Letters Needed to Help Break State Budget Stalemate

Colleagues,

We are initiating a letter writing campaign to the legislature and Governor imploring them to consider raising taxes in addition to cutting expenses as a means of reaching a compromise agreement on the budget, based on your positive feedback to CFT President Marty Hittelman’s editorial regarding what needs to be done to solve the State budget impasse, coupled with the fact that the overwhelming majority of you agree that the State budget cannot be balanced on cuts alone.

Attached is a sample letter we have drafted that we propose sending to the entire legislature and Governor.  If you are comfortable sending this letter, or a modification of it, all you need to do is:

1)  Print enough copies for all of your co-workers, friends, and family members to sign;

2)  Have each person sign and print their name at the bottom;
3)  Send all originals to me in the District mail c/o the District office (or US mail to the AFT office).

We will then make copies of each letter and send them to all members of the legislature and the Governor.

Our goal is to send out 1,000 letters!

(If you wish to modify the letter feel free to edit it to make it consistent with your views on this issue.)

The important thing is for us to send as many letters as possible if we hope to influence the state budget talks in a positive manner.

Thanks in advance for your participation in this campaign!

Jim Mahler, President
AFT Guild, Local 1931