Announcing a peaceful demonstration

Homer Women of Action announces a peaceful demonstration on Sunday, Aug. 3, from 2-3 p.m. at the corner of Sterling Highway and Lake Street to voice sustained resistance and to honor our rights to demonstrate, with the message that “Public Education Matters.”

Public education funding is in a state of crisis. We don’t know if the governor will cancel the special session; we don’t know if Rep. Sarah Vance will attend the special session; we don’t know if there are enough legislators attending who will vote to override the governor’s education funding veto; and while congressionally approved federal public school funding has within the last few days been released, federal and state decisions are erratic at best. Erratic and unpredictable policy and funding decisions don’t inspire long-term financial and business decisions.

What we do know is that the loss of public education jobs, in addition to affecting our public education outcomes, has a drastic impact on our local and regional economy. Every public education job lost translates to a decline in local spending: rents or mortgages, insurance policies, grocery orders and subscriptions for utilities. According to American Independent Business Alliance, the local multiplier effect is instructive — dollars earned and spent locally “recirculate through your local economy two to four times more than money spent at a non-local company. As your dollars move through your community, the money generates more local wealth, charitable contributions, and jobs.” Further, when teachers and their children leave Alaska, our schools lose not only experienced educators, but also the federal and state funds with student population decreases. This year it’s a beloved small school, pool and decreased library and theater — what will it be next year? No sports? More closed schools? How will reduced or eliminated bus transportation affect employees and their work hours?

Homer Women of Action welcomes everyone worried or displeased by recent efforts to cut Congressionally approved federal funding for Homer’s and the Kenai Peninsula’s public school district; the governor’s veto and consistent efforts to underfund public education in Alaska; the notion that our local legislator is refusing to attend the governor’s call for a special session and her failure to reassure us she will be at the table to work on state funding policies; the impacts to families and businesses from the recent passage of the federal budget; and those frightened by federal immigration agents or concerned about the potential loss of our U.S. Constitutional rights. Please join this peaceful demonstration especially if you are alarmed at the drastic underfunding of our local public education and our local legislator’s announced intention to support the governor’s recent education funding veto.

Bring your signs and peacefully stand in solidarity with your friends, family, neighbors and coworkers.

Our voices matter and make an impact. Our combined voices make a difference.

Homer Women of Action