For Immediate Release
Cindy Sheehan, cindy@cindysheehanssoapbox.com
Gregory Vickrey, gregory@gregoryvickrey.com, 202.487.1201
March, Strike, Occupation Set for Sacramento
Vacaville, Calif. - Citizens and activists of all stripes plan to descend on Sacramento, Calif., May 9, 2011, for a prolonged strike and occupation of State Capitol grounds in response to budget proposals promoted by Governor Jerry Brown and California legislators.
The strike and occupation will follow a march from numerous parts of the state to Sacramento beginning May 1, highlighted by a thematic mass march from San Francisco to the capital led by prominent peace activist Cindy Sheehan, national organization Peace of the Action, Bay Area Code Pink, California Alliance for Retired Americans, Peace & Freedom Party, Veterans for Peace chapters, and several other entities.
To date, the action has been endorsed by more than 20 organizations around the globe representing a variety of fronts, including United Progressives, Canadians for Action on Climate Change, Women’s International League for Peace & Freedom, and the Arab American Union Members Council.
Cindy Sheehan states, “The savage austerity measures proposed by Democratic Governor Jerry Brown are an attack on the vulnerable people of this state, and no amount of partisan politicking can hide that fact. Taxes should instead target California’s 650,000 millionaire households. Cuts should include moneys the state hands over to the feds for shipping our California National Guard Units to foreign wars of aggression. Since 2001, the illegal wars of occupation have cost Californians almost 150 billion dollars and US military recruiters are still allowed to prey upon our most vulnerable youth on high school and college campuses--save our economy and lives by no longer supporting war!”
The coalition of forces descending on Sacramento May 9 believes there is a better way to approach productive change for California and beyond. Those measures include steps to:
- Close Corporate Tax Loopholes & Incentives
- Fully Fund Education & Other Social Programs
- End State Funding for National Guard Units Leaving California
- Raise Taxes (Employ Austerity) on California’s 650,000 Millionaire Households
- Employ Massive Prison Reform & Drastically Alter Criminalization Codes
- Bring Single-Payer Health Care for All to California
- Mandate and Create a Zero Carbon Economy to Mitigate Climate Change
Bay Area Code Pink activist and march organizer Xan Joi adds, "We will not allow the budget to be ‘balanced’ by continuing tax breaks for the rich while depriving poor and vulnerable people our basic rights and needs."
Peace of the Action’s Gregory Vickrey concludes, “There are meaningful fixes for California’s budget crisis. Governor Brown’s budget proposal doesn’t include a single one.”