The global wave of struggle of economic justice and freedom which began half way around the world and shook the rotunda of the Wisconsin State Capital arrived in deep red South Carolina Saturday when thousands of activists, educators, union members, environmentalists, Christians and progressives came to the state capital in Columbia for The Rally for a Moral Budget.
The body of this post contains links to video and a full update on the continuing effort in SC which has shaken the legislature as it watches events elsewhere and considers the possibility that the state's settled system of quiet, personal control might not be able to manage massive cuts which impact their own conservative base as well as the state's traditionally in the minority progressive community in the internet age.
The global wave of struggle of economic justice and freedom which began half way around the world and shook the rotunda of the Wisconsin State Capital arrived in deep red South Carolina Saturday when thousands of activists, educators, union members, environmentalists, Christians and progressives came to the state capital in Columbia for The Rally for a Moral Budget.
Video of Charleston Democrats traveling to the Rally on a Bio-diesel powered bus and highlights from the Rally is now on Youtube.
Sponsored by the SC Progressive Network and coordinated by the state’s hardened cadre of veteran progressive activists, the rally challenged attempts to rush through a state budget which extends tax exemptions to the powerful while hacking down services to the disabled, elderly, dying, sick and children. A dozen organizations, ranging from the SC Education Association to the Aids network set up tables to register voters, circulate petitions, and distribute literature.
A drum circle began about half an hour before the rally started and could be heard three blocks away, greeting demonstrators as they approached the capital grounds. The rally began at 1 pm with prayer led by Imam Omar Shaheed. Speakers included Jackie Hicks, SC Education Assn.; Joe Benton, SC State Employees Assn.; Dr. Oscar Lovelace, Chair, Governor’s Health Care Task Force; and the Rev. Dr. Carl Wells, SC Christian Action Council. Also speaking to the thousands present were Donna DeWitt of the SC AFL-CIO; Dr. Lonnie Randolph, President of the SC NAACP; and Susan Corbett, SC Sierra Club. Finishing the program were Virginia Sanders, SC Alliance for Retired Americans; Dr. Bambi Gaddist, Chairman of the SC HIV/AIDS Crisis Task Force; and rally organizer, Brett Bursey, Director of the SC Progressive Network. The Closing prayer, in English and Spanish, was offered by Pastor Sandy Jones, Hispanic Ministry, and Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
Between the short speeches there was drumming and music. Chants of “All Fired Up and Ready to Go” which originated in SC and “Yes We Can” from the Obama Presidential Campaign were heard. There were no arrests. Demonstrators thanked the Law Enforcement officers present for giving up their Saturday so those present could exercise their First Amendment Freedoms.
The effort for a Moral Budget will continue today with “Mob the Lobby” at the SC State Capital at 11:30. SC Activists had to scramble to accelerate preparations for that event when Republican Legislator’s decided last Friday to move consideration of the Budget forward to Monday from the Tuesday date set several weeks ago.
Legislative observers speculated the sudden date change was motivated by a concern about rising objections to the brutal cuts, which have reduced SC’s state budget by over 30% over the last three years, reducing expenditures to the 1984 level. Cuts are now so deep that conservatives and people traditionally alienated from the political process are raising objections, beginning to overload the state’s traditional quiet, person to person legislative culture.
It appears an attempt will be made to rush the budget through before massive resistance develops, but quick passage of a state budget would be unprecedented in South Carolina, where such action usually takes most of the legislative session and a veto consideration day in the summer. However events in Madison Wisconsin and other State Capitals have conservative legislators concerned about a possible catastrophic failure of the strained system which has maintained the state’s rigid power structure and not seen a major challenge since the rise of the Internet.
“Our state General Fund spending per person, adjusted for inflation, is lower than it was 10 years ago–$1,156,compared to $1,229 in the 1999-2000 budget. The 2010 budget per person was at the 1984 level in constant dollars. We are asking our teachers, our prisons, our colleges and universities, our health services and public safety officers to do more with less, and do it with 21st century technology.” According to Dr. Holley Ulbrich, Senior Scholar, Strom Thurmond Institute, http://www.scpronet.com/... online.
It's expected the out of state organizations which flooded the state's elections with out of state money in the last election cycle, including a 900 thousand dollar last minute independent campaign to salvage Republican Nikki Haley's bid for Governor, will rely on their power to enforce ideological unity on the state's fractious Republicans. Democrats are a minority in both legislative houses here.
Activists with the Progressive Network anticipate continuing to work to prevent the cuts and restore some of the state revenue sacrificed to special exemptions such as the law limiting sales tax on private jets and yachts purchased in the state to the same $300 those purchasing used automobiles pay.
Details on their efforts and updates can be obtained on their website www.scpronet.com and monitored on their #scpronet Twitter hash code.
Updated by wjhamilton29464 at Mon Mar 14, 2011, 11:50:41 AM
Debate on the budget in SC has just started.
Updated by wjhamilton29464 at Mon Mar 14, 2011, 05:50:18 PM
They did "Mob the Lobby" today at the state capital in Columbia. People got loud in the Lobby. This was apparently unplanned. On Youtube http://www.youtube.com/...
Updated by wjhamilton29464 at Mon Mar 14, 2011, 07:08:34 PM
Still images of today's "Mob the Lobby" effort on flikr http://www.flickr.com/...
Press Report in the Post and Courier, Charleston's daily paper
http://www.postandcourier.com/...
Apparently legislators driving into the underground parking garage which is beneath the capital complex, which allows them to enter the capital and their offices without meeting the public were greeted by demonstrators standing by the entrance with a large banner this morning.
Both houses are attempting to pass a budget this week, with it going to conference committee thereafter.