Thursday, January 06, 2011

"State of the People" Demonstration in Lansing, Michigan, Jan. 19

"State of the People" Demonstration in Lansing Jan. 19, 6:00 pm.

Event: Organizing Meeting for a People’s Budget
Date: Monday, January 10, 7:00-9:00pm
Location: 5920 Second Ave. at Antoinette, Detroit
Sponsors: Moratorium NOW! Coalition
Contact: 313.319.0870 or 313.671.3715
E-mail: moratorium-mi.org
URL: www.moratorium-mi.org

Come to the Mon., Jan. 10 Organizing Meeting to Build for a
Demonstration Outside Governor Snyder's first"State of the State" Address in Lansing on Wed., Jan. 19 at 6:00 pm.

Don’t trim the deficit on our backs! We need jobs, a moratorium on foreclosures, evictions and utility shut-offs, healthcare and education,
not more tax cuts for the rich and growing unemployment for the
workers!

A January 3 front page article in the Detroit News indicated that
public service workers will be targeted for attacks under the new
state administration of Gov. Rick Snyder. The article stated that
“Gov. Rick Snyder, who started work Sunday as CEO of a state facing a projected budget deficit of $1.85 billion, is expected to seek benefit
cuts for public employees at the state, local government and school
district levels.”

There is nothing new or “innovative” about this program of cutbacks
and further impoverishment for working people in Michigan. Over the
recent period public and educational employees have been subjected to monumental layoffs along with salary and benefit cuts.

In essence the Detroit News is saying that the Snyder administration
will implement the same corporate agenda that has resulted in the loss
of over 8 million jobs around the country and at least one million in
Michigan. Snyder was quoted as asking “what’s affordable and what’s
comparable with the private sector.” (see attachment)

Yet there is no mention in Lansing of the impact on state government
of the trillions given in bailouts to the financial institutions and
corporations. There is no discussion on how the bank seizures of
thousands of homes in Michigan has devastated the tax revenue streams and created blighted cities, suburbs and rural areas. Neither is there any mention of the Pentagon budget that drains over $800 billion per year from working people.

Why should school teachers, first responders, social workers,
Medicaid, senior services and public transportation be sacrificed
further in order to continue paying billions in debt-service every
year to the banks? A real creative program of action to address the
current crisis would ensure the creation of good jobs, a moratorium on
foreclosures, healthcare for all and the restoration of all employees
and services that have been eliminated in a failed attempt to address
an economic crisis created by the rich.

Join us with your ideas about building the demonstration outside the
"State of the State" address on Wed., Jan. 19 to beat back the
intensified assault on not only public service employees but working
people and the unemployed as a whole. A flyer for the State of the People demonstration is attached.

No comments: