Save state employees' retirement - we could be next!

Tell your representative: Please vote NO on HB 479!

On June 2, the House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on HB 479 by Rep. Kirk Talbot (R-River Ridge), which would raise retirement contributions for most state employees by three percentage points (the bill excludes first responders such as police officers and firefighters).

These public servants and their families have not had state pay raises for about three years, and this bill will amount to a cut in take-home pay for thousands of working families.

Why should teachers and school employees be concerned? First of all, these public employees, like teachers, are public servants providing necessary and valuable services for the people of our state. We should support them because it is the right thing to do.

In addition, this is a "slippery slope" bill. If it passes, we can be sure that the Teachers Retirement System and School Employees Retirement System will be the next ones targeted by law makers who want to balance the budget on the backs of working families.

The excuse given by lawmakers for this attack on public employees is that, in times of financial crisis, we must all "share the sacrifice."

Problem is, the only people asked to sacrifice are middle-class workers and their families. Lawmakers consistently refuse to ask the very wealthy to contribute more, or to ask the oil industry, with its record-breaking profits, to surrender even a little of the tax benefits it receives, or to raise tobacco taxes on products that cause great harm to the people of Louisiana.

When we talk about the unfairness of putting the entire burden on workers, we are accused of waging "class warfare." The LFT believes that class warfare has been declared on working families by lawmakers, big business and the wealthiest people in our state. It's time to fight back, and defeating HB 479 is one place to start!

Please click the link and take action!