The California Partnership is a statewide coalition of community based organizations that fights poverty in California. We work together for our common goals by organizing and advocating at the local, state and national levels for the programs and policies that reduce and end poverty.



California Partnership Wins Meeting with Republican Leaders

Don’t Balance the Budget on Our Backs

 

More than 100 members of the California Partnership stormed the offices of Republican leaders in California’s state Assembly and Senate today to demand a meeting and find real solutions to California’s budget through fair tax policy.  With days to go before the May budget revise issued by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, the message to top Republican leaders was loud and clear:   No More Cuts!  No Cuts to Healthcare!  No Cuts to Education!  No Cuts to California’s Safety Net!  Don’t cut our families by $20 billion!

 

Leaders from dozens of organizations split into two groups of 50 to target Senate Assembly Minority Leader, Michael Villines and Republican Senate Leader Dick Ackerman.  We brought over 150 of our own small plastic boats to symbolize the $26 million loophole created to coddle yacht owners while poor Californians risk losing vital programs that support families.  A “cuts only” approach will not work.  New revenue such as a corporate property taxes and closing tax loopholes for yacht owners must be the solution to the budget crisis. 

 

“The budget of the State of California must represent the community values of all Californians.   We believe that everyone must be included in our healthcare system, that no child should endure a substandard education and the families must have a safety net in today’s difficult economic climate,” says Anita Rees, member and associate director of LIFETIME California.  “We call for broad reaching prosperity for ALL Californians.” 

 

The response from each of the Republican leaders was wildly different.   Rep. Villines office met with leaders from the California Partnership for more than one half hour and assigned Deborah Gonzales, their chief budget negotiator, to meet with us.   However, staff at Senate Ackerman’s office refused to meet with us or have a serious discussion with his constituents.   After a short two minutes at Ackerman’s office, his staff called CHP officers to throw our leaders our of his tiny office space.

 

With the Governor’s revised budget proposing deeper cuts to health and human services programs, our call for no cuts and more just tax policies is more important than ever.

 

Real solutions demand more than blaming the other party.  Real solutions demand more than anti-tax rhetoric. We must solve California’s budget crisis with new revenue raised - because taxes are the way we care for one another.

 

For more information, contact Nancy Berlin, Phone: (213) 385-8010

[email protected]

 

Click here for pictures

Aziel ready to send message to legislators

Group Meets with Villines' Office

Group excited to go into Ackerman's Office

Group met by Ackerman's Security Instead of Staff

 

 


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