RNs to Hold Candlelight Vigils in 20+ U.S. Cities (including Boston) Dec. 10
Call on Congress, White House – No Fiscal Cliff Cuts in Vital Programs
Nurses Also Sponsor Bus Ads in Washington, Billboards Across Country
Nurses across the nation are turning up the heat on Congress and the White House Monday with candlelight vigils and other actions in 24 cities across the U.S. Monday, December 10. The actions, which National Nurses United is sponsoring or joining, will press the case to oppose cuts in Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid during the “fiscal cliff” negotiations in Washington.
Actions are planned in California, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Texas. RNs are joining with labor, senior, and scores of community activists in insisting on no increase in the eligibility age or cuts in benefits. The Chicago event will be on Thursday, December 6, all others on December 10.
Nurses will also be calling for Congress and the White House to pass a tax on Wall Street speculation, the Robin Hood tax, to raise critically needed revenue for economic recovery.
Concurrently, NNU is featuring ads now visible on Metro buses throughout Washington, and on billboards in several states with the message “Don’t Push Seniors Off The ‘Fiscal Cliff’ – Tax Wall Street.”
On the fiscal cliff showdown, “raising the age for Medicare or Social Security, delays in cost of living increases, or cuts in benefits, three of the approaches proposed by some in Washington, would severely harm the seniors and low and moderate income families who have suffered the most from the economic crisis, which continues in Main Street communities across America,” said Deborah Burger, co-president of the 185,000-member NNU.
“Wall Street’s agenda, of more punishing cuts for working people, and more handouts for the banks, who are the main beneficiaries of policies that put debt payments ahead of protecting seniors and working families, was roundly rejected by voters in November. Let’s not hand Wall Street the victory they lost at the polls. Instead, it is time to hold the bankers and speculators accountable, and levy a small tax on their reckless behavior to help rebuild the economy they did so much to wreck, Burger said.
NNU is urging enactment of H.R. 6411, the Inclusive Prosperity Act, introduced by Rep. Keith Ellison, which would set a small sales tax of 50 cents on every $100 of stock trades, with lesser amounts on trades of bonds, derivatives, and other financial instruments which could raise up to $350 billion a year for such critical needs as jobs, healthcare, and education, as well as contributing to international efforts to treat HIV/AIDS and reduce the effects of climate change.
Vigil Locations – Thursday, December 6
Chicago: 12 noon, creating a “Durbinville” (for Sen. Dick Durbin) at Federal Plaza, Adams at Dearborn
Vigil Locations – Monday, December 10
Ames, Ia: 4-6 p.m., Rep. Tom Latham’s office
Austin, Tx: 4-6 p.m., Chase Bank building (Senate offices housed there), 221 W. Sixth St.
Bakersfield, CA: 4-6 p.m., Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s office, 4100 Empire Drive, Suite 150
Bangor, Me: 10 a.m. press conference, 5:30PM candlelight vigil, Sen. Susan Collins ‘ office, 202 Harlow Street, Room 204
Boston: 4-6 p.m., Sen. John Kerry ‘s, office, One Bowdoin Square, #10
Campbell, CA: 4-6 p.m., Rep. Mike Honda’s office, 1999 S. Bascon Ave., Suite 815
Concord, CA: 4-6 p.m., Rep. George Miller’s office, 1333 Willow Pass Rd., Suite 203
Des Moines, Ia: 4-6 p.m., Rep. Leonard Boswell’s office
Duluth, MN: time TBA., Rep. Chip Cravaack’s office
Fresno, CA: 4-6 p.m., Rep. Jim Costa’s office, 855 M. St., Suite 940
Gold River, CA: 4-6 p.m., Rep. Dan Lungren’s office, 2339 Gold Meadow Way, Suite 220
Hyattsville, Md: 4-6 p.m., Rep. Chris Van Hollen’s office, 6475 New Hampshire Ave. Ste C-201
Kalamazoo, Mi: 4-6 p.m., Rep. Fred Upton’s office, 157 South Kalamazoo Mall, Suite 180
Kansas City: 4-6 p.m., Sen. Roy Blount’s office
Los Angeles: 4-6 p.m., Rep. Henry Waxman’s office, 8436 W. Third St., Suite 600
Orange, Ca: 4-6 p.m., Rep. Ed Royce’s office, 1110 E. Chapman Ave., Suite 207
Portland, Or: 4-6 p.m., Sen. Ron Wyden’s office
San Francisco: 4-6 p.m., Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s office, 90 7th St., Suite 2-800
Seminole, Fl: 4-6 p.m., Rep. Bill Young’s office, 9210 113th St.
St. Louis: 4-6 p.m., Sen. Roy Blount’s office
Stockton, CA: 4-6 p.m., Rep. Jerry McNerney’s office, 2222 Grand Canal Blvd., Suite 7
Stroudsberg, PA: 4-6 p.m., no legislator
Vista, CA: 4-6 p.m., Rep. Darrell Issa’s office, 1800 Thibodo Rd., Suite 310
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