The Data Port received the following announcement from Phil Lopes, Coordinator of the Tucson Chapter of the Progressive Democrats of America.

Greetings to All,

If you found last week’s Giffords/UA Deficit Townhall to be too slanted to the right, too much fear mongering about Social Security and Medicare, and way too complicated, please join us for a Connect The Dots presentation on a budget plan that reflects true American values — “Rebuild The American Dream Budget” (also known as “The People’s Budget”). I promise it will be a lot more fun, colorful, hopeful and easy-to-understand! The Wilmot Library is quite beautiful, and there will be yummy treats to eat.

I would like to invite someone from Giffords’ office and Grijalva’s office to attend, but first I need to know we will have strong attendance to show enthusiasm for progressive values. Can you please commit to attend and RSVP today? Most appreciated.

TITLE: “Rebuild The American Dream” Budget (also known as “The People’s Budget”)

WHEN:   Thursday, July 7th, 2011, 5:30pm to 7:30pm (presentation starts at 6:00pm)

WHERE: Murphy-Wilmot Library at 530 N. Wilmot Rd (between Speedway & Broadway)

RSVP: http://bit.ly/rebuildbudget

Note: This link will direct you to a MoveOn event link. You are in the right place. This handy event tool makes it easier for us to keep count of the RSVPs. Seating is limited. Please sign-up. Refreshments provided.

DESCRIPTION: Are you tired of discussions about the Federal Budget constantly being dragged to one side? Fortunately, there is an alternative — the “Rebuild The American Dream” Budget (aka “The People’s Budget”) — which represents what the American people really want. Come learn about the details of this comprehensive proposal to balance our budget and restore our economy and basic fairness in a fun, visual presentation. Share your story and opinion in the lively discussion afterwards. Leave with an action plan to ensure this budget is part of the national discussion. Everyone welcome!

There are two stories in today’s Arizona Daily Star that mesh nicely with yesterday’s “Loading Dock Manifesto” post.

The first was on the front page of the business section and headlined, “Recovery is most off-kiter since ’30s.”

Not surprisingly the rich have gotten richer and the rest of us have been done the dirty. There are still 9.1% of us unemployed, but none of the 9.1% happen to be the CEOs of major corporations. .

An associated Press analysis found that the typical CEO of a major company earned $9 million last year, up a fourth.

In the meantime, worker’s wages have slipped from where they were in the mid 2000s (64% of the economy)  to 57.5 percent and any new jobs being created pay less than the ones that have been lost.

As this wealth-shift has gone on Republican state legislators have persisted in their refusal to include tax increases in a program of budget balancing; and at the Federal level they have fought controls on the financial industry whose rascality got us into the recession in the first place.

Have our masters kept an eye out for the welfare of their workers?

Au contraire, mon frere…they have pushed for more tax cuts (the Laugher Principle…they cut taxes and laugh all the way to the bank) and cut the services that constitute the workingman’s safety net.

Mark Dayton, the governor of Minnesota, has shown remarkable courage in digging in against  his Republican legislature’s refusal to make tax increases a part of the state’s budget. Absent a new budget the state is now idle.Turn out the lights…for now the party’s over.

The soft-spoken Dayton refuses to cave to the GOP’s stance that higher taxes are verboten. Since taking office, he has championed tax hikes on rich Minnesotans – or at least some form of new state revenue – as a necessary part of any solution to closing the state’s $5 billion budget deficit.

Read more here.

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Maybe so.

In an editorial published two days ago the NY Times reported and commented on the fact that Illinois has realized that simply cutting expenses won’t solve its disastrous budget shortfalls.

The Illinois legislature has taken a step that should have been as plain as the nose on your face. It raised taxes.

The action was immediately ridiculed by several governors around the nation who are still pretending that they can cut their way out of the enormous shortfalls they face, without raising taxes. Wisconsin and Indiana predicted a windfall of angry corporations and residents would head their way from Illinois. Even Gov. Chris Christie, the New Jersey Republican, vowed to fly to Illinois to invite businesses there to defect to his state.

The Times editorial argues that these consequences are not likely to happen, as Illinois’ taxes were low before, and even after modest raises of both personal and corporate income tax rates are low compared to other big states.

The Times editorial comments:

What businesses crave most is a stable environment in which to make profits, and Illinois was anything but stable. Businesses tend not to like it when health and education systems break down. …….Almost every state is in deep fiscal trouble this year, but only a few others have admitted that cutting spending will not be enough.

Whether our Republican dominated state legislature is smart enough to see the wisdom of the Illinois solution remains to be seen.

We’ll report, you’ll decide.