California “Broke” on Purpose?
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Anya Svanoe, asvanoe@calorgnize.org, 510-423-2452
The Day Before Governor Newsom’s Jan 10th Budget Announcement, Tenants & Workers Host “Budget Tug of War” Street Theatre Actions at Government's Doorsteps
Amidst Dire Housing and Economic Crisis for Californians, California Common Good is demanding that Governor Newsom and State Lawmakers Tax Billionaires & Corporations to Fund Essential Services
CALIFORNIA — On Monday January 9th, a day before Governor Gavin Newsom announces his annual budget which includes an expected $25B deficit, a diverse coalition of community organizations representing working families and people of color will conduct street theater budget tug of war spectacles in Sacramento, Los Angeles and San Diego to highlight the stark choice Governor Newsom and the legislature has to make: Will they force essential workers, students, housing insecure families, and communities of color to foot the bill or will corporations and the ultra-wealthy finally be forced to pay what they owe, so California working families can thrive and survive the next crisis?
The actions will include giant puppets of Governor Newsom and billionaires and street theater, outside of state government buildings in Sacramento, Los Angeles and San Diego. They are being organized by the labor/community alliance, CA Common Good.
Read our 2023 California Budget FAQ sheet here.
WHAT: A budget tug of war and street theater: featuring on one side, the people of California advocating for basic human rights, and on the other side, the billionaires who don’t pay their fair share to the State
WHEN: January 9th at 11:30AM
WHERE:
Sacramento: Senator Office Building, 1121 L Street 9th Floor
Los Angeles: Ronald Reagan State Building, 300 Spring Street
San Diego: State Administration Building, 1350 Front Street
California is home to 186 billionaires and 50 Fortune 500 companies. The richest billionaires and corporate CEOs have seen their wealth increase by more than $292 billion since 2020. Yet California policymakers - from the Governor to state lawmakers - have made an active policy choice to not make them pay what they owe - denying Californians of their basic needs like affordable housing, fully funded and staffed public schools, and essential services for our communities.
“I’ve worked my whole life. Always contributed to my community. But the stress of this housing and economic crisis has nearly killed me. With over 180 billionaires in this state and the wealthiest corporations in the world living next door to us - there is no reason Governor Newsom and our legislators can’t fund the services we desperately need to allow our communities to not only to survive this crisis, but to thrive.”
James Daniels, a renter living in Antioch and a member of the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE) lost his job and income during the pandemic - resulting in an eviction, homelessness, and severe economic hardship that his family has yet been able to recover from.
“The State Legislature and Gov. Gavin Newsom have allowed the wealthy and corporations to not pay their fair share of taxes for a very long time and it negatively affects my and my family’s lives every day. My family and I are in a constant state of panic and complete survival mode. Although I have a job at UCLA as a Sr. Custodian and I have a part-time job after I leave UCLA, the impact of the State and university system not having money for housing, medical care or even being able to pay me a living wage causes me to have to make very careful choices in my life and the life of my family. It’s time to make the corporations pay what they owe,” Enrique Rosas, senior custodian at UCLA and member of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 3299.
California Common Good is calling on Governor Newsom and the State Legislature to advance progressive revenue solutions, including an increased corporate tax, wealth tax, digital ad tax, and other initiatives that tax the wealthiest individuals and industries in the state. Instead of debating when to tap into reserves or which expenditures to cut, these labor and community groups call on the State to compel the ultra-wealthy to pay what they owe in order to fully fund public education, meet the housing needs of Californians, and strengthen other vital services.
###
California Common Good is a growing cohort of community and labor groups representing low income families and communities of color hold accountable the wealthy corporations at the helm of the housing, economic, education and racial injustice that our communities are facing and build power for Californian working families to thrive.