LOS ANGELES — “I haven’t received the $350 in my bank account yet, but I am sending that amount to the Militant now in anticipation of getting it,” Los Angeles area resident Pat Nixon said Oct. 18. “The Militant is essential for working people to learn about trade union struggles and the labor solidarity that is developing, and essential to understanding what is happening in the world today from a working-class point of view. The paper keeps getting better and better.”
Supporters of the Militant are encouraging anyone who receives a California state gas rebate payment to send it to the Militant. The paper is facing major increases in printing costs and for mailing it to readers and distributors in the U.S. and internationally.
Using a California state budget surplus, Democratic Party Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Democratic-majority state legislature approved issuing $9.5 billion in payouts to California residents, supposedly to “provide relief” from high gas prices. That’s “9.5 billion reasons I think people should be appreciative that the state’s recognizing the stress and strain that families are going through,” Newsom boasted Oct. 7, the day the checks began going out. Payments of $350 are being sent to individuals who filed a 2020 state income tax return, $750 to couples.
Gas in Los Angeles county and other parts of California are more than $2 above the national average. Newsom’s token payments are a drop in the bucket compared to what California workers and their families have to shell out at the pump. Especially hard hit are truckers who are paying exorbitant diesel fuel prices.
“It’s a ploy by the government, $350 offsets nothing,” Militant supporter Jan Gangel said.
Contribute your rebate to the Militant! This is the best way to get out the truth about today’s capitalist crisis and its skyrocketing inflation. Send your checks to the Militant, 306 W. 37th Street, 13th floor, New York, NY 10018, or contribute online at themilitant.com.