Sisters Organize for Survival meeting and call for action on state budget
Sisters Organize for Survival meeting:Â Where will the state budget axe fall?
How long will the extended session of the Washington State Legislature remain at an impasse over the budget? There is hue and cry over Republican machinations and the defection of three Democrats to support the Senate Republican budget. But what does the Democratic budget proposal offer and what is that party negotiating away behind closed doors?
Come learn the latest on the status of the budget. Meanwhile, take action now to let legislators know your thoughts on what services are non-negotiable (see below).
Thursday, March 22, 7:00pm
New Freeway Hall, 5018 Rainier Ave S., Seattle
4 blocks south of S. Alaska St. at the Hudson stop of the #7 busline.
Lights snacks served for donation.
For more information, contact Sisters Organize for Survival at 206-722-5057, RWSeattle@mindspring.com, www.SistersOrganizeforSurvival.org
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The Washington State legislature is battling out the budget in a special session. Their discussion is centering around reaching a compromise on what cuts are acceptable. Sisters Organize for Survival believes there should be no agreement to cuts to human services, jobs and education.
Please communicate your views right away to legislative leaders who are negotiating the budget with Governor Gregoire. Those officials are Representative Frank Chopp, Representative Ross Hunter, Representative Pat Sullivan and Senator Ed Murray. It’s also well worth sending a note to your own representatives and any others you like. Feel free to use or revise the sample message at the bottom of this message. Click the links below to find a list of legislators and their homepages. Follow the email link and paste your message into the contact form.
http://www.leg.wa.gov/Senate/Senators/Pages/default.aspx
http://www.leg.wa.gov/HOUSE/REPRESENTATIVES/Pages/default.aspx
Thanks for taking action!
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Subject: NO CONCESSIONS on jobs, schools and safety-net programs!
As budget negotiations enter the phase of compromise and concessions, I call on you to hold the line to preserve human services, state jobs and education. For a healthy and humane state, there can be NO CONCESSIONS on:
–Basic Health, Disability Lifeline, food stamps, aid to the needy, care of the elderly and disabled
–public jobs, employee benefits and pensions
–education at all levels
–funds for family planning and abortion
The way to fund these programs is to tax Washington’s wealthy corporations and rich individuals. Rather than manipulating funding to schools, the budget should refuse to pay the interest owed on the state debt. Rather than undermining pensions, the budget should declare a one-year moratorium on tax loopholes that enrich corporations but don’t produce jobs.
If legislators can’t reach consensus on these issues, I urge you to put out the call to unions, the Occupy movement, feminists, parents, teachers, youth, the unemployed, and people living in poverty to come out and back you with the call for a no-cuts budget. The budget should not be negotiated beyond closed doors. Open the process so that everyone can hear the voices of those in need!