Tell Rhode Island lawmakers: No cuts in the budget!
Petition to Rhode Island Lawmakers:
It's imperative that any budget deficit - in the supplemental budget or in the 2021 budget - be addressed without cutting funding to social services, public transit, schools, or cities and towns. Rather, we must fill the gap with progressive taxation and optimal use of federal stimulus/bailout funds. As you know, a super-majority vote is required to pass a state budget - I urge you to work with your colleagues to block any budget that includes cuts like the above which will have a negative impact on ordinary Rhode Islanders.
The ongoing pandemic is impacting the wellbeing of thousands of Rhode Islanders - but this disaster could soon be compounded by another one:
State lawmakers are meeting right now to decide how to fill a massive budget deficit - and they might do so on the backs of ordinary Rhode Islanders.
The state is facing a shortfall of around one billion dollars. We need to make sure that it fills this gap through progressive taxation and by ensuring optimal use of stimulus/bailout funds from the federal government.
And we must make it clear that it cannot be filled by cutting critical social services, public transportation, schools, or funding for cities and towns.
These sorts of cuts would only further decimate poorer and working class Rhode Islanders, who are already bearing the brunt of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Cuts could reduce access to healthcare, lead to thousands of layoffs, make it even harder to keep meaningful public education operating during the crisis, and lead to an increase in regressive property taxes and housing costs.
Please add your name at right to tell your state lawmakers: Vote against any budget that includes cuts that will hurt ordinary Rhode Islanders!