What is your cost?

What is your cost?

Mr. Dunning & Ms. Werkheiser will act as lobbyist for their interested parties. They will use money and influence to sway the students into voting certain ways on a few proposed bills. Each bill has the opportunity to protect the common spaces.

Roles

Mr. Dunning - Lobbyist for the American Legislative Exchange Counsil (ALEC) - Fossil Fuel Industry - Investor Owned Utility Companies

Ms. Werkheiser - Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA)- National trade organization for America’s solar and storage industry.

Students - Members of Congress- Vote on proposed bills - Accept bonus point bribes

Gameplay

• Lobbyist attempt to sway the votes of congress with bonus points and a 30 second statement.
• Students will vote on 8 bills proposed.
• If a lobbyist offer bonus points to vote one way, each member of congress who votes that way earns those bonus points.
• Each bill can add points to the common spaces.
• A maximum of 20 points can be added to the common spaces. Should congress fail to vote in enough points to the common spaces, each member will lose half of their bonus points accrued during the game.
• The lobbyist who gets the most votes in their favor wins the game.
• Students can earn up to 8 bonus points.

A letter to Congress

• Your job is to vote however you as an individual student see fit. Your job as a member of congress is to do what you think is best for the American commons and the American people. Your vote is anonymous and your bonus points will be awarded after class.

• The bonus points you collect in this game will be applied to your gradebook.
• Ways some people vote
• For the betterment of the commons and environment
• For the betterment of the economy
• For the betterment of the people (subjective)
• For the most amount of bonus points to your grade!

Bill 1 20% tax credit to homeowners with solar energy installed by a licensed & insured professional.

• Homeowners can submit their improvement on their yearly taxes.
• Credit is returned in the refund.

Adds 2 points to commons

Bill 2 5 Billion dollars for maintenance and expansion of wind turbines.

• Old turbines will be re-greased/lubed
• Worn turbine belts will be replaced
• Additional turbines paid for and installed in federally owned locations

Adds 2 points to commons

Bill 3 Removal of the 10% natural resource removal tax. - Mining & Drilling companies no longer have to pay a 10% tax on all raw material extracted from the Earth

Adds 1 points to commons

Bill 4 20 Billion dollar investment to overhaul the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, allowing for permitting of new nuclear power facilities to be completed in a 10 year time span. (If yes, roll 20 sided dice. If the number is 13, Env. Disaster strikes removing all points from commons)

Adds 4 points to commons

Bill 5 100 billion in road & transportation infrastructure upgrades & expansion.

• Repaving highways in the south
• New Concrete for northern highways
• New lanes for highways across the country
• New public transit railcars & Busses

Adds 1 points to commons

Bill 6 Transpiration Proclamation Act

• Removal of dead trees and brush from national forests for wildfire mitigation
• 20% tax on states that rezone more than 1% of forested areas per year.

Adds 3 points to commons

Bill 7Sustainable Agriculture Act Removal of dead trees and brush from national forests for wildfire mitigation

• 30% subsidy for sustainable farming as approved by USDA
• 100 million dollars in grants for kelp farming (livestock feed)

Adds 3 points to commons

Bill 8Creation of the Internal Climate Revenue System (ICRS) who…

• Create a 50% tax increase on all Americans to fund the building of 50 million square kilometers of solar panels in the federally owned deserts of Nevada. Electricity would become publicly funded.
• 100 million dollars in grants for kelp farming (livestock feed)
• 20 billion for dam removals
• 20 billion for wind turbine removals

Adds 4 points to commons