Spirited "Defend the Dream" Rally in New Paltz!

New Paltz, 3/15 : A Good Day for Workers                              B Upton

Well over one hundred people (overflowing to all four corners!) took to the streets in New Paltz Tuesday to Defend the American Dream! They were joining thousands in MoveOn demonstrations across the country to protest the GOP attack on hard working American families and demand that the wealthy elite pay their share in these tough economic times.

People everywhere are rising up against the GOP agenda of busting unions, making painful cuts to vital programs, further enriching the rich and claiming new authoritarian powers. Take just one example: Michigan Governor Rick Snyder wants to cut the corporate tax rate by 86% or nearly $2 billion while increasing the state income tax by 31% with the largest burden being on the poor. Snyder also wants kingly powers to fire elected officials in cities and towns and replace them with his handpicked "emergency town managers" who could break all existing contracts, including collective bargaining ones. 

Lansing protesters chanted "This is our House" in the Capitol Building the day after our rally. They are not taking this lying down!

At the rally, we were thrilled to have great union representation! A big thank you to speakers: 
Jodie Jacobs and Jude Purnow, American Federation of Teachers, Beth Soto, coordinator for the Hudson Vally Area Labor Federation (HVALF); Gerard Lyons III, vice president of SEIU Local 200 and vice president of HVALF; Mike Lonigro, secretary/treaurer of the SEIU Local 200 and Anthony M Adamo, president of the CSEA SUNY New Paltz Local 610. They gave rousing talks and had the crowd going! Thanks to them, to all the union members and to everyone who came out for this rally! 


Linda Abbott, Ulster County MoveOn Council Coordinator, said that 45,000 jobs would be lost in New York State if Republican cuts to the federal budget were enacted, which is totally contrary to the goal of reviving our economy and creating jobs. She also thanked Rep Hinchey for consistently being on the side of the people.

A resounding theme was that politicians should not balance the budget  on the backs of the middle class and working poor, who had nothing to do with the economic recession we are in. Rather that they should get the money from tax dodging corporations, in the bloated Pentagon and in the vaults of the richest 400 who have more wealth than over 150 million Americans combined! Not letting the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest expire is costing us $830 billion over the next ten years! As Micheal Moore and others have said, "We are not broke!" It is just in the hands of an ever dwindling few.


Here is an article from the Kingston Freeman and front page coverage from the New Paltz Times on our rally. Forward!