OCCUPY WALL STREET

[Ebon]

Originally Posted by June

I am part of the 99%. I hope this all brings about some change and unifies those of us who pay more taxes for less representation. I hope it helps people like my mother understand that we are owned by corporations and the Republicans are not our saviors.

With that said. Our "Occupy Portland Camp" smells like reefer and Patcchuli and seems to be made up of young white folks with enough middle class privilege that they can afford to camp out in the middle of the city.

That kind of sucks. I know the one in NYC wasn't allowing drugs or alcohol, not that I ever think of reefer(I haven't heard this term used since 1982) as a drug. Patchouli I expected. lol At most of the other camps I've seen people from all walks of life. Older people, young people, students, union workers etc...

[ruffryder]

I thought this article was interesting on the connection between food stamps and JPMorgan or banks.

http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/a...p-morgan-makes

[Toughy]

yahoo photos.....about 2/3 through the 27 pics you will see what it looked like before the police 'evicted' them. Looks very neat and orderly to me.

http://news.yahoo.com/photos/police-...072926256.html

I'm not buying the health and safety crap. KPFA....it's free radio...gave voice to the Occupy folks. They all seemed knowlegeable about food safey and health stuff. There are plenty of ways to safely deal with human waste. Camping toliets are fabulous things. These folks are not dirty nasty sub humans who want to wallow in human and rat piss and shit. Rats are everywhere in downtown Oakland as they are in every frigging city in the country.

If the Health Department had concerns they could have simply asked to talk to the folks in charge of the kitchen and work with them to make corrections IF needed.

Occupy Oakland and Occupy SF are well organized with every kind of committee you can think of..I know SF even has a gender issues point person.....they have regular open meetings. They are serious folks about the issues.

Oh yes there are probably some asshats.....always have been and always will be.......however they are no where no way the majority of the 99% folks.

[Dean Thoreau]

Unfortunately, Occupy Wall St has been occupying privately owned property not a public park, not a city park,....The owner of the land has told them they will be evicted..and they need to move. They have done neither so they have been evicted.
Please do not take this for my lack of support for occupy wall street...I am extremely supportive of all occupy movements across the country i spend much time here at the occupy philly one....

But, having a legal leg to stand on is usually a smart idea. and there is such a thing as trespassing....I dont like it,,,I am glad the city of philadlephia has been absolutely wonderful...they have even supplied some electric lines form city hall...However, the people who own our old liberty park are not as open minded nor do they want the occupiers on their property. Sad ,, but nothing to get ones bloomers in a bunch about,,There are plenty of places in the wall street area to occupy, march and stroll...If they would put their signs down they could occupy the nyse visitors section for a day....or so...Peaceful gatherings as in occupiers walking 2 by 2 down wall street sidewalks very very slowly, in silence, no signs...(see with no signs and in silence then it is just people walking) walk slow enough and you can cause major bedlam on that street.... and bluntly a few stalled out vehicles....in opportune places can make quite a statement....
The biggest point is however, the occupiers have started something good, but for it to continue each individual in the 98% needs to take responsibility for their own actions and say enough is enough and cut up the credit cards, close the bank account, open a credit union account, and start cutting their shackles to corporate America by buying locally, not buying on credit, and by simply saying I dont need it...I dont want it....none of us need the new fancy cellphone or the latest computer, or 4 00 channels on tv or the latest shoes, purse or jeans....we want so we say need....and until every person stops supporting the 2% with their need for immediate material gratification,,all the occupations in the world will do nothing..

Read this..... and I promise you will see what I am saying..

http://www.forbes.com/sites/brendanc...wn-everything/

[dreadgeek]

Originally Posted by Dean Thoreau

Unfortunately, Occupy Wall St has been occupying privately owned property not a public park, not a city park,....The owner of the land has told them they will be evicted..and they need to move. They have done neither so they have been evicted.
Please do not take this for my lack of support for occupy wall street...I am extremely supportive of all occupy movements across the country i spend much time here at the occupy philly one....

But, having a legal leg to stand on is usually a smart idea. and there is such a thing as trespassing....I dont like it,,,I am glad the city of philadlephia has been absolutely wonderful...they have even supplied some electric lines form city hall...However, the people who own our old liberty park are not as open minded nor do they want the occupiers on their property. Sad ,, but nothing to get ones bloomers in a bunch about,,There are plenty of places in the wall street area to occupy, march and stroll...If they would put their signs down they could occupy the nyse visitors section for a day....or so...Peaceful gatherings as in occupiers walking 2 by 2 down wall street sidewalks very very slowly, in silence, no signs...(see with no signs and in silence then it is just people walking) walk slow enough and you can cause major bedlam on that street.... and bluntly a few stalled out vehicles....in opportune places can make quite a statement....
The biggest point is however, the occupiers have started something good, but for it to continue each individual in the 98% needs to take responsibility for their own actions and say enough is enough and cut up the credit cards, close the bank account, open a credit union account, and start cutting their shackles to corporate America by buying locally, not buying on credit, and by simply saying I dont need it...I dont want it....none of us need the new fancy cellphone or the latest computer, or 4 00 channels on tv or the latest shoes, purse or jeans....we want so we say need....and until every person stops supporting the 2% with their need for immediate material gratification,,all the occupations in the world will do nothing..

Read this..... and I promise you will see what I am saying..

http://www.forbes.com/sites/brendanc...wn-everything/

Dean:

I get what you're saying and I'm wrestling with this myself because my wife and I are not buying on credit and we've basically decided that if we can't save up for it, we don't need it. On the other hand, certain industries--and here I'm thinking about the computer industry--is predicated on a certain amount of 'churn'. Let's say that people took your advice and stopped buying the latest computer. That means that Dell, Apple and HP won't need as many employees so they'll lay them off. That means that the software vendors won't need as many employees so they'll lay *them* off. If everyone closes up their pockets and buys only the necessities then I think the economy will get worse, not better. It may not be the way we want it to be but I fear that whether we would prefer it, this is the economy we have to start with and make changes to that system.

I would like to see more emphasis on thrift and delayed gratification on the consumer side and a return to slow-and-steady growth on the business side. I would like to see businesspeople once again use, as one metric of success, hiring people instead of it being seen as, at best, an inconvenience to have a larger payroll this year than last.

Cheers
Aj

[Cin]

Originally Posted by dreadgeek

Dean:

I get what you're saying and I'm wrestling with this myself because my wife and I are not buying on credit and we've basically decided that if we can't save up for it, we don't need it. On the other hand, certain industries--and here I'm thinking about the computer industry--is predicated on a certain amount of 'churn'. Let's say that people took your advice and stopped buying the latest computer. That means that Dell, Apple and HP won't need as many employees so they'll lay them off. That means that the software vendors won't need as many employees so they'll lay *them* off. If everyone closes up their pockets and buys only the necessities then I think the economy will get worse, not better. It may not be the way we want it to be but I fear that whether we would prefer it, this is the economy we have to start with and make changes to that system.

I would like to see more emphasis on thrift and delayed gratification on the consumer side and a return to slow-and-steady growth on the business side. I would like to see businesspeople once again use, as one metric of success, hiring people instead of it being seen as, at best, an inconvenience to have a larger payroll this year than last.

Cheers
Aj

The upper 10% of income earners have a much smaller debt burden relative to income and net worth. Those people should have ample spending power to help fuel an economic recovery.

The data in 2007 stipulated that low income families I made up 40% of the population and just 12% of consumption. Middle class, 50% of the population and 46% of the consumption. Wealthy 10% made up 42% of the consumption.

The figures might have change somewhat, but the reality is the rich can afford to consume enough to make up for the rest of us slowing down a bit considering what's been happening. Hell I bet they prefer to spend to help economic recovery more than they would like to pay more taxes. They could just take one for the team.

[MsMerrick]

Originally Posted by Dean Thoreau

Unfortunately, Occupy Wall St has been occupying privately owned property not a public park, not a city park,....The owner of the land has told them they will be evicted..and they need to move. They have done neither so they have been evicted.
Please do not take this for my lack of support for occupy wall street...I am extremely supportive of all occupy movements across the country i spend much time here at the occupy philly one....

Dean, where are you getting the information that OWS has been evicted? I have heard nothing that says that has happened.
Are you referring to Occupy Oakland?

[Toughy]

Occupy Oakland @6:00pm 14th and Broadway tonight

ps Merrick I think Dean has old news....I heard about this last week and the guy decided not to evict them.

[MsMerrick]

Originally Posted by Toughy

Occupy Oakland @6:00pm 14th and Broadway tonight

ps Merrick I think Dean has old news....I heard about this last week and the guy decided not to evict them.

Oh that.. The clean up thing.. Yeah that's very old news
Did everyone hear about the Chief of Police in Albany who defied the Governor ? Or lets put it this way, suggested he needed to rethink evicting peaceful protesters ; )
Let me see if I can link it..
I have only heard generally about it, don't have specific knowledge ...
It will be covered tomorrow morning on WRRL with a commentator who has broadcast from OWS several times now, Mark Lewis...Worth listening to and yes you can catch the show streaming live...
But here you go:

http://www.timesunion.com/opinion/ar...4390.phpttp://

[Toughy]

Originally Posted by Ebon

That kind of sucks. I know the one in NYC wasn't allowing drugs or alcohol, not that I ever think of reefer(I haven't heard this term used since 1982) as a drug. Patchouli I expected. lol At most of the other camps I've seen people from all walks of life. Older people, young people, students, union workers etc...

come on............it's Portland..........laughin......about the most white bread city in the country.......

As to reefer....I smell it every day on the streets anyway....medical marijuana is alive and well and on the streets in the Bay...

I didn't read the rules at the camps, but I would imagine no booze, no illegal drugs, no cigarettes/cigars would be the norm and probably no weapons except for knives. Smoking a bowl of bud is another thing.

[ruffryder]

what to do if you're arrested for participating in OWS.

Although there may not be any justification for an arrest and you don't like the way you are treated, you should always remain calm. Physically resisting arrest will be worse for you. You have the right to remain silent and you have the right to refuse consent for a search.

Most of the arrests for OWS are falling under disorderly conduct. It can be different for each state, but they are along those lines, impeding traffic, failure to disperse, creating annoyance, loitering, etc. It could result in a misdemeanor charge, jail time and a criminal record. Once out of jail, if you continue to OWS and another arrest happens, it could bring harsher penalties each time.

Understand your rights however. Here is a link that goes over your rights if you're stopped by police, including asking if you are free to leave and writing a complaint and contacting your local ACLU if you feel your rights are violated.

http://www.aclu.org/drug-law-reform-...what-do-if-you