Hundreds of Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE) members packed the rotunda on Wednesday to remind Ferguson that their salaries aren’t just spreadsheet items: they’re livelihoods, rent checks, daycare bills, and precarious stability. They staged a sit-in outside Ferguson’s office, t hen marched to the governor’s mansion to confront him, however, he was gone, working from his Seattle office. by Marcus Harrison Green They were loud. They were angry. They were Union Strong. After this week, it should be crystal clear to Gov. Bob Ferguson that state employees aren't begging for a tax on the ultra-wealthy to patch up Washington's budget hole. They're demanding it, loudly enough to shake the state capital. Hundreds of Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE) members packed the rotunda on Wednesday to remind Ferguson that their salaries aren’t just spreadsheet items: they’re livelihoods, rent checks, daycare bills, and precarious stability. They staged a sit-in outside Ferguson’s office, then marched to the governor’s mansion to confront him, however, he was gone, working from his Seattle office. It should be noted that while the protest was loud, it remained peaceful throughout. The people shouting down Ferguson’s door are the same people who answer phones at state agencies, care for people with disabilities, help folks re-enter society after prison—many had canvassed and voted for him. And they are fed up with what they see as the governor’s betrayal of the working class and his political appeasement to the state’s wealthy, evidenced by his rejection of a wealth tax. At the heart of the clash in Olympia is Ferguson’s proposal to furlough state workers as a fix for Washington’s staggering $16 billion budget shortfall, while dismissing a wealth tax as “untested” and legally uncertain, while being mum on other progressive revenue measures. WFSE and other unions aren’t buying it, arguing that the governor’s plan shifts the economic burden onto the very workers who keep the state functioning, while the ultra-wealthy remain shielded from even modest tax increases. “I am an administrative assistant. We are the glue of our organizations—we make things happen behind the scenes. Many of us are some of the lowest-paid workers in the state. Most of us are women. I take home about $1,500 every two weeks. If I weren’t married, I couldn’t afford this job,” says Kelly Powers, a WFSE member who spoke at yesterday’s protest. Powers, who voted for Ferguson, slammed his proposed cuts, calling them a “self-inflicted recession” at a time when the economy is already reeling from the volatile nature of the Trump administration’s economic asininity. She’s especially affronted by Ferguson’s proposal of a five year moratorium on state worker’s ability to negotiate their health care packages. “Tell me how do we pay for housing, food, gas, and healthcare on less and less, while the richest Washingtonians pay nothing more?” she asks. Wednesday’s actions were applauded by many Democratic state legislators, including those who have supported raising progressive revenue. “Though I was excited to see Washington state public employees and other working people protest at the State Capitol, it’s disappointing that they have to make use of these tactics in order to be heard,” says Rep. Shaun Scott of the 43rd LD. “That some state lawmakers and the Governor’s office are considering cuts to social services and furloughs of public employees is unconscionable. I was proud to join yesterday’s sit-in at the Governor’s office, and will continue working from inside the institution of the State Legislature to tax the ultra wealthy to fund services we all use.” Rep. Brianna Thomas, whose 34th legislative district covers West Seattle and Vashon Island, also denounced the governor’s propositions. “I want the governor to keep his promises. I will not balance the budget on the back of starving children. I will not balance the budget on the backs of those who need kidney dialysis. I will not balance it on the backs of our immigrant community who need support. I will not balance it on the backs of kinship caregivers who can barely afford to raise their grandchildren,” Thomas told The Stranger. She also spoke at Wednesday’s protest. The demonstration action caught the eye of at least one national civil rights leader. “This is an example of how to organize our strengths into compelling power so that the government cannot elude our demands. I’ll take it further and say that so any power structure cannot elude our demands,” says Dr. Bernice A. King, who was in town for a housing equity event hosted by Habitat for Humanity Seattle-King Kittitas Counties. Invoking her father Martin’s economic justice message from his book Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community, King says that like all states, Washington requires leaders with a “people-centered” sensitivity to the needs of the electorate. “A creation of a budget shows you who someone represents. Are you representing the people or are you representing powerful lobbyists?” she told The Stranger. With Democrats still locked in budget negotiations and state workers poised for further direct action before the legislative session ends on April 27, we’ll soon see. ...read more read less