--~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
"Black Focus Inc." group.
To post to this group, send email to [email protected]
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
For more options, visit this group at
http://groups.google.com/group/Black-Focus-Inc?hl=en
-~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
--- Begin Message ---
I thought I should have been more clear that the following piece was NOT
written by me but by Elizabeth Sholes, Director of Public Policy, California
Council of Churches, California Church IMPACT. I should have listed her name
as the author. My apologies go to Elizabeth and all my readers for not
making that clear. It was an oversight, and I did not mean to suggest that I
had written it myself.-- Rick Mitchell
PS -- I also changed the title. Elizabeth's original title was "Stone Soup
for Our State's Budget and Our Soul."
Subject: Stone Cold Soup for our State's Budget and for Our Miserly Souls
Dear Friends:
What kind of moral outrage can you muster?
We now have the third version of our state budget (fourth if you count the
Legislative Analyst's report). It was just revealed, and we find that the
only recommendation for a "balanced budget" comes with huge cuts to those
whose lives are already perilous. Then, since we won't even visit subsidies
for wealthy corporations as a possible cut and certainly not restoring old
tax rates on those living in comfort, the state will have to resort to
borrowing, once again.
Some of the cuts are from the Governor, some from the Legislative Analyst,
all are combined from the minority leadership. But it's all focused on
gutting programs for those who cannot fight back.
This morning's column in the *Sacramento Bee* tells the story:
http://www.sacbee.com/110/story/1205080.html
We will NOT see our state budget as a common plight. We will NOT see our
society as a common entity. We will NOT see the poor as a part of who we are
as people. California retains a 30-year vision that we are each responsible
for ourselves alone, and that we have no common good, no common ground.
Scripture tells us that God's blessings will fall on the poor, but it does
not eliminate our need to reach out our own hand. Waiting for "God to take
care of it all" breeches our directives to intervene ourselves. "Defend the
cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and
oppressed. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the
wicked." (Psalm 82: 3-4). Or "He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for
their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God." (Prov.14: 31)
Tell our lawmakers who sacrifice those whom the private sector has already
abandoned or cannot help that there IS a role for government in caring for
us all. "He who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth and he who gives
gifts to the rich - both come to poverty." (Prov. 22: 16)
Life up your voice of outrage. Tell your Senators, Assembly Members, and the
Governor that cutting those in need is utterly immoral. Tell your
Legislators that protecting the wealthy is false economy - it will not
create jobs or improve the economy. We have had over 30 years of
hyper-individualism, and it has not brought the promised prosperity to most
of us.
Keeping faith with ourselves, with those whose lives are fraught with
day-to-day torment and economic insecurity is actually a good investment. We
need to see our society as "stone soup" - and if you don't know the tale,
you can find it online at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stone_soup
We all must put in something of what we have so we can get back the bounty
we ALL can share.
Call, email, or FAX your legislator today. Remind him or her that "stone
soup" was our salvation in all hard times. Today is no different.
Log onto our site:
http://capwiz.com/cachurches/directory/statedir.tt?state=CA&lvl=state
Let your voice for budget justice ring out today!
--
WE SUPPORT OBAMA & BIDEN :-))
"Pontius Pilate was a Governor.
Jesus was a Community Organizer."(Also thanks to Elizabeth for this zingy
comeback to Sara Palin's snide remarks about Obama...)
Check out my egroups of current hot topics at
http://groups.google.com/group/HRFA (Human Rights for All)
http://groups.google.com/group/HRSA (Human Rights Select Articles)
http://groups.google.com/group/JPIP (Justice and Peace in Israel/Palestine)
http://groups.google.com/group/PIOI (Pastoral Issues of Interest)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FWfromRickM/ (Rick's Forwards)
and http://PeacePolitical.com (main website)
Let me know if you're interested in knowing more about any of these groups.
You are on my email list because you have expressed interest in receiving
them in the past.
If you want to "unsubscribe" from my forwards, just let me know and I will
take you off my list.
Or I will be glad to put a (P) by your name -- for "personal" emails only.
--~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
"Human Rights for All (HRFA)" group.
To post to this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/HRFA
-~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
--- End Message ---
