CFT-sponsored wealth tax introduced in California Assembly
In a coordinated effort with seven other states, this week CFT President Jeff Freitas and Assemblymember Alex Lee (D-San José) reintroduced a tax on extreme wealth in California as AB 259 and an accompanying proposed constitutional amendment, ACA 3.
The tax, which is sponsored by CFT and includes nine co-authors in addition to Lee, would apply to households with net worths of more than $50 million, or the top 0.1% of Californians, and would generate an estimated $21.6 billion annually — roughly the same amount as the projected budget shortfall from the Governor’s proposed budget this year.
“CFT is proud to support AB 259 and ACA 3,” said CFT President Jeff Freitas. “Billionaires and mega-millionaires should pay what they owe in taxes. Working families shouldn’t have to subsidize the ultra-rich so that our communities can have the schools, roads, and essential services they deserve.”
“With this modest tax on the ultra-wealthy who pay a lower effective tax rate than the bottom 99%, we would have sustained investments in our schools, tackle homelessness, maintain and expand needed services, and much more,” said Assemblymember Alex Lee.
Read more about the Wealth Tax here.
UCLA Lab School teachers walk the picket line in ULP strike
UCLA Lab School Demonstration Teachers (members of UC-AFT) walked the picket line this week in response to unfair labor practices committed by UCLA and Lab School management.
The boisterous 2-day strike drew strong support from parents and families from the school, UCLA students, and labor and community supporters.
“They make learning fun and it’s always exciting, because before I came, I didn’t like all the subjects. Now I love them,” said a student to the LA Times, who walked the picket line with her mother who teaches at the school. “They’re striking today because they’re not listened to and they feel the need to be heard ... so the school can be a better place.”
UCLA Lab School’s mission depends on its teaching faculty, who are fighting to ensure they have the time and resources they need to guarantee that their students succeed. But in a sudden about face, contravening past practices and previous contractual agreements, the Lab School Administration has refused to negotiate with the teachers on topics beyond compensation.
Teachers hope that the strike, and a petition signed by nearly 2,000 supporters delivered to UCLA management, will compel the school administration to settle the contract.
Check out the great photos and videos from the strike on the UC-AFT Twitter feed. And take a moment to sign the petition urging management to act.
CFT President Jeff Freitas calls for action on gun reform following tragic shootings across California
CFT President Jeff Freitas released this statement following the horrific shootings in Monterey Park last weekend. With the subsequent mass shooting in Half Moon Bay, the call for meaningful gun reform became even more urgent.
We mourn with the community in Monterey Park, whose Lunar New Year celebration turned from joyous occasion to fatal nightmare in the blink of an eye, and with the community in Half Moon Bay, following the shooting of immigrant workers at two nurseries. We know that without access to assault weapons, fewer families would be burying their loved ones in the coming weeks.
We stand with state and local leaders as well as leaders in the Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay communities as we look to Congress for meaningful gun reform legislation. We must act before the next tragedy occurs. We cannot continue to live in fear, hoping and praying our elected leaders will finally listen.
