The State of Vermont has a budget shortfall and Governor Douglas says it should be done without raising new revenue but through program cuts that will primarily affect children, the elderly, and low income Vermonters. Join the Vermont Workers’ Center (VWC) and other organizations across the state opposing proposed state budget cuts which will be devastating to thousands of Vermont families. The VWC and other groups are organizing to stop the cuts from happening. On January 23, the VWC released a Statement on the Budget Cuts, which outlined the following principles that should be followed as we face this crisis:
- Public services are necessary for a just and sustainable society.
- Among the roles of government is to guarantee the human rights of all residents.
- A revenue shortfall is a reason to change revenue policy not budget policy.
- Public services, including education, should be funded based on ability to pay, not fees or regressive taxes like property and sales taxes.
- Only by concerted collective action can people ensure that government/public policy serves the needs of the people.
- Healthcare is a human right, and by establishing it as a public good it will not only be more just, but by eliminating the waste of private insurers, we will save tens of millions of dollars.
On Monday, February 2 there will be candlelight vigils in at least a dozen Vermont cities and towns.
Locations:
Bennington: Four corners Intersection of Routes 7 & 9, 5pm
Burlington: 108 Cherry Street, 5pm,
Brattleboro: Main Street Post Office,5:30pm
Hardwick: TBD
Middlebury: Traffic Island @ Middlebury Inn, 12 Noon
Montpelier: Pavilion Building, 109 State Street, 5pm,
Morrisville: Lamoille Senior Center, 24 Main St at 4 way stop downtown,5pm
Randolph: Main St in front of Northfield Savings Bank, 5pm
Rutland: Rutland Unitarian Church, 117 West Street, 5pm
St Albans: Taylor Park, 5pm,
St Johnsbury: in front of the Athenaeum, 5pm
White River Junction: Intersection of Routes 5 & 14, 5pm
Please join us and help spread the word far and wide.
More information: email james [at] workerscenter.org or call 272-0882