'Corporate Loophole' Protest Planned for Rep. Simmons' Office Today
A rally by local voters is planned to protest Governor Tom Corbett's "protection of corporate loopholes while cutting education, social services and killing jobs."
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Protesters plan to rally once again at state Rep. Justin Simmons (R-131) office on Route 378 in Lower Saucon Township today.
An email encouraging "Teachers, parents, concerned voters, local workers, [and] community members" to come out and protest has been making the rounds to inboxes throughout the Lehigh Valley.
Simmons' office was the site of a "Rally against the 1%" in April.
According to the email, this time protestors "will rally outside Rep. Justin Simmons’ office and join hundreds of Pennsylvanians in towns across the state to call on their legislators to vote against Governor Corbett’s budget, which cuts millions of dollars from education, critical services, and health care, and kills jobs while protecting tax loopholes that cost Pennsylvania hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue each year."
The email states:
"Nearly $1 billion could be generated by closing tax loopholes that keep rich corporations from paying their fair share to support public schools and universities, roads, infrastructure and public transportation, healthcare and other services."
The protest starts at 4pm, with a press conference scheduled for 4:15pm.
Steve
5:51 pm on Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Hundreds of millions of dollars a year could be saved if teachers simply contiibuted to pension and health care an amount similar to other occupations. It's so simple and yet impossible.
When are protesters going to protest that ? People don't realize that these expenses consume a huge portion of the school budgets. Yet, almost every year, trying to get teachers to contribute even a few dollars is almost impossible.
And other the parents and concerned citizens, whose at the front of the list as those encouraged to attend a rally against corporations ? Answer: The teachers !!!
How convenient and logical !
Sorry I can't attend, I have to go to work to earn money to pay my whopping school tax bill soon to come !
truth seeker
11:37 pm on Thursday, May 24, 2012
The pension problem was caused by GOP governor Tom Ridge and the legislature when they decided to mess with the multiplier upping it from 2 - 2.5 and lowering the years needed to join the system from 10 to 5. To make it worse the state took a 10 year payment holiday. This is not the fault of teachers or unions. This is about greedy foolish state politicians looking to increase their own benefits. Many of the same lawmakers now are purposely underfunding public education in order to manufactrue a crisis that they hope ends in privitization.