MoveOn Plans 'Fiscal Showdown' Picket Monday at Hultgren's Geneva Office

A political action group is planning to picket Monday in Geneva as part of 162 "Fiscal Showdown" events nationwide asking legislators "to vote to raise taxes on the wealthy to fix the deficit."

MoveOn.org, one of the largest political action committees in the country, is making a local lobbying effort at 10 a.m. Monday, Dec. 10, at the Geneva office of Republican 14th District Congressman Randy Hultgren. The office is located at 1797 W. State St.

"Congress faces a fiscal choice—not a 'cliff'—about whether to end tax cuts for the rich or cut vital programs and delay tax extensions for working and middle class people," the MoveOn.org website says. "The GOP is holding us hostage again, and we could slide back into a recession if they win."

The group is asking local advocates to sign up for the gathering "to share our stories and let Congress know we won't settle for a bad deal."

"We voted to end tax cuts for the wealthy in November, not let Republicans push us back into a recession by standing in the way and demanding cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security," the website says. "We need to unite Senate Democrats against any cuts to those programs and put the heat on House Republicans for opposing extending tax breaks for 98 percent of us."

The lobbying effort also seeks:

• No cuts to Medicare, Medicaid or Social Security.
• Cut the bloated Pentagon budget.
• No cuts to our already tattered social safety net.

A local MoveOn member, identified as "Mary S.," is organizing the rally in Geneva.

"We need a massive crowd so that our elected officials and the local press get the message," the website suggests.

According to a CNN report, President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner met Sunday, but no major breakthroughs were made regarding the "fiscal cliff" decision facing Congress prior to the new year, when automatic tax hikes and spending cuts take effect.

In broad terms, Republicans say Democrats aren't willing to move on entitlement reform while Democrats say Republicans have refused to consider additional taxes on the wealthiest Americans.

"The latest news reports indicate that Republicans are still willing to raise taxes on working families by as much as $2,000, and are proposing devastating benefit cuts to Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid," the MoveOn website said.