This week’s episode featured an interview with Representative Mary Jane Wallner, who chairs the Legislative Fiscal Committee and the House Finance Committee; Kile Adumene, Coordinator of the Manchester Inclusivity & Equity Committee; and Erin Hale of the NH Food Alliance.

With Rep. Wallner, we discussed the ongoing power struggle between the legislature and the governor over authority to accept and spend federal funds.  Last week, Judge David Anderson threw out a legislative lawsuit on procedural grounds. Kile Adumene discussed how the coronavirus pandemic has affected people of color and placed stress on workers and people who are homeless.  Erin Hale described efforts to address food insecurity, including efforts to bolster local food production.  Visit NH Food Alliance’s resources on Covid-19 and the state’s food system here.

Musical selections included two versions of “There’s a Bright Side, Somewhere,” performed by Rev. Gary Davis and Ry Cooder.

This week’s program looks at the impact of the pandemic on workers in three key sectors.  First, Maggie talks with Janice Kelble, a long-time New Hampshire leader of the American Postal Workers Union, who describes challenges that must be overcome for the postal service to continue to function as a provider of needed services and a source of decent jobs.  Next, she interviews Jennie Marshall, an experienced teacher and administrator in the Salem School District, who talks about the challenges of teaching without classrooms and the disruption to school communities brought on by ending the school year without traditional rituals.  The show ends with Arnie’s interview with Adam Kaczynski, president of IUE-CWA Local 201 in Lynn, MA, where workers are organizing for safety in a large-scale industrial workplace and demanding that their employer, General Electric, shift to production of ventilators.

Janice called attention to a petition posted at https://usmailnotforsale.org/.  Adam talked about two online petitions, one calling on President Trump to invoke the Defense Production Act and order GE to produce ventilators, the other calling on General Electric to implement measures to protect the health of its workforce.

Arnie and Maggie also provided brief updates on voting rights, the power struggle between the governor and the legislature over pandemic relief spending, and the recent lawsuit calling for release of immigrants from detention at the county jail in Dover.

Our musical selections for the week were “When I Get to Heaven” from John Prine, “Julian of Norwich” performed by Ann Mayo Muir, Ed Trickett, and Gordon Bok, and “Mister Lonely” from Bobbie Vinton.