We would have been more effective at city hall and elsewhere if we had an 'executive summary' of what our movement stands for! I have alot of trouble talking to my co-workers and friends because *I'm* not even sure what our first priority is. My best shot at a bullet list was more than 30 lines long. Next time we approach city hall, let's just ask them for one thing at a time. Our city council can't do anything about the banking crisis or most of what we want anyway.
Here's the only official OWS position I could find (Keith Olbermann read it brilliantly but it's way too long! -)
As we gather together in solidarity to express a feeling of mass injustice, we must not lose sight of what brought us together. We write so that all people who feel wronged by the corporate forces of the world can know that we are your allies. As one people, united, we acknowledge the reality: that the future of the human race requires the cooperation of its members; that our system must protect our rights, and upon corruption of that system, it is up to the individuals to protect their own rights, and those of their neighbors; that a democratic government derives its just power from the people, but corporations do not seek consent to extract wealth from the people and the Earth; and that no true democracy is attainable when the process is determined by economic power.
We come to you at a time when corporations, which place profit over people, self-interest over justice, and oppression over equality, run our governments. We have peaceably assembled here, as is our right, to let these facts be known. They have taken our houses through an illegal foreclosure process, despite not having the original mortgage. They have taken bailouts from taxpayers with impunity, and continue to give Executives exorbitant bonuses.
They have perpetuated inequality and discrimination in the workplace based on age, the color of one’s skin, sex, gender identity and sexual orientation. They have poisoned the food supply through negligence, and undermined the farming system through monopolization. They have profited off of the torture, confinement, and cruel treatment of countless animals, and actively hide these practices.
They have continuously sought to strip employees of the right to negotiate for better pay and safer working conditions. They have held students hostage with tens of thousands of dollars of debt on education, which is itself a human right. They have consistently outsourced labor and used that outsourcing as leverage to cut workers’ healthcare and pay.
They have influenced the courts to achieve the same rights as people, with none of the culpability or responsibility. They have spent millions of dollars on legal teams that look for ways to get them out of contracts in regards to health insurance.
They have sold our privacy as a commodity. They have used the military and police force to prevent freedom of the press. They have deliberately declined to recall faulty products endangering lives in pursuit of profit. They determine economic policy, despite the catastrophic failures their policies have produced and continue to produce.
They have donated large sums of money to politicians, who are responsible for regulating them. They continue to block alternate forms of energy to keep us dependent on oil. They continue to block generic forms of medicine that could save people’s lives or provide relief in order to protect investments that have already turned a substantial profit. They have purposely covered up oil spills, accidents, faulty bookkeeping, and inactive ingredients in pursuit of profit.
They purposefully keep people misinformed and fearful through their control of the media. They have accepted private contracts to murder prisoners even when presented with serious doubts about their guilt. They have perpetuated colonialism at home and abroad. They have participated in the torture and murder of innocent civilians overseas.
They continue to create weapons of mass destruction in order to receive government contracts. To the people of the world, We, the New York City General Assembly occupying Wall Street in Liberty Square, urge you to assert your power. (Speaks to corporatocracy)
Exercise your right to peaceably assemble; occupy public space; create a process to address the problems we face, and generate solutions accessible to everyone. To all communities that take action and form groups in the spirit of direct democracy, we offer support, documentation, and all of the resources at our disposal.
Join us and make your voices heard! The statement issued from Zuccotti Park, by the general assembly, at Occupy Wall Street
Hi. These may be vague or not within city council's reach, but I kind of like such demands such as:
Real penalties for corporate crime
Real penalties for environmental destruction
Real limits on hoarding of wealth and property
Real limits on corporate power/concentrations of power
Real equality
Other ideas:
No billionaires
No millionaires
Also, maybe we could figure out what would constitute torture or cruel and unusual punishment of large corporations (not people, of course), and make it legal.
Hi. These may be vague or not within city council's reach, but I kind of like such demands such as:
Real penalties for corporate crime
Real penalties for environmental destruction
Real limits on hoarding of wealth and property
Real limits on corporate power/concentrations of power
Real equality
Other ideas:
No billionaires
No millionaires
Also, maybe we could figure out what would constitute torture or cruel and unusual punishment of large corporations (not people, of course), and make it legal.
gABRIELLE is totally right about the second bill of rights. FDR had a good idea. A couple of the things are really unfeasible as presented, but could be tweaked to work.
Good ideas. I agree there needs to be a few more amendments to the constitution, though maybe starting at the state level will bring about change quicker. What we DO need before we even get to that is the cops on our side:
So far, the most pressing issue brought before City Council has been the issue of 'tent' or not to 'tent'…I attended the first city council meeting and saw the second one attended by Occupy Houston. Both council meeting issues brought by Occupy Houston were concerning the use of tents.
This makes sense since these are the pressing issues of the occupiers in Tranguility Park and our right to peacefully assemble to present our grievances.
I would like the transit system in this city addressed and upgraded for greater efficiency and more options. Which includes more city trains and a biking/hiking trail that doesn't expect pedesterians and bike riders to compete with vehicles for space.
Also, the education system in Texas needs to be addressed. Serious issues there.
I agree the transit system is a problem. I don't know what the current plan is, but putting one in would create jobs (with no thanks to Perry)…but they tend to take a long time to pass. In the past, Houston has addressed mass transit in such a haphazard way, focusing more on a few rare tourists than the everyday needs of the people. I am not current on the information, other than plans to head to the Galleria and head North. Seems there is little talk ever about serving outlying communities and impoverished areas that need it most.
Education, yes, I agree. I am not the protest type, and have no children, but I will march on that one. I think we could reach out to all the teachers we know, and give them time to share with other teachers, and do it on a day they are available. I would think there would be a lot of interested parents as well. It seems far too many teachers are losing their jobs, becoming demoralized by the current system, etc. I can't imagine what it must be like to be a teacher in this system….horrific.
How much influence does the state vs. the city have over education in Texas? And do we need to find fairer ways to address school tax so poorer communities are benefitted? Do we have an Occupy 'expert' on education?
I agree the transit system is a problem. I don't know what the current plan is, but putting one in would create jobs (with no thanks to Perry)…but they tend to take a long time to pass. In the past, Houston has addressed mass transit in such a haphazard way, focusing more on a few rare tourists than the everyday needs of the people. I am not current on the information, other than plans to head to the Galleria and head North. Seems there is little talk ever about serving outlying communities and impoverished areas that need it most.
Education, yes, I agree. I am not the protest type, and have no children, but I will march on that one. I think we could reach out to all the teachers we know, and give them time to share with other teachers, and do it on a day they are available. I would think there would be a lot of interested parents as well. It seems far too many teachers are losing their jobs, becoming demoralized by the current system, etc. I can't imagine what it must be like to be a teacher in this system….horrific.
How much influence does the state vs. the city have over education in Texas? And do we need to find fairer ways to address school tax so poorer communities are benefitted? Do we have an Occupy 'expert' on education?
~k
Katie, you need to educate yourself before making such comments. As for education, we already have the Robin Hood system that takes money from richer areas and gives it to the poorer & lazier areas, so what more do you want? Furthermore, when the underperforming schools are slated to be closed or have a change in leadership, the locals (all poor/lazy) scream racism, etc. and the underperformance continues. It is the very people you say you want to help who are the problem; they want false rewards for free and just perpetuate the problem. In the end, the school system teaches to the dumbest kid in the class and we all suffer.
As for Public Transportation, it is already subsidized to no end in the U.S., especially in Houston. There is door-to-door service (paratransit) for disabled (real disabled and those milking the system) and underperfroming routes are continued (again, the locals don't care if no one rides a particular bus route, if it gets cancelled they scream racism, oppression, etc.). Public Transportation is already a heavily subsidized social service and that is why is fails, it is run as a social service and not as a transportation system. Houston METRO also goes over the top with affirmative action and puts people in roles to fill (actually overfill) quotas and not based on qualifications, our system is a joke considering how much money it takes in. A funny note is that METRO is funded by a 1.0% City of Houston sales tax, and since the "1%" buy more stuff, they are paying more in the dedicated sales tax that benefits the 99%, oh the irony. Just look at the ass clowns that have headed up METRO – Shirley DeLiberio (chronic liar, but she was a minority woman, a 2-fer), Frank Wilson (was kicked out of NJ for being too corrupt and too much of an ahole, get your head around that) and now George Greanius (suspeneded for surfing the web on METRO laptop while searching for teenage male prostitues apparently, but not fired since he's a homosexual like the mayor) – ya' that's some quality leadership, no wonder METRO is a joke.
Tony, that is quite an 'amazing' post. "Katie, you need to educate yourself before making such comments. " And from there it just gets worse from there. Tony, my suggestion, try to provide some solutions instead of ignorant rants about how " the locals (all poor/lazy) scream racism, etc." Unless, you are afraid to say, " kill the poor and feed them to the rich." For which, I will understand.
Tony, that is quite an 'amazing' post. "Katie, you need to educate yourself before making such comments. " And from there it just gets worse from there. Tony, my suggestion, try to provide some solutions instead of ignorant rants about how " the locals (all poor/lazy) scream racism, etc." Unless, you are afraid to say, " kill the poor and feed them to the rich." For which, I will understand.
Pierre
The solutions are to stop catering to the laziest in society. Being 'poor' is most often tied to laziness, willful criminal activity, willful squandering of educational opportuniteis and lack of values/work ethic. My mother was one of 11 children born sharecropper grandparents, grew up as dirt poor as poor can be. 10 of the 11 kids made it to adult age and were successful (decent jobs, owned houses, no cirminals, etc.) – they all went from poor to middle class (or some semblance their of) through hard work and having a good set of values. Quit making excuses for lazy folks and quit blaming the "rich" who got there through sacrifice, hard work and good choices.
Tony, that is quite an 'amazing' post. "Katie, you need to educate yourself before making such comments. " And from there it just gets worse from there. Tony, my suggestion, try to provide some solutions instead of ignorant rants about how " the locals (all poor/lazy) scream racism, etc." Unless, you are afraid to say, " kill the poor and feed them to the rich." For which, I will understand.
Pierre
The solutions are to stop catering to the laziest in society. Being 'poor' is most often tied to laziness, willful criminal activity, willful squandering of educational opportuniteis and lack of values/work ethic. My mother was one of 11 children born sharecropper grandparents, grew up as dirt poor as poor can be. 10 of the 11 kids made it to adult age and were successful (decent jobs, owned houses, no cirminals, etc.) – they all went from poor to middle class (or some semblance their of) through hard work and having a good set of values. Quit making excuses for lazy folks and quit blaming the "rich" who got there through sacrifice, hard work and good choices.
Tony, it seems that you still think we are still living in those times. I got news for you: times have changed. During the time of sharecropping, America was a vastly different country. The issue, not the lazy, as you put it. " Being 'poor' is most often tied to laziness" in your mind. How much would it cost today to have and raise 11 children? How much would it cost to send 11 children to college? How much would insurance cost for 11 children…today? Tony, based on a couple of your post, it doesn't sound like you are quite familiar with OWS/OH is about nor its issues. I suggest, you take some of your own advice and "educate yourself before making comments…" Just my take..
Tony, that is quite an 'amazing' post. "Katie, you need to educate yourself before making such comments. " And from there it just gets worse from there. Tony, my suggestion, try to provide some solutions instead of ignorant rants about how " the locals (all poor/lazy) scream racism, etc." Unless, you are afraid to say, " kill the poor and feed them to the rich." For which, I will understand.
Pierre
The solutions are to stop catering to the laziest in society. Being 'poor' is most often tied to laziness, willful criminal activity, willful squandering of educational opportuniteis and lack of values/work ethic. My mother was one of 11 children born sharecropper grandparents, grew up as dirt poor as poor can be. 10 of the 11 kids made it to adult age and were successful (decent jobs, owned houses, no cirminals, etc.) – they all went from poor to middle class (or some semblance their of) through hard work and having a good set of values. Quit making excuses for lazy folks and quit blaming the "rich" who got there through sacrifice, hard work and good choices.
Tony, it seems that you still think we are still living in those times. I got news for you: times have changed. During the time of sharecropping, America was a vastly different country. The issue, not the lazy, as you put it. " Being 'poor' is most often tied to laziness" in your mind. How much would it cost today to have and raise 11 children? How much would it cost to send 11 children to college? How much would insurance cost for 11 children…today? Tony, based on a couple of your post, it doesn't sound like you are quite familiar with OWS/OH is about nor its issues. I suggest, you take some of your own advice and "educate yourself before making comments…" Just my take..
Bob, I'm 45, sharecropping is not that old. None of those kids went to college, they mostly ended up being housewives, plumbers, electricians and the like, nice solid jobs that provided a decent income, the ability to buy houses and send their kids to college.
Based on your post, you are not familiar with hard work and intelligence.
I am am albino from Zamibia, my color is internal mostly, although my exterior qualifies more or less as opaque. All you damn pigmented folks better stop disenfranchizing me and my kind!!!!!!!!!!!
Tony, that is quite an 'amazing' post. "Katie, you need to educate yourself before making such comments. " And from there it just gets worse from there. Tony, my suggestion, try to provide some solutions instead of ignorant rants about how " the locals (all poor/lazy) scream racism, etc." Unless, you are afraid to say, " kill the poor and feed them to the rich." For which, I will understand.
Pierre
The solutions are to stop catering to the laziest in society. Being 'poor' is most often tied to laziness, willful criminal activity, willful squandering of educational opportuniteis and lack of values/work ethic. My mother was one of 11 children born sharecropper grandparents, grew up as dirt poor as poor can be. 10 of the 11 kids made it to adult age and were successful (decent jobs, owned houses, no cirminals, etc.) – they all went from poor to middle class (or some semblance their of) through hard work and having a good set of values. Quit making excuses for lazy folks and quit blaming the "rich" who got there through sacrifice, hard work and good choices.
Tony, it seems that you still think we are still living in those times. I got news for you: times have changed. During the time of sharecropping, America was a vastly different country. The issue, not the lazy, as you put it. " Being 'poor' is most often tied to laziness" in your mind. How much would it cost today to have and raise 11 children? How much would it cost to send 11 children to college? How much would insurance cost for 11 children…today? Tony, based on a couple of your post, it doesn't sound like you are quite familiar with OWS/OH is about nor its issues. I suggest, you take some of your own advice and "educate yourself before making comments…" Just my take..
Bob, I'm 45, sharecropping is not that old. None of those kids went to college, they mostly ended up being housewives, plumbers, electricians and the like, nice solid jobs that provided a decent income, the ability to buy houses and send their kids to college.
Based on your post, you are not familiar with hard work and intelligence.
tonyiommi said:
bobdelfino said:
tonyiommi said:
bobdelfino said:
Tony, that is quite an 'amazing' post. "Katie, you need to educate yourself before making such comments. " And from there it just gets worse from there. Tony, my suggestion, try to provide some solutions instead of ignorant rants about how " the locals (all poor/lazy) scream racism, etc." Unless, you are afraid to say, " kill the poor and feed them to the rich." For which, I will understand.
Pierre
The solutions are to stop catering to the laziest in society. Being 'poor' is most often tied to laziness, willful criminal activity, willful squandering of educational opportuniteis and lack of values/work ethic. My mother was one of 11 children born sharecropper grandparents, grew up as dirt poor as poor can be. 10 of the 11 kids made it to adult age and were successful (decent jobs, owned houses, no cirminals, etc.) – they all went from poor to middle class (or some semblance their of) through hard work and having a good set of values. Quit making excuses for lazy folks and quit blaming the "rich" who got there through sacrifice, hard work and good choices.
Tony, it seems that you still think we are still living in those times. I got news for you: times have changed. During the time of sharecropping, America was a vastly different country. The issue, not the lazy, as you put it. " Being 'poor' is most often tied to laziness" in your mind. How much would it cost today to have and raise 11 children? How much would it cost to send 11 children to college? How much would insurance cost for 11 children…today? Tony, based on a couple of your post, it doesn't sound like you are quite familiar with OWS/OH is about nor its issues. I suggest, you take some of your own advice and "educate yourself before making comments…" Just my take..
Bob, I'm 45, sharecropping is not that old. None of those kids went to college, they mostly ended up being housewives, plumbers, electricians and the like, nice solid jobs that provided a decent income, the ability to buy houses and send their kids to college.
Based on your post, you are not familiar with hard work and intelligence.
Tony, sharecropping isn't that old…relatively. How much does being a housewife pay today? Plumbers, electricians and like from my understanding do make decent income. But enough to send their children…plural…to college? Bob, in case you haven't noticed, a decent income doesn't buy as much as it use to. Have you bought gas or groceries lately? They are a bit more expensive than they have in the past, along with many other things. Oh, college and university tuition and other related expenses also are a bit higher than in the past. So, yea…you can make a 'decent income' as a blue collar worker, if you choose the profession right but it won't buy what it use to.
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