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Schwarzenegger cuts ignite protests

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.