New York Socialist Action’s Answer to the Wall Street Crooks:
-NOT ONE DIME FOR WALL STREET BAILOUTS!
-MAKE THE RICH PAY FOR “BUDGET DEFICITS!” OPEN THEIR BOOKS!
-FOR PUBLIC OWNERSHIP OF THE BANKS!
-LET UNIONS AND CONSUMERS RUN THEM!
-NO LAYOFFS, TUITION HIKES OR SERVICE CUTS!
-MONEY FOR SCHOOLS, HOSPITALS AND MASS TRANSIT, NOT WAR!
-30 HOURS WORK AT 40 HOURS PAY TO PROVIDE WORK FOR ALL!
Today, working people are seeing society with new eyes. The economic system is crashing, and trillions of our tax dollars are going to bail out the Wall Street crooks who got rich from the system, whether by ripping us off for our everyday labor, or through fragile pyramid schemes driven by endless greed. Yet, many of these same Wall Street hustlers are now in government and free to distribute bailout money based on cooked corporate records. There isn’t even a provision for oversight by elected representatives, much less working people!
Both major parties voted for this criminal transfer of wealth and even added billions in new tax cuts to the rich!
This capitalist system is run by a rich minority who ruthlessly fight each other over shrinking profits. Capitalism is prone to crisis, usually referred to as a “business cycle.” Capitalism is unstable, undemocratic and must go bust.
But we do not have to bail out the banks to save jobs and stabilize the economy. Socialists say the public should own (nationalize) the banks and stock exchange. Let trade unions and consumer groups run them in the interests of working people, not Wall Street crooks. Use the bailout money to build schools, hospitals, and fund mass transit, providing jobs for the unemployed at union scale wages.
FIGHT BIG BUSINESS ATTACKS ON NEW YORK CITY WORKERS!
Republican Mayor Mike Bloomberg and Democratic Governor David Paterson, a Democratic Party “friend of labor,” are both demanding billions in service and job cuts from working people that include layoffs, huge fare hikes and CUNY tuition hikes.
Paterson, sounding like a conservative Republican, says taxes on business would “exacerbate” the problem. He had the guts to tell public service unions that “the party’s over.” What party? Working people are going through hell right now making ends meet!
These attacks are on every worker, union and non-union. Labor fought for unionized public service jobs for decades and must fight to keep them. When union jobs disappear or union wages fall, all wages fall. Every cut in library, senior centers, school programs and other services is an attack on all workers. Historically, both parties use an economic crisis to roll back our living standard and our rights.
A recent UN survey found that New York City was the ninth most unequal city in the world. That means that the very rich run New York in their own interests – leaving most people living paycheck to paycheck. What’s more, a recent US government study found that most US corporations usually pay no corporate taxes – at all! In addition to the bailout, Wall Street crooks receive huge payments on tax-free bonds issued by the City and the MTA.
Working people didn’t cause this economic crisis. Capitalism will always have crisis after crisis. Then why should we pay to bailout the banks and companies? (And the bailout won’t stop the depression anyway, which may end only after years or decades of even worse attacks.)
No to their bailout! Cancel tax-free bond payments to the banks! Make the rich pay for all City and State budget deficits!
FOR MASS ASSEMBLIES OF LABOR TO DEFEND OUR LIVING STANDARDS!
We call on the trade-union leadership to organize national and city-wide mass assemblies of labor and its oppressed allies (that is, organizations of people of color, immigrants, women, etc.) for a democratic discussion on how to mobilize against service cuts, foreclosures, layoffs and beginning the fight against unemployment.
In New York City, we say prepare for a general strike with the very first public sector layoff. No repeat of public worker layoffs, like the 60,000 workers laid-off on orders of the big banks during the city’s financial crisis of the 1970’s. No trust in Democratic Party politicians or their mouthpieces within the labor movement. The Democrats assisted the banks during the ‘70‘s layoffs. In 2003, every Democrat on the City Council voted for Bloomberg’s 2004 layoff budget, which cut 4,500 jobs.
The public sector provides jobs for many African-Americans, Latinos and immigrants. A disproportionate number of workers from the oppressed communities were laid off in the 1970’s and again in 2004. The threatened 2009 layoffs are a form of de facto racism. Nationally, African American unemployment is about double that of whites.
OPEN THE ROAD TO STRUGGLE IN NEW YORK!
-IMMIGRANT WORKERS: In New York State there are 1 million undocumented workers who face super-exploitation. Labor must stop the boss’s divide-and-conquer strategy. Mobilize now to stop immigration raids! Unionize immigrant labor! Amnesty now!
-STOP THE MTA FARE HIKE AND JOB AND SERVICE CUTS! Socialists stand with working class subway and bus riders who resist all MTA fare hikes and service cuts. Transit will use hikes and cuts to pay Wall Street dividends on their tax-free MTA Bonds. We say, “Cancel the debt!” Make transit free! Full funding for transit!
-SUPPORT TRANSIT WORKERS! To the transit workers of TWU Local 100, we say that you had a right to strike. To hell with the anti-labor Taylor Law, passed by Democrats and Republicans! No to layoffs or job cuts! For a no giveback contract in 2009, with a big pay hike above inflation and frequent cost of living increases! Eliminate the MTA/Toussaint 1.5% healthcare deduction rip-off! For a 20-50 pension plan, paid entirely by the MTA!
-SAVE OUR SERVICES: No cuts to desperately-needed services! End closings of community, senior and disabled centers and programs and restore jobs of workers there!
-CUNY FIGHTBACK: Solidarity with students and faculty fighting CUNY tuition hikes and cuts. These attacks are directed at all working class youth, particularly in the African-American and Hispanic communities. Fund education! Make higher education free!
-MORTGAGE/HOUSING CRISIS: Mobilize workers and the unemployed in their neighborhoods to stop home foreclosures and evictions on the spot, as was done successfully in NYC in the 1930’s. Cancel mortgage debts to the banks. For a unified public bank under workers’ control to provide credit to homeowners. Build free public housing! Housing is a right!
-LABOR PARTY: Break with the two parties of Wall Street! Build a labor party based on the trade unions!
THE SOCIALIST VISION: A SOCIETY RUN DEMOCRATICALLY BY WORKING PEOPLE
Real change in the lives of working people will ultimately require a revolution. Socialist Action is dedicated to the goal of transforming society into one run democratically by working people – the true meaning of socialism. Socialist Action supports mass independent mobilizations of working people in united fronts and with democratic decision making. Help us fight for a world without war, greed, exploitation, racism, sexism, homophobia and environmental destruction.
