Student loan repayments, NERT training, EPA Youth Advisory Council
Indivisible SF Newsletter
View this email in your browser ([link removed])
[link removed]
We're going on summer vacation!
With Congress gridlocked due to MAGA Republicans' ideological pursuits and partisan intransigence, our Federal Working Group doesn't have a whole lot of legislative activity to work on. There's the Farm Bill coming up later this year and then the annual budget and not much else.
So we're taking a break and going on light duty for a couple of months. In July and August, there will be one Federal Working Group meeting on the first Thursday and one newsletter the following Wednesday.
We'll be back to our regular schedule in September. Look for reporting on CA StateStrong-supported bills signed or vetoed by the Governor (and possible CTAs advocating for one or the other), along with the return of our regular federal-level coverage and lists of upcoming events.
Until then, enjoy the summer, stay safe, and keep doing what you're doing to help strengthen our democracy.
** Student loan payments resume in just a couple of months. Are you ready?
------------------------------------------------------------
In March of 2020, at the start of the COVID-19 emergency in the United States, the Biden Administration began a pause on collecting repayments of federal student loans. That pause was extended six times ([link removed]) in the three-plus years since then. Now, following the end of various other measures the Biden Administration deployed to relieve the pain of the pandemic, the student loan repayment pause is ending as well.
The recent debt-ceiling agreement includes a provision that sets a hard date on the end ([link removed]) of this pause. The notice on StudentAid.gov says that interest will resume accruing on September 1, and payments will resume coming due in October. The legislation also prohibits the Secretary of Education from extending the pause further, so this really is the end—it will not be extended again.
Don’t wait. The Department of Education has the steps you should take ([link removed]) to prepare before your student loan payments resume, and you should start now.
See the Department of Education’s page about repayment ([link removed]) for more information. Borrowers who are working qualifying public-service jobs should also look into Public Service Loan Forgiveness ([link removed]) .
** Apply to Join the EPA Youth Advisory Council
------------------------------------------------------------
Last Thursday, June 22, EPA Director Michael Regan invited young people nationwide to join the EPA’s new National Environmental Youth Advisory Council (NEYAC). According to Director Regan, “We’re looking for youth from across the country who are passionate about the environment and invested in being leaders of the climate movement.”
NEYAC will have sixteen members, appointed for two-year terms, to provide advice and recommendations on environmental issues directly to Director Regan.
Qualifications:
1. You must be between 16–29 years of age as of August 22, 2023.
2. You must demonstrate notable commitment to environmental issues, such as a focus on environmental issues in school, or involvement in a meaningful community project or club, or another kind of environmental interest.
3. You’ll need to be able to contribute at least 10 to 15 hours per month to NEYAC’s activities (which includes attending meetings and developing recommendations and reports to the EPA).
Applications are due by 8:59 AM Pacific time on August 22, 2023.
If you’re interested, sign up for one of the two upcoming webinars:
* Register to attend the ([link removed]) Friday, June 30th webinar via Zoom ([link removed]) , noon–1 PM PT
* Register to attend the ([link removed]) Monday, August 7th webinar via Zoom ([link removed]) , 9–10 AM PT
Or if you’re already sure, then apply here: [link removed]
Bonus: There are openings for full time jobs ([link removed]) at the EPA’s San Francisco office right now.
** Golden Gate Bridge tolls going up this Saturday
------------------------------------------------------------
This Saturday, July 1, the tolls to come back to the City over the Golden Gate Bridge are going up. Single cars and motorcycles with one driver with a FasTrak will pay $8.75, while carpools will pay $6.75; these are an increase of 35¢ over the current tolls. Read the Golden Gate Bridge District’s press release ([link removed]) for full details.
This is the fifth in a series of five annual increases ([link removed]) begun in 2019. That year’s announcement said these toll increases would fund maintenance of the Bridge, as well as public transit including Golden Gate Transit (which now has full intra-City service along those routes—you’re no longer limited to going to the Bridge!) and Golden Gate Ferry.
The other bridges, including the Bay Bridge, don’t have an increase this year; their tolls last went up last year ([link removed]) , and will go up for the third and final time under Regional Measure 3 in 2025. Those increases similarly are funding transit line extensions (including BART to San Jose), service expansions (including Muni), and highway improvements.
** Transit funding in state budget
------------------------------------------------------------
In other good news for transit funding, Sen. Scott Wiener recently announced ([link removed]) that the state budget passed by the Senate includes “over $1 billion to help keep buses and trains running over the next 3 years” and “fully restores $4 billion transit infrastructure projects”. While this doesn’t completely relieve the financial pressure our public transit agencies are under, it’s a key portion of the revenue these agencies need to maintain service.
We thank everyone who’s been pushing for public transit to be kept alive and healthy for their advocacy. Transit is how our City moves, and we need more of it, not less.
**
Prepare now for the next round of wildfire smoke
------------------------------------------------------------
Dealing with smoke is never behind us in any permanent sense. Sooner or later, there will be another wildfire, and we will have smoke again. And this is true for everyone, everywhere.
The knowledge that we in California have gained from our encounters with wildfire smoke is knowledge that we can share with others. As we learned in 2018, 2020, and 2021 ([link removed]) , and folks on the East Coast ([link removed]) learned this year, folks in cities are not exempt—wildfire smoke can blow into your area wherever you are.
Wherever you live, you will have smoke in your area in your future. Prepare now, and stay prepared, so that when it happens, you and your family have the best chance of making it through unharmed.
Read about preparing for wildfire smoke on our blog ([link removed]) .
[link removed]
If you’re interested in participating in activities like drafting letters to our Members of Congress and developing our strategy for influencing them, the Indivisible SF Federal Working Group ([link removed]) is where it happens.
Indivisible SF Federal Working Group: Thursday, July 6, 7:30–9 PM. Planning meeting where we discuss strategy to influence our Members of Congress and the Biden administration to enact a progressive agenda. Meeting starts promptly at 7:30 PM. All are welcome. Register here ([link removed]) !
NERT full training: Six sessions starting Wednesday, July 26. San Francisco’s Neighborhood Emergency Response Team is a team of volunteers trained to respond to fires, earthquakes, and other disasters. This is a six-week course; please only apply if you can do all six sessions. Register here ([link removed]) .
** About this week’s photo
------------------------------------------------------------
If you’ve seen our newsletter posts on Twitter and Facebook, you might have noticed that we include a photo or graphic with each issue.
This week’s image is a graphic promoting applications to the EPA Youth Advisory Council, courtesy of epa.gov ([link removed]) .
Keep Fighting,
The Indivisible SF Team ([link removed])
If you'd like to support our all-volunteer team:
DONATE HERE ([link removed])
============================================================
** Twitter ([link removed])
** Facebook ([link removed])
** Instagram ([link removed])
** Website ([link removed])
Copyright © 2023 Indivisible SF, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you opted in on our website or attended one of our meetings. This list is used only by ISF and we will not share your contact information with any local or national groups without your permission.
Want to change how often you receive emails from Indivisible SF?
You can ** update your preferences ([link removed])
or ** unsubscribe from this list ([link removed])
Friends can sign up for this mailing list ** here ([link removed])
.
Our mailing address is:
Indivisible SF
1661 15th Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
USA
