Robin Hood Tax Coalition Calls on Congress to Fulfill
Dr. King’s Vision of Social and Economic Justice

 
Registered nurses and community activists will hold a vigil and petition California congress members Wednesday, April 8 to highlight the call for a small tax on Wall Street speculation, the Robin Hood Tax, that would help raise the revenue needed to fulfill the goals of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. for social and economic justice in our nation.
 
The action here is part of a nationwide series of vigils and legislative visits in 25 U.S. cities that commemorate the 47th anniversary of the April 4 assassination of Dr. King, who dedicated much of his life toward building "a beloved community." He fought to change what he believed to be misguided national priorities, a goal readily encapsulated by the Robin Hood campaign.  


LOS ANGELES:  RNs hold vigil at office of Rep. Xavier Becerra
When:     11 a.m.
Where:   350 South Bixel Street, Suite 120, Los Angeles, CA 90017

SACRAMENTO:  RNs hold vigil at office of Rep. Ami Bera
When:     11 a.m.
Where:   8950 Cal Center Drive, Building 3, Suite 100, Sacramento, CA 95826

OXNARD:  RNs hold vigil at office of Rep. Julia Brownley
When:     11 a.m.
Where:   300 E. Esplanade Drive, Suite 470, Oxnard, CA 93036
 
SAN DIEGO:  RNs hold vigil at office of Rep. Susan Davis
When:     11 a.m.
Where:   2700 Adams Avenue, Suite 102, San Diego, CA 92116
 
PALO ALTO:  RNs hold vigil at office ofRep. Anna Eshoo
When:     11 a.m.
Where:   698 Emerson Street, Palo Alto, CA 94301

WALNUT CREEK:  RNs hold vigil at office of Rep. Mark Desaulnier
When:     11 a.m.
Where:   101 Ygnacio Valley Road, Suite #210, Walnut Creek, CA 94596

"We are at the forefront witnessing the dire health conditions patients face due to job loss and lack of health benefits,” said Melissa Thompson, an RN at Sutter Delta in Pittsburg, CA. “The austerity measures passed by the government have truly hurt our communities. It is time to tax Wall Street so we can provide relief to those who need it most!"

Economists estimate that a tiny surcharge of no more than a nickel on every $10 in trades of stocks, bond, and derivatives – a tax that is proportionally smaller than what most Americans pay for a pair of shoes – could increase revenues by hundreds of billions of dollars every year.
 
That revenue, in turn, can be redirected from wealthy investors, who have surplus income, to poor and working-class Americans who don’t have nearly enough. Guaranteeing healthcare for all, eradicating AIDS, providing student debt relief, funding jobs at living wages, making infrastructure repairs, and fighting climate change are among the programs that could be funded by a financial transactions levy, nicknamed the Robin Hood Tax.
 
Just last month, Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) reintroduced HR 1464, the Inclusive Prosperity Act, which embodies the Robin Hood Tax campaign – a worldwide movement which is widely viewed as inspired by King’s poetic reimagining of the nation as a Beloved Community in which wealth is shared, material needs met, and finance is a tool of the people.
 
“Rev. Dr. King boldly proclaimed that we as a nation must undergo a ‘radical revolution of values’ to become a society that puts people ahead of profits.  With the gap between the rich and everyone else rising to new heights, we must heed Dr. King’s words now more than ever,” said George Goehl, executive director of National People’s Action. “The Robin Hood Tax would be a step towards a society that puts people and the planet first, taking a small percentage of profits from the few to benefit the many.” 
 
“Inequality in health and still-rampant hunger, homelessness, and poverty, all critical causes of Dr. King’s life, continue to devastate far too many families. We need the Robin Hood Tax to protect our health, our families, our communities, and our nation,” said National Nurses United Co-President Deborah Burger, RN.
 
“We are at a historic moment where science shows we can actually end the AIDS pandemic, if we invest in the resources to scale up treatment. The Robin Hood Tax is a tool that will allow us to reprioritize the strengthening of healthcare systems while financing access to lifesaving medications for those in need,” said Michael A. Tikili, national field organizer for Health GAP (Global Action Project).
 
The events are part of a nationwide day of action organized by the Robin Hood campaign. Similar vigils will be held outside Congressional offices in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas, and Vermont and will be followed by visits to legislators asking them to support the Robin Hood Tax.  
 
See a full list of the sites and actions of the vigils at http://www.robinhoodtax.org/april-8th-day-action
 
The Robin Hood Tax campaign is endorsed by 172 national organizations and prominent economists. HR 1464 is patterned after a similar measure being implemented by 11 countries in the European Union, and already in place in every major financial world market except the United States.   
 
“America’s working families need their country to invest in them again,” Rep. Ellison said. “The money raised from a wafer-thin tax on Wall Street’s high-frequency trades could raise hundreds of billions of dollars to invest in our families, protect our environment, and increase opportunity for all Americans. If the United States joins the dozens of other nations already benefitting from a financial transaction tax, we can create millions of jobs, while also reducing dangerous market volatility.”