On Saturday, Jan. 9, the Virginia People’s Assembly, a statewide coalition of labor, community and peace organizations, will sponsor a march on the State Capitol to oppose more budget cuts and layoffs of state workers.

The demands of the march include: “Jobs, Peace, Justice! Don’t balance the budget on the backs of Virginia’s workers! Make the big corporations pay their fair share of Virginia’s tax burden!”

The announcement of the march comes just hours after outgoing Gov. Tim Kaine unveiled his proposal for the 2010-2012 state budget, which includes $2.3 billion in new cuts, including the loss of 2,543 state jobs, 664 through direct layoffs, as well as slashing aid to cities and counties. The new cuts would be in addition to the more than $7 billion the Kaine administration has already cut from the present two-year budget in response to declining revenue caused by the ongoing national recession.

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The ax is falling again. Gov. Timothy M. Kaine has just announced how he plans to close the state’s current $1.35 billion revenue shortfall. That plan includes:

• eliminating 929 employee positions, including 593 actual layoffs;
• cutting the state’s contribution to the Virginia Retirement System by $104 million;
• a one-day furlough of all state workers;
• 13-15 percent cuts to colleges and universities;
• nearly $235 million in cuts to current state services;
• cuts of more than $403 million in spending by state agencies and $446 million in general fund spending.

What’s missing? Virginia’s tax on corporations is still the second lowest in the country, while its tax on workers is still the second highest.

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