“Tax the rich” rally April 15

On Tax Day, April 15, 2004, people from around Minnesota will converge on the State Capitol to demand that Minnesota Politicians “TAX the RICH!” and “UNDO the CUTS to Poor and Working Minnesotans!”

The protest rally will start at 12 noon on the front steps of the State Capitol. Protestors will call on elected officials to stop the attacks on health care, welfare, public services and public workers; to support legislative bills to undo the cuts; and to “Make the Rich Pay!”

Last year, Governor Pawlenty and House Republicans led the charge to balance the state budget on the backs of poor and working Minnesotans. Over $2 billion of a $4 billion deficit was cut from Health Care and Human Services. Public sector workers are being pushed to take wage freezes, health care cuts and job layoffs. Meanwhile, the richest in Minnesota suffered not even a scratch! This year, Pawlenty and House Republicans want to cut even more from poor women and children, the elderly and disabled. Right now, two legislative bills are in process to undo some of the worst cuts passed in 2003.

SF 1991, the “Fund Human Need, NOT Corporate Greed” bill, will close corporate tax loopholes that allow Minnesota corporations to avoid paying millions in state taxes by pretending they operate outside the state. The money generated will be used to undo liens that are resulting in farmers and others losing their farms, homes or property because of serious illness and needing to go on Medical Assistance. SF 1991 will also eliminate the $125 monthly grant cut to families on public assistance who have disabled family members, and the $50 monthly grant cut to MFIP families in subsidized housing (starting in 2005). Finally, SF1991 will undo fee increases to families with kids with severe disabilities.

Another bill, SF 1992, will use a $13 million federal bonus given to Minnesota for its successes in the Minnesota welfare program, MFIP (that existed before Pawlenty and company took the butcher knife to it), to undo the monthly MFIP grant cuts to families with disabled family members and in subsidized housing, for one year starting in July 2004.

Everyone is encouraged to call on their legislators to support these two bills. For more information, call the Welfare Rights Committee at 612-822-8020 or email at welfarerightsmn@yahoo.com.