Chancellor Jeb Spaulding thought he could get away with closing three of Vermont’s six state colleges. His proposal would have had a devastating impact on working class people; it would have slashed hundreds of jobs from the state colleges, destroyed the economies of whole sections of the state, especially the Northeast Kingdom, and foreclosed opportunities for young people to get education for skilled high paying jobs like nursing.

But professors, staff, and the communities that depend on the colleges rose up and stopped Spaulding in his tracks. Over 37,000 people signed a petition demanding that the proposal be withdrawn, thousands called their state legislators, and hundreds of cars turned out to a massive parade that shut down Montpelier in a concert of honking horns. Faced with this outpouring of anger, the proposed vote was delayed and then withdrawn in a humiliating setback for Spaulding.

The working class of Vermont has scored an initial victory against a tidal wave of austerity measures that Governor Phil Scott is threatening. But no one should be under any illusions that the state colleges are safe; the Governor made clear that he wants the legislature to pass a budget with devastating cuts to our public institutions.

The movement spearheaded by unions, students, and communities must prepare for the next phase of the struggle. We should demand that the state fully fund public education at all levels, using money from the federal bailout, cuts in corporate welfare, and taxes on the rich.

We must reject the entire case that Spaulding and the Governor are making that they have no alternative but to cut education spending given the budgetary constraints imposed on them by the coronavirus and recession. In reality, this is a manufactured crisis, and one that can be easily solved.

It is the product of several decades of neoliberal cuts to public funding of education. The Democrats and Republicans have level-funded state appropriations for higher education for decades, dropping Vermont from 3rd in per capita spending in the country in 1989 to 49th today. Both parties are responsible for setting the state colleges up to fail amidst this crisis.

While we have stopped the closures for now, it is clear that the Governor is still determined to force through cuts, and we must be prepared to mobilize again to stop him. In these efforts, we must not fall for any of the Governor’s tricks. One that he floated is pitting state colleges against K through 12 education, saying that if we cannot pay for both, we have to cut one.

We know that he’s been angling to slash funding for primary and secondary education as part of his plan for school consolidation. We must reject Scott’s divide and rule tactic; working class people should have the right to high quality education with well-paid union teachers and staff from pre-kindergarten through college.

There is plenty of money to pay for all of this. It is merely a question of priorities. If the federal government can bailout the big corporations and banks with trillions of dollars, it and the state can find the money to meet Vermont workers’ need for education.

We should demand that the Governor and legislature generate the money in the following ways. First, they should take $25 million from $1.25 billion from Washington to cover the immediate shortfall in funding for the state colleges. Second, they should raise taxes on the rich, which they have cut for decades, to bankroll education for the future.

And, third, if they have to cut anything, they should cut corporate welfare schemes like the Remote Worker Program, Vermont Training Program, and the Vermont Employment Growth Incentive. However rhetorically innocuous in name, these programs are frankly just giveaways to the bosses and rich.

It will take a fight to win these demands, because they challenge the neoliberal logic accepted by most of the political class in Montpelier and Washington. Save for a few exceptions like Progressive Lieutenant Governor David Zuckerman and Progressive Senator Anthony Pollina, and members of the Vermont Worker’s Caucus, most of the politicians, Democrats and Republicans alike, were slow to respond and only agreed to delay and then withdraw the proposed cuts, when the petitions, calls, and car protest forced them to.

But if we stay united, if we reject Governors divide and conquer strategy, if we maintain pressure on our elected officials through a diversity of tactics, we can win. We must build on our initial victory of stopping the closures and intensify our organizing, mobilizing, and protesting until we have secured education at every level as fully funded public right for all working class people.

You’re listening to Revolution Per Minute on listener sponsored WBAI in NYC broadcasting at 99.5 FM and streaming on your favorite podcast app. To connect with us after the show you can email us at revolutionsnyc@gmail.com. You can find us on our website revolutionsperminute.simplecast.com or on twitter @nycRPM.

You’re listening to Revolution Per Minute on listener sponsored WBAI in NYC broadcasting at 99.5 FM and streaming on your favorite podcast app. To connect with us after the show you can email us at revolutionsnyc@gmail.com. You can find us on our website revolutionsperminute.simplecast.com or on twitter @nycRPM.

You’re listening to Revolution Per Minute on listener sponsored WBAI in NYC broadcasting at 99.5 FM and streaming on your favorite podcast app. To connect with us after the show you can email us at revolutionsnyc@gmail.com. You can find us on our website revolutionsperminute.simplecast.com or on twitter @nycRPM.

You’re listening to Revolution Per Minute on listener sponsored WBAI in NYC broadcasting at 99.5 FM and streaming on your favorite podcast app. To connect with us after the show you can email us at revolutionsnyc@gmail.com. You can find us on our website revolutionsperminute.simplecast.com or on twitter @nycRPM.

We are very thankful and impressed by this community’s response to the current pandemic we are facing. As closures and social distancing set in, we are seeing the most vulnerable in our community be deeply affected by the loss of income and access to resources.

For this reason, we request that not only the governor’s executive order N-28-20 be respected, but that there be an additional suspension of rent given how many renters in this city are hourly service workers who no longer have a safe source of income while performing social distancing. We request as well that empty hotel/motel rooms be immediately offered to houseless community members who cannot self-quarantine without a space to do it in. It is vital emergency shelters be provided immediately.

As per the latest executive orders, we further recommend the city guarantee continued publicly-provided water and trash service regardless of payment.

We request that you do not fail your earlier promise to provide free tests to all who qualify and furthermore that these tests are provided regardless of doctor’s note—putting such a roadblock on students and those without insurance or local doctors will keep us from having the knowledge we need to keep our county safe.

Lastly, we ask that as per executive order N-26-20, you ensure state funds are allocated and properly used within our school systems. Parents deserve daytime childcare and school lunches need to continue to be provided.

We also ask the state for paid sick leave for those workers who have no source of income while following health directives. Flattening the curve necessitates avoiding public interactions for longer than those 14 days; disability and unemployment are not an adequate response.

In solidarity,
The Steering Committee of DSA SLO

Socialist Distancing

In order to keep our members and community healthy Miami DSA has suspended all in-person activities and meetings until further notice. If you have any questions regarding Miami DSA activities please contact: MiamiDSA@gmail.com

Solidarity Forever

Join the Miami DSA

If you like to renew your membership dues, or if you would like to become a new member, please click on the following link. Please note that in order to vote on important chapter decisions such as resolutions, endorsements, or steering committee elections, you must be a dues-paying member.   

https://miamidsa.org/donate

Click here to view the rest of the issue!

You’re listening to Revolution Per Minute on listener sponsored WBAI in NYC broadcasting at 99.5 FM and streaming on your favorite podcast app. To connect with us after the show you can email us at revolutionsnyc@gmail.com. You can find us on our website revolutionsperminute.simplecast.com or on twitter @nycRPM.

You’re listening to Revolution Per Minute on listener sponsored WBAI in NYC broadcasting at 99.5 FM and streaming on your favorite podcast app. To connect with us after the show you can email us at revolutionsnyc@gmail.com. You can find us on our website revolutionsperminute.simplecast.com or on twitter @nycRPM.

You’re listening to Revolution Per Minute on listener sponsored WBAI in NYC broadcasting at 99.5 FM and streaming on your favorite podcast app. To connect with us after the show you can email us at revolutionsnyc@gmail.com. You can find us on our website revolutionsperminute.simplecast.com or on twitter @nycRPM.