Massachusetts Nurses and Allies to Hold Vigil in Remembrance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and in Support of Passing the Inclusive Prosperity Act in Honor of His Legacy

SPRINGFIELD, Mass., April 7, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On April 4 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis Tennessee.  Just prior to his death, he had turned his attention to issues of poverty and income inequality, an effort he called the Poor People's Campaign.  It is in remembrance of Dr. King's work on this issue, that members of the Massachusetts Nurses Association/National Nurses United and allies from Western MA Jobs with Justice, the Progressive Democrats of Massachusetts, and the Pioneer Valley Workers Center, will gather in Springfield this Wednesday, April 8. The event is one of 25 similar vigils being held outside Congressional offices in 25 U.S. cities. 

When:   Wednesday, April 8 at 11a.m.

Where:  Office of Congressman Richard Neal
              300 State St. Springfield, MA 01105

In addition to honoring Dr. King's legacy, the group will encourage Congressman Richard Neal to sign on to a bill, recently filled in the House of Representatives, which would generate $300 Billion.  The Inclusive Prosperity Act, sponsored by Congressman Keith Ellison (D-MN), which is also known as the Robin Hood Tax on Wall Street, would place a small tax on Wall Street, which would generate funding for things like: infrastructure, education, ending student debt, healthcare, housing and retirement security, and go a long way to reducing the obscene income and wealth inequality in our nation. By co-sponsoring this legislation, Congressman Neal will be honoring the struggle that Dr. King gave his life for 47 years ago this week.

Economists estimate that a tiny surcharge of no more than a nickel on every $10 in trades of stocks, bonds, and derivatives —a tax that is proportionally smaller than what most Americans pay for a pair of shoes – could increase revenues collected by the Treasury Department by as much as $350 billion annually. That revenue, in turn, can be re-directed from wealthy investors who have surplus income, to poor and working-class Americans who don't have nearly enough income.

"Inequality in health, still rampant hunger, homelessness and poverty continue to devastate far too many families. The climate crisis puts our planet at risk and is rapidly accelerating extreme weather events, droughts, and epidemics that threaten public health. We need the Robin Hood Tax, best embodied in Rep. Ellison's bill, to raise the revenues we desperately need to protect our health, our families, our communities, and our nation," said Patricia Healey, RN, chair of MNA Regional Council 1, and a member of National Nurses United, the largest U.S. organization of nurses that is organizing similar events across the nation.                                                  

Founded in 1903, the Massachusetts Nurses Association/National Nurses United is the largest professional health care organization and the largest union of registered nurses in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Its 23,000 members advance the nursing profession by fostering high standards of nursing practice, promoting the economic and general welfare of nurses in the workplace, projecting a positive and realistic view of nursing, and by lobbying the Legislature and regulatory agencies on health care issues affecting nurses and the public. The MNA is a founding member of National Nurses United, the largest national nurses' union in the United States with more than 170,000 members from coast to coast.

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SOURCE Massachusetts Nurses Association/National Nurses United

Related Links

http://www.massnurses.org

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