OCCUPY WALL STREET

[Cin]

Originally Posted by Toughy

a couple or three things are going on in Oakland now....

First......(and I think he is a big fat liar) The Oakland Chamber of Commerce is saying Oakland has lost many many jobs because of Occupy Oakland. He (spokesman) says 3....yes count them 3.....business folks have decided to take their business and jobs elsewhere. He has not named the business folks who have decided to not bring their business and jobs to Oakland.

Second....Much is being made of the economic impact of shutting down the 5th largest port in the US. Money lost, middle/working class folks not getting paid....blah blah blah.

I know I can be damn stupid sometimes however I cannot figure HOW the Oakland port or the longshoreman are losing money. All those goods stopped during the shutdown WILL be dropped off and/or picked up. The longshoreman might just get some overtime to catch up with the backlog from a max 18 hour shutdown of the Port. I can see some impact on truckers because time really is money for them. So.....can somebody explain how shutting down the Port has caused an economic impact?

Small business around City Center (where the Occupy Oakland folks have set up camp) are saying they are losing business. I know for damn sure that ALL the food establishments and newstands and little markets open on Strike Day did HUGE business........7,000 people hungry and buying food. Maybe half of them brought their on food or enjoyed the free food Occupy Oakland offered. Somehow I think that is more business than normal for a week day.

The Mayor and the City Council have an obligation to small business in downtown Oakland. That obligation is to start a big campaign to come to downtown Oakland and buy from small local business. The Occupy Oakland folks are not dangerous....they will not beat you or rob you or hurt you in anyway. If you walk around Oscar Grant Plaza (the name activists picked and it's fitting as far as I am concerned) folks will offer you carrots or bread or some other kind of food. They will engage you in conversation about economic injustice. They WILL NOT accost you or threaten you in any way.

So..........smart person........tell me how shutting down the Oakland Port for less than 18 hours creates a negative economic impact for the Port and Oakland.

I think the powers that be are struggling to find ways to disrupt the movement. Anything negative even if it is falsehood attached by a tiny thread of reality will do.

I read an article that talked about a method being used against Occupy Tucson that includes handing out citations that carry fines up to $1000 and 6 months in jail. They hand these citations out to every person in Armory Park after 10:30 every single night. Occupy Tucson activists refer to these tactics as financial and legal attrition to kill the movement.

The potential for criminal misdemeanor charges which would effect anyone who needs to pass a criminal background check for employment presents a real hardship not to mention not many can afford a $1000 a night fine. The growing concern is that this is stifling participation.

The movement is also distracted from their original goals by these daily citations. Instead of concentrating on economic inequality and corporate financing of politicians they have to focus on defending first amendment protected activities. This tactic is financially bleeding the movement and overwhelming the handful of attorneys volunteering their time who are swamped by the sheer volume of citations.

Occupy Tucson has been unable to sway city council members to change the citation policy. Members of the legal group are in the process of filing a lawsuit against the city.

All in all this seems to be pretty effective. And it has the added advantage of not attracting attention with all that tear gassing and non lethal weapon shootings.

[ruffryder]

People are occupying the banks. Is anyone occupying Verizon or AT&T businesses? Are we as Americans willing to get rid of our cell phones? hmmm...

[greeneyedgrrl]

Originally Posted by ruffryder

People are occupying the banks. Is anyone occupying Verizon or AT&T businesses? Are we as Americans willing to get rid of our cell phones? hmmm...

i think you have a point... and i think that cell phones and other mobile devices have been critical to the movement. using technology (mobile devices in particular) has allowed for the rapid dissemination of information and organization, which has helped the movement grow exponentially in a short period of time. i think tho it is worth looking at the dependence of the movement on the very companies we are rebelling against. it would be fantastic to find a way to use the technology without paying into the companies that are helping to cause the international economic crisis and social inequity.

[persiphone]

Originally Posted by Miss Tick

I think the powers that be are struggling to find ways to disrupt the movement. Anything negative even if it is falsehood attached by a tiny thread of reality will do.

I read an article that talked about a method being used against Occupy Tucson that includes handing out citations that carry fines up to $1000 and 6 months in jail. They hand these citations out to every person in Armory Park after 10:30 every single night. Occupy Tucson activists refer to these tactics as financial and legal attrition to kill the movement.

The potential for criminal misdemeanor charges which would effect anyone who needs to pass a criminal background check for employment presents a real hardship not to mention not many can afford a $1000 a night fine. The growing concern is that this is stifling participation.

The movement is also distracted from their original goals by these daily citations. Instead of concentrating on economic inequality and corporate financing of politicians they have to focus on defending first amendment protected activities. This tactic is financially bleeding the movement and overwhelming the handful of attorneys volunteering their time who are swamped by the sheer volume of citations.

Occupy Tucson has been unable to sway city council members to change the citation policy. Members of the legal group are in the process of filing a lawsuit against the city.

All in all this seems to be pretty effective. And it has the added advantage of not attracting attention with all that tear gassing and non lethal weapon shootings.

ugh....there needs to be fund raisers dangit. i detest hearing that the people are being silenced by the very people that were voted in. it's tyrannical.

[Cin]

Originally Posted by persiphone

ugh....there needs to be fund raisers dangit. i detest hearing that the people are being silenced by the very people that were voted in. it's tyrannical.

I know it's horrible. But diabolically effective and it happens quite under the radar. No war veterans getting shot and attracting media attention. I hope it doesn't catch on with other cities.

[persiphone]

Originally Posted by persiphone

ugh....there needs to be fund raisers dangit. i detest hearing that the people are being silenced by the very people that were voted in. it's tyrannical.

i have faith that the people will find a way. there is always a way. what ever happened to citizen's arrests? and there's always, of course, violence. i'm afraid the people are being pushed that way. we're reentering a dark time where lawmakers and politicians will start being targeted. i feel like we're on the verge of all hell breaking loose.

[SoNotHer]

BART police let the driver who ran down two protestors go:

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?sec...bay&id=8419953

[greeneyedgrrl]

does anyone know what happened there? i hadn't heard about this.

Originally Posted by SoNotHer

BART police let the driver who ran down two protestors go:

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?sec...bay&id=8419953

[greeneyedgrrl]

Originally Posted by greeneyedgrrl

does anyone know what happened there? i hadn't heard about this.

nm... i followed the link thanks SoNotHer!

[greeneyedgrrl]

omg... even after seeing the video thay're calling it an accident??? an accident?? seriously? wow. they don't seem to be taking it very seriously. they're tossing occupiers in jail for petty shit...and this guy goes free?? scary shit.

[Ebon]

http://www.forbes.com/sites/moneywis...ange-anything/

Will Bank Transfer Day Really Change Anything?

Nearly 80,000 people are currently signed up on Facebook to attend Bank Transfer Day, Google returns over 400 news articles headlined “Bank Transfer Day,” and today in San Francisco, at least three spray-painted faces of BTD—the patriotic rendition of the V mask—smiled triumphantly at me on my way to work.

But will Bank Transfer Day accomplish what it seeks to do, which, according to the Facebook event, is to “send a clear message that conscious consumers won’t support companies with unethical business practices”?

How It May Win A Battle…

If awareness is the goal, then supporters of Bank Transfer Day can pop the champagne already.

Bank Transfer Day is an orchestrated call to action for consumers to switch from their for-profit bank to not-for-profit credit unions before November 5. With its media bullhorn and measurable results of credit union growth, Bank Transfer Day is arguably not just a one day event; it signals the start of an on-going movement from which we may see ripple effects in the coming year.

And so far, at least 650,000 consumers nationwide have joined credit unions and helped add $4.5 billion in new savings accounts, reports CUNA. With four in every five credit unions reporting noticeable member growth since the end of September, the waves of consumers moving their money out of big banks seems to be a combination of consumer reactions to the now-rescinded debit card fees as well as Bank Transfer Day. If you are thinking about making the switch to a credit union as well, be sure to research credit union reviews before moving your money.

With the sheer volume of media coverage and credit union mobilization, Bank Transfer Day is finally providing fed-up, frustrated consumers with what they need: a real course of action.

*not the full article*

[ruffryder]

I'm not so sure Bank Transfer Day will have a great impact. OWS is still in the beginning stages. Lots of Americans do not even have a clue what "occupy" means. I think, with anything people are trying to change, it needs to be constant and ongoing. There needs to be more awareness, more understanding and more days like this in order to have a impact on these companies or banks. I will say it is a good start!

[nowandthen]

[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdQFz-w-wTk&feature=share"]Oakland General Strike | LeftBay99 - YouTube[/nomedia]