Socialist Activism: Defend Public Employees and Government Services

Today, around the country, public services and the workers who provide those services are under attack as never before. School, libraries, water districts, fire departments, police officers public highways, streets and sanitation—virtually every public institution is in jeopardy. And every public worker faces the threat of losing his or her job or finding their wages and benefits cut. We should be involved in the fight to save these services and to protect the jobs and standard of living of these workers. The economic crisis and the fiscal crisis of government at all levels have become the excuse to attempt to privatize, shut down, or reduce services while at the same time attacking the labor unions which represent workers in the public sector. Republicans and Democrats are in agreement that because of the economic and fiscal crises, workers should give up wages and benefits. President Obama called for freezing federal workers wages while Republican and Democratic governors alike are calling for budget cuts, layoffs, furloughs and reductions in benefits. The fiscal crisis of the federal government, states, cities and school districts could be solved simply by raising the taxes on the rich and on corporations. We should not be cutting school funding and laying off teachers, on the contrary we should be expanding education to make it free from K to Ph.D. as it was in some states only a few decades ago. We should not be cutting back public services, but rather expanding them by creating a single payer health care system, one that provides free health care to all. We can stop the attack on public services and workers, but it will take a movement. The current situation represents an enormous challenge but also a tremendous opportunity. If we involve ourselves in the fight for jobs and services—as public employees and as part of the community, as both librarians and the clients of the

We encourage members to join mass labor actions accross the US in defense of public workers and public services. Download the SPUSA flyer here - March 31st: National Day of Student Walkouts and Strikes to Defend Public Education For a listing of events click here April 6th: Texas "Save Our State" March & Rally On April 6th state workers and union members from across the state are coming to Austin for a march and rally to defend public workers and public services. Time/Location: All day at the State House in Austin, TX More info: click here SP contact: ectoren@sbcglobal.net Send us information on your events. Post calendar items to: www.socialistparty-usa.org/calendar.html Spread the word "Tax the Rich" buttons $2 each or 10 for $15 "Stop the Cuts" rally signs 5 for $20 Send check or money order to: SPUSA 339 Lafayette St. #303 NY, NY 10012

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public library, as teachers, parents and students, as fire fighters and the homeowners and apartment dwellers that they protect, as social workers and those who receive public assistance—we can build a broad, popular movement to save our communities and our jobs. As socialists we know that when given the choice between either sharp budget cuts or tax increases for the rich, working people will choose to make the rich pay. Such a choice was on the battle in Oregon in 2010, and more than 53% of voters chose to tax the rich. Only a political movement that stands for taxing the rich to pay for public services for all can make such choices available. We socialists also understand that the end of Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds from the federal government will exacerbate the crisis of the state governments. State governments need federal government support and that means addressing federal issues as well, such as ending the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan and using that money to support aid to the states so we can continue to receive our public services. We ask you, as members and friends of the Socialist Party, to join us to this work. We will be creating groups in SP branches as well as a national network of our members who are working on this project. We need you to provide us with information about what’s happening in your community. We want to know how you’ve become involved and what you have found to be successful or unsuccessful strategies. Together we can become part of what will certainly be a national movement of unions, community organizations, and working people to protect our public services and public jobs