Call to Action In Support of the Wisconsin Workers – Sat, Feb. 26 Rally

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Rally In Support of Wisconsin Working People – We Are One

There’s been a national “50 State Call to Action” in solidarity with the Wisconsin workers and public unions for rallies this Saturday. The original call was for rallies at every state capital.  But here in San Diego, 500 miles from Sacramento, we are organizing a rally at the County Administration Building for Noon, also on February 26th.

Rally In Support of Wisconsin Working People

Noon – Saturday, Feb. 26th

San Diego County Admin Building – Bay Side

1600 Pacific Highway

The OB Rag has joined the original call from a number of national progressive organizations, and the San Diego County Labor Council has just announced that it is taking on much of the organizing and logistics for Saturday’s rally here in our town.  The Labor Council is calling it “We Are One” Rally, for good reason.

There is also a call to rally Thursday, Feb. 24th, in front of Congresswoman Susan Davis’ office (see below for details).

The original call came from the group MoveOn, but had been joined by PCCC, Color of Change, CREDO Action, Democracy for America, Campaign for Community Change, National People’s Action, TrueMajority, US Action, Progressive Majority, the Courage Campaign, and “green jobs visionary Van Jones” (see his accompanying article here).

Here is a list of groups that have endorsed this rally so far: Progressive Democrats of America – Metro San Diego, San Diego Community Coalition, UPTE-CWA, Local 9, AFT Local 1931, Center for Policy Initiatives; groups that are considering endorsements (as all this is happening so quickly) include Movement for a Democratic Society, the San Diego Chapter of the Green Party, the San Diego County Democratic Party.

Here is the original call to action:

50-State Mobilization to Save the American Dream

Calling all students, teachers, union members, workers, patriots, public servants, unemployed folks, progressives, and people of conscience:

In Wisconsin and around our country, the American Dream is under fierce attack. Instead of creating jobs, Republicans are giving tax breaks to corporations and the very rich, and then cutting funding for education, police, emergency response and vital human services. The right to organize is on the chopping block. The American Dream is slipping out of reach for more and more Americans, and we have to fight back.

We call for emergency rallies in front of every statehouse this Saturday at noon to stand in solidarity with the people of Wisconsin. Demand an end to the attacks on workers’ rights and public services across the country. Demand investment, to create decent jobs for the millions of people who desperately want to work. And demand that the rich and powerful pay their fair share.

We are all Wisconsin.

We are all Americans.

Van Jones wrote these inspiring words:

“In the past 24 months, those of us who longed for positive change have gone from hope to heartbreak. But hope is returning to America—at last—thanks largely to the courageous stand of the heroes and heroines of Wisconsin.

Reinvigorated by the idealism and fighting spirit on display right now in America’s heartland, the movement for “hope and change” has a rare, second chance. It can renew itself and become again a national force with which to be reckoned.

Over the next hours and days, all who love this country need to do everything possible to spread the “spirit of Madison” to all 50 states. This does not mean we need to occupy 50 state capitol buildings; things elsewhere are not yet that dire. But this weekend, the best of America should rally on the steps of every statehouse in the union.”

Van Jones declared:

Let Saturday, February 26, 2011, mark the beginning of the national movement to renew the American Dream and return us to the moral center — where everybody counts, and everybody matters.

San Diego MoveOn is organizing the following:

Invest in America Speak-Out

Susan Davis’ Office, 2700 Adams Ave (Map)

San Diego, CA 92116

Thursday, February 24th, 4:00 PM

(The San Diego Labor Council is more formally known as the San Diego and Imperial County Labor Council, AFL-CIO.)

Tagged as: We Are One