In the last 2 years, state employees have earned 3.2% and 2% cost-of-living raises, hardly keeping pace with inflation or even the sluggish private sector. State employees deserve to keep pace with inflation and our economy needs a boost form their spending power.

How Will We Balance the Budget in Recession?
JwJ activists are familiar with the corporate welfare model that government runs on the backs of taxpayers and workers to "stimulate development." Few workers see this money because trickle-down is really trickle-on economics. It's sober-up time for corporate welfare kings. We need transparent audits, efficiency goals, and clawbacks for failing grades and we'll clean up literally billions of dollars in broken tax break schemes in the name of phony "job creation."

Our recession is caused by a crisis in housing and retail prices, particularly oil and food. It's no secret that we wouldn't face such a stark downturn if low-wage workers had not mortgaged their homes with subprime loans to keep pace with living costs. Unemployment is on the rise as workers can no longer afford to consume necessities and companies are cutting jobs to match lower production needs. We will see spikes in malnutrition and hypothermia this winter which will worsen the cycle of job cuts. Government must intervene with living wage job creation especially when the corporate-controlled "market" gets drunk with greed. Then the executives need to have permanent Market Anonymous classes to keep them in line.