To: National Desk
Contact: Charles Jackson of ACORN, 504-943-0044 ext. 178, Web: [
link to www.acorn.org]
WASHINGTON, Aug. 2 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Members of the national community group ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now) are calling on Senators to vote against House Bill 5970, which attaches huge tax breaks for the nation's wealthiest estates to a flawed wage increase proposal. The bill would actually lower the wages of many tipped workers, and prohibit some state protections they have today.
"ACORN members will not be fooled by a bill that gives away our future to benefit those who need it least, and offers a carrot to the working poor," said ACORN's national President Maude Hurd. "And we can see that it is half a carrot with some rotten parts, too."
Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed HR 5970, which would repeal the estate tax, paid by only a handful of the nation's wealthiest families, resulting in nearly $1 trillion in lost revenue when fully implemented. This loss of revenue will set the stage for devastating cuts to the healthcare, education and employment programs that give working families the opportunity to succeed, ACORN leaders said.
The Republican House leadership tied their special-interest giveaway to a proposal that would eventually raise the minimum wage from $5.15 to $7.25 an hour. Besides undermining state protects for tipped workers, the House version of a wage increase would take too long to go into effect and does not contain an "indexing" provision to ensure that the wage increase keeps up with future inflation.
"We will work as hard as we can to stop this bill that cynically tries to put a moral face on giveaways that would bankrupt the American dream," Hurd said. "ACORN members are asking for the Senate to protect the future of our nation and give hard-working American families what they deserve -- a real minimum wage increase that is not held hostage by the estate tax giveaway."
ACORN has mobilized its membership to put pressure on swing senators in states such as Rhode Island, Ohio, Arkansas, and Washington to urge senators to vote against the bill. ACORN is urging citizens nationwide to call the ACORN Legislative Hotline, 1-866-888-9292, to help defeat this bill.
The Senate is expected to vote Friday.
---
ACORN is the nation's largest community organization of low- and moderate-income families, with over 200,000 member families organized into 800 neighborhood chapters in 99 cities across the country. Since 1970 ACORN has taken action and won victories on issues of concern to their members, including better housing for first-time homebuyers and tenants, living wages for low-wage workers, more investment in communities from banks and governments, and better public schools.
[
link to www.usnewswire.com]
United States
