Today, concerned activists met outside of Congressman Chris Gibson’s office in Saratoga, New York, to hold him accountable for attacking our social safety net. Gibson is just one of many Congressmen who have cut funding from Medicare, Social Security, and Medicaid, all while giving tax cuts to the wealthy. The Republican budget plan, developed by House Budget Chair Paul Ryan (R-WI), proposes to:
- “block grant” Medicaid;
- privatize Medicare by replacing it with vouchers that will result in thousands of dollars in additional out of pocket costs for seniors and the disabled;
- cut spending by $4.3 trillion over 10 years (two-thirds from low-income programs) but cut taxes by $4.2 trillion, essentially not touching the deficit; and
- cut vital programs like education, health care and Head Start.
“The economic crisis – and the Wall Street excesses and corporate abuses that drove it – have unfairly jeopardized the livelihoods of ordinary working people,” said Antonella Pechtel, Capital/Hudson Political Director of 1199 SEIU, Fight For A Fair Economy. “Now, during these tough economic times, the last thing we need is further job loss and the slashing of our safety net. Balancing the federal budget on the backs of hard working Americans is not an option. Our members will be mobilizing their community against corporate greed, rallying to creat good paying jobs with benefits and ensuring that everyone pays their fair share.”
An emphatic group of demonstrators, representing Citizen Action of New York, New York State Alliance for Retired Americans, New York State AFL-CIO, 1199 SEIU-Fight for Fair Economy, New York Statewide Senior Action Council, and New York Association on Independent Living made it known that they were not going to sit back and watch their safety net be cut away by corporate greed and excess: