Recovery for All Coalition Demands Bold Investment in People's Needs

A loud voice is being raised by The Recovery for All coalition on behalf of a state budget centered on large investments in equity and people's needs in the pandemic.  They are demanding that more be asked of those at the top who have profited during the pandemic.

The unions and community groups across Connecticut that make up the coalition are organizing a car caravan on Saturday February 20 at noon in Hartford to demand of the Governor “a people's budget that puts us first. It's time to fully fund and expand K-12 and higher education, childcare, mental health services, healthcare, long-term care, housing, environmental protections, and workers' rights.”

At a virtual press conference this week assessing Governor Lamont's budget proposal, speakers decried the lack of bold action to meet the needs of unemployed and front line workers and communities suffering from the pandemic.

Maddie Granato of the Connecticut Women's Educational and Legal Fund (CWEALF) emphasized the profound implications that women have been affected most. One in three people who filed for unemployment benefits this year are women of color. Granato said this calls for access to rental support, quality childcare and healthcare as budget priorities.

Speaking of the impact on his constituents in Waterbury, Pastor Rodney Wade called for a new way of thinking. “The status quo is no longer acceptable,” he said. “Trickle down economics has been a failure.” Instead, he said, “Connecticut must take bold action and focus on meeting the needs of human beings.”

Representatives Anne Hughes, Saud Anwar and Robyn Porter all agreed.

“The budget should center addressing structural inequities of front line workers and communities,” said Rep Hughes who chairs the Progressive Caucus at the State Legislature. Calling for economic justice through tax reform, she emphasized,“Those least impacted by the crisis should pay their fair share so Connecticut can invest in an equitable recovery from the ground up.”

Rep Anwar recalled the 7200 lives lost to the pandemic, 200,000 without jobs and the thousands at rick of becoming homeless. “These times demand transformative leadership,” he said, “to make sure no one is left behind.”

Jobs was the focus of Rep Porter's remarks including workforce development.

The press conference was hosted by the Connecticut AFL-CIO. President Sal Luciano opened with the following statement:

“Governor Lamont’s budget does not meet the urgency of this moment.

“There are more people out of work now than during the Great Recession. But I didn’t hear anywhere near enough about creating jobs programs for the nearly 200,000 people out of work in our state. And I didn’t hear nearly enough about addressing food insecurity and helping the thousands of people who have lost health care because they have lost their jobs through no fault of their own.

“We are on the verge of an eviction crisis. Unless the Governor and the legislature make substantial investments in affordable housing, we may see a drastic increase in homelessness.

“This is an emergency that requires bold leadership. A timid response will just mean this crisis lasts even longer. And the working people of this state will suffer longer as a result.

“Our budget isn’t just about mitigating next year’s deficit. It’s a reflection of our priorities. It’s about making sure our economic recovery is shared by everyone, not just the wealthy.

“It appears that Gov. Lamont was wearing rose-colored glasses when he drafted this budget. The stock market may be doing well, but it doesn’t reflect what life is like for everyday people who are struggling to pay their bills and make sure their families stay healthy.

“The working people of this state deserve more. They deserve the middle-class tax breaks that the Governor campaigned on. And they deserve an end to the regressive tax structure that has forced the poorest families in our state to pay three times what the wealthiest pay in state and local taxes.”

There is growing grass roots concern that the Governor has not extended the moratorium on evictions and foreclosures beyond February 9. The Jobs and Unemployed Committee of the New Haven Peoples Center issued an open letter to the Governor this week calling for an emergency order to extend the moratorium. “Without that extension thousands of Connecticut residents will be at risk of eviction,” the letter said, urging that the moratorium be extended immediately.