Schwarzenegger cuts ignite protests
By
Jim McMahan
Los Angeles
Published Mar 30, 2005 10:47 AM
California Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger wants to loot the state treasury on behalf of banking and
corporate interests by initiating massive state budget cuts. Behind the current
fiscal crisis is the state’s priority on paying back $27.4 billion in
state loans, including $9 billion in interest payments, borrowed from Wall
Street banks in the past. The public employee unions are fighting to keep
education, health care and other services intact for the workers and
poor.
On March 16, 1,000 workers—nurses, hospital workers, teachers,
students, firefighters and others— protested budget cuts at the Century
Plaza hotel in Los Angeles. Schwarzenegger was appearing at a fund raiser to
help raise $50 million. The donation from super-rich VIPs was $89,000 per
person. The $50 million is for the governor’s upcoming ballot initiative
plan to attack the workers with his reactionary pro gram. The hotel was blocked
by the mass of demonstrators. The governor had to enter the hotel through the
loading dock.
A week later, 2,000 workers and supporters demonstrated in
the pouring rain at another fund raiser at the Hyatt Regency in Irvine.
“He’s just looking out for corporate interests rather than patient
interests,” said Lois Sanders, a nurse. The demonstrators carried signs
against the cuts and attacking Wall Street.
Schwarzenegger is a front man
for the corporate and banking elite, much like his Democratic predecessor, Gray
Davis. Since Schwarzenegger has taken office, he has followed the George W. Bush
strategy of massively attacking the workers and
communities.
Schwarzenegger has three goals in mind: Establish
“merit” pay for teachers; get rid of the state workers’
pension plan and set up a 401(k) “no guarantee” plan in its place;
and implement massive budget cuts in health care, education and elsewhere by
getting the legislature to allow him to make emergency mid-term cuts if the
budget becomes imbalanced.
Merit pay for teachers would smash their
seniority and solidarity. Schwarzen egger’s plan would do away with a
secure pension for all state workers, including teachers, who can’t
receive Social Security benefits.
Schwarzenegger's cuts in state programs
are also being dictated by the Wall Street banks. These banks want to sink their
greedy hooks into California’s $83 billion in state
revenues—equivalent to the world's sixth-biggest economy. In the last four
years, California schools have been hit by $9 billion in cuts. Students of color
make up 67 percent of the school system.
The state's nurses are outraged
at the governor’s decision to stop a state regulation that mandates a
ratio of one nurse for every five patients, eroding patient care in a state
where 50 hospitals have closed since 1990. The King/Drew Medical Center, one of
the country’s biggest trauma units and located in the Black and Latin@
communities of South Central L.A., is one of those being threatened with
closure.
Schwarzenegger insulted the nurses at a state women's convention
in Decem ber. When nurses stood up to interrupt his speech, he said, “Pay
no attention to them. They are the special interests. I am always kicking their
butts.” Outraged nurses were demonstrating by the thousands the next month
in Sacramento, chanting,”Arnold, Arnold, you can't hide; we can see your
corporate side.”
Since then nurses, teachers, firefighters, health
care workers and others have trailed Schwarzenegger all over the country,
demonstrating against him in Ohio, Chicago, New York City, Washington, D.C., and
Indian Wells, Calif.
The California Nurses Association and other workers
will be demonstrating on April 5 when Schwarzenegger goes to the Ritz Carlton in
San Francisco for another one of his VIP fund raisers.
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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