‘Something’s happening here’

By Robby Stern

Recently I was invited to speak in Sequim, Washington to a forum sponsored by the Move On Councils in Clallam, Jefferson and Island counties. The event was to be held in the auditorium at Sequim High School. I anticipated an audience of 50 to 60 residents. To my total astonishment, 600 people attended and heard David Korten, publisher and editor of Yes Magazine and Katherine Ottaway, a Port Townsend family practice doctor and a member of “Mad As Hell Doctors”.

The program also included video taping audience comments directed to the Congressional Super Committee whose names and pictures were prominently featured on stage. The message from the audience to the Super Committee was clear: “Don’t you dare cut the safety net programs like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.” Additionally, they demanded a genuine political democracy rather than control by corporations and wealthy interests. They demanded an economy that works for the majority (the 99%) rather than for the wealthy few and the corporations. When I mentioned the Occupy movement, they literally clapped and cheered…in Sequim, Washington.

Clearly something is happening and it might be big. It is difficult to predict but PSARA will do all we can to encourage activism, insurgency and the demand for a more progressive and humane country, state, county and city. We will support the demand for an economy that serves the needs of the 99% and a decision-making process that is democratic and not controlled by wealthy corporate interests . We have a long way to go but the opportunities to participate abound.

That brings us to the deliberations of the “Super Committee” at the federal level and the upcoming Special Session that begins November 28 in Olympia. While the “Super Committee” contemplates cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, the legislature, in special session, will consider cuts to meet the additional $2 billion decline in revenue at the state level. At both the state and federal level, the cuts that are being proposed are devastating and immoral.

There will be significant job losses from these cuts, with a resulting decline in revenue for federal and state governments. There will be deeper cuts by local government. The downward spiral will be unchecked for the foreseeable future.

With other forces in our communities, we are demanding that those responsible for this economic crisis must be made to pay for the tragedy they have brought into the lives of poor people, the vulnerable and working people.

At the federal level, end the tax breaks for the rich and the tax breaks for the corporations. Stop these wars that are literally wasting billions and even trillions of taxpayer dollars.

At the state level, the legislature and Governor must place a halt to the tax breaks they have been handing out like candy over the past decade and a half. While the poor, the vulnerable and the working class suffer mightily, the corporate interests go along their merry way paying huge salaries to their executives while they pretend to cry out for the pain but show a willingness to sacrifice nothing.

Our Congress members and state legislators tell us there is nothing they can do other than make cuts. They argue that in the Congress, the Senate filibuster and the Republican control of the House leaves no alternatives to cuts to our vital safety net programs.

Well, it’s time for some backbone. The Super Committee failing to reach agreement at least assures that 50% of the cuts will be from the defense budget. The defense industry is squealing like stuffed pigs and telling their Congress people why this (sequestration) cannot be allowed to happen. Bull malarkey! They should not have cut the deal in the first place, and now that they cut this “deficit deal” the Democrats had better be accountable. They absolutely must not allow the vital safety net programs to be cut just when they are most needed. They’d better stand their ground or they will pay a huge price (along with the rest of us) in 2012.

At the state level, here’s what they can do:
1. Pass a referendum to the people in the Special Session to raise revenue.
2. It takes a simple majority vote (not two thirds) to issue General Obligation bonds to help fund education and heath care and Revenue Bonds to rebuild our infrastructure and create jobs.

Legislators will protest that the state should not assume additional debt. Our response: If this is not a time to assume increased debt, when is the time? They can create additional revenues to pay off the General Obligation bonds by closing the tax loopholes either in the legislature or by sending a referendum to the people.

Our demands will be clear. They have cut $10 billion dollars over the course of the last three years. It is time to raise revenue to plug this hole. This is not a deficit crisis; it is a revenue crisis created by giving away billions of dollars in tax breaks and Wall Street turning our economy into their private casino. It is time to make a correction.

PSARA will be calling on our members to do everything you can to put pressure on the President, the Congress, state legislators and governor to do the right thing.