Food Stamps Cut – What You Can Do To Improve the Situation

By Grassroots DC, on November 7th, 2013

[re-posted from the Washington Peace Center’s weekly “Activist Alert” e-newsletter]:

Last week, more than 40 million people’s food stamps benefits were cut. As wealth continues to concentrate and poverty continues to grow, Congress has decided that it’s acceptable to reduce the monthly allotment for food stamps (or SNAP benefits) more than thirty dollars a month for low-income individuals and families.

Over and over again, we’re reminded that many, if not most, of our elected officials are more interested in getting reelected than empathy. More interested in maintaining tax shelters and keeping donors than the safety and well being of their constituents. Not to mention, the rhetoric that they’re putting out – about private charities making up for the gap – is misguided at best. The nation’s food banks are already struggle to meet the needs of their clients, and a reduction in food stamps is just going to make the problem worse.

Charitable organization’s can’t be expected to make up for the lack of resources that are aggravated by a broken financial system. It feels hopeless a lot of the time, but fortunately here in DC, there are folks working towards employment justice. Now’s the time to get involved with a local campaign that we have a good chance of winning. Then, we can show the feds how to do it!

Join the Paid Sick Days Rally on Friday to make our collective voice louder – folks deserve living wages, and to be able to take care of themselves — whether that means feeding their families of taking time off to get healthy.

In Solidarity,

Kat, Ryn, Candice, Sonia & Dany

 

 

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Living Wage Bill Mixtape

By Grassroots DC, on September 10th, 2013

By now we’ve told you how the bill made its way through Council, the heavy-duty organizing and coalition-building that’s taken place over the summer, and even how you can get involved — no matter how you feel about the bill.

We’ve heard strong opinions for and against the bill in Council, hints from the Mayor on how he’ll vote, and continued threats from Walmart to leave DC and drop development if the Large Retailer Accountability Act (i.e. the LRAA or “Living Wage” bill) were signed into law. In other words, we know pretty well how the politicians and corporate executives feel. But what about those most impacted by the bill, like DC residents and retail employees themselves?

GrassrootsDC brings you this mixtape of voices collected from actions in support of the Living Wage bill across the District. We hope you enjoy!

Living Wage Bill Mixtape

Mixed with Head Roc’s 2012 track “Keep DC Walmart Free,” these are the voices of:

Reverend Virginia Williams (native Washingtonian, Ward 7 resident), Kimberly Mitchell (Macy’s employee, UFCW Local400 member, lifelong Ward 7 resident,), Tonya C. (former Walmart employee, fired from a Laural, MD location), Cindy Murray (13 year Walmart associate at Hyattsville, MD store, member of OUR Walmart), Mike Wilson (organizer with RespectDC), and Inocencio Quinones (Ward 7 resident and organizer with OurDC)

We thank everyone who contributed to this mixtape, including all the speakers listed above, Head Roc for the musical element, and the folks that live-streamed a protest from a Hyattsville, MD location on September 5th, 2013.

Audio download available here (Living Wage Bill Mixtape), please share freely!

 

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