Invest in Public Services Now!

Hartford, Connecticut — Sal Luciano, Executive Director AFSCME Council4, John Olsen, President CT AFL-CIO and Mark Waxenberg, Director of Government Relations, for the CT Education Association held a press conference Feb. 18 to release the report, “Putting Connecticut Back to Work: How Investment in Public Services will Save Jobs and Grow the Economy” and discussed the critical importance of investments in public services as part of the jobs bill currently being debated in Washington.

“Who would want to live in a place with dirty streets, high crime and poor schools? It’s clear that further cuts only result in further damage to local communities and more job losses," said Council 4 Executive Director Sal Luciano.The group was joined at the event by State Senate Majority Leader Martin M. Looney, State House of Representatives Majority Leader Denise Merrill and other local and state elected officials. 

Click here or scroll down for a copy of the report.

"Economists say that unless we do something to help state and local governments address their shortfalls, thousands of Connecticut residents will lose their jobs this year, and more than three million in both the public and private sectors across America will be out of work by 2012," said Mark Waxenberg, Director of Government Relations, for the CT Education Association. 

“Our state and local governments are in crisis and need assistance until people are back working and paying taxes. Without additional funding, our public safety, our health needs, our children’s education and our state’s ability to retain and attract new businesses will suffer," said John Olsen, President CT AFL-CIO.

State Senate Majority Leader Martin M. Looney said: “There is a way forward, and it’s a win-win policy that provides critical investment in state and local governments while at the same time stimulates job creation and economic growth in one of the most effective ways possible: insert federal assistance directly into the state programs that have been struggling. The return is direct and immediate.”

Council 4 members can take action by signing our electronic petition to Congress.