'Coalition for a People's Bail Out' plans rally at Capitol today

Talk about it

A coalition of organizations, bringing together union members, welfare rights organizations and others will hold a rally on the opening day of the Minnesota legislative session today.

Their message: Demand that the state take concrete steps to protect low-income and working Minnesotans from the effects of the snowballing economic crisis.

The rally will be held on Tuesday, January 6 at noon on the State Capitol front steps.

The Minnesota Coalition for a People's Bail Out is sponsoring the rally.

The coalition advocates legislation that would provide income and jobs to the unemployed, a moratorium on home foreclosures and evictions from foreclosures and measures to prevent layoffs of public employees.

Deb Konechne, a spokesperson for the coalition said, "With each passing day the economic news looks worse and worse. Thousands of people in Minnesota and around the country are losing their jobs. Home foreclosures are continuing at a record pace. When the state legislature assembles, there will be a voice at the State Capitol calling on the state government to respond to this crisis – not by cutting needed programs and services for low-income and working Minnesotans, but by taking steps to protect working people from the worst economic crisis since the 1930s."

Members of the coalition have pledged that they will be a presence at the Capitol during the session.

Phyllis Walker, president, AFSCME Local 3800, said, "Concrete steps must be taken that protect low-income and working people in Minnesota from this economic crisis. The banks and corporations are getting a bailout. We need a bailout for poor and working Minnesotans."

The January 6 protest is being called in support of a program that includes:

-- Jobs or income now.

-- Extend unemployment benefits for all.

-- Make more workers eligible for unemployment benefits.

-- Create a public works program that puts people to work now.

-- Place a moratorium on the five-year time limit for public assistance.

-- No cuts to programs that serve working and low-income people.

-- Place a moratorium on home foreclosures.

-- No evictions for renters in foreclosed buildings.

-- No attacks on immigrants.

-- Protect public education. No tuition hikes.

-- No one in Minnesota should be cold or hungry.

-- No layoffs.

-- No attacks on wages; no layoffs for state and University of Minnesota workers.

-- Tax the rich; make them pay for the crisis.

"The burden of the current economic crisis must be put where it belongs, on the corporations, the politicians and those who have made super-profits while real wages and living standards have remained stagnant," said Mick Kelly of the Minnesota Coalition for a People's Bail Out.

Tags: welfare, rally, capitol, session, poor, minnesota, bail, out