October 10: Make a Difference, Tax the Rich
Every so often we have an opportunity to do something transformative. I’m not talking about “changing the narrative”, although that’s important and part of the picture. I’m talking about changing the world.
Easy to say, hard to do. But on October 10 we will have that opportunity by countering right wing billionaire lies with a simple truth: education and health care are rights, not privileges reserved for the wealthy few.
East Bay DSA and the Alameda Labor Council joined forces to launch the first Tax the Rich canvass in Oakland September 19, two days after the chapter’s art build created the signage.
What’s at stake
On the November 3 state ballot there are two initiatives—Prop 3 and Prop 40—that together give us the chance to help the richest Californians part with a significant amount of money, unneeded by them, and absolutely necessary to bettering the lives of millions of the rest of us.
Prop 3 makes a temporary state income tax on the top two percent of income earners permanent. It supports public education. Prop 40 taxes California billionaires on their enormous wealth, five percent to backfill cuts Trump made to Medi-Cal. If it doesn’t pass three million Californians will lose access to health care.
Currently there are phone banks and door to door canvassing happening, and you can join these to help. Sign up here for Prop 3, and here for Prop 40. But there’s one other thing you can do that potentially can make the biggest difference: come out on October 10 for both measures.
On that day
On that day people across the state will hold signs on streets, banners on freeway overpasses, leaflet in public places, and demonstrate. Perhaps we might pay a visit to a billionaire or two and say hello. We often hear that while the rich have the money, we have the people. That equation only works when the people are organized enough to counter the money power.
What does the money power look like? A handful of sociopathic billionaires, claiming without justification to speak on behalf of all 250 members of that group in California, have spent more than $150 million so far against Prop 40. That spending has bought confusion and fear on the basis of lies (California will lose investments, taxes and jobs; first they tax billionaires, then they come for you; this is a tax on all of us, etc.). Even relatively well-informed people are perplexed, as I found in talking with voters in the first East Bay Tax the Rich canvass on September 19.
This is unsurprising. We know that if a lie is repeated enough times at least some people will be persuaded, or at least confused. And at this point the lying commercials and digital ads are everywhere. But the good news is that the lies are easy to address in one-on-one conversations. The deep anger in the electorate toward Trump-supporting billionaires is waiting there ready to tap. Through the phone banks, and at the doors.
So we organize. By coming out on October 10 with a high public profile we can provide the truthful alternative view. We may not have the money for the advertising, but we can earn a spot on the news, in social media, and turn around the confusion in neighborhood conversations.
California DSA is working with the labor movement and other coalition organizations to make October 10 California Tax the Rich Day. This is how we organize the day of action: we do it ourselves. No one is coming to the rescue except us: Workers over Billionaires.
To get involved, contact your local DSA chapter, your union, your local central labor council. Plan to come out. Put together an art build. Make signs. Make banners and set them up where the public can see them. Find a place to stand, and stand there together on October 10. It will make a difference in this campaign, and in this world.
Join the California DSA Tax the Rich Working Group.
For more info, contact Working Group co-chair Mark G.
