WHEREAS:

Decades of tax giveaways to the rich and big business, together with deep cuts in federal support, have precipitated the second major crisis in state budgets in a little over ten years; and

WHEREAS:

In Illinois, AFSCME Council 31 correctly moved to counter this by working to build an alliance of over 200 unions and community organizations around an alternative budget plan that sought to cut out unnecessary subsidies, close tax loopholes and delink the state tax code from Bush's tax cuts; and

WHEREAS:

All the money and time that AFSCME members and our union have devoted to the political process, we were unable to motivate so much as a single Democratic or Republican legislator to carry this alternative budget to the floor of the Illinois House or Senate; and

WHEREAS:

The state Democratic leadership, rather than work with AFSCME and its allies to build support for this progressive alternative, collaborated instead with state Republicans to pass a bipartisan, pro-business budget that will cut deeply into state services and destroy six and a half thousand of our jobs through layoffs and early retirement.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:

That this International Union will only support and endorse candidates, including independent candidates, who support AFSCME's working family agenda; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:

That this Union will only support those candidates who fight to return the burden of taxes in our society to those who can best afford to pay, and ought to pay, namely the rich and the big corporations, and who are not afraid to oppose the rich and powerful in order to defend our jobs and services.

SUBMITTED BY:

Steve Edwards, President and Delegate
Diane Stokes, Vice President and Delegate
Pete Anderson, Secretary
Mike Bernard, Treasurer
Lillie Jones, Executive Board Member and Delegate
Miguel Mora, Steward and Delegate
Mary Bennett, Executive Board Member
AFSCME Local 2858, Council 31
Illinois