Indiana AFSCME workers condemn gov’s attack

[IndianaGreen]

Indiana AFSCME workers condemn gov’s attack

Author: Eric Brooks
People's Weekly World Newspaper, 07/14/05 12:58


INDIANAPOLIS — Maintaining her fighting spirit, Ruby James said, “The union is you! It is not something separate from the members. We rally around and fight for fair treatment.”

James, president of Local 3146, Council 62, of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), is fighting for her members in the face of Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels’ termination of union contracts covering 25,000 state employees.

The governor claimed that ending union representation was required in order to fix the state’s problems with providing child welfare and child support services, but James counters that the union would never have stood in the way of implementing changes that helped the children of Indiana.

“If the governor wanted to make Child Welfare better, to make us more efficient and effective, he would have had the total support of the union,” she said. In fact, the union called for many of the initiatives that Daniels is implementing, including increasing the number of caseworkers.

The union had been calling for some time for Child Welfare to have its own budget. While part of the Family and Social Services Administration, child welfare services had to compete with many other services for funding, even though it is charged with protecting children’s lives, a different level of responsibility than other components of the FSSA. Now the governor has implemented the union’s suggestion and broken child welfare and protective services out from FSSA into their own department.

http://www.pww.org/article/articleview/7380/1/278/

[Emme]

1. Help in Indiana

I'm brand new to this forum. I found your post. How can I get involved in Indianapolis? I feel so alone and overwhelmed living here. I need to find where the liberal and progressive thinkers of Indy meet. Do they exist? It seems that even the demacrats of Indiana are conservative. Am I wrong? Is there hope?

[salin]

2. There are pockets of progressives

in Indy - and in various parts of the state. The Indy-Independent paper Nuvo - is very good. There is a pocket of progressivism in Indy (center township) and in some of the college towns (there are a lot of college towns in the state.) Note - Julia Carson is the only member of the Black Congressional Caucus that represents a majority white district. That shocks local, as well as national folks.

While I divide my time between Indianapolis and Bloomington (and thus knmow less about Indi gropus) - there are some on this forum that are involved in Indianapolis groups that are (relatively speaking) progressive.

Keep checking in on this forum (or read old posts) - and you might find some info that is helpful to you.

Welcome to DU!

[Fritz67]

3. There are a few of us...

I'm new here too, and live on the Westside. So much conservative BS all around... :puke:

NUVO is a great resource. They even have a website and a message board, but for some reason it doesn't let me sign up for it.:silly:

[Emme]

6. Glad to hear

that you are out there.... :-)

Keep trying I'm sure you'll get on NUVO sooner or later. I'm a west-sider as well. We have to stick together! Just knowing that you're all out here, helps me like living here a bit more.

Thanks!

[Emme]

5. Thanks

It's nice to know you're out there.

I did not know that of Julia Carson, that is quite shocking. I'm going to have to start picking up NUVO again. Thanks for the response and the welcome.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

4. Another liberal/progressive checking in

I feel much the same way living here in a pretty solid "red state". I agree that it feels pretty lonely most of the time being among the few Liberal/Progressives in this state and I too have a hard time deciding who to vote for as most Dems here DO seem to be more conservative than most national Dems but be reassured we are still out there in pockets. Reading NUVO is sometimes the only soothing source of information in town. Regarding the subject at hand, my wife and I work for the state too and we are definitely going to be directly affected by whatever changes that are coming out way. My wife is already hearing that her job will be privatized and that her employment may not be as secure as we thought/hoped it would be. Hopefully, there will be enough outraged people to start standing up against some of the nonsense coming from the Daniels administration. It scares me to think that a lot of people (including some Dems and state employees) voted for Daniels even though he made it pretty clear in the campaign what he stands for and who he REALLY represents. Let us not forget that he WAS Bush's budget director at one point. That alone should have been all anybody contemplating voting for him should have needed to know. I fear that we are in for a rough ride. I only hope we can weather the storm until the next election when we will have a chance to dump Daniels.

[Emme]

7. I agree

Everyone was so snowed by Daniels and his "Small town antics" with his Winnebago. Facts are facts and I didn't believe in what he represents. I hope the best for you and your wife.

Thanks for responding it's nice to know I'm not alone and that others feel the same. I like your "red state" quote :-)

[newyawker99]

8. Hi Emme!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast: