnes recognizes the importance of the Great Lakes, and will protect our fresh water from oil drilling and pollution.”

As a former Road Commissioner and Chair of the House Transportation Committee, Byrnes prioritized improving mass transit through legislation that focused on the maintenance of roads and made them accessible for all forms of transportation.

“The most important way that we can reduce our dependence on fossil fuels is by making mass transit more accessible to all Michiganders,” said Mark Muhich, a Sierra Club activist from Jackson in the 7th Congressional District. “Pam Byrnes understands that our future lies in smart energy decisions like expanding public transit and investing in our infrastructure.”

Pam Byrnes will meet with local Sierra Club Jackson and Huron Valley groups in upcoming weeks to hear from members on Michigan clean energy goals and protecting the Great Lakes. 

About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 2.4 million members and supporters nationwide, and over 150,000 in Michigan. In addition to creating opportunities for people of all ages, levels and locations to have meaningful outdoor experiences, the Sierra Club works to safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and litigation. For more information, visit http://www.sierraclub.org.

Paid for by Michigan Sierra PAC (109 E. Grand River Ave. Lansing, MI 48906) and authorized by Pam Byrnes for Congress.