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Socialist Party USA: Recent Statements
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Statement on Austerity Budgets and
Grass-Roots Democracy
Socialist Party USA, Labor Commission
March 31, 2011
 The
streets
of the US Midwest are filling up with people responding to the
austerity measures brought on by capitalism and capitalist politicians
and in the streets of Europe, North Africa, the Middle East to
authoritarian regimes supported by US imperialism. The message is
clear. We want grass-roots democracy. We stand together in revolt
against the entrenched power of corrupt governments, unprincipled trade
union bureaucrats, and thoroughly compromised politicians.
The struggle to replace global capitalism with worldwide democratic
socialism is being forged by the converging actions of many groups and
individuals courageously speaking out on a host of interrelated human
rights and workers' rights issues.
In Wisconsin, a Republican governor and state legislature have pushed
through legislation that will significantly reduce the pay and benefits
of public sector workers while, at the same time, attacking the right
of these workers to join unions and collectively bargain their wages
and benefits. Democratic legislators sought to block this attack on
public sector unions, but were more than ready to accept the pay cuts.
Union officials opted to subordinate themselves to the Democratic
Party, and thus no serious effort was made to protest the drastic cuts
in pensions and health benefits previously won by public sector workers.
As long as unions continue to rely on Democratic Party politicians, we
are bound to see further cuts in social services and the pay of public
sector workers. The Democrats will continue to demand “shared
sacrifice” -- which means more cuts to public programs, to jobs, and to
pay and benefits. The union bureaucrats will continue to say that
workers must accept these “economic concessions” because there is no
alternative. But there is an alternative: Tax the Rich! Tax the banks,
corporate and private wealth! No Cuts, No Concessions!
Together, we must stop the war at home. This can happen only by
reversing the attack on the public sector, not only by opposing budget
cuts but by putting forward our own program of fully-funded health,
education, and social services-- one that goes well beyond the meager
services we have today. In the case of education, we must demand free
tuition for care and schooling from infancy through adult education;
well paid and well trained staff, guaranteed the right to organize and
the right to strike; low student-teacher ratios; maximum class sizes; a
full range of course offerings and support services; a safe and healthy
environment for staff and students; and worker, student, and community
control of center and school curriculum and management.
It's time for public sector workers to take an active role in the
global drive for the creation of, and full participation in, truly
democratic systems and structures where human rights and social justice
for all workers and communities come first. And time for democratic
socialists to reach out to people being side-tracked by complacent and
complicit leadership.
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