TELL CONGRESS NO NEW BUDGET CUTS

A student from Rochester City School District, School of the Arts (SOTA),
peers over a placard that says, "STOP THE CUTS CAUSE THEY HURT."
Students joined with teachers, parents and labor unions in a "Save Our Schools"
rally at the Liberty Pole in downtown Rochester, N.Y. on March 17.
(photo: Ove Overmyer)

 



















Rochester, N.Y.-- Last December, when President Obama made a deal with Republicans to continue the Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, we said there was no shared pain in the agreement. We called it the easy way out for everybody. And, we at the Voice Reporter emphasized it's not fiscally responsible in addressing the deficit, the biggest long-term threat to America.

Now, House Republicans are pushing for well over $50 billion in cuts to the budget, which would result in the loss of 700,000 jobs nationwide according to leading economists. They won't even consider cutting the $53 billion the Republicans have used to subsidize the oil industry or eliminating projects out of the defense budget that even the Pentagon says it doesn't need and doesn't want.

Instead, they want cuts on everything from local law enforcement to community health centers, libraries, food assistance to low-income women, infants, and children to rural development investment. And of course, they made it clear over and over again, that cutting Social Security benefits must be on the table.

Republicans have gone from being fiscally irresponsible to morally bankrupt in only a few short months of this legislative session.  In the words of Howard Dean, "Their goal appears to be the death of civil society by a 1,000 cuts."

It's time for Democrats to stand up and hold their ground. Republicans in Congress can't balance the budget on the backs of the poor and middle class-- there must be shared sacrifice.

Join us at CSEA Monroe County Local 828 and our coalition partners at Pride At Work, AFL-CIO, The Rochester Labor Council and other Rochester area union organizations in calling on Democrats in the state legislature and Congress to accept no new budget cuts.  At the same time, we oppose tax breaks to millionaires who are financially insulated from any harm.

ADD YOUR NAME NOW to a petition being circulated by Democracy For America.

This approach to shared sacrifice is backed up by the support of the American people. A recent Washington Post poll shows the vast majority of Americans believe the best way to reduce the deficit is through a combination of spending cuts and increased taxes on America's most wealthy.

But it's not about polling. It's about responsibility. If there is one thing we've learned from years and years of Republican misleadership, it's that you just can't trust Republicans with your money.

photo:  Bess Watts

Democrats and the labor movement can get the job done as long as we stand up for what we believe and never back down.  After all, we are the ones who brought working Americans the concept of the "weekend."

Make no mistake about it; the Republicans' obsession with cutting the federal budget at all costs may be good short-term politics, but it's bad public policy and not the best course for the country and our working families.

We need to send a message to all elected Democrats in office to stop the GOP insanity. And, it's up to us to make sure Democrats know where we stand as working people.