Guarantee Income, Food, Housing, Healthcare
Put People Before Profits!
Nearly 300,000 people have died unnecessarily from COVID-19 in the U.S., including over 6,500 in Louisiana. Millions more have been sickened by the disease, some of whom have permanent scarring. This is nothing less than mass murder. The hands of the rich ruling class are stained with the blood of Indigenous, Black, and brown folks, of working class people, of elders and people with disabilities.
If the rich and their government lackeys get their way, hundreds of thousands more of us will be sacrificed so they can keep making profits off our backs.
Governments around the world have shown that COVID-19 can be stopped by enacting measures that put people before profits. Why haven’t U.S. politicians come through with relief and a real plan to stop the spread? Because without us being forced back to work, the owners and bosses can’t continue to make money off us. Politicians answer to the corporate bosses. It’s time we say, “No more!”
Right wing defenders of “the freedom to die from COVID” who promote reckless and selfish behavior are the puppets for the profit masters. They are fools. At the same time, it is unreasonable to think we can do what is best for our health and the health of our communities unless bold governmental policies are enacted.
We have to put the people first to defeat COVID-19. We have a right to life and our health. Demand the emergency relief necessary to protect our communities!
Declare War on COVID, Give Emergency Relief Now
Step One:
- Get immediate relief to workers in two weeks’ time:
- Insure all people get a guaranteed income. Stop withholding relief to force workers back to work while the rich stay home.
- Halt all evictions, foreclosures, and utility cutoffs.
- Equip medical personnel (including cleaning, laundry, cafeteria, clerical staff) and all essential workers (including truck drivers, postal workers, store workers, and deliverers) with highest level of PPE. Manufacturing of medical gear and PPE should be ordered to meet need without regard to private profits.
- Expand SNAP and food deliveries.
Step Two:
- Shut it all down for 3 weeks & enact measures that make it possible for people to stay home and stop the spread:
- Make internet accessible and free to all.
- Secure free, quality childcare for essential workers.
- Set up free video and phone call access to loved ones for incarcerated people, nursing, and group home residents.
- Make PPE, neighborhood testing, and health care available at no cost. End racist disparity in access and treatment.
- Ban profits from vaccines, and outfit factories to produce vaccines quickly. Cooperate internationally to distribute vaccines. No one will be safe until everyone is safe.
- Enact emergency declaration that makes defeating COVID-19 the top priority for national security. Use military budget for the people not war profiteers.
- Forgive debts on student loans, credit cards, and loans taken out to survive.
- Release nonviolent prisoners.
- Include undocumented in all relief programs. They put food on the country’s tables and so much more. Everyone must be included in the plan to stop the spread.
- Distribute aid to genuinely small business; stop big businesses from stealing those funds.