|
Marchers walking from Bakersfield to Shafter on March 6. The day before hundreds marched. Now, the seven core marchers are accompanied by varying numbers of friends each day. Read the latest blogging by marchers and view photos and videos from each day on the March web site. David Bacon, photo
On March 5, the California Federation of Teachers kicked off a march from Bakersfield through the Central Valley to Sacramento. It will arrive in Sacramento by April 21. Its purpose is to draw public attention to three urgent ideas:
-
Restore the promise of public education
-
A government and economy that work for all Californians
-
Fair tax and budget policies to fund California’s future.
Core marchers before boarding the bus on Friday, March 5,
from Los Angeles to Bakersfield, where they began trekking
to Sacramento. From left, Jenn Laskin, Emmannuel Ballesteros,
Anna Graves, Jim Miller, Irene Gonzalez, David Lyell, and Gavin
Riley. In front, kneeling, are Kelly Mayhew (Jim Miller's wife) and
son Walt. Rosemary Lee photo
There are alternatives to the destruction of the state’s future. The state budget problem can be fixed with fair tax increases on the wealthy and closing corporate tax loopholes. But California requires a 2/3 Legislative vote for new taxes and to pass a budget, instead of a simple majority, and a small group of anti-tax, anti-public education legislators can and does undemocratically block passage of fair taxes and a fair budget every year.
The “March for California’s Future” kicked off with a rally in the Mount Moriah church in South Central Los Angeles on March 5, and then resumed in Bakersfield, following another rally in Martin Luther King Jr. Park, the same day. A core group is marching all the way to Sacramento, including representatives of unions and other community allies of CFT. Every few days there will be a larger event—a rally, a town hall, a bigger march, visit to legislative offices or city councils, a teach-in—designed to maximize public awareness of the three issues.
We will register voters as we go, gather signatures for the Majority Budget Act, and press local public elected boards (education, water districts, city councils, etc.) along the way to adopt resolutions calling for these principles. The march will culminate in Sacramento with a big demonstration on April 21. But the march and demonstration are not ends in themselves. They are part of an ongoing campaign: the Fight for California’s Future. Be a part of it.
For more information, or to join the March for California's Future on a leg of the journey, call 510-523-5238. Media inquiries,
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
(916-457-5546) or
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
(510-579-3343).
|
