[9:52a] Congressman Charles B. Rangel (15th Congressional District) is introduced; he takes the stage.[10:00a] Congressman Rangel spoke about the importance of grassroots organization, particularly around the upcoming census:
"I will be organizing, in my district, every church, every mosque, every synagogue, every not-for-profit because I want them to know that now is the time that decisions are being made that will affect the poorest, the most vulnerable."[10:05a] Congressman Rangel said he seeks to use part of the new stimulus package - "there is $10 billion for community organizations in there" - for energy-efficiency and pollution-education initiatives:
"Its the poorest people in the world that sometimes fail to realize that it is the environment that is affecting their health and their livelihoods."[10:09a] The Congressman spoke about two broad categories of carbon and co-pollutant mitigation strategies, "cap and trade" and "carbon tax":
"No matter which one we choose, if we do say that we will use the free market, one thing is clear: We have no make certain that we keep an eye on what happens on Wall Street."[10:14a] The Congressman ended his remarks and received a standing ovation. He agreed to take audience questions.
[10:18a] In response to a question about the effectiveness of community organization, the congressman spoke about the importance of mandate: "You can be more courageous in making political decisions when you know that people are supporting you."
[10:21a] An audience member commented on the census policy that counts incarcerated persons as residents of the location where they are incarcerated, as opposed to "the neighborhoods where they are forcibly removed from". The audience member asked Congressman Rangel to look into how this policy might be changed; he courteously agreed.
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