Tax Day Walmart Demonstration
by Caroline Vernon

Tax- Day Walmart Demonstration - in the Quad Cities
Making a push for the Fair Share For Health Care Bill

Saturday, April 15th
12:30pm - 1:30pm
Northeast corner of 53rd & Elmore
(parking at Staples)
Davenport


Friends,

Iowa needs our help. Please stand with us this day - We are asking for corporate accountability and demanding that the largest corporation, Walmart, pay their fair share for health care, particularly at a time when we are seeing budget cuts to the very assistance programs that are subsidizing Walmart's employee health benefits.

Your tax dollars pay for Walmart's greed - The staff of the House Committee on Education and Workforce estimates Walmart costs federal taxpayers up to $2.5 billion a year in the form of federal public assistance programs because Walmart's low wage and poor benefits.

Walmart cost Iowa taxpayers $10,059,698.00 (state & federal) in 2005 alone. This amount doesn't even reflect the TIFs or other subsidies Walmart gets when they move to town. Walmart is looking to open yet another store in the Quad Cities (Silvis)... We can't afford to let Walmart continue doing "business as usual".

As fate would have it, the Fair Share For Health Care Bill has been introduced into the Iowa legislature by Senator Joe Bolkcom, but leadership won't let it come to the floor for a vote.  We know there is bi-partisan support for the bill because the PACG Health Care forum lobbied for it in February. This is a common sense bill that will require (very) large corporations to either provide affordable benefits to their workers, or pay a fixed rate to the State to offset the cost to Medicaid.

If ALOT of US participate in the demonstration, we can make a greater impact, bring attention to this issue, raise public awareness, and encourage the community to contact their representatives as well as the governor.

We need volunteers... if you can give just 1 hour of your valuable time to this very worthy cause, and know of others who may also be interested in participating in the demonstration (holding a small sign for 1 hour) please let me know ASAP! carolina1961@gmail.com.

We will display a 9 foot long "check" made out to Walmart in the amount of $10,059,698, signed by Iowa Tax Payers, with a big red stamp on it that says "Stop Payment On This Check".  We also have 100 smaller (4" by 10") checks for every one to hold. We need YOU to hold them.

We are "aiming" for a large turnout so please contact me ASAP if you can help us move this bill to the floor by standing with us; (563) 676-7580 or carolina1961@gmail.com, or simply RSVP to the following link:

http://wakeupwalmart.com/ucp/findevents.html

In addition to the Walmart Demonstration, Working Families Win and Communities United will be hosting a leadership planning session earlier that day, also around economic justice issues:

10am to Noon
Communities United to Strengthen America
2850 Eastern Ave, Suite 200
(in the Annie Wittenmeyer complex, Davenport)

For more information, contact Dave Leshtz at 319-621-4205 or email dleshtz@ia.net.

Our hope is that citizens will participate in the leadership planning and then head over to the demonstration immediately thereafter.

With your help, April 15th will be a big day toward achieving economic justice in the Quad Cities!

Thanks for all you are doing!

In Solidarity,
Caroline Vernon
carolina1961@gmail.com
563-676-7580