Thank you for Joining Us for an Evening of Discussion
...And Now for a Day of Action
Thank you for joining PJA, NCJW, and Bet Tzedek Legal Services last night (July 21, 2009), for "Out of California's Quagmire" about the California budget crisis with speakers LA City Controller Wendy Greuel and California Partnership Director Nancy Berlin, with moderator Professor Peter Dreier and host Beth Sieroty-Meltzer.
Abandon children. Abandon the elderly. Abandon the environment. This is not the California we want to create for ourselves. Together, we can demand something better.
But it's not too late for you to make a difference. The final vote is this Thursday, July 23, 2009. There's still time to act!
1. WHAT TO DO
Call and/or email your state legislators and the Governor. See our suggested talking points below as a guide. Pick one or two points you feel are important to make. And please let folks know you are calling with the PROGRESSIVE JEWISH ALLIANCE.
To find your state legislative representatives, visit...
http://www.senate.ca.gov/~newsen/senators/senators.htp, and click on "Your Senator" on the left menu to find your representatives in the Senate AND the State Assembly.
To contact the Governor visit http://gov.ca.gov/interact#email
or call his offices...
Sacramento Office Los Angeles Office
Phone: 916-445-2841 Phone: 213-897-0322
2. WHAT TO SAY
We all understand that these are hard times and that sacrifices must be made.
But budgets are about values and priorities. At heart, they are a financial expression of our values. Balancing a budget on the backs of the poor and at the expense of vital social programs represents an ethical choice about the world we want to create for ourselves.
The leaders will follow if the people lead. Tell your representatives what ethical choices you want them to make. Choose as many of the following points as you feel comfortable making.
1 - Demand that oil companies pay a severance tax. They pay it in TEXAS and ALASKA. They can pay it here. Worth $9.9 billion, these taxes alone could stop ALL the cuts to education AND all the cuts to redevelopment agencies. Education and housing are worth leveling the playing field for multi-billion dollar oil companies.
2 - Demand that new corporate tax breaks be rolled back immediately. New corporate tax cuts worth $2-3 billion A YEAR benefit 9 corporations. These taxes alone could stop ALL the cuts to Medi-cal, CalWorks, Home Health Aides and Healthy Families children's health insurance. Public health and homecare support that keeps families together are worth corporations paying their fare share.
3 - Demand that legal loopholes be changed so corporations pay their fair share of property taxes. When you or I buy a home from someone, the property taxes are automatically reassessed and increased. We can't avoid this. Corporate owners of commercial property can. This has to stop.
4 - Demand that California's wasteful prison system be reformed. We could save $12 billion in 5 years by taking 4 simple steps.
(1) Stop death penalties executions and prosecutions; pursue life
in prison as an alternative;
(2) Stop Three Strikes penalties for non-violent offenders; give
people job training instead;
(3) Stop sending addicts to jail; put them in effective treatment
centers instead;
(4) Stop sending juveniles to state detention facilities; put them in
county facilities instead, where they can stay close to their
families and learn skills to create a more productive life.
3. TELL YOUR FRIENDS
You have the power to encourage others to act. Use your email, Facebook, Twitter and MySpace to spread the word.
4. THANK YOU FOR BEING A PJA CHANGEMAKER
We are so proud to have you be a part of PJA.
To join or contribute, click here
You have been added to the PJA email list. Keep an eye out for our article about the budget in this week's
Los Angeles Jewish Journal and in our upcoming email tomorrow.
Together, we can!
- Elissa
Elissa D. Barrett, Esq.
Executive Director
Progressive Jewish Alliance
Call and/or email your state legislators and the Governor. See our suggested talking points below as a guide. Pick one or two points you feel are important to make. And please let folks know you are calling with the PROGRESSIVE JEWISH ALLIANCE.
To find your state legislative representatives, visit...
http://www.senate.ca.gov/~newsen/senators/senators.htp, and click on "Your Senator" on the left menu to find your representatives in the Senate AND the State Assembly.
To contact the Governor visit http://gov.ca.gov/interact#email
or call his offices...
Sacramento Office Los Angeles Office
Phone: 916-445-2841 Phone: 213-897-0322
2. WHAT TO SAY
We all understand that these are hard times and that sacrifices must be made.
But budgets are about values and priorities. At heart, they are a financial expression of our values. Balancing a budget on the backs of the poor and at the expense of vital social programs represents an ethical choice about the world we want to create for ourselves.
The leaders will follow if the people lead. Tell your representatives what ethical choices you want them to make. Choose as many of the following points as you feel comfortable making.
1 - Demand that oil companies pay a severance tax. They pay it in TEXAS and ALASKA. They can pay it here. Worth $9.9 billion, these taxes alone could stop ALL the cuts to education AND all the cuts to redevelopment agencies. Education and housing are worth leveling the playing field for multi-billion dollar oil companies.
2 - Demand that new corporate tax breaks be rolled back immediately. New corporate tax cuts worth $2-3 billion A YEAR benefit 9 corporations. These taxes alone could stop ALL the cuts to Medi-cal, CalWorks, Home Health Aides and Healthy Families children's health insurance. Public health and homecare support that keeps families together are worth corporations paying their fare share.
3 - Demand that legal loopholes be changed so corporations pay their fair share of property taxes. When you or I buy a home from someone, the property taxes are automatically reassessed and increased. We can't avoid this. Corporate owners of commercial property can. This has to stop.
4 - Demand that California's wasteful prison system be reformed. We could save $12 billion in 5 years by taking 4 simple steps.
(1) Stop death penalties executions and prosecutions; pursue life
in prison as an alternative;
(2) Stop Three Strikes penalties for non-violent offenders; give
people job training instead;
(3) Stop sending addicts to jail; put them in effective treatment
centers instead;
(4) Stop sending juveniles to state detention facilities; put them in
county facilities instead, where they can stay close to their
families and learn skills to create a more productive life.
3. TELL YOUR FRIENDS
You have the power to encourage others to act. Use your email, Facebook, Twitter and MySpace to spread the word.
4. THANK YOU FOR BEING A PJA CHANGEMAKER
We are so proud to have you be a part of PJA.
To join or contribute, click here
You have been added to the PJA email list. Keep an eye out for our article about the budget in this week's
Los Angeles Jewish Journal and in our upcoming email tomorrow.
Together, we can!
- Elissa
Elissa D. Barrett, Esq.
Executive Director
Progressive Jewish Alliance
Join PJA or Donate NOW
Progressive Jewish Alliance
5870 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, 90036
323.761.8350 office@pjalliance.org
Progressive Jewish Alliance, PJA and the Hand Logo are registered trademarks.
Progressive Jewish Alliance
5870 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, 90036
323.761.8350 office@pjalliance.org
Progressive Jewish Alliance, PJA and the Hand Logo are registered trademarks.
