One year after its inception, the Responsible Budget Coalition is still fighting hard for a sustainable state budget solution. Will lawmakers ever listen?
Leaders from the Responsible Budget Coalition reminded lawmakers yesterday that citizens aren't
satisfied with the stop-gap budget proposals that are being discussed in Springfield.
Fighting for comprehensive tax reform, the Responsible Budget Coalition organized one of the largest Springfield rallies in years this week. But their activism didn't end when they left the state capitol. Yesterday, the coalition unveiled a redesigned website and a new online petition in support of House Bill 174, which they intend to send to lawmakers. They also produced a statewide television ad titled "Act Now." Watch it below:
Full disclosure: SEIU Healthcare IL/IN, whose Illinois State Council sponsors this website, is a member of the RBC.
At yesterday's Save Our State rally in Springfield, various leaders of the Responsible Budget Coalition took to the stage to rev up the crowd before their march around (and into) the capitol. Towards the end of the program, Denver Bitner, president of Lutheran Social Services of Chicago, reminded everyone that "human services are about human beings." He then brought Deanna Martinez to the stage, who recalled how a state-subsidized addiction treatment program saved her life. Watch her remarks:
You can check out our full coverage of the rally here.
The Responsible Budget Coalition is trying to remind lawmakers that it's
long past time to acknowledge and resolve the ongoing budget crisis in
Illinois. A new report reinforces just how deep our fiscal hole has become.
In her segment last night on the national discussion regarding the value of government, MSNBC's Rachel Maddow highlighted yesterday's budget rally in Springfield. She noted that the crowd had at one point chanted "Show some guts!" (watch a clip of that chant here) and went on to discuss the issue with Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell (full video on the MSNBC site):
During the interview portion, Rendell went on to say: "I think there are progressives in this country who are way out in
front of the politicians, and I love the fact that the Illinois
protesters were saying, 'Show some guts,' because I think that's
exactly what we need to do. If we're gonna go down in November -- and I
don't think we are -- if we're gonna go down, let's go down fighting for
the things we believe in. Let's not be afraid."
Over 10,000 protesters descended
on downtown Springfield on April 21 as part of the Responsible Budget
Coalition's Save Our State Rally. Below is our full coverage.
The Responsible Budget Coalition's Save Our State rally drew an estimate 15,000 protestors to the capitol in Springfield today. Check out our full coverage here.
The Responsible Budget Coalition's Wednesday rally could draw as many as 15,000 participants -- all in support of generating new revenue to solve the state budget crisis. It may be the biggest rally in Springfield history and there are sure to be a wide array of speakers addressing the crowd. But according to the Illinois Federation of Teachers' Dave Comerford, one group won't be invited to the podium:
“No politician will be speaking at the rally. They’ve done
enough talking without acting,” said Comerford. “They need to hear
from us.”
