CHICAGO- Following is the statement of Emma Tai, Executive Director of United Working Families (UWF), on Bruce Rauner’s State of the State address:
“Just one day after Donald Trump’s State of the Union address, here comes Bruce Rauner with more of the same. Slapping a new catchphrase on schemes that help the rich get richer is no bold idea.
“Rauner, like Trump, is just another political boss looking out for his elite friends and donors. No surprises there. The question is, when will the Democrats provide a real alternative?
“Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Cook County Commissioner Richard Boykin, Jesse Ruiz, and Paul Vallas have built their political careers on closing schools, attacking workers, and privatizing public services.
“They’re not alone. Democratic majorities have approved budgets that laid off social workers rather than ask the 1% to pay more. They have resisted bringing elected school boards to CPS and City Colleges. They have presided over sky-high rates of gentrification, violence, and unemployment that have forced tens of thousands of African-Americans out of the city entirely.
“That is why United Working Families has endorsed Brandon Johnson, Delia Ramirez, and Aaron Ortiz in the March 2018 primaries. The time is right for a real alternative to Trump and Rauner. The time is right for a real alternative to Trump and Rauner. If the Democrats and their ultra-rich donors won’t provide it, then it is up to independent political organizations to fill the void.”
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United Working Families is an independent political organization by and for the 99%. UWF affiliate members include: Action Now, Chicago Teachers Union, Cook County College Teachers Union, Grassroots Illinois Action, SEIU Healthcare Illinois Indiana, Warehouse Workers Organizing Committee, People United for Action, Workers United CMRJB, 22nd Ward IPO, 25th Ward IPO, and 33rd Ward Working Families.
