The Roadblock Republicans: 100 Days of Saying No to Progress

Every day, more Americans get a pink slip, more stores shutter their doors and more families find the American Dream growing dimmer and farther from their grasp. Our 1.6 million members are on the frontlines of this crisis. The vital services they provide are taking huge hits - which means communities are suffering.

AFSCME stepped up our political and legislative efforts in January by creating the "Make America Happen" campaign. Through this campaign, we are mobilizing our members and the general public to support President Obama's comprehensive effort to promote jobs and economic recovery, enact health care reform this year and pass the Employee Free Choice Act.

AFSCME marshaled our resources to make sure that the President's historic recovery bill would include substantial new assistance to state and local governments. We generated more than 40,000 phone calls, personal letters and e-mails to members of Congress. Working with Americans United for Change, we launched ads to end the Republicans' "Just Say No" campaign of obstruction.

The Republicans say we're exaggerating the problems facing our economy. When President Obama extends a friendly hand to them, they respond with a clenched fist. So, we're going on the air again with a new television spot. The Roadblock Republicans can't hide from the damage their resistance is doing to the recovery our people need.

AFSCME has deployed grassroots organizers to work in target states as part of our "Make America Happen" campaign. We're mobilizing across the country, from Maine to Alaska . . . in union strongholds like Pennsylvania and Ohio . . . but also in Southern states, like Arkansas and North Carolina. We're sending our organizers into Mountain and Western states, like Montana and North Dakota. And we're mobilizing the grassroots in the American heartland, in states such as Indiana and Missouri.

We have important work to do to overcome the opposition of the corporate CEOs who set the GOP agenda. We're going to flood Capitol Hill with phone calls and letters to keep us on the road to recovery. And we're going to make sure that the Roadblock Republicans know that working Americans expect them to put partisanship aside and do what is right for America.

You can see the new TV spot and read about our grassroots efforts at our new website: Make America Happen.com. AFSCME is committed to bringing bold change to our country. We are committed to making America happen again.

Comments

[MelanieMatthias]

Fantastic! Keep up the great work!

[Photofarm]

Obama has not reached across the aisle in good faith with a handshake.

[Kindheart]

The GOP will face the voters in 2010 and will lose even more seats. Perhaps then, they will see the errors of their ways.

[jadeba]

Great ad. Keep up the good work.

[jane gutowski]

It is not a free choice act. You are taking away the right to vote in private and that is against what America is about.

[WinterParkMom]

Not so. You are being given the choice to do either or without being intimidated by managment. Get yr facts straight.

[Absintheforall]

Sure, just what the American economy needs right now-- another reason to shut more businesses down. AFSCME is a costly anachronism, and has been since the 70s at least.

[IndianaJoyce]

Evidence of anachronism, please?

Is it the higher inflation-adjusted wages of the middle class? No, those wages are lower.

Is it the larger percentage of employees covered by employer-sponsored health plans? Whoops, no.

What else?

[Senzasord]

I am sorry but you seem to have it backwards. It is the corporate greed and the war on the middle class that has been going on for almost 30 years that is causing the businesses to shut down. You see demand is driven by workers having good paying secure jobs. Since these jobs are all being lost, companies have no one to buy what they make and so they sut down. All the Unions want is to restore the middle class to its former position so that everyone prospers. If companies would do the right thing, then workers wouldn't need unions. Unfortunately they never do so the need for unions remains as strong as ever.