STOP THE LIES: THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE NOT FOOLS

Rochester, N.Y.-- As most of our readers know, enormously crucial decisions are now being made in Washington which will impact the future of our country for decades. This includes how we protect Social Security for our kids and grandchildren, how we create the millions of new jobs we desperately need to how we address the deficit crisis in a fair and progressive way.

It seems that anti-labor forces are using misinformation and trickery to fool the American public into thinking that worker rights, civil rights and social benefit programs like medicare and social security are the cause of our fiscal problems when we know damn well the fault lies with greedy bankers, an unregulated Wall Street culture and shipping our jobs overseas.

Just two years after the financial collapse, Wall Street is already handing out its biggest bonuses in history -- more than $144 billion. Rather than extending tax cuts for people on Wall Street, we need to help the folks on Main Street — the other 98 percent of the country -- who need jobs and public services to stay afloat.



Bernie Sanders

According to Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, Social Security has not added one dime to either the federal deficit or the national debt. In fact, Social Security is running a $2.6 trillion surplus that is projected to grow to over $4 trillion by the year 2023. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office has estimated that even if no changes are made, Social Security will be able to pay full benefits to every eligible American until the year 2039.  So let's be clear-- Social Security is not in crisis so why make changes now?

Meanwhile, the Republicans in Congress, who claim to be so concerned about our large deficit want to extend Bush's massive tax breaks to the wealthiest 2 percent of Americans.  This would add over a ten year period $700 billion to our national debt with no return on our investment. Given the fact that we already have the most unequal distribution of income of any major country, this is totally absurd and a reckless and irresponsible proposal. It's economically hypocritical and defies all logic. How about a tax code for wage earners that is fair and balenced by what we make? Check out this graph that reveals how the GOP wants to redistribute the tax structure in favor of the wealthy.

We can move this country forward in reducing our national debt, but we don't have to do it on the backs of the already suffering middle class and working families of this country.

Our Stop the Lies campaign will let no attack against us, or the vital public services we provide, go unanswered. We will use every tool at our disposal: hard-hitting videos; rapid responses to attacks; advertising in national and local media; online actions targeting those who seek to harm us with their hypocrisy and lies; ground actions in state capitals across the country and more. And we will do it for as long as it takes to get our message to American families.

Of course, the most critical element of our campaign is YOU. AFSCME and CSEA members at all levels of our union must actively participate in our Stop the Lies campaign in order for us to really make a difference. Those who attack us may have big money, big egos and big mouths, but we have the power of our 1.6 million members.

The first thing you can do is watch our new video and add your name to our Stop the Lies open letter. Please sign up for the Stop The Lies campaign and give voice to the middle class.  Let's get busy!