Thursday, March 17, 2011

MIDDLE CLASS IS RISING UP AND FIGHTING BACK; HUNDREDS ATTEND RALLY TODAY AT THE LIBERTY POLE


Concerned parents, teachers and labor activists clog the streets of downtown
Rochester on St. Patrick's Day to voice their concern over proposed budget cuts to
education  programs.  Advocates say Albany priorities are all wrong, where pregnant
 mothers and their children will go hungry while millionaires get tax breaks.
(photo:  Ove Overmyer)















Rochester, N.Y.-- The labor and progressive communities including our brothers and sisters at New York State United Teachers (NYSUT), Metro Justice and the Rochester Teachers Association (RTA), held an hour long rally on St. Patrick's Day to stand up against proposed education budget cuts.

To see a photo gallery of the event, you can go here.

Hundreds of parents, grandparents, caregivers and educators gathered at the Liberty Pole on East Avenue and East Main Street to show their support. Some held signs, while others spoke out.

"We are sending a message to Governor Cuomo, and that message is $1.5 billion of cuts to education is something that's going to decimate our education system,” said activist Rosemary Rivera.

Parents at the rally said they fear that proposed education budget cuts could affect sports, arts and oversized classrooms.  More than 26 percent of CSEA's total 300,000 membership are employed by school districts and educational institutions.  CSEA represents tens of thousands of teachers, teacher aides, nurses, food service workers, custodians and clerical staff at schools in all 62 counties in New York State.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo says school districts, health care and Medicaid will see about two percent reductions in state aid. For most middle-class families, that is hard pill to swallow when millionaires are getting tax breaks at a time when state and local governments can least afford it.

Education Cuts Never Heal
(photo:  Ove Overmyer)

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