Appeal of the CPF for the municipal elections: Stop the dismantling of services!

CPF political committee 27.9.08: – 28.09.2008


On the eve of elections politicians promise dreams and hope. But only real deeds make the difference. Promises of hope have been betrayed and people have been subjected to business.

The political parties represented in parliament have weakened municipal services, although Finland is wealthier then ever before. Further cuts are planned at local level and the conservative Minister of Finances has threatened to further reduce the funding of municipalities. The reform of municipal and service structures unanimously passed by Parliament aims at cutting neighbourhood services, at increased competition and privatisation of public services.

Will we move away from the welfare state based upon municipal services to ever expanding markets of private services, opening basic human rights to commercial profit seeking? This is the challenge of the upcoming elections. What is at stake, is the capacity of local authorities to respond to such challenges such as the indisposition of children and youngsters, growing needs of the elder population, sufficient staffing for municipal services, increased housing costs and climate change.

Finnish citizens wish to improve the quality of public services and reduce inequality. The CPF acts in conformity with these objectives and wishes to open ways for citizens to raise their voice and be heard.

We Communists, we want to safeguard public proximity services and expand municipal competence and action as an alternative to capitalist market forces. We enter the electoral campaign offering a frank leftwing and red-green alternative. We have nothing to hide with respect to our activity in municipal councils or funding of our electoral campaign.

Carry the Voice of Citizens into the Municipal Councils!

The voice of citizens must be heard in the decision-making process of local authorities. Municipal services, housing and the living environment must be developed according to the needs of citizens and not the market.
- More money taken from the State budget surplus and from higher taxation of the wealthy must be directed towards social services, health care, education and other basic municipal services.
- The health of human beings must not be subjected to private profit-seeking. Sufficient resources must be made available to implement the health care guarantee.
- The right of the elder generation to quality public services must be guaranteed by means of a law on care for elderly people and stepping up municipal appropriations for elderly care.
- The closing down of neighbourhood schools, libraries and youth houses must stop.
- The raising of fees for public services must be halted. Basic health care and day care must progressively become free of charge.
- Housing costs have to be reduced and rent control has to be reintroduced.
- Climate change must be fought by developing public transport, investing in renewable energy and energy saving. The fares on public transport must be lowered.
- The salaries of municipal employees must be raised and the local authorities must live up to their responsibility as employers. Employees must be allowed to have a say in their work.
- Every citizen must be guaranteed the right to culture. Discrimination against minorities and immigrants as well as racism must be fought.
- Municipal activities and business units must not be filialised and privatised. Municipalities must expand their activity into new areas such as construction and repair of housing.
- Progressive municipal taxes based on the level of income must be introduced, the basic level of taxable income must be raised and capital income must be subjected to municipal taxes.
- Citizens must be empowered by means of greater neighbourhood democracy and participative budgeting. Regional councils should be elected to lead regional development, instead of regrouping municipalities and concentrating power.


Protest and vote for a change!

The CPF wants to build democratic welfare municipalities as an alternative to the present trend where citizens and employees' rights are subjected to the use of power by a handful and to profit. We call upon other leftwing parties, the greens and all those who aspire to a change to cooperate against the rightwing and the power of money.

Join in to turn the elections into a protest and a demand for change!