Jobless Workers March Through Downtown San Jose

Silicon Valley was once seen as the epicenter of the "New Economy", a place where anyone could become a millionaire and opportunities seemed unlimited. But yesterday, unemployed workers marched through the heart of Silicon Valley demanding living wage jobs, health care, housing and education -- and demonstrating just how much the Valley has changed.

"What recovery?" proclaimed demonstrators, arguing that the so-called economic recovery has brought little or no benefit for the majority of Santa Clara County residents. The more than 100 marchers made a stop at the Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce, where Natasha Humphries, a tech worker who saw her job disappear after training her overseas replacement, castigated the Chamber businesses for their practice of offshoring jobs.

Bush and Schwarzenegger took much of the blame for budget cuts and the jobless recovery, with marchers chanting "Offshore Bush!" San Jose State student Daniel DeBolt spoke out against Schwarzenegger's education cuts and tuition hikes, as did Cathy Rion of Californians for Justice, which is involved in a lawsuit against the governor for his elimination of UC outreach programs.

The march ended up at the State Building, where demonstrators signed giant letters to their elected representatives and pledged to continue speaking out for a real economic recovery. Ken Glenn and Dennis Gonzales, respectively representing SEIU 715 and the state employees' union CSEA, both urged the protestors to support Prop. 56. They described the March ballot initiative as a crucial step towards fixing the state budget process and preserving funding for health care and education.

The march came on the same day that Bush backtracked on his recent prediction that the U.S. economy would add 2.6 million jobs in 2004, refusing to support his own economic report. Said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco, "President Bush is rapidly becoming the permanently surprised president. He is surprised that every economic prediction that he and his administration make does not pan out." Meanwhile, San Jose demonstrators saw a bleak future ahead unless political and economic priorities are changed. A final chant: "Forget the stock market, show us the jobs!"

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