Voters Beware of 'Bumper Sticker Solutions,' Union Warns

New radio ad urges voters to reject anti-government tea party rhetoric

WASHINGTON, Oct. 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The largest federal employee union has launched a national ad campaign asking voters to reject anti-government election slogans and envision a world without government services.

In a new radio ad, the American Federation of Government Employees directly challenges tea party pledges to get the government off our backs and take our country back.

"That sounds good. But is this the time for bumper sticker solutions?" AFGE National President John Gage asks in the ad.

Cutting government programs – or shutting down the entire government, as some have suggested – would have dire consequences across the country, Gage warns.

"Food and mine inspection – gone. Forget about border patrol or keeping terrorists locked up. And returning veterans? Give them a cheap voucher instead of a quality VA hospital," he says.

The ad concludes with Gage asking voters to remember who was in charge when the country fell into recession and began racking up a trillion dollar deficit.

The ad begins airing the week of Oct. 11 on radio stations in several key battleground locations, including Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio; Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and Kansas City and St. Louis, Missouri.

The ad's message – to reject feel-good campaign pledges that would translate into harmful cuts to government services – is echoed in an AFGE-produced video currently airing on YouTube. The ad can be viewed at www.youtube.com/afgeonline.

The full text of the radio ad follows. Electronic copies of the ad also are available upon request.

TEXT OF AFGE RADIO AD

Tea party supporter:

Get government off our backs! We're going to take our country back!

John Gage:

That sounds good. But is this the time for bumper sticker solutions?

The Republican tea party Pledge to America says, Cut taxes for the rich and cut government. Some have even said, Close the government down. Then what?

Food and mine inspection – gone.

Forget about border patrol or keeping terrorists locked up.

And returning veterans? Give them a cheap voucher instead of a quality VA hospital.

Let's dump in the rivers and pollute the air again.

And the tea bagger chanting, "Keep your hands off my Medicare." Sorry. Medicare will be whacked hard. The same for Social Security.

Schools, police and fire departments will disintegrate.

So Republican tea party folks, then what?

We're all angry and frustrated. But when you vote, remember who got us into this mess in the first place.

Announcer:

Paid for by the American Federation of Government Employees at afge.org.

The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) is the largest federal employee union, representing 600,000 workers in the federal government and the government of the District of Columbia.

SOURCE American Federation of Government Employees

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