Romney, Allies Target Public Service Workers

by Kyle Weidleman  |  June 12, 2012

Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney recently launched a new rhetorical attack on public workers and the vital services on which millions of American families rely.

“[Obama] says we need more firemen, more policemen, more teachers," said Romney. "It's time for us to cut back on government and help the American people.”

It’s part of a pattern we’ve seen anti-worker governors and legislators pursuing since the 2010 elections. At the same time, top Romney surrogate John Sununu and anti-worker Ind. Gov. Mitch Daniels are also suggesting that fewer teachers and first responders is what taxpayers want.

The facts do not back up their claims. An October 2011 poll conducted by CNN found that 75 percent of Americans would prefer to send "federal money to state governments to allow them to hire teachers and first responders," the same positions Romney wants to cut. In September 2011, 70 percent of Americans believed "providing funds to state and local governments to prevent layoffs of teachers, police officers, and other first responders" were an effective way to create jobs, according to a National Journal poll.

His statements make it clear that Mitt Romney cares more about his corporate donors than he does about working families and public services. Romney and his allies are launching this latest attack on AFSCME members and the work that we do so he can help the 1 percent at the expense of everyone else.