WHEREAS:
AFSCME supports long-term federal investments in public services to ensure all Americans, including working families, seniors, children and those struggling to make ends meet, receive the assistance they need, and public sector workers supporting these services receive adequate compensation, benefits and support; and
WHEREAS:
When Congress invests in government services, communities benefit from funding to rebuild roads, bridges and public infrastructure; enhance education like early childhood, K-12 and college; create jobs and expand job training; strengthen key public health infrastructure to improve medical outcomes for all Americans; and countless other direct and indirect benefits; and
WHEREAS:
The continued availability of quality state and local public services depends on sustained federal funding. Sustainable federal investment in turn depends on healthy federal revenues, including progressive tax sources.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:
AFSCME advocates for robust federal investments in programs that support the delivery of vital state and local government services. Funding must be adequate to ensure sufficient staffing levels, fair compensation and support for quality service delivery; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
AFSCME supports enacting economic stabilizers that would automatically invest new federal dollars into budgets of states and localities, as well as to individuals struggling to make ends meet, if key economic criteria are triggered by a recession, including high unemployment rates, an economic slowdown, or other negative economic indicators; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED:
AFSCME will advocate for significantly increased progressive federal tax revenues, especially from billionaires, the top 1% of income earners and large profitable corporations, which Congress should use to help offset the cost of investing in public services, improving wages and ensuring adequate benefits for working families.
SUBMITTED BY:
R. Sean Grayson, President
Julie Albers, Recording Secretary
AFSCME Council 8
Ohio