EASTSIDE LA - As "Occupy Wall Street" continues to capture the imagination of the United States, InnerCity Struggle has launched a campaign to “Occupy the Ballot Box”. InnerCity Struggle’s staff, youth and parent members have joined together to reform California’s outdated tax laws that benefit the wealthy by hurting working families.
Yolanda Murrieta, a parent leader with InnerCity Struggle said “We have to unite to restore our dreams”. “We have to get the big banks and corporations to pay for the crisis they helped to create, and ensure they pay their fair share in taxes.”
As part of the “California Calls” Statewide Alliance, InnerCity Struggle members took to the streets to speak to voters about raising taxes on the wealthy to improve our local schools, hospitals and public services. During a four week period, over 8,000 Eastside voters were contacted through door to door and phone banking efforts and over 7,000 voters signed on to support the “Tax the Rich” initiative.
InnerCity Struggle recently hosted a town hall where over 200 community members gathered to celebrate October’s civic engagement program which gained over-whelming support from voters, locally and statewide, to be introduced as a ballot initiative in the 2012 elections.
The purpose of the Eastside Tardeada Townhall was to educate, engage and rally support among new and occasional voters in the Eastside.
Maria Brenes, Executive Director of InnerCity Struggle stated, “In this time of crisis, in order for all of Californians to prosper, we need shared responsibility from those who have built their wealth on the backs of the working class…we urgently need revenue for critical social services such as transportation, education, infrastructure and job growth.”
InnerCity Struggle is preparing for the 2012 Civic Engagement Program by working with the more than 7,000 supporters to restore the California Dream and protect California’s working families.
(More on InnerCity Struggle at innercitystruggle.org) -cw
Tags: Tax the Rich, InnerCity Struggle, Callifornia, California Calls, Maria Brenes
CityWatch
Vol 9 Issue 97
Pub: Dec 6, 2011