March -- April, 2013
Contents
Talkin' Socialism
Socialists on Facebook
"Today's Other America"
Nelson Algren
Robin Hood Tax
National Affairs
DSA in the News
Fighting Forward
New
Ground 147.1 -- 04.01.2013
0. DSA News
You Are Invited!
Cornel West Speaks with DSA and YDS
Socialist International Africa Committee
"New Ground" Notes
1. Politics
Protest
School Closings by Bob
Roman
"Someone Like
Me" Returns to Chicago by Bob Roman
2. Ars Politica
The "Les Miserables"
Dichotomy: The U.S. and Socialism
'63 Boycott
"Never the Same"
3. Democratic Socialism
Unions and Coops
Unions and Co-Determination
Coops and Poverty
The Eurocrisis and the Assault on the Working Class
4. Upcoming Events of Interest
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Prosperity Not
Austerity!
Illinois political leaders including
Governor Pat Quinn propose to solve the state's budget crisis
by severely cutting the state's social safety net. They have
approved cuts to pensions and the state's Medicaid budget by
$2.7 billion (19%). Staff at state parks and other institutions
is being slashed; education funding at all levels is declining,
organized labor is being weakened and proposals for privatizing
public assets and services abound.
Their cuts will affect, among others,
3 million people who depend on Medicaid for access to health
care, hundreds of thousands who believed their retirement was
secure and a whole generation of Illinois' young people who can
no longer afford the education necessary to find good jobs.
Cuts don't produce jobs or prosperity; they only increase unemployment and decrease
consumption. The state collects less in income and sales tax,
and falling revenues, in turn, trigger more calls for budget
cuts. The politicians are putting us in a downward economic spiral.
Like the Greek politicians, Illinois'
leaders are forcing the working people of Illinois to suffer
the results of the financial crisis caused by Wall Street's casino
operators.
There's a better way. Instead of cutting and privatizing, our
politicians should think outside the conservative fiscal box
and implement new progressive economic approaches. These include:
-> Creates new jobs rebuilding infrastructure,
supporting green energy and investing in local economies,
-> Increases the minimum wage to ensure living wage jobs,
-> Creates a state-owned development bank dedicated to investing
in Illinois' economy,
-> Builds family services jobs as careers.
- A Medicare for All (Single-payer) system
for financing health care in Illinois would cost far less than
the current system and thus help reduce the state's long term
deficit while providing high quality universal medical coverage
for all.
We can't cut our way to prosperity.
A progressive approach will solve the state's fiscal crisis
by building prosperity and health for all. It's the smart thing
to do.
This petition drive
is a joint project of Northeastern
Illinois Americans for Democratic Action, Chicago Democratic
Socialist of America and Progressive
Democrats of America-Illinois.
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