Cost of Government Day -
n. the date of the calendar year, counting from January
1, on which the average American has earned enough in cumulative gross income to
pay for his or her share of government spending (total federal, state, and local) plus
the cost of regulation.
– Americans for Tax Reform
August 17th will be a landmark day for Washington in 2009. It is the day that our state's people can finally stop working to pay for their government and begin working for themselves. The amazing thing about this date is that it falls almost a full month later than last year's COG Day on July 22, 2008. Our government's spending is
out of control and we need to do something about it.
With our state legislators currently in their local communities and our congressional representatives back home on recess, we have a
unique opportunity to address this issue with them face-to-face. With that in mind, the Citizen Action Network is launching a state-wide effort to have our members join with other grassroots activists and personally meet with their representatives at their local office.
We are asking people to
form groups and
show up at their legislators' offices on
August 17th, 2009 at 12:00pm, ready to ask questions regarding Cost of Government Day. The goal is to raise legislator awareness of how much they are truly spending and hold them accountable to bringing that amount down. They need to know that citizens are not going to sit idly by while our country spends itself into oblivion.
To join the Cost of Government Day rally taking place in your community, please contact the coordinator for your area and let them know you would like to be involved.
*If your area does not have a coordinator, you can volunteer for the position by sending an email to
llund@effwa.org
Cost of Government Day—Quick Facts
- The average American worker must work 111 days just to pay for federal spending which is now consuming 20.36 percent of national income.
- The average American worker must work 49 days to meet the burden of state and local spending, compared to 42.5 days in 1999. This means that in the last ten years alone, state and local spending has grown almost 14 percent in relation to national income.
- Regulatory costs force the average American worker to labor 65 days this year, and will consume 17.7 percent of national income.
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2007: Washington COGD July 18, National COGD July 11, Rank 8
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2008: Washington COGD July 22, National COGD July 16, Rank 5
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2009: Washington COGD August 17, National COGD August 12, Rank Coming Soon
Coming Soon....
Contact Info:
U.S. Representatives:
1st District: Jay Inslee - (202) 225–6311
2nd District: Rick Larsen - (202) 225-2605
3rd District: Brian Baird - (202) 225-3536
4th District: Doc Hastings - (202) 225-5816
5th District: Cathy McMorris Rodgers - (202) 225-2006
6th District: Norm Dicks - (202) 225-5916
7th District: Jim McDermott - (202) 225-3106
8th District: Dave Reichert - (202) 225-7761
9th District: Adam Smith - (202) 225-8901
State Legislator Contact List
https://dlr.leg.wa.gov/MemberEmail/Default.aspx
Senate Offices/Phone Numbers -
http://www.leg.wa.gov/Senate/Senators/senatedistrictoffices.htm
House of Representatives Offices/Phone Numbers -
http://www.leg.wa.gov/House/districtoffices.htm
What Needs to Be Done:
1. Spread the Word - people need to know about Cost of Government Day and what is being done about it. Tell your friends, co-workers and family; put in a call to your local reporter; write a letter to the editor; get it on the community calendar. Do whatever you can to educate people about COGD and your local event.
2. Prepare Yourself - look at the resources on this website; head over to Americans for Tax Reform and read the report; look over the legislator questions and familiarize yourself with them. Be ready to show your legislators that you mean business!
3. Show Up on COG Day - Grab a couple of friends and turn out at the local offices of your legislators. Whether you want to speak with them personally or stand them to represent your disapproval of their financial decisions, Show Up! Be sure to network with your local coordinator so you won’t show up alone or at the wrong time. You can find a list of locations and the coordinator for each spot by clicking here. ***(insert link to location table)***
*Don’t see a coordinator for the location you plan on being at? Volunteer by sending an email to
CAN@EFFWA.ORG (include COGD Coordinator in the subject line).
