Arts & Events

A coalition of workers, educators, students, seniors, environmentalists, peace activists, religious progressives, and other social justice activists from throughout the Bay Area plan to march and rally for jobs, not budget cuts, and other people-serving actions in Oakland on Saturday, Oct. 15. 

They will gather at 1:00 p.m. at Laney College, following the Public Safety Summit there organized by Mayor Jean Quan. Then the crowd will march to the Federal Building and Frank Ogawa Plaza to present the “Jobs Not Cuts” agenda. 

At the Federal Building, demonstrators will nail a list of urgently needed actions to the federal government’s door. Actually, they’ll bring the door with them. 

“People are tired of being ignored by Washington,” said Charles Davidson, Coordinator of the MoveOn.org East Bay Council, the principal sponsor of the demonstration. “We need to show the White House, Congress, and both political parties that we’re fed up with government of, by, and for the wealthy. It’s time for policies to benefit ‘the other 98% of us.’ Our future is in jeopardy.” 

MoveOn.org and Rebuild the Dream are organizing similar events across the nation in October to make the voices of ordinary Americans heard. More than 80 organizations have joined the movement (see http://contract.rebuildthedream.com). MoveOn has over five million supporters nationally and 50,000 in the East Bay. 

From thousands of grassroots ideas, MoveOn/Rebuild the Dream developed a 10-point agenda for government actions to turn the country around. It calls for 

• A large-scale jobs program for building and maintaining America’s infrastructure 

• Protection of workers’ rights and wages 

• Full funding of quality public education 

• Support for 21st century clean, renewable energy and protection of the environment 

• A “Medicare-for-all” universal health care plan 

• Strengthening Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid 

• Getting corporations out of politics 

To fund these actions, the movement calls on Congress to 

• End the wars and cut the Pentagon budget 

• Tax corporations and wealthy individuals their fair share 

• Tax Wall Street speculation 

“We’ve made our sacrifices,” Davidson said. “Now they need to make theirs.” 

The Alameda County, San Francisco, and South Bay Labor Councils and many other community groups have endorsed the event. Groups are urged to publicize the rally to their members and to encourage others to endorse and spread the word. 

There will be music and spoken word performances at the rally. Headliners will be announced as they confirm. 

For more details, to volunteer, or to endorse the demonstration, visit www.jobs-not-cuts.org or send email to MoveOnEastBay@gmail.com.