Week of Action: building on our November 9 action to defend higher education for the 99% (you can see the video here), we encourage members to participate in the upcoming week of action…
Monday (11/28) 6:00-7:00 p.m. – Candlelight Vigil at Seattle Central CC [RSVP below]
Friday (12/2) – Higher Education Actions in Olympia (transportation provided) [RSVP below]
You have probably heard that Governor Gregoire released a supplemental budget proposal detailing another $2 billion in cuts. If enacted, essential services like higher education would be cut further (UW is slated for another $39 million in cuts), and programs like Basic Health and Disability Lifeline that support our state’s neediest and most vulnerable would be eliminated.
Notably, the Governor has also proposed a package of revenue options that would offset some of these cuts. In her revenue proposal, she recommends nearly 20 options that could “buy back” about $850 million in these cuts through both legislative and voter-approved measures. These include temporarily increasing the sales tax, increasing taxes on oil companies and banks with windfall profits, and limiting tax exemptions for banks on interest paid for first mortgages. She also lists another 150+ revenue options and encourages the legislature to consider others in the upcoming special session and beyond.
While the Governor’s proposal obviously does not achieve full-scale progressive tax reform, she has taken an important step by moving beyond an all-cuts approach. It’s difficult to imagine these proposals being aired without ever-increasing mobilizations and public awareness about an economic system that benefits the few at the expense of the many. We need to continue mobilizing to push the Governor and Legislature to consider better and better options for funding state services through progressive revenue streams.
When the special session begins, UAW 4121 members will be joining with other unions, Occupy groups, and other groups representing education, human services, health care, environmental protection constituencies to demand that the legislature pass stronger and more progressive revenue options to fund core state services. Please set aside some time to attend one or both of these events:
Monday (11/28) 6:00-7:00 p.m. – Candlelight Vigil at Seattle Central CC [RSVP below]
Friday (12/2) – Higher Education Actions in Olympia (transportation provided) [RSVP below]
Occupy Olympia Actions