National Nurses United

NATIONAL F rom maine to California, nurs- es, students, and HIV/AIDS and community activists took to the streets April 4, calling on Congress to fulfill the quest of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s fight for economic justice by enacting a tax on Wall Street speculation. "The Inclusive Prosperity Act would make Dr. King proud," said Rep. Keith Elli- son at a kick-off press conference in Wash- ington, D.C. against the backdrop of the U.S. Capitol. "This is a holy day, a sacred day." It was on April 4, 46 years ago, that Dr. King was assassinated in Memphis while he was in town to provide support to city sanitation workers as part of a campaign for worker justice and to fight poverty. Today, the fight to achieve the economic equality Dr. King was seeking is embodied in the Robin Hood Tax bill, H.R. 1579, a sales tax on Wall Street speculative trading that would create hundreds of billions of dollars a year in revenue for communities in need. On April 4, vigils to honor Dr. King's legacy and calls for enactment of H.R. 1579 were also held at Congressional offices in 24 cities from coast to coast, and letters of support delivered to Congress members at 44 other offices as well. In Washington, D.C., Bill Lucy, president emeritus of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, who was with King in April 1968, stood outside the Capitol with Ellison remembering King and calling for passage of the Ellison bill. "The Inclusive Prosperity Act really is a vehicle to continue the work of Martin Luther King Jr.," said Lucy. "The sanitation workers of Memphis wanted decency and dignity. Keith Ellison wants economic fair- ness. I applaud him." Ellison gave credit to National Nurses United nurses for originating the idea, as he introduced Sandy Falwell, RN, a national vice president of NNU. "Registered nurses are on the front lines of this calamity, as many of the patients we care for in hospitals around the country are coming to us with multiple illnesses aggra- vated by poverty and a delay in seeking care because they simply cannot afford it. They have to choose to eat or get healthcare," said Falwell. "Too many people in this country are forced to choose whether to take medications or try to pay their rent, and in a country such as ours with such tremendous wealth, this is unconscionable." Falwell and others talked about how H.R. 1579 could fund jobs to rebuild a crum- bling infrastructure, quality schools and healthcare, retirement with dignity, research into eliminating HIV/AIDS, and funds for a clean environment. "America is our patient," declared Falwell. "The Inclusive Prosperity Act is a vital step to funding programs Dr. King stood for." Rep. Barbara Lee, a cosponsor of H.R. 1579, was also present to support the bill and remember Dr. King. "The American dream is turning into an American night- mare," said Lee. "We will push this forward The Robin Hood Tax is real hope for a just economy." This spring, investigations of high speed trading on financial markets have underscored how this activity hurts the U.S. econ- omy. High speed trades are also linked to price rises in gas, food, and other essen- tials. The Wall Street Journal reported in March that high speed trading programs "can encourage traders to engage in strategies that boost volumes but harm other investors." H.R. 1579, say economists, will disincentivize this harmful trading by making it unprofitable. Rev. Rodney Sadler, a leader of the "Moral Mondays" movement in North Carolina, was present as well. Sadler spoke of the struggle for justice in that state. "Will we allow the poor to be overlooked, forgot- ten and invisible?" asked Sadler. "Prosperity is something that should be inclusive. The Inclusive Prosperity Act will go a long way to meet needs in housing, employment, educa- tion, for veterans, and for the elderly." Amanda Lugg came to the event from Harlem, where she is director of advocacy for the African Services Committee. She is also a board member of Health GAP, a group that advocates for worldwide access to HIV/AIDS medicine. "We can end the AIDS epidemic in 30 years," said Lugg. "Half the people who need AIDS medicine go without. That ain't right." "The Robin Hood Tax," Lugg said, "can save lives and restore human dignity." She reminded the audience that, for 11 nations in Europe, May is the start date for their Robin Hood Tax. So what were we waiting for? —Staff report A P R I L | M AY 2 0 1 4 W W W . N A T I O N A L N U R S E S U N I T E D . O R G N A T I O N A L N U R S E 5 On anniversary of MLK's death, supporters champion his work for equality through Robin Hood Tax

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