A Real Workers State of the Union

Feb 18, 2013

With fanfare and drum rolls, every politician from the President of the United States to the State Governors to the Mayors rolled out their State of the Union, State of the State, State of the City speeches. And in spite of all the pretty rhetoric they all came up with, each speech included just one big attack after another on poor and working people.

Working people need their own State of the Workers Union agenda. And Item One would be to send all of these politicians packing and begin the process of recouping the losses we have suffered under this rotten capitalist economy in crisis.

The Second Item would be a “To Hell with the Banks” to stop the nonsense of continuing to transfer every bit of cash out of our pockets and into theirs.

The Third would be to make the bosses, banks and politicians pay for what they have created. Instead of raising our taxes, it should be the corporations and the rich that pay. Let them put the money back into the public coffers that they stole from us. Stop the tax increases on us for Social Security and other programs.

And put an end to the wars that are draining the economy and killing working class men and women. That would more than cover the current deficit.

Put people to work fixing the infrastructure problems like the ruined roads and highways; the electric grids that have fallen into neglect. Unemployment would be virtually eliminated if our program was to expand and improve transportation, public services, tear down dangerous buildings or better yet rehabilitating them.

Cleaning up the neighborhoods and improving housing would be a first priority. And the capitalists should pay for it. The minimum wage discussion should be replaced with a discussion to provide all workers with good wages. And wage increases should be tied to prices. If wages are indexed to prices it would stop the inflated price gouging that is going on.

Health care can be provided for everyone. We can ensure that the poor and disabled and old are the first to receive the very best treatment. What kind of government allows cuts in Dental, Vision and Hearing benefits for the elderly, the people who need them the most?

This would be a real Workers State of the Union agenda. Of course, the politicians and their capitalist employers would scream “Impossible! There is no money for that.” But they lie. It is the working population that has produced all of the wealth that they garner to themselves. They have stolen and squandered it. Their speeches and promises to throw on a band aid while they rob us to death are insulting at best. There would be money in all the public coffers if they hadn’t stolen it.