Last week (April 5-8), in response to the billions of dollars in cuts to health care, disability lifeline, housing, public safety, education, and funds to protect the environment, thousands of us occupied the Capitol, slept on the marble floors, and rallied for revenue.
From all corners of the state, and all walks of life, we made our voices heard, and challenged our political leaders to make a moral choice: protect the wealthiest in our state by continuing tax breaks for special interests or raise revenue to protect children, seniors and our communities?
Our movement is gaining momentum: This week, key legislative allies began to introduce legislation to fund basic human services by closing tax loopholes. But we must keep up the pressure. That’s why this Thursday, April 14, faith leaders, community members, and labor allies will start a 50-mile, 5-day People’s Walk for Our Future.
Kicking off on the eve of Tax Day, a day when everyone is required to pay their fair share, the People’s Walk will start in Auburn near the world headquarters of Weyerhaeuser, a Fortune 500 company that paid ZERO federal and state taxes last year. People will start their journey everyday at 10am and walk until 6pm every night until they reach the capitol in Olympia on April 18th.
The budgets released by the House and the Senate over the past two weeks show that lawmakers are continuing to favor corporations instead of people. Participants in the People’s Walk are demanding that lawmakers pass a moral budget that reflects the values of Washingtonians by:
1) stopping cuts to public services that support our communities and create jobs;
2) pursuing other revenue sources that will restore funding to core services;
3) reviewing and ending wasteful tax breaks that fail to create jobs or benefit our communities; and
4) preventing any new spending on unnecessary tax exemptions.
Want to get involved? Call the People’s Walk hotline 206-713-5675 1) Sign up to join in the People’s Walk for Our Future – for a day, or for all five days! 2) Host walkers along the route who will need a place to stay. 3) Welcome the People’s Walk as it comes through your community. 4) Get your organization involved in sponsoring an event along the walk route. 5) Volunteer your time and help out (cooking meals, providing First Aid, shuttling people, leafleting neighborhoods, etc). 6) Donate materials or supplies to the walkers (food, water, rain ponchos).
Take 2 minutes to call our Attorney General Rob McKenna 866-200-6444. 
