Fwd: Houston, COPE Meeting tomorrow

Subject: Houston, COPE Meeting tomorrow
Reply-To: <tseubroadcast@cwa-tseu.org>

TEXAS STATE EMPLOYEES UNION

EMAIL BROADCAST UPDATE TO MEMBERS   February 1, 2011.

 

Houston COPE members,

 

Now is the time to get involved. We have a very steep hill to climb this legislative session, lawmakers are proposing deep cuts to state services, personnel, and our benefits. There is a steady drum beat that conservatives and like-minded groups continue to beat. They are taking their message to our cities and our communities all over the state, calling for deep cuts in services and no new revenue.  These cuts if implement threaten to shut down hundreds of nursing homes, canceling programs for the mentally ill, endanger children, and further erode the state's ability to delivery services to Texans. 

 

These threats are very real, and it's time that we provide a real response. TSEU's plan is to confront these  attacks head on and defend state services by:

1. All out organizing: It will take a large and committed grassroots movement to move the political debates away from budget slashing. No amount of public advocacy, communications with legislators, or other mobilization efforts will stop the attacks unless they are based on a large and growing organization of committed state employees.

 

2. Calls to legislators: TSEU members will start a massive campaign of calls from state employees and other voters to the legislators who represent them, calling on these elected representatives to oppose massive cuts and support a balanced approach.

 

3. Post card campaign: as a companion to the call-in campaign, TSEU members will generate thousands of post cards from constituents to legislators, calling on them to oppose massive cuts and support a balanced approach.

 

4. Lobby Day and Mini Lobby Days: TSEU will mobilize thousands of members to show up in Austin for Lobby Day and the mini lobby days in a massive show of opposition to the cuts and determination to win more balanced policies.

 

5. Take the message out to local governments: TSEU will undertake an effort to have members meet with local governments, chambers of commerce, and other bodies. We will make it clear what the proposed cuts in the state budget mean for local economies, and ask these bodies to communicate to legislators a demand that other solutions besides massive cuts be found.

 

6. Help build a coalition: TSEU will continue to work with Texas Forward and other organizations to build a united grassroots movement that demands responsible revenue and budget policies for our state. Members will ask our church  civic groups to join the Texas Forward coalition

 

 

We'll discuss in the COPE meeting how we get started on beating back these attacks and updates from the legislature.

 

Place: Houston office

9247 South main

 

Time: 6:30pm

 

Date: February 2^nd

 

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