Labor Rally Simmers With Passionate Pleas From The Working Class

By John Voket

In less than an hour, about 30 protesters who gathered for a quickly organized rally in support of Wisconsin union members and those struggling financially across America made or applauded impassioned pleas for a more politically level playing field.

Those holding makeshift signs, or quietly murmuring agreement when one of a handful of speakers had their say, also spoke against what they believe is a Republican movement that continues to reward America’s richest people and corporations with what amount to government subsidies while the poor get poorer.

News about the Newtown “Save The American Dream” rally began surfacing last weekend after e-mails began circulating from supporters of MoveOn.org, an organization linked to pro-labor and anti-Republican efforts across the country. The Newtown gathering was one of about 275 that were held Tuesday at 5:30 pm in towns and cities across the country according to first-time organizer Dr Curt Riebeling.

“You’re part of a lot bigger crowd,” Dr Riebeling said as he opened the speaking program, which also featured heart-felt messages from two teachers, Jim Roodhuizen and Richard Boritz, Newtowner Libby Mitchell, and Karen French, an unemployed head of household and mom.

Sean Scanlon was also on hand representing US Representative Chris Murphy.

Much of Dr Riebeling’s introduction was pulled from the remarks posted ahead of the rally on the MoveOn.org website, where interested individuals from across America signed on to organize similar rallies in their own communities.

The local chiropractor said he was motivated to bring the message home after attending a rally in Hartford recently, and after being subsequently contacted by the organization to host an event in Newtown.

“I just did not like the direction things were headed in Washington and around the country as the Republicans began moving farther and farther to the extreme right, and bringing in the Tea Party influences,” he said. “It was all way too out of balance.”

Dr Riebeling also viewed the recent developments in Wisconsin as giving fuel to government forces waging a “fight against public employees, and taking that fight to other states along with tax breaks for major corporations and the rich, versus making more cuts against the working class.”

He said the current economy is taking a toll on his own patients who have lost jobs and health benefits, or who have suffered debilitating pay cuts that leave them unable to make their mortgage payments.

Jobs At Stake

Dr Riebeling believes that more than 9,000 Connecticut jobs are in jeopardy of being lost, along with 70,000 student Pell Grants if the current budget cutting proposed by GOP legislators in Washington comes to fruition.

“It’s a crucial time in our country,” he added. “Now is the time to stand up and reverse the direction of economic benefits going to big corporations and the wealthy, instead of for the middle class who have less opportunity for advancement, to make a comfortable living, or to provide a good education for our children.”

The expansion of activity across the nation follows three weeks of nonstop protesting against anti-union legislation that drew tens of thousands of demonstrators to Madison, Wis., where the State Assembly voted to approve a bill eliminating public employees’ collective bargaining rights March 9.

“The recently proposed Republican budget, if enacted, would mean firing 65,000 teachers, killing 700,000 jobs, and sending 10,000 veterans into homelessness,” Dr Riebeling told the crowd Tuesday. “And that’s just the beginning.”

Mr Scanlon reiterated a story about a Torrington family who met with the congressman last fall, telling him that due to financial hardship brought on by job losses, which forced a loss of health insurance, they were forced to make a choice between paying for their son’s college education, or treating their father’s illness.

“We’ve seen the movie before,” Mr Scanlon said. “We know that cutting teachers is not good for education, we know that attacking public sector workers is not good for the middle class, we know that taking away health care rights causes the conversation we talked about at the beginning of this whole thing.”

But Mr Roodhuizen argued, “Who’s going to want to teach if you say, ‘We’re going to take your pay, we’re going to take your benefits, we’re going to have you pay more and more and more...and we’re going to increase your class sizes.’”

“The doors were open for me, and I don’t want to see the doors close for them,” added Mr Boritz as he pointed toward two children who stood in the crowd with their parents.

The Greatest ‘Divide’

Ms Mitchell pointed out the historical divide between America’s rich and poor has never been so wide.

“One way the country has responded to that divide is by giving people who make over $200,000 a year a tax break,” she said.

And Ms French told about the litany of sacrifices she and her children have made since she lost her job, everything from cutting out cable TV, to clipping coupons and curtailing haircuts.

“I changed the light bulbs, I insulated the house. and I turned down the heat at night and you know what? Everything’s still going up,” she said. “Now I’m one of those people who is struggling in the middle class just to stay afloat.”

As the rally came together earlier in the week, Dr Riebeling faced concerns when he asked for and was denied permission to organize on the middle school property, after Superintendent Janet Robinson deemed the activity a political rally. But local police said the gathering could occur as long as participants remained on or close to the public sidewalk on the edge of Queen Street.

Dr Riebeling said he expected to be able to use the school property because the rally is in great part supporting both educators and students. He said the middle school also offered ample parking, and it was a central, high profile location where passersby might be drawn to the planned activity.

(See video of the Newtown rally at Newtownbee.com.)