Editor: In a spontaneous outpouring of support, over 100 community members turned out on a recent Saturday in Sonoma on 24 hours notice to show their solidarity with Wisconsin public sector workers and the “Wisconsin 14,” the brave state senators who are on strike to prevent Governor Scott Walker from pushing through the outrageous step of rescinding collective bargaining rights for state workers. These are rights that were the result of decades of struggle by our brave ancestors, and we will not surrender them to the whim of a right-wing ideologue that preceded his demand for $130M in cuts to workers by granting $117M in tax breaks to corporations. In Wisconsin and around our country, the American Dream is under fierce attack. Instead of creating jobs, anti-union politicians are giving tax breaks to corporations and the very rich, and then slashing funding for education, police, emergency response, and vital human services. The narrative being promoted in the corporate media is: There Is No Alternative. Our presence on the plaza demonstrated that there is an alternative, welling up from the will of the people. We demand that corporations and the high net worth individuals pay their fair share to deal with the economic crisis precipitated by their own reckless behavior. This solution is regarded as so taboo by the mainstream press, that it rarely gets a hearing. We have lifted that taboo, and put the elephant in the room on the table. On Saturday, February 26, at noon local time, unions and progressive groups organized rallies in front of every statehouse and in every major city to stand with the people of Wisconsin. We demand an end to the attacks on worker’s rights and public services across the country. We demand investment to create decent jobs for the millions of people who desperately want to work. And we demand that the rich and powerful pay their fair share. Community leaders organized a candlelight vigil on Friday, March 4, at Old Courthouse Square in downtown Santa Rosa in support of the Wisconsin workers and to defend the rights of workers in the U.S. These actions will continue until justice is achieved in Wisconsin. This is our Egypt moment, when the will of the people can no longer be denied.
Ben Boyce, President
Sonoma Valley Democratic Club
Be First to Comment