As we suffer the pain of outrageous and unnecessary layoffs, we must recognize that our unity and strength has achieved important victories for our members.

• Our giant demonstration and our huge rank-and-file lobbying efforts in April and May paved the way for the Legislature to pass the $2.7 billion aid plan that stopped the 10,000 layoffs the mayor had projected.

• Our powerful lobbying with our national union helped attach the $20 billion one-time state aid package to the Republican tax legislation. Now we are urging the governor to use a fair share of these funds for the city’s priorities.

• Our drive to restore many of the cutbacks — together with the City Council — convinced Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg to back away from $90 million of his own budget slashes.

• Our belief that this union is a family led us to extend the hand of solidarity to our laid-off members. We are helping them get the benefits they deserve and preparing them to reenter the work force.

As I write, we have been pressing hard to reverse the pink slips, but layoffs still loom in the school system. The mayor and City Council have just reached consensus on the budget, and our unrelenting pressure has clearly led to improvements. The agreement restores funds in many areas where our members work.

But in another sense, tough budgets and the threat of layoffs will face us for many years, because they reflect a national economic crisis.

New York is not alone. From Long Island to Long Beach, Calif., cities and states are in the red —putting working people and public services in jeopardy. Over half the states have already slashed their budgets, and most are planning layoffs as they cut health care, education and public safety.

Overall, 2.5 million jobs have been wiped out since George W. Bush became president. In our big cities, homelessness has soared. More than 41 million people have no health insurance.

The Bush recession is crushing America’s working families. But his answer to every problem is the same: “Cut taxes for the rich.”

He claims the latest tax cut will help “everyone who pays taxes.” But the neediest 8 million people will get absolutely nothing. Workers with incomes below $50,000 — like most DC 37 members — will get an average tax break of $135. Three-quarters of the goodies are saved for those who make over $100,000 a year, and the richest 1 percent will get windfalls averaging $100,000 apiece.

Added to the record national deficit, his second giant tax cut will clean out the federal bank. With this back-door tactic, President Bush and his anti-working-class majorities in Congress are mounting the deadliest attack yet on programs that the majority of Americans depend on.

They are piling up a $2 billion debt for our children to pay, leaving no money at all to meet the growing needs of Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.

We cannot afford another Bush administration
We are in a struggle for survival. The problems are economic, but the answers are political. We have to take back Congress and the White House. We have to win annual federal revenue sharing to save the cities and states and avoid cuts in education, health care and unemployment insurance.

We need targeted programs to create jobs, repair roads and schools and build housing. We have to give seniors a real Medicare prescription drug program, not the current inadequate, pro-privatization House and Senate plans. And we have to stop the president and his right wing supporters from rolling back civil rights, women’s rights, job safety and environmental protections.

I believe our union and the labor movement can win the battle for the heart and soul of America, but our campaign has two crucial needs: votes and money.

President Bush is amassing a quarter-billion-dollar campaign fund. To have a chance, we have to build up our war chest of voluntary contributions. If you are not a member of PEOPLE, our national union’s political action committee, think about joining now. If you are a member, consider raising your contribution level. And we also need to get every member registered to vote.

If you want a registration form, or if you can volunteer to register others, please send in the coupon on page 13. You can also call (212) 815-1550 to join PEOPLE, register or volunteer.

We all have to be part of the solution — or George W. Bush will succeed in destroying all that we hold dear.