Over three hundred community activists and organizers gathered at the “SHARE” party on Thursday night at Brooklyn’s Soda bar to launch a grassroots campaign to fight Governor Paterson’s devastating proposed budget cuts.
The activists, many of whom joined political organizing for the first time during the Obama campaign, hope to build support for a millionaire’s tax to prevent the Governor’s cuts to education, healthcare, and social services.
“Obama’s campaign convinced millions of people in my generation that change really is possible. But to keep that feeling alive, we have to turn to the problems we are facing right here in our communities,” said Scott Holtz, a Prospect Heights resident and volunteer for the Obama campaign.
(more photos after the jump)
“When people began to realize the impact of Governor Paterson’s proposed cuts, we started to see this as the next big fight. The idea of asking the wealthy to pay their fair share was a big part of Obama’s plan, and that’s got to be part of the solution in New York too.”
“Governor Paterson keeps calling for shared sacrifice, but we’re not seeing it,” said Lucas Shapiro, a housing organizer and Fort Greene resident. “He’s called for billions in cuts to almost every program – schools, hospitals, SUNY and CUNY, and even the zoos, but he won’t ask the wealthy to pay a little more on their taxes? He’s asking school kids and the disabled to pay, but not Donald Trump?”
The activists plan to follow the SHARE party with dozens of neighborhood budget house parties and meetings, letter writing campaigns to state legislators, and lobby visits to Albany.
The Governor’s budget proposal announce in December includes $9 billion in devastating cuts to essential institutions and programs working families depend on – including schools and colleges, hospitals and nursing homes, and a broad range of social services.
Groups like the Working Families Party have called for Fair Share Tax Reform – a proposal that would raise billions in revenue to offset budget cuts by asking the wealthiest New Yorkers to contribute more in state income taxes.
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