Jul 20 2009
Community and Labor Groups Protest Budget Cuts
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and state lawmakers have stalled in negotiations addressing the $ 26.3 billion budget shortfall. Reports of optimism preceded talks on Wednesday before breaking down on disagreements regarding cuts to education and Proposition 98. The initiative, passed two decades ago, allocates forty percent of the state’s general fund to public elementary, high school and community colleges. Governor Schwarzenegger originally wanted to suspend Prop 98, while Democratic legislators have lobbied for a law guaranteeing cuts to education be restored in better fiscal years. With the state’s flailing economy yielding double-digit unemployment numbers, deep cuts to education as well as other social services are poised to place the burden of the crisis on the poor at a time when need for such assistance will increase. Whatever compromised is reached by Sacramento legislators, local community and labor organizations will be holding a rally today to protest the impending cuts. Assembling in front of the Santa Monica Airport where the Governor travels back and forth between his Brentwood home and the state capitol, activists will be dressed in black and carrying tombstones to symbolize what they say will be consequences of drastic cuts to California’s welfare system.
GUESTS: Kokayi Kwa Jitahidi, civic engagement director of Community Coalition and DeAnn Dantignac, a relative caregiver.
For more information, visit www.cocosouthla.org or call 323-750-9087 x 253.
The Community Coalition will gather Monday July 20th at noon on the corner of Bundy and Airport Avenues in Santa Monica to “greet” the governor, dressed in black and carrying tombstones.
One Response to “Community and Labor Groups Protest Budget Cuts”
When Jessie Ventura was gov of Minnesota to save money he shut down the gov’t mansion and slept in his office on the couch. Why is Gov Arnold wasting $25 million a day not passing the budget and still using his plane. He’s too good to save money? Doesn’t want the embarassment of his Repub friends? Sick puppy.