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SEIU Head to Congress: Treat Main Street Bailout With Same Urgency As Wall Street Bailout

SEIU president Andy Stern just put out a statement calling for Congress to quickly pass Barack Obama's stimulus package, showing how labor is falling in line to mobilize support for the new president's agenda.

Stern rebuts anyone complaining about the price-tag of the package, pointing out that Congress didn't have too many problems with a different big-spending bill a few months back:

"If Congress needs just three weeks to pass a Wall Street bailout, then we should be able to count on our leaders to pass Main Street relief with as much urgency. Now is the time to make that change that works by getting our economy back on track and building a country where the dreams we have for our families and our children can come true."

Full statement after the jump.

SEIU PRESIDENT ANDY STERN STATEMENT ON PRESIDENT-ELECT OBAMA'S ECONOMIC SPEECH

WASHINGTON, DC - SEIU President Andy Stern issued the following statement following President-elect Obama's speech on the economy at George Mason University.

"People keep trying to draw comparisons, but the truth is that this moment is like no other in history.

For many, times have never been so tough. A failing economy and a broken health care system have put the squeeze on millions of families. Yet, people remain hopeful - excited about what could be.

Yesterday, SEIU announced a huge 35-state effort to help Main Street by ensuring Change that Works through passage of an economic recovery package, passing comprehensive health care reform and ensuring workers have freedom to choose a voice at work. Our two million members agree with the urgency reinforced this morning by President-elect Obama that Congress must act now to address this crisis and relieve the pain for working families before a bad situation becomes dramatically worse.

"This is about saving jobs in cash-strapped states where the crucial services our families are counting on are being cut, such as Massachusetts, where one-quarter of caseworkers who help the mentally ill are being laid off. This is about getting people back to work by creating millions of new jobs where workers' voices are respected and where they earn wages and benefits that support a family. This is about investing in a stronger future by fixing our health care system so that keeping our families' healthy poses no threat to our economic security and prosperity.

"If Congress needs just three weeks to pass a Wall Street bailout, then we should be able to count on our leaders to pass Main Street relief with as much urgency. Now is the time to make that change that works by getting our economy back on track and building a country where the dreams we have for our families and our children can come true."


10 Comments

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Put the firecracker under Congress' ass to get things DONE for Main Street.

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Here's hoping they DON'T.

Or maybe someone can tell me how the bailout is going? Howze that oversight? Was it necessary? Where's the money going? Howze the political support for it?

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PS...I am not against the use of ass firecrackers but this time couldn't we be a bit more concerned about process than with pyrotechnics?

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We'll be having a live video discussion about this "Change that Works" campaign at 4:15 PM Eastern later today. You can submit a question beforehand and watch the event here:

http://www.seiu.org/livestream

Thanks!

Tim

By way of disclosure, I run SEIU's New Media Department

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O/T: I loved your work with Ned Lamont's campaign.

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Thanks a lot.

See you there in 2012?

Tim

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You betcha! Also too.

Dumping Joe Lieberman will be extremely satisfying.

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Here's an excellent mythbusting of Republican attacks/disinformation about the economic recovery plan, and the economy in general:

http://www.ourfuture.org/blog-entry/2009010208/firing-back-mythbusting-obama-recovery-package

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Are we talking about re-inflating the bubble here?

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Seems that Obama in an interview said that economists from all over the spectrum supported the size and the contents of the proposed stimulus package. Unless Congress wants to add missing controls on the expenditures for the stimulus, then they can forego the posturing and crank out the damned bill.

Folks are hurting out here, in case it escaped notice of those not hurting.

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