One of the many bad things about the Senate's cuts-first approach to the budget is that local businesses will be hurt if the Senate plan for a 5%+ pay cut goes through. That in turn hurts our economic recovery, and affects many workers and business owners in the private sector.
How to spread the message? For the next week, DO THIS:
Every time you go into a grocery store, are near an auto dealer and can drop in, go to a bowling alley, restaurant, gas station, bar, car wash, phone store, toy store, department store, the movies--ANYWHERE--ask for the manager or owner. Tell them that you are a state or university employee, and that you and your family can't continue shopping at their business if we keep getting pay cuts. Ask them to call their representative or senator to support a budget with NO MORE CUTS and a balanced approach to our budget problems.
We are citizens, taxpayers, and consumers, and we've been singled out to balance the budget for too long. It's impacting local business and the private sector, but that only is relevant if we let them know how much we impact them.
The first time or two it will feel a little strange. But you'll find out that there's a lot more support for us in the private sector than the big-money lobbyists would have you believe. Please try this--soon, it'll be the first thing you do every time you walk into a business.
Even if you don't talk to the owner, tell employees and ask them to pass it on. There are a lot of us and we help the economy a lot, so you'll be surprised how quickly this catches fire and the buzz starts going around the state--including the Roundhouse.
Tell EVERY state employee, every university employee, and every child care worker, to let business know how much they need us. We're a family in this state, and we can't let people divide us from the businesses that we support. If you have any good anecdotes about doing this, please let me know and we'll share them with legislators.
Mil gracias a todos! --Carter
