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Durham, N.C., picket hits austerity budget
By
Andy Koch
Durham, N.C.
Published Aug 12, 2011 7:52 AM
On the same day that Congress passed the so-called “deficit
reduction” austerity bill, North Carolina residents were in the streets
calling out the legislation for what it is: an attack on working people.
FIST member Eva Panjwani speaks to crowd at VA hospital.
WW photo: Dante Strobino
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Members of local trade unions, activist groups and community members picketed
outside the Veterans Affairs medical center in downtown Durham. Workers from
the medical center also joined in.
“The VA center was chosen since both veterans’ benefits and public
medical care in general are going to be cut under the new legislation,”
one protester told Workers World. Drawing the attention of motorists and
hospital foot traffic, the group chanted slogans such as “Fund
people’s needs, not corporate greed” and “Congress, confess:
You caused this mess!”
Speaking on behalf of the youth group Fight Imperialism, Stand Together (FIST),
Eva Panjwani pointed out the injustice of the austerity bill. “They are
cutting services that people like us depend on to survive. Why don’t the
congresspeople responsible explain to our children why they won’t be
getting that birthday present or explain to our elderly loved ones why they
will now have to pay out of pocket for medication they need?”
Nearly one trillion dollars in cuts has been established immediately, while
deciding on the additional $1.4 trillion in cuts has been delegated to an
unelected committee of 12. Yolanda Carrington of the Bail Out the People
Movement addressed the decision to put war spending over people’s needs.
“They are saying there’s no money for health care or
veterans’ benefits,” she said, “but we are fighting many wars
around the globe, with the newest in Libya starting just a few months
ago.”
Members of North Carolina Public Service Workers Union, United Electrical
Workers union Local 150 and of American Federation of Government Employees
Local 1738 were part of the demonstration. Essie Hogue, president of the AFGE
local, spoke on the duplicity of the elected officials. “They
aren’t doing the right thing. Congress is putting all the burden on poor
folks and none of the burden on the richest folks.”
Articles copyright 1995-2012 Workers World.
Verbatim copying and distribution of this entire article is permitted in any medium without royalty provided this notice is preserved.
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