State AFL-CIO Leader to Speak November 8

As soon as the votes are counted, the AFL-CIO and other organizations will launch a national campaign to save America's working people from the threat of the Lame Duck Congress. Texas AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer John Patrick will come to North Texas to analyze the election results and to encourage everyone to fight against proposed major cuts to our standards of living. Jim McCasland of Dallas AFL-CIO will be on hand. Marc Veasey will also be represented.

John Patrick picketing

Please join in!

Texas AFL-CIO President Becky Moeller will speak at a rally in San Antonio that same day on the same topic. Congressman Henry Cuellar is expected to join her.

Rich Trumka, national president of the AFL-CIO wrote in early October that we must do everything possible to win the 2012 elections, but "we must at the same time be preparing for an immediate post-election showdown over tax cuts for the wealthy and threatened cuts to Medicare, Social Security, and Medicaid." 

The Alliance for Retired Americans explains, "A budget showdown is coming after the election. The richest 2% of Americans, who have not paid a dime to clean up the mess they made of our economy, will try to grab an even bigger piece of the pie—even at a time when working and middle class families have lost ground and economic inequality has set a new record. The choice is clear. Congress and the President will have to choose: Tax cuts for the richest 2%--or jobs and economic security for the rest of us. The day after the election we have to be ready to mobilize for working families."

The problem goes back to earlier efforts to deal with the national debt. Democrats and Republicans agreed on major changes in federal spending beginning January 1, 2013. Cuts would be "across the board" except for Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid recipients. Today, though, they plan to make some other arrangement during the Lame Duck Congress. Some Senators, including some Democrats, have already proposed a "Grand Bargain" that might run toward the austerity programs presently being experienced in some European countries. Corporate spokespersons, their politicians, and their friends in the media are calling for raising the retirement age and cutting standards of living while, at the same time, continuing the government handout to the richest families!

We cannot allow this direction for America. Do everything possible in the election and afterward to insure America's future. The Lame Duck Congress fight begins November 8.

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Kevin Blair of OUR Walmart sends this message: "We are meeting up at Lyons Park, at the corner of Hall and Lampass in Ennis at 3:30. From there we will head over to the store (700 E Ennis Ave.)"

 

We're still gathering petitions for health care implementation. Sign our petition at:

http://afl.salsalabs.com/o/4055/c/1254/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=4684

Contact Gene Lantz at labordallas@sbcglobal.net