500 signatures reached
To: MA Governor Charlie Baker
Massachusetts! Honor the Dead by Protecting the Living and Stabilizing our Communities
Tell our governor to do the right thing and take action in prioritizing the health and economic safety of our communities who are on the front lines keeping the country running. Yet, we have the lowest health care coverage, struggle to pay our rent/mortgage, and many of us are being actively excluded from any relief efforts.
PROTECT OUR HEALTH
1. Roll Back Phase 1 and create a board of community voices to weigh in on reopening and give it equal weight to the corporate board.
2. Guarantee income, housing, healthcare, food, and transportation (including access to drivers licenses regardless of immigration status) (no exceptions)
3. Decarcerate / End ICE Surveillance & Enforcement in MA / Pass Safe Communities Act
STABILIZE OUR COMMUNITIES
1. Housing Stability Now And After the Crisis: Cancel Rent / Cancel Mortgages / Cancel Housing Debt
2. No Budget Cuts to Education, Health Care, MBTA
3. Emergency Hazard Pay / Guaranteed Sick Time for Worker
Why is this important?
Black and Latinx people are on the frontlines of the pandemic.
The rate of infection of COVID-19 has spiked over the last few weeks. The United States is the recipient of the highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the world - with Latinx communities disproportionately holding the highest number of COVID-19 related deaths across the country.
For months, biologists, infectious disease researchers, scientists, doctors, and advocates have warned the Trump administration that this is just the beginning. The U.S. is vulnerable to a potential second wave of cases, yet Congress refuses to take responsibility.
Trump has ceded responsibility of the pandemic to state governors - giving them absolute power on when and how to reopen their economies. The ball is in their court now. But Governors have followed the Trump administration’s pattern of not prioritizing our communities' needs for relief.
More and more states are reopening with few or no restrictions.
Tell our governor that efforts to open the economy without adequate protections and without proper relief for frontline workers reveal a willingness to let Black and Latinx communities and poor people die in exchange for the economic gain of a privileged class. Our communities need relief not re-opening.