A press release from the Minnesota Coalition for a People's Bail Out:

Tuesday rally at opening of Minnesota state legislature to demand protection for low-income and working people from effects of the economic crisis.

A coalition of organizations, bringing together union members, welfare rights organizations and others will hold a rally on the opening day of the Minnesota legislative session to demand that the state take concrete steps to protect low-income and working Minnesotans from the effects of the snowballing economic crisis.

The rally will be held at noon Tuesday, Jan. 6, on the State Capitol front steps.

The Minnesota Coalition for a People's Bail Out is sponsoring the rally.

The coalition advocates legislation that would provide income and jobs to the unemployed, a moratorium on home foreclosures and evictions from foreclosures and measures to prevent layoffs of public employees.

Deb Konechne, a spokesperson for the Coalition said, "With each passing day the economic news looks worse and worse. Thousands of people in Minnesota and around the country are losing their jobs. Home foreclosures are continuing at a record pace. When the state legislature assembles, there will be a voice at the State Capitol calling on the state government to respond to this crisis - not by cutting needed programs and services for low-income and working Minnesotans, but by taking steps to protect working people from the worst economic crisis since the 1930s."

Deb Konechne is also a leader of the Welfare Rights Committee.

The member groups of the coalition have pledged that they will be a presence at the Capitol during the session.

Phyllis Walker, president of AFSCME Local No. 3800, said "Concrete steps must be taken that protect low-income and working people in Minnesota from this economic crisis."

"The banks and corporations are getting a bailout. We need a bailout for poor and working Minnesotans," said Walker.

Coalition leaders vow to combat attempts to balance the budget on the backs of poor and working people and will oppose any attacks on undocumented immigrant workers.

"The leaders of the state legislature and have joined Gov. Pawlenty in calling for massive cuts in the state budget, cuts targeted directly against low-income people. We are going to the capitol to make it clear that working people are not the cause of the present crisis and we should not be the victims."

The Jan. 6 protest is being called in support of a program that includes:

• Jobs or income now!

• Extend unemployment benefits for all.

• Make more workers eligible for unemployment benefits.

• Create a public works program that puts people to work now.

• Place a moratorium on the 5-year time limit for public assistance.

• No cuts to programs that serve working and low-income people!

• Place a moratorium on home foreclosures

• No evictions for renters in foreclosed buildings

• No attacks on immigrants!

• Protect public education. No tuition hikes!

• No one in Minnesota should be cold or hungry!

• No layoffs.

• No attacks on wages; no layoffs for state and University of Minnesota workers

• Tax the rich, make them pay for the crisis.

"The burden of the current economic crisis must be put where it belongs, on the corporations, the politicians and those who have made super-profits while real wages and living standards have remained stagnant," said Mick Kelly of the Minnesota Coalition for a People's Bail Out.