FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
ISAIAH: Eric Howard
928 – 701 – 1954
ehoward@isaiahmn.org
*** MEDIA ADVISORY ***
ISAIAH STATEMENT REGARDING BUDGET RELEASE
TIME FOR A BUDGET THAT PUTS PEOPLE FIRST
ST. PAUL, January 22, 2013 — Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton released his budget
proposal during a press conference in Saint Paul. ISAIAH President Rev. Paul Slack
issued this statement shortly after:
“Budgets are not just balance sheets. Budgets are moral documents. In the coming
weeks and months, the Legislature, the Governor, and the people of our state have
important choices to make about the moral document we create together.
We believe
that God calls us to value the dignity and sacredness of all individuals and to
continually expand the circle of human concern.
The budget we adopt in the coming months ought to reflect our highest values and
aspirations. It ought to unite rather than divide our state. It ought to foster prosperity
for all rather than a few. It ought to move us out of gridlock and toward creative
problem solving.
Today, the Governor has started the conversation in a promising way. He has not only
outlined policy proposals that have tremendous potential to move us forward, he has
invited all of us be part of the discussion. We encourage the Legislature to follow the
Governor’s lead and to set out in a bold new direction aimed at accomplishing real
structural reform that puts our state on a path towards health, wholeness and
prosperity.
ISAIAH will engage our legislators and tens of thousands of people of faith to
challenge our public leaders to make the choice to put people first and to put thriving
children, families & communities ahead of special interests, moneyed interests and the
economic interests of a few."
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ISAIAH is a multi-racial, congregation-based community organization in the Twin Cities
and St. Cloud regions. Its mission is to promote racial and economic equity by working
to ensure that all people, regardless of class, race, ethnicity or religion, are involved in
shaping the state’s future.