COMMUNITY COALITION FED UP WITH SEQUESTER CUTS CALLS ON CONGRESS TO END THE SEQUESTER AND CLOSE CORPORATE TAX LOOPHOLES

ATLANTA, March 20, 2013 – A large crowd gathered at the Georgia State Capitol to demonstrate their opposition to the across-the-board spending cuts known as the sequester.  Representatives of community organizations, elected officials, and outraged citizens held signs and delivered speeches, demanding that Congress work together to reverse the cuts and close corporate tax loopholes.

The $83 billion in cuts is already starting to have an impact in Georgia.  According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, two thousand Federal Aviation Administration employees in metro Atlanta were recently told that they have to take unpaid time off because of the sequester cuts.  As more of these automatic federal budget cuts are implemented, Georgia workers will see more furlough notices and jobs will be lost.    

”As our country continues to move forward, millions of Americans are still unemployed, and thousands more look to face furloughs and in some cases layoffs. We can’t continue to play politics and ride the backs of the working-middle class. I believe now more than ever Americans.....Georgians are speaking out urging congress to work together to continue this nation’s progress,” said Richard McDaniel, Organizing for Action State Lead.

Congress’ inability to work together will also devastate the livelihoods of millions of Americans, including children.  Georgia is expected to lose $28.6 million in funding for primary and secondary education, meaning approximately 54,000 fewer students would be served.

“The sequester will hurt students of all ages.  Instead of investing in our kids’ future, the spending cuts would slash funding for programs that help our youngest succeed such as Head Start and reduce funding for education programs such as Title I,” said State Senator Curt Thompson.

“The sequester is the epitome of Washington dysfunction. Congress needs to get its act together to make sound strategic budget decisions, like we do here in the states. Cutting funding for Head Start, special education, the STOP violence against women program, meals-on-wheels, and other vital social programs is wrong, especially at a time when the needs of our most vulnerable--women, children, and seniors--are unmet.  It's time to do the right thing, and end the sequester,” said State Senator Nan Orrock.

“While some members of Congress hold the economy hostage to get their way, working families in Georgia are suffering real consequences in the form of lost defense industry jobs, furloughed pay and devastating cuts to programs that support the health and well being of our children, seniors and the working poor,” said Georgia AFL-CIO President Charlie Flemming.

The coalition advocated for a simple solution to stop the sequester: generate revenue by closing corporate tax loopholes. Large tax loopholes for corporations are costing both federal and state governments billions of dollars.  Recent research shows that the federal government loses around $90 billion annually -- and state governments about $40 billion -- to foreign tax havens that allow corporations to hide their profits abroad without taxation.

 “It’s time to stop giving highly profitable corporations like GE and Bank of America a free ride while the rest of us pay the fare.  Congress can end the sequester right now—and reverse all of these cuts that hurt the middle class—simply by making corporations pay their fair share” said Jason Pfeifle, Georgia Fair Share Organizer.