Taking it to the streets—or the meeting rooms

Two opportunities to speak out on budgets, local and state:

The Minnesota Coalition for a People’s Bailout and the Welfare Rights Committee are organizing a campaign to demand a “People’s Bailout” of increased and extended aid to the poor, protection of public education funding, and no layoffs. The campaign kicks off with a protest at the state capitol on Tuesday, January 6 at noon, during the opening session of the state legislature.

The Minneapolis Public Schools’ Citizens’ Budget Advisory Committee, or CBAC, meets Wednesday, January 7 at 7 p.m. , to begin examining ways to bridge the school district’s $28 million budget deficit next fiscal year, possibly by cutting or reorganizing programs and staff. The Citizens’ Budget Advisory Committee is a part of the Minneapolis school district government open to any resident of Minneapolis, and offers a way to speak directly to the school board. Committee Chair Eli Kaplan says that the CBAC will be looking at individual school budgets for “areas which have a way of saving major dollars.” Email CBAC@sihope.com for more information, including meeting place.