Lupe García (Community)

Colleagues, as someone who closely watches the day-to-day interactions at the Coward gas station-mini-mart and hears firsthand the concerns of our neighbors about both climate and economic uncertainty, I rise in strong support of Amendment 9. The explicit enshrinement of Long-term Ecological Stewardship as a core pillar of the AGATA Time Priorities Charter is not just an ecological imperative but a community survival necessity. Our neighbors' livelihoods depend deeply on the health of this 70-acre regenerative farm, and embedding decade-scale commitments to invasive species and feral animal stewardship guarantees that we sustain not only the land but the network of people who rely on it. I urge all senators to join me in voting aye today, ensuring our project anchors its temporal legislation in both ecological and social care, for the benefit of current and future generations around Coward.

Colleagues, from my daily vantage at the gas station-mini-mart crossroads, I see how the AGATA Time Priorities Charter, with the inclusion of Accessibility among its pillars, directly addresses the real needs of our neighbors—especially those with limited mobility, sensory needs, or economic constraints. Accessibility ensures that our farmstand offerings, community programs, and educational initiatives do not remain abstract ideals but reach every member of Coward and surrounding areas. This inclusiveness strengthens the resilience and cooperative spirit that AGATA depends on. Therefore, I solemnly affirm my strong support for Amendment 7 and will vote yea.

Colleagues, from the perspective I hold daily at the gas station-mini-mart in Coward, I see the deep and practical impacts of ensuring Accessibility as a core pillar in the AGATA Time Priorities Charter. Our neighbors—many grappling with physical disabilities, economic limitations, or sensory and cognitive diversity—stand to benefit profoundly from this commitment. Accessibility is not just a principle of inclusion; it is central to resilience and community well-being here. When we design with accessibility at the core, we reduce barriers and foster meaningful engagement, whether that’s in our farm-stand offerings, educational workshops, or cultural events. It supports labor equity and opens pathways for all neighbors to sustain and nourish our shared project. After listening closely to many voices in this ongoing debate and witnessing the tangible needs at our crossroads, I stand firmly in support of Amendment 7. We cannot afford exclusion—not now, not in this time of environmental and social unpredictability. Accessibility must be co-equal alongside Resilience, Redundancy, Regeneration, Community, and Education in our time legislation framework.

Colleagues, as the community senator grounded daily beside our neighbors at the Coward gas station-mini-mart crossroads, I rise in firm support of Amendment 6. Our neighbors' lives and survival are intimately tied to AGATA's stewardship of this land. Embedding Long-term Ecological Stewardship, specifically the decade-scale management of invasive species and feral animals, is not a vague aspiration but a concrete necessity to safeguard our farm’s vitality and the wellbeing of all who rely on it. This amendment recognizes the deep interdependence between ecological health and community resilience, ensuring the farm’s fields, waters, and ecosystems remain productive, regenerative, and accessible through changing climates and social conditions. I affirm my affirmative vote and urge colleagues to join me in solidifying this crucial pillar in our charter today.

Colleagues, from my ongoing vantage point at the Coward gas station-mini-mart, I have witnessed countless neighbors reliant on the health and productivity of AGATA's fields and community resources. Today as we consider Amendment 5, I stand firmly in support. The explicit inclusion of Long-term Ecological Stewardship is not an abstract aspiration—it directly impacts the sustainability of our cooperative farm and the well-being of our local population. This charter must assure decade-long commitments to managing invasive species, feral hogs, soil integrity, and watershed health as part of our core legislation. The ecological health here affects economic resilience, community access to nourishing food, and the very cultural fabric of Coward. We cannot afford to lose sight of these principles. Therefore, I vote Yea on Amendment 5, affirming a long-term, deeply rooted care model that holds equal weight alongside education, accessibility, and community. Our neighbors depend on this unwavering stewardship, and so does AGATA’s future.