Message to State Legislators: “California Is Not for Sale!”

Eighteen nurses, social workers, traffic officers and other concerned SEIU 721 members traveled to Sacramento earlier this week to deliver a message directly to capitol legislators: California is not for sale.
The three-part day of action, aimed at highlighting how bank foreclosures are destroying communities, included:

• Meeting with legislators to promote bills that would help keep Californians in their homes, simplify the foreclosure process and impose fees on banks that foreclose on homeowners, which would be used to strengthen local services like schools and public safety.

• Holding a press conference to present a report detailing how banks have spent more than $50,000 per day to fight foreclosure reform in the Golden State.

• Demonstrating outside a meeting of the California Bankers Association, which was in Sacramento to launch its campaign to fight foreclosure reform.

”
Big banks are taking advantage of working people and creating blight in our communities. We wanted show our legislators that we’re just as strong as the banks. We may not have their dollars, but we have the votes.” –Nelson Williams, Jr., Painter, Compton
Throughout the April 6 trip, SEIU 721 Vice President Linda Dent rallied members and community allies behind her, telling them, “SEIU 721 members live in the neighborhoods that are being destroyed by bank foreclosures. It’s time for the banks to pay their fair share and treat homeowners with respect.”
The three bills being backed by SEIU 721 members are:

• Foreclosure Mitigation Fee – AB 935 (Blumenfield)
• Good Faith Modifications Before Foreclosure – SB 729 (Leno/Steinberg)
• Mortgage Title Transparency – AB 1321 (Wieckowski)

For more information, contact Bart Diener at (213) 368-8634.
UPDATE: WATCH CBS Sacramento’s report on the trip.