99% Choir Goes Caroling, Forecloses on Bank of America
Posted 12 years ago on Dec. 27, 2011, 4:24 p.m. EST by OccupyWallSt
On December 22nd, the 99% Choir walked into Bank of America's Seattle headquarters, sang appropriately updated carols, and posted foreclosure notices citing bribery, fraud, and extortion. Thanks goes to The Other 98% , The Backbone Campaign, Washington Community Action Center, and the Seattle Labor Chorus for this action and video.
Excellent action.
Agreed. Continue mic checking politicians and elites and giving corporations a hard time!
struggleforfreedom
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Well done choir well done
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Money is mankinds black hole! It consumes all truth and light, and was conceived by those in darkness! It is passed on from the same power structure throughout the world to control the masses and consume any and all truth of the true human condition. We must turn our backs on it, and those who control us with it!! Mankind will then see our true potential, and vanish those dark beings to the realms from the depths of hell from which they sprung from!
The quickest road to freedom from economic slavery is through cooperative communities.
www.the-communal-solution.us
Thanks for the post AllOverIt! I took a look at your site and for my own personal ways and beliefs your site seems to convey the type of world I believe we were meant to live in as opposed as to the one thats been created for us. Lets hope there is enough truth left in mens and womens souls to begin down our true path as human beings!
Great, we need a team to help us build it. We have room here to house a team with a simple construction of a structure. Help us get the word out or join us.
I totally agree, my friend. I´ve also written about this: "The Society We Should Strive For"
btw, a must see: Noam Chomsky at Occupy Boston
yours s struggleforfreedom
A working model of wide scale co-operatives today shows a group of the happiest people in the world in Emilia Romagna province, Italy . Not all business are co-operatives but a substantial part of the community business is run that way keeping the rest more honest.
In well designed co-operatives the opportunity to invest and take part in management is available to everyone.
I found this interview from a radio broadcast which can be downloaded.
A summary:
"Professor of Economics at Bologna University Stefano Zamagni tells Ideas that it's no coincidence that the cooperatives of Emilia Romagna province - particularly the many worker-owned cooperatives, are a key ingredient in the provinces' high quality of life. Then Professor Bill Willmott recalls his first meeting with Rewi Alley back in 1936. Rewi Alley owes his fame to his role in establishing the Gung Ho Cooperative Movement in the late 1930s. Finally, Tait Electronics chairman Peter van Rij talks to Ideas about exploring alternative models of ownership."
http://www.radionz.co.nz/search/results?mode=results&q=cooperative+economy
There are no loosers just less parasites feeding at the top and much less unemployment, better social services and support for families, education and medical care as a part of the system.
The 1% hate it.
Italy's debt= over 120% GDP. Interest rates rising as bond yields exceed 7% yields, preventing them from refinancing debt as it becomes due. We'll see where they end up. They have given away their freedom by using the Euro. They are now trapped and will be forced into reigning in excessive spending.
Yes Europe is in a mess and the banks are at the root of it. Debt finance carries an overload that can strangle economies fiscally.
The co-operatives mentioned above seem to be generally secure with low debt as a part of their structure.
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Correction: the quickest way to happiness is to form your own egalitarian community that does not use money.
In order to become self-sufficient: each one of you must go into training to learn the self-discipline needed to get things done. All of you are the most helpless impractical freaks on the planet and none of you know how to do anything; much less have a human relationship with another human being.
Until you freaks shut down your computers and get together in person to form a living community: none of you will ever learn the socializing skills it takes to live with humans instead of machines.
Okay, turak, let's do it! We believe that democracy only works when there is unity at the core - a constitution that forms the basic rights and agreements of the group. Also, most of us "freaks" work cooperatively every day of our lives. We cooperate at jobs, at school, and in miriad other ways. It is capitalism that interferes by making us challengers of each other for resources. When the land and its resources may not be hoarded by individuals wanting power, but is the birthright of each of us we will have peace and harmony. www.the-communal-solution.us
Wrong: you work to get MONEY. IN order to create a self-sufficient community: you have to learn how to cooperate between each other without using MONEY.
All of your 'jobs' are slave jobs which keeps the powerful in power and makes the rich richer: You're INSIDE the capitalist system: you need to go OUTSIDE of the system in order to be trained and taught. Nobody can teach enablers and supporters of a system that's 100% corrupt ho to be independent of that system unless you leave the entire system behind and create your own culture and society. This means you need to develop your intrinsic CREATIVE potential which every human being is born with. This means HARDSHIP. TOUGH CHALLENGES which you must overcome.
The first thing you babies need to learn is that you have no rights. You have no birth rights. The only right you wer4e born with is the right to DIE..
Learn this: whatever is given to you is worthless. The only rights you will ever have are the ones you EARN. And you must earn them by your own efforts and your own sweat and passion and commitment to your goals.
Learn this: in order to become an independent human being you must not hoard anything.
INorder to create your own self-sufficient community you must gather together in groups of TWELVE PEOPLE: six boys and six girls.
Once you have found 11 other people who want to become a better human being, and are not snobs and are not slaves and are not ignorant and are not brainwashed and are not... OOOOPS... you won't find any, because you're just as brainwashed as the rest of them and just as spoiled rotten and you're not willing to commit yourself to becoming a better human being.
Get this through your head: nobody can teach anyone through reading words over the internet. You can only learn by example.
This means if you want to do anything you have to shut off your machines and go out and meet living people. Once you do that: you keep on doing it and don't come back here until you've found 11 people who also want to become better human beings..
Stop being so damn hostile, and WRONG about us. We believe that a community should be a base for the community NOT for individual ownership of private residences. We think that after the construction phase the work of maintaining the property and growning and preparing food will likely take not more than 4 hours a day and probably only 2 hours per day per person. After that, whatever you want to do with your time should be yours. We think that if people want to make income from barter or money by the products they personally produce or the service they personally deliver. I have written extensively about the disaster that hoarding is. We are living on 35 acres of land that we are caretaking for the "owner". We are growing 3/4 acre of organic vegetables and there are many fruit trees. So stop being so damn insulting and forget about working with us. Nobody likes a bully no matter how right he thinks he is.
Oh? Who is 'us'? How many people are you living with? Do you have a web sit or e-mail address? And exactly who IS the owner of this property whom you look after for him and work for? If you are living in an intentional community; then why don't you tell us about it? How did you get permission to live on this land when you don't own it?
Or as I suspect, you're just another lying troll and are not living in an intentional community.
You can easily prove that all my suspicions are wrong by giving me some information about your communal effort so I can verify that you're not lying to me.
Damn idiot. I posted our website above in my previous reply to you. You don't make respectable friends by standing on your high horse and screaming at the rest of us. We don't work for the owner he is an old hippy. We live on the land and use the house for free in exchange for keeping his shabby old buildings secure. We are free to create a community here and are seeking people that agree with the ideas on our website. We want a community of 300 people on 500 acres. We have a reach ad on the Intentional Communities website. We have an associate who is writing a grant proposal for the land. No one else, so far, is interested in doing the work to make this happen so we are working on it together, as a couple - my organic gardener honey and me.
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Money is just a tool to be used as the user see's fit. It's all about the people using it.
Those with the most use it to give them the ability to gain more for themselves while keeping the larger majority of the population as their slaves. So much for everyone being created equal I guess. Thats probably the greatest lie spun to the masses!
Exactly! We can eat with our fingers but it is more efficient and more elegant to use cutlery, that's all.
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they have built the jails for us! will they declare MARTIAL LAW in 2012?!?! continue to list their crimes. a general assembly grand jury! start with these 3 INSIDE JOBS! 911 INSIDE JOB subprime fraud INSIDE JOB $52billion this year in insurance from HAARP generated storms INSIDE JOB!
Don't forget the $2.3 trillion that went missing from the Govt coffers [ $8000 for each person in the US ] and announced the day before the timed 911 distraction which was also planned to maximize benefits for the criminal corrupt leaders of the War Against Terror, who were the main global proliferators of terror.
excellent! list their crimes for our grand jury. name the big landowners. they have stolen the land through corrupt private property rights under the queen of england, whore of babylon, riding on the back of the great beast!
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One can only hope they will. If you truly are the 99% where are the nearly 7 billion plus who are also involved in the OWS "movement"? And also, what good did said intrusion into BoA do other than interfere with the day to day activities of hard working people who got what to the position they did in life through hard work? Those who got booted out of their homes because they could not afford the balloon payments due to APRs shoudlve read their mortgages more closely. Lord knows I did before signing anything. Shame on you for supporting the stupid. And do not claim they got duped. If they were smart enough to get a subprime mortgage, they should have also been smart enough to at least hire a shady low budget lawyer to check said mortgage in advance.
Shame on me for supporting the stupid? Shame on you for taking advantage of stupid people. Or even condoning such actions. I used to be like you. I'd sit on my computer as a teen playing online games and conning the fuck out of people I didn't know.
People spent a lot of time, and sometimes even money to acquire these items and characters.
I'd steal digital items, I'd convince people to download viruses which would make them drop all their gear and I'd even go as far as hacking into and stealing entire accounts. It became an addiction to fuck people over. I also did everything I could to cheat the system and make it work in my favor. Do you want to know what I learned from these evil deeds?
That no matter how much material "or digital" shit you acquire, it is never enough. You might think you're getting something and your brain tells you "Hey I just got something, now I'm happy!" but that happiness only lasts for a short amount of time. True happiness comes from helping others who are less fortunate than yourself, or just helping others period. Not from trying to fuck them over in any way possible to get a step ahead of the game.
additionally, the idea that one cannot make money and provide for themselves by helping others is a false one. we can choose what to value in an economic system
What you described is the same as getting addicted to drugs. It doesn't matter what the material is that one gets addicted to. It's an addiction that hurts others... one in the same.
Kudos to you for waking up and evolving.
Maybe next time you should pick up a book rather than play a computer game. Just saying.
You can learn a lot of things from other sources than books alone. I'm not saying video games are more educational than books, but if you play the right ones, you can see things from other perspectives you might not have thought about before. Psychedelics and lucid dreaming are also proven to speed and enhance the learning process and creativity. Even things like playing sports, musical instruments, arts, and crafts open up an entire world of possibilities. just saying.
Though those may be true you can not discredit the wisdom found in books. I believe video games, in moderation, can possibly help your critcal thinking skills but I also believe a book can as well. I'm not saying those things are bad but I've seen how the children and young adults of this age treat books. It's sad. Libraries will let you rent out books for free, but how many people do you think are actually doing that?
You're absolutely right. I love books and greatly understand their importance. I grew up in a setting where reading books during free time at school (as opposed to socializing, talking about what was on T.V. the previous day, and spreading rumors) was looked down upon and viewed by most kids as uncool. And I'm sure things haven't changed in the slightest.
You sure weren't at all like me! But at least we agree in your last paragraph.
Um, the 99%, aka 7 billion plus does NOT represent the number of people who are necessarily involved in OWS, or any movement for that matter. It never did represent that. It represents the percentage of people whose earnings are below the 1 million dollar level. No one gets to CHOOSE whether they are in the 99% category or the 1% category, except to the extent that you think someone gets to CHOOSE whether they earn under a million per year, or over a million per year. No matter what your politics, race, attitude towards political demonstrations, or work ethic, if you happen to earn less than a million a year (or whatever the cutoff actually is, perhaps it's half a million), then YOU ARE part of the 99% as well, by definition...whether you like it or not. As for blaming the victim, do you have a perfect record of avoiding becoming a victim of fraud, theft, deception, ripoff, or other unethical conduct? If so, good on you. How about all of the local broadcasters (I am one of those) who used to work for Clear Channel, but have been tossed out of their jobs BY THE THOUSANDS because one company has been allowed to monopolize a natural resource which is there for the benefit of ALL the people? Are you going to BLAME them for choosing careers in local radio, and call them "stupid" also? Am I stupid as well for choosing that type of work? At what point do you admit that many very large, transnational corporations have been given TOO much power to dictate the rules for everyone else? Finally, as to those hard working people inside the bank, you think THEY are going to be all snuggly, warm, and fuzzy towards the corporate dictators at B of A when the day comes that THEIR asses get FIRED through no fault of their own? After all, labor is an EXPENSE for B of A, so the more of it they can CUT and get away with CUTTING, the better!
Thank you for this post. I totally agree with everything you said. Perhaps we can rebuild a FUNCTIONAL capitalist system WITHOUT the "help" of the very rich1%. With your terrific broadcasting skills, and the determination of OWS and others on our side, it can be done. That's what "revolution", in this day of advanced technological innovation, has come to mean for me. Revolution doesn't mean war, or bloodshed, or confiscatory behavior. It means just taking things back that belong to us within this advanced technological context. We can revolt if skilled people like yourself, and we like to think ourselves, can act in concert for a higher cause.
How can Clear Channel get away with not being deemed a monopoly?
Rose, they do it the same way any multi-national corporate entity with millions and billions of dollars at its disposal does: they use that capital as both a carrot and a stick in their dealings with federal decisionmakers (in both parties) who oversee broadcasting road rules and the use of public spectrum. Through their lobbyists, they tell political figures in both houses of Congress, "pass laws which mandate the FCC to make rules and decisions favorable to us, and you shall be rewarded with a VERY generous campaign contribution, as well as with other goodies, paid for out of our corporate treasury, including golf trips, free vacations, airplane rides on our corporate jets, and mind blowin' sexual encounters with gorgeous hookers." That's the carrot. For the stick, they would say, "Rep. Blah Blah, Senator Shminglegunk, if you don't vote in accordance with our corporate interests, we will use our millions of lobbying dollars to RUIN your political career via support for your opponent." In short, our elected Congresspeople are actually BOUGHT AND PAID FOR by corporate interests in various industries in the good ol' USA, including commercial broadcasting. That, BlueRose, is how they get away with it. Any questions?
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the subprime mortgages, self certified were created to dupe the stupid. the proof is the speed with which they were converted into derivatives, given an AAA rating and rapidly sold on the global market. the freemasons invented the fraud in which the banks were deceived!!!
its not my fallt i done grewed up stoopid. i has done been fuked ober cowntwess times by singing into sumeting i dont qwite understood. if i cood affort a loyar den mebee i woodint b so far in det, butt den agin may b i wood jus b rapped inabutt by da loyar intsed... so u shut up b4 i takek u on da jery spinger sho and opah winfree too
Here's another story from the jimmycrackerson archives:
I signed a 2-year contract with T-Mobile in July of 2011. Yes I knew what I was getting myself into, and yes I know fucked up. At the time I had a decent paying job, and I could afford to pay my monthly bill for both phones. I didn’t need broadband, cable television, or a landline for my house. The phones and the service could pretty much cover those (except the television, which I never wanted anyways.)
Well to make a long story short, I ended up losing my job in September of 2011. I could and can no longer afford to make the payment(s) on my phone bill. So now the service is cut. Which makes sense; If I can’t pay for a service, then I should not receive that service. But what doesn’t make sense is how T-Mobile in any good conscience can keep charging me for a service that is not being provided.
I know it says such and such in the contract, and yeah, I know I fucked up. But when I signed that contract, I didn't plan on losing my job, my house, and my car three months later in bittersweet succession. I also know I can terminate my contract for a fee of 300-400 dollars (which probably covers the expense of the phones provided). But then again, if I could afford to do that, I would probably just re-activate my service. I don’t understand why these companies will not work with their customers. If I didn't know any better I would say they are predators. Or maybe I’m just a dumbass. Or probably both.
I'm sorry to hear about your job and phone problems. My father lost his house because he couldn't afford the payments on it. He was devasted. He lost all his savings trying to keep the house just to lose it. And he sees the corruptness of the mortage company. But like you, he knew what he was getting into and had a well paying job at the time he purchased the house. But after it was all over he didn't blame anyone but himself. He realized that no one had forced him to sign the contract. Things happen in life that throw us in a loop but it's better to get up off the ground and say "lesson learned" rather than complain. At least with your situation you know who you won't be getting your phone service from anymore. And pay attention to thhe fine print. If you don't like what you are reading make them change it or take you and your money else where. See what the company does after that. Best wishes on a resolution to your problem. God Bless
Why is it that one MUST sign a contract like that just to have a cell phone and service? Do we even have any choice if we want cell service but don't agree to the terms? Why do the fucking greedy ass corporations get to dictate to us what the terms are that we have to accept if we want their fucking service?
It's the same with car insurance companies. They dictate to what extent they will cover things. We're supposed to shut up and just pay them without any choice.
Maybe Next time I should:
Get an unsigned copy of their contract.
Scan it onto my computer.
Change the wording to make everything work out in MY favor (while still retaining the basic visual structure of said contract)
Bring it back into the company and sneakily switch the contracts.
And when they want to try to pull their bullshit, I'll make them produce the re-written contract, and notify them that they, in fact, owe ME $5000 dollars in hidden fees and charges.
Buy throw away phones with no contract.
I pay month by month with T Mobile, no contract. You do have a choice if you don't agree to the terms, there are quite a few providers out there, many of which offer no-contract deals.
course, then these materialistic bastards wouldnt be able to get their newest phones/ Iphones whatever. Not like you need a Smart phone anyway.
I picked up an unlocked older model iphone for under $200, and it's been a useful tool so far. Low budget options are out there.
A Smart Phone is good if you want internet access but don't want to pay an additional bill for it by having it at home, too. That isn't being materialistic. There are many benefits to having internet access.
Sry couldnt help myself It just seems a good point that people presume that we need to have these brand new phones when usually, they have a perfectly good phone, its just a bit outdated. Smart phones have been out long enough that you don't need a top of the line phone to have the functions you describe. So there really is a materialistic viewpoint dominating the idea we need better phones, so should sign a 2 year contract to get it. Cause the contract is for the new phone, not the service itself. After contract expires, you are on month to month. Or you can buy unlocked or refurbished phones and put them on most carriers that support them, with little to no contracts needed.
Keep it up occupiers, great work!!
Merveilleuse initiative! Les Banksters méritent évidemment la prison!
You're nuts. They've done nothing wrong.
Hum... next to nothing! They have taken houses through an illegal foreclosure process. They have taken bailouts from taxpayers with impunity. They have perpetuated inequality and discrimination in the workplace based on age, the color of one’s skin, sex... 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 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. They have 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 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 . They have 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.............. And so on.... But next to nothing....
You make me believe in a god.
Your spirit is strong. Thank you for your hard work. Another world is possible. :)
Occupy
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Awesome lyrics. Singing demoralizing songs of truth to bank employees looking for an excuse to hate the carolers is the most powerful form of protesting.
so smart, brilliant idea <3
Let's get the Justice Department to prosecute bank executives who committed crimes!
Please sign my petition at The White House website (link below) to have the Administration instruct the Justice Department to prosecute banking executives under the Sarbanes Oxley Act. Not one high level executive has been prosecuted under the Act since the financial crisis three years ago. CBS's 60 minutes, among other sources, found that wrongdoing by high level executives at two banks, Countrywide Financial and Citigroup, have prosecutorial merit.
If you like the petition, please send it to your friends! I need 25,000 signatures by January 4, 2012 to receive an official response by The White House. Just to be able to see the petition in searches, I need 150 signatures. I really think it will be popular once it reaches the level of 150 signatures to be seen in searches. Let's keep up the pressure!
Thanks for your support.
My White House Petition:
http://wh.gov/D1o
Like the government their website doesn't work. I couldn't get registered to sign it.
http://suzannahbtroy.blogspot.com/2011/12/african-american-woman-on-her-death-bed.html FYI Deutsche Bank 60 Wall st violating OWS and me when I visited. Watch the video of this woman battling DB from her bed and the right to live and die in her home no thanks to DB. Research DB role in mortgage abuse here USA. 103 year old fights Deutsche Bank off from evicting her. DB history literally Nazi to now -- awful.
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Yes, hallelujah ! for the Wall Street Choir idea.
No, that's more bull shit for whining about the accounting team.
The team is solid, has a C.P.A. overseeing routine transactions, and there's a local law firm for oversight. Plus, there's a level of oversight above that.
There's not a dime missing. A few odd ball GA votes, sure thing. A couple of crazed law school grads... oh, yeah.
Since OWS's main raison d'etre is the focus on Wall Street and mortgage industry corruption, seeing unemployed law school grads in here attacking OWS accounting for corruption ??? Shocking, shocking I say !
Nobody in the original OWS group is head-up-ass. Nobody in accounting. Nobody in security is head-up-ass. Not the nonviolent communication effort. Not 99% of the direct action effort. Not the kitchen.
Seeing Seattle hit a brilliant note doesn't mean that NYC, Chicago and Boston are idiots. Wait till you see what Atlanta and Wisconsin are doing !!
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The aim is to emulate Deming flat-org-chart systems where everybody gets to contribute to leadership.
Continual improvement !
LOVE IT!
Listening to the Republican debate and what is very disturbing is thier stance that"We can decide what kind of realtionships we as Americans can have" Very Disturbing......
I love all of you
instead of singing............they should have been throwing rocks at the place
A New frontier is being occupied!!
OCCUPY EVERYTHING! http://www.occupyfashion.spreadshirt.com
well done.........keep up the good work
I wish the banks would publish some materials explaining how a bank works. You see, a bank makes loans and then when the borrower can't pay, it must foreclose and take the property so that it continues to be..a bank!! I never understood how this simple concept gets lost in all this emotion. A promissory note is a promise to pay. You agree to hand over the keys to the house if that promise is broken. That is just.
QUESTION: As some of the bankers apparently knew that they were too big to fail, and that their risks were effectively backed by a public sector guarantee, couldn't their excessive risk taking [& risk transfer to the innocent public] be considered for prosecution for "Misconduct in Public Office" if such a course is available in USA? In UK CPS guidance includes: Misconduct in Public Office Principle Misconduct in public office is an offence at common law triable only on indictment. It carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. It is an offence confined to those who are public office holders and is committed when the office holder acts (or fails to act) in a way that constitutes a breach of the duties of that office. The Court of Appeal has made it clear that the offence should be strictly confined. It can raise complex and sometimes sensitive issues. Prosecutors should therefore consider seeking the advice to resolve any uncertainty as to whether it would be appropriate to bring a prosecution for such an offence. Definition of the offence The offence is committed when: a public officer acting as such wilfully neglects to perform his duty and/or wilfully misconducts himself to such a degree as to amount to an abuse of the public's trust in the office holder without reasonable excuse or justification Scope of the offenceLevel of misconduct required The offence is, in essence, one of abuse of the power or responsibilities of the office held. Misconduct in public office should be used for serious examples of misconduct when there is no appropriate statutory offence that would adequately describe the nature of the misconduct or give the court adequate sentencing powers. The third element of the definition of the offence provides an important test when deciding whether to proceed with an offence of misconduct in public office. Unless the misconduct in question amounts to such an abuse of trust, a prosecution for misconduct in public office should not be considered. The culpability ' must be of such a degree that the misconduct impugned is calculated to injure the public interest so as to call for condemnation and punishment' The fact that a public officer has acted in a way that is in breach of his or her duties, or which might expose him/her to disciplinary proceedings, is not in itself enough to constitute the offence.Examples: wilful excesses of official authority; 'malicious' exercises of official authority; wilful neglect of a public duty; intentional infliction of bodily harm, imprisonment, or other injury upon a person; frauds and deceits. Dishonesty or corruption There is no general requirement that the misconduct be dishonest or corrupt. Proof that the defendant was dishonest is, however, an essential ingredient when the allegation of misconduct involves the acquisition of property by theft or fraud. Breaches of duty In all cases the following matters should be addressed: Was there a breach of a duty owed to the public (not merely an employment duty or a general duty of care)? Was the breach more than merely negligent or attributable to incompetence or a mistake (even a serious one)? Did the defendant have a subjective awareness of a duty to act or subjective recklessness as to the existence of a duty? Did the defendant have a subjective awareness that the action or omission might be unlawful? Did the defendant have a subjective awareness of the likely consequences of the action or omission. Did the officer realise (subjective test) that there was a risk not only that his or her conduct was unlawful but also a risk that the consequences of that behaviour would occur? Were those consequences 'likely' as viewed subjectively by the defendant? Did the officer realise that those consequences were 'likely' and yet went on to take the risk? Regard must be had to motive. Elements of the offenceA public officer The prosecution must have evidence to show that the suspect is a 'public officer'. There is no simple definition and each case must be assessed individually, taking into account the nature of the role, the duties carried out and the level of public trust involved. an office of trust concerning the public, especially if attended with profit ... by whomever and in whatever way the officer is appointed. It does not seem that the person concerned must be the holder of an 'office' in a narrow or technical sense. The authorities suggest that it is the nature of the duties and the level of public trust involved that are relevant, rather than the manner or nature of appointment. A public office holder is an officer who discharges any duty in the discharge of which the public are interested, more clearly so if he is paid out of a fund provided by the public. Remuneration is a significant factor, but not an essential element. The Court of Appeal held that remuneration was not an indispensable requirement for the holding of a public office, or for liability to prosecution for the offence of misconduct in a public office. The fact that an individual was a volunteer might have a bearing on whether there had been wilful misconduct, but was only indicative rather than determinative of whether an individual held a public office. The court referred to the unfairness that could arise where people who carry out similar duties may or may not be liable to prosecution depending on whether they can be defined as 'public officers'. What were once purely public functions are now frequently carried out by employees in private employment. The court declined to define a public officer, however, but said: This potential unfairness adds weight, in our view, to the conclusion that the offence should be strictly confined but we do not propose to develop the point or to consider further the question of what, for present purposes, constitutes a public office.' Acting as suchThe suspect must not only be a 'public officer'; the misconduct must also occur when acting in that capacity. It is not sufficient that the person is a public officer and has engaged in some form of misconduct. The mere fact that a person is carrying out general duties as a public officer at the time of the alleged misconduct does not mean he or she is necessarily acting as a public officer in respect of the misconduct. There must be a direct link between the misconduct and an abuse, misuse or breach of the specific powers and duties of the office or position. The principles involved apply equally to holders of all public offices. Wilful neglect or misconduct Nature of the neglect or misconductThe wilful neglect or misconduct can be the result of a positive act or a failure to act. There must also be an element of knowledge or at least recklessness about the way in which the duty is carried out or neglected. The test is a subjective one and the public officer must be aware that his/her behaviour is capable of being misconduct. Meaning of 'wilful' the court approved the definition of 'wilful' as 'deliberately doing something which is wrong knowing it to be wrong or with reckless indifference as to whether it is wrong or not'. with respect to inadvertence: It is clearly blameworthy to take an obvious and significant risk of causing injury to another. But it is not clearly blameworthy to do something involving a risk of injury to another if one genuinely does not perceive the risk. Such a person may fairly be accused of stupidity or lack of imagination, but neither of those failings should expose him to conviction of serious crime or the risk of punishment. the stronger the objective indications of risk, the more difficult it will be for defendants to repel the conclusion that they must have known. Abuse of the public's trustSeriousness of the neglect or misconduct The behaviour must be serious enough to amount to an abuse of the public's trust in the office holder. the element of culpability: must be of such a degree that the misconduct impugned is calculated to injure the public interest so as to call for condemnation and punishment. The court said that the misconduct must amount to: an affront to the standing of the public office held. ConsequencesThe likely consequences of any wilful neglect or misconduct are relevant when deciding whether the conduct falls below the standard expected: It will normally be necessary to consider the likely consequences of the breach in deciding whether the conduct falls so far below the standard of conduct to be expected of the officer as to constitute the offence. it must be proved that the defendant was reckless not just as to the legality of his behaviour, but also as to its likely consequences The consequences must be likely ones, as viewed subjectively by the defendant MotiveIn order to establish whether the behaviour is sufficiently serious to amount to the offence, the officer's motive is also relevant: the question has always been, not whether the act done might, upon full and mature investigation, be found strictly right, but from what motive it had proceeded; whether from a dishonest, oppressive, or corrupt motive, under which description, fear and favour may generally be included, or from mistake or error At its highest the motive may be malice or bad faith but they are not prerequisites. Reckless indifference would be sufficient Charging PracticeMisconduct by a public officer can often be adequately presented as an aggravating feature of a statutory offence
Misconduct in public office should be considered where: there was serious misconduct or a deliberate failure to perform a duty owed to the public, with serious potential or actual consequences for the public; there is no suitable statutory offence for a piece of serious misconduct (such as a serious breach of or neglect of a public duty that is not in itself a criminal offence); the facts are so serious that the court's sentencing powers would otherwise be inadequate; or it would assist the presentation of the case as a whole (for example, where a co-defendant has been charged with an indictable offence but the statutory offence is summary only and cannot be committed or sent for trial with the co-defendant) ENDover2u
no misconduct because they were not in fact in any public office. Fannie Mae and Freddie mac were quasi private entities with no contractual backing by the Fed. The bailout was enacted after the bad loans failed. That simple. No reason for a page long discussion. Don't let your government meddle with interest rates and lending and there would be no reason, incentive or obligation to bail anyone out. Done.
In UK, on the contrary, it seems from above CPS guidance that QUOTE It does not seem that the person concerned must be the holder of an 'office' in a narrow or technical sense. The authorities suggest that it is the nature of the duties and the level of public trust involved that are relevant, rather than the manner or nature of appointment. A public office holder is an officer who discharges any duty in the discharge of which the public are interested, ENDQUOTE so even your "quasi private entities with no contractual backing" could be caught!!
You then add "The bailout was enacted after the bad loans failed. That simple." BUT the question of misconduct arises because QUOTE The wilful neglect or misconduct can be the result of a positive act or a failure to act. There must also be an element of knowledge or at least recklessness about the way in which the duty is carried out or neglected. ENDQUOTE and, with the best will in the world, that is what in my opinion seems to me to be what has happened in USA, because - in my opinion - insufficient regard was paid to the quality of the "bad loans" versus the amount of capital in place to cover the risk, due to recklessness over leverage. That simple!! over2u
Here's a PS for "capitalistswine1":
RE the simple QUESTION: "Was there misconduct in public office in the banking scandals and what are you going to do about bringing legal cases against those whose conduct was questionable?"
Common Law - as set out in CPS guidance [via http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/l_to_o/misconduct_in_public_office/] in UK - seems to me to be the basis of the concept of "Misconduct in Public Office", and so could be applicable in USA! My suggestion for first up is: Alan Greenspan, whose idea of risk management seemed to be to "disperse" risk to others, rather than have the risk maker/taker manage their risks themselves!!
Done. over2u
Who is a good credit union to fund my mortage?
Is bank of america owned by an arab?
Haha! That was brilliant!!! Now if only these people could feel shame, but sadly they flipped the kill switch on their conscience ages ago. We are dealing with psychotic people who care nothing for their fellow human beings. This is the sad truth. The only way of getting their attention is hitting where it hurts--make them lose tons of money. Which is why I think we should engage in more mass boycotts in 2012. This will really send out the message that we are mad as heck and not going to take it anymore!!!
banks make money by lending. It is a moral obligation to foreclose. That ensures you stay in business. In fact, the person who took the mortgage who was levered to the hilt, with less than 20% equity was the person who should have checked his conscience.
I need the words that are written below the Bribery, Fraud and Exthortion on the sign they posted,m if anyone knows what they are, thanks.
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Awesome. Power to the motherfucking PEOPLE!!!!!
A simple solution to a simple problem would be arresting all bankers on charges of being member of a criminal organization with the intend to hold humanity into slavery, For the government to print money to the amount of debt that the public and the state have to the bankers, then issue a new currency (NUSD) an paying out the amount that the public has in the old currency, just the public not the corporations and start again, the bankers and corporations be damned
Now how absolutely cool is that . . .
Brilliant. Look at the arrogant types they have to deal with in these banks.
Dear Occupy Wall Street NYC, I'm a daily occupier since the beginning of the movement; there are drastic changes that we have to look at. Many supporters of the movement feel the same way as I do, which is why the issue is brung up. It's not well on how some things are going. I spoken to a lot facilitators of the OWS movement, and most of you aren't able to deliver me valid information. This isn't in anyway to bash or exploit the movement but rather constructive criticism to think about. For instance, when there were tents in Zuccotti Park, we had much more weight of energy and momentum, even drummers were making noise. Now that's gone because we only allowed it to happen. We're not fighting hard enough. There were many facilitators and people in the park that were pro-active and were able to deliver updated information about the movement, aside from the panhandlers. Now there is little to none. Different individuals come from all over the world to Zuccotti Park for inspiration. A place for different individuals to interact and spread ideas on how we can make a change for the future. Now keep in mind, if it weren't for us. There wouldn't be any occupation worldwide. I had heard many people say that this movement touched them deeply from the bottom of their hearts. Even when the park got raided, there were still massive amount of people holding down the symbolic area of the movement. This only showed true dedication. Remember when over 10,000 people showed up at the General Assembly after the park got raided? This was the same time the barricades were set up around the park. The police put the barricades there because the Government felt the movement was growing too rapidly, that showed an instant sign of fear. They even put yellow tapes inside the park, against the walls where the benches are, made bogus conceptions about how it was to protect the plants. Bloomberg sent in NYPD and the Sanitation to trash and destroy books. Ask yourself why? In order to make a real difference we have to continue and maintain this energy, keep sending these vial energies. To not only show we are a serious movement but to show we're fighting for what we believe in. Millions of dollars are put into the NYPD force. Guess who’s paying for it? All of the police at Zuccotti park are being paid to stand around and do absolutely nothing and go home with big bonuses. We mind as well give them a reason for them to stand around. Every-time a peaceful protester gets arrested and beaten down, it only makes the movement stronger. Keep in mind that we also have to play smarter, work in a fashionable matter without having to get arrested and working towards the goal. A lot of different rallies are planned and thousands of brave souls are out there participating and risking their freedoms. But do they all have a reasonable-purpose and is it getting closer to obtaining the primary goal? Also all these planned rallies is one thing but are the facilitators out there with the participants? Only a very few. Back to the space. It’s not the space that matters, but the fact that thousands of different faces come to Zuccotti park every single day. The whole world is watching and questioning. Even one supporter can make a major difference. They need our presence, we're all in this together. When people come and try to look for information, interact, share ideas and not a soul is to be found. How do you think that looks reflecting upon the movement? People that pass by daily are being sent off to "60 Wall Street". When they arrive at "60 Wall Street" in regards of finding information, they’re told to go on NYCGA.NET. We need a valid information structure to point people in the right direction. It's unbelievable to have people come from across all over the country / states to be told that they should visit a website for information. The individual may not be computer literate and would much rather prefer to interact physically, besides the website has all type of things going on at the same time. Now from my understanding there's 2 spaces "60 Wall Street" And an office at "52 Broadway". What I would think is that a lot of individuals are starting to get way too comfortable and off-task. A lot of excuses are being made. Just take as minute to look and open your eyes on what's going. Look at the other movements throughout the world where, people are dying, getting shot, getting killed for fighting what they believe in. Do they receive the same luxury as we do? definitely not. I think it’s time for major improvements to take in place. The Occupation isn’t at 60 Wall Street. Change isn't going to happen overnight, but we can start by taking little steps such as going to Zuccotti Park, going to different communities. Interacting with different individuals, sharing information updates, and simply give them a reason why they should be part of the movement. Even if it's only one or two hours a day. Seems like a majority of the Spokes council meeting nothing ever gets done, from the fact that some working groups have tension towards each other. There are over 80+ working groups, which is unnecessary. We have way more things to be worrying about then just argue about who takes control of what, and who has the power to do such. The website Occupywallst.org needs major improvements as well. It's a source of network connecting worldwide. It’s affecting a lot of viewers negatively. There’s a lot of bogus content. As if there were nothing real and important to post about. Just random videos and content talking about how well the movement is doing maybe we shouldn’t credit ourselves just yet. I’d advise you to start posting more serious information, like the new bill that’s being passed NDAA (National Defense Authorization Act) and SOPA. Let our people who don't already know how it can affect this movement, our rights and freedom. The reason for a lot of the downfall in this country is that we wait to get things done at the last second or when it's too late. This movement is still at its early baby stage. On top of that the NDAA bill passed on $663 billion dollars. Most of us that are aware of this are just watching it fly right by us, allowing it to happen as if it was nothing. There was a chance for Congress to vote on a millionaire's tax last week - a tax most people support - and if OWS had organized against it something could have actually been done. Instead - people picked a fight with a generally supportive Church and sat in an atrium drinking coffee, eating, argued about how to celebrate the holidays (People didn't donate money for this). People argued about bureaucratic points, deciding which politicians to shout down. We protest against the banks instead of the politicians who write the tax laws that allow the banks to get away with paying no US Federal Income Tax ; they protest the banks that give campaign donations instead of the politicians who accept them; we protest verbally against the lobbying done by big business but don't protest the Congress that the lobbyists are influencing. We are squatting in places that are private property instead of marching on the White House which set the Loan Modification program in motion that was supposed to help 7 - 9 million people keep their homes. Instead of protesting the "feel good but do nothing" modification program - they seek to block access to the banks. This all comes back to the people we elected to represent us in DC and locally - yet we are protesting those who are only following the rules laid down by those election persons. We need a real tax reform Why are local marches ignored in favor of supporting a union only based on its early support of OWS? Yes we have supporters, but nearly not enough. People are still debating If the movement is on the right track. Half of the people don’t even know what’s going on. We have to continue to keep up the vigorous energy. Keep in mind again, this movement is still at it’s early stage and there’s so much more to progress in. We cannot afford to lose the energy and slack off. I’ve been bringing this topic daily to OWS, and speaking of the behalf of many others and feel our voices been neglected and ignored. Part of this movement is that everybody needs be welcomed and that everybody needs to work together. The real change has to start within yourself. There are a lot that needs to be done before we can say there was actual change. We have to find a realistic demand and specific goal we're aiming at. In order to do so we can start by taking steps such as working with other occupations, etc. We need serious planning, direction, discipline, focus, coordination among all the Occupy camps, coordinated local strategies, Start local in our communities showing that we care, etc. I know that's going on to an extent, but it needs to be more organized and purposeful. Remember, everyone is entitled to have a voice and say. Sincerely, The 99% that wants economic and social reform
Watched Occupy DesMoines on C-Span last nite. Excellent.
An exceptional effort!! Thanks, Occupy Seattle!!
Hey people, why do you continue to patronize these eeevil banks? Do the rational thing--put all your money under the mattress, and pay for your home and your cars in cash!!! Who wants to take a stab at guessing what percentage of these folks have mortgages on their houses? That was a trick question. None of them do--they all live in their parents' respective basements.
You can use credit unions, too. They are not in business for profit and are owned by their members (the ones who hold accounts in them).
I like that. It was good and ballsy, and they had good harmony to boot. OWSNY has some catching up to do. I had suggested that we do something for the homeless during the Holidays, but I guess those at 60 Wall St were busy brooding over D17. Have they forgotten that they are not running a business and they are instead running a revolution. We have the opportunity to be like water and to seek any and all other courses to advance the movement.
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rofl at their expressions
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OWS= leaderless "resistance movement," without an agenda, without a cause, without purpose and without the goal of changing the many crappy laws under which we live--instead, they go a' caroling.
Check out this site and get some insight on how we got screwed. http://www.nohoax.com/
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People need to arm themselves with knowledge of the law so they will know how they have been led astray and try to do better from here on out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c40ZONuM5Z8
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I am against big banks and the corruption also but one thing I do not understand. How come a bank like Wells Fargo is not being occupied? they are also corrupt. Yet OWS has an account with them and it is also a unionized bank by SEIU, the same union that is funding OWS???
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Dear Occupy Wall Street NYC, I'm a daily occupier since the beginning of the movement; there are drastic changes that we have to look at. Many supporters of the movement feel the same way as I do, which is why the issue is brung up. It's not well on how some things are going. I spoken to a lot facilitators of the OWS movement, and most of you aren't able to deliver me valid information. This isn't in anyway to bash or exploit the movement but rather constructive criticism to think about. For instance, when there were tents in Zuccotti Park, we had much more weight of energy and momentum, even drummers were making noise. Now that's gone because we only allowed it to happen. We're not fighting hard enough. There were many facilitators and people in the park that were pro-active and were able to deliver updated information about the movement, aside from the panhandlers. Now there is little to none. Different individuals come from all over the world to Zuccotti Park for inspiration. A place for different individuals to interact and spread ideas on how we can make a change for the future. Now keep in mind, if it weren't for us. There wouldn't be any occupation worldwide. I had heard many people say that this movement touched them deeply from the bottom of their hearts. Even when the park got raided, there were still massive amount of people holding down the symbolic area of the movement. This only showed true dedication. Remember when over 10,000 people showed up at the General Assembly after the park got raided? This was the same time the barricades were set up around the park. The police put the barricades there because the Government felt the movement was growing too rapidly, that showed an instant sign of fear. They even put yellow tapes inside the park, against the walls where the benches are, made bogus conceptions about how it was to protect the plants. Bloomberg sent in NYPD and the Sanitation to trash and destroy books. Ask yourself why? In order to make a real difference we have to continue and maintain this energy, keep sending these vial energies. To not only show we are a serious movement but to show we're fighting for what we believe in. Millions of dollars are put into the NYPD force. Guess who’s paying for it? All of the police at Zuccotti park are being paid to stand around and do absolutely nothing and go home with big bonuses. We mind as well give them a reason for them to stand around. Every-time a peaceful protester gets arrested and beaten down, it only makes the movement stronger. Keep in mind that we also have to play smarter, work in a fashionable matter without having to get arrested and working towards the goal. A lot of different rallies are planned and thousands of brave souls are out there participating and risking their freedoms. But do they all have a reasonable-purpose and is it getting closer to obtaining the primary goal? Also all these planned rallies is one thing but are the facilitators out there with the participants? Only a very few. Back to the space. It’s not the space that matters, but the fact that thousands of different faces come to Zuccotti park every single day. The whole world is watching and questioning. Even one supporter can make a major difference. They need our presence, we're all in this together. When people come and try to look for information, interact, share ideas and not a soul is to be found. How do you think that looks reflecting upon the movement? People that pass by daily are being sent off to "60 Wall Street". When they arrive at "60 Wall Street" in regards of finding information, they’re told to go on NYCGA.NET. We need a valid information structure to point people in the right direction. It's unbelievable to have people come from across all over the country / states to be told that they should visit a website for information. The individual may not be computer literate and would much rather prefer to interact physically, besides the website has all type of things going on at the same time. Now from my understanding there's 2 spaces "60 Wall Street" And an office at "52 Broadway". What I would think is that a lot of individuals are starting to get way too comfortable and off-task. A lot of excuses are being made. Just take as minute to look and open your eyes on what's going. Look at the other movements throughout the world where, people are dying, getting shot, getting killed for fighting what they believe in. Do they receive the same luxury as we do? definitely not. I think it’s time for major improvements to take in place. The Occupation isn’t at 60 Wall Street. Change isn't going to happen overnight, but we can start by taking little steps such as going to Zuccotti Park, going to different communities. Interacting with different individuals, sharing information updates, and simply give them a reason why they should be part of the movement. Even if it's only one or two hours a day. Seems like a majority of the Spokes council meeting nothing ever gets done, from the fact that some working groups have tension towards each other. There are over 80+ working groups, which is unnecessary. We have way more things to be worrying about then just argue about who takes control of what, and who has the power to do such. The website Occupywallst.org needs major improvements as well. It's a source of network connecting worldwide. It’s affecting a lot of viewers negatively. There’s a lot of bogus content. As if there were nothing real and important to post about. Just random videos and content talking about how well the movement is doing maybe we shouldn’t credit ourselves just yet. I’d advise you to start posting more serious information, like the new bill that’s being passed NDAA (National Defense Authorization Act) and SOPA. Let our people who don't already know how it can affect this movement, our rights and freedom. The reason for a lot of the downfall in this country is that we wait to get things done at the last second or when it's too late. This movement is still at its early baby stage. On top of that the NDAA bill passed on $663 billion dollars. Most of us that are aware of this are just watching it fly right by us, allowing it to happen as if it was nothing. There was a chance for Congress to vote on a millionaire's tax last week - a tax most people support - and if OWS had organized against it something could have actually been done. Instead - people picked a fight with a generally supportive Church and sat in an atrium drinking coffee, eating, argued about how to celebrate the holidays (People didn't donate money for this). People argued about bureaucratic points, deciding which politicians to shout down. We protest against the banks instead of the politicians who write the tax laws that allow the banks to get away with paying no US Federal Income Tax ; they protest the banks that give campaign donations instead of the politicians who accept them; we protest verbally against the lobbying done by big business but don't protest the Congress that the lobbyists are influencing. We are squatting in places that are private property instead of marching on the White House which set the Loan Modification program in motion that was supposed to help 7 - 9 million people keep their homes. Instead of protesting the "feel good but do nothing" modification program - they seek to block access to the banks. This all comes back to the people we elected to represent us in DC and locally - yet we are protesting those who are only following the rules laid down by those election persons. We need a real tax reform Why are local marches ignored in favor of supporting a union only based on its early support of OWS? Yes we have supporters, but nearly not enough. People are still debating If the movement is on the right track. Half of the people don’t even know what’s going on. We have to continue to keep up the vigorous energy. Keep in mind again, this movement is still at it’s early stage and there’s so much more to progress in. We cannot afford to lose the energy and slack off. I’ve been bringing this topic daily to OWS, and speaking of the behalf of many others and feel our voices been neglected and ignored. Part of this movement is that everybody needs be welcomed and that everybody needs to work together. The real change has to start within yourself. There are a lot that needs to be done before we can say there was actual change. We have to find a realistic demand and specific goal we're aiming at. In order to do so we can start by taking steps such as working with other occupations, etc. We need serious planning, direction, discipline, focus, coordination among all the Occupy camps, coordinated local strategies, Start local in our communities showing that we care, etc. I know that's going on to an extent, but it needs to be more organized and purposeful. Remember, everyone is entitled to have a voice and say. Sincerely, The 99% that wants economic and social reform
The original list of primary items was quite short. Three central concerns:
We are our own leaders.
Prosecute the corporate corruption that has damaged the country and the world.
We want more jobs!
That was worked out at the point where Boston came up with its Occupy camp. Social justice, nonviolence, rule of law were also included.
There's enough bad things built up over the last 30 years to keep anybody busy.
Since Reagan's people bribed the Iranians to keep hold of the embassy hostages - so's to sabotage the Jimmy Carter re-election campaign - we've been on a downward spiral. That man was so proud of getting that dirty trick through that he announced during his Inaugural Address, January 20, 1980, that the hostages had been released and were "in the air." (An altered version of this speech is presented at the Reagan Library. Dishonest even in death.)
It's crime that has screwed up this country. Top-down crime. Now a whole criminal segment of the 1% are running free, after stealing hundreds and thousands of billions of dollars.
Focus is easy. Go after the crooks. This 99% Choir is following Martha Coakley, the Mass. AG, doing just that.
Dear Occupy Wall Street NYC, I'm a daily occupier since the beginning of the movement; there are drastic changes that we have to look at. Many supporters of the movement feel the same way as I do, which is why the issue is brung up. It's not well on how some things are going. I spoken to a lot facilitators of the OWS movement, and most of you aren't able to deliver me valid information. This isn't in anyway to bash or exploit the movement but rather constructive criticism to think about. For instance, when there were tents in Zuccotti Park, we had much more weight of energy and momentum, even drummers were making noise. Now that's gone because we only allowed it to happen. We're not fighting hard enough. There were many facilitators and people in the park that were pro-active and were able to deliver updated information about the movement, aside from the panhandlers. Now there is little to none. Different individuals come from all over the world to Zuccotti Park for inspiration. A place for different individuals to interact and spread ideas on how we can make a change for the future. Now keep in mind, if it weren't for us. There wouldn't be any occupation worldwide. I had heard many people say that this movement touched them deeply from the bottom of their hearts. Even when the park got raided, there were still massive amount of people holding down the symbolic area of the movement. This only showed true dedication. Remember when over 10,000 people showed up at the General Assembly after the park got raided? This was the same time the barricades were set up around the park. The police put the barricades there because the Government felt the movement was growing too rapidly, that showed an instant sign of fear. They even put yellow tapes inside the park, against the walls where the benches are, made bogus conceptions about how it was to protect the plants. Bloomberg sent in NYPD and the Sanitation to trash and destroy books. Ask yourself why? In order to make a real difference we have to continue and maintain this energy, keep sending these vial energies. To not only show we are a serious movement but to show we're fighting for what we believe in. Millions of dollars are put into the NYPD force. Guess who’s paying for it? All of the police at Zuccotti park are being paid to stand around and do absolutely nothing and go home with big bonuses. We mind as well give them a reason for them to stand around. Every-time a peaceful protester gets arrested and beaten down, it only makes the movement stronger. Keep in mind that we also have to play smarter, work in a fashionable matter without having to get arrested and working towards the goal. A lot of different rallies are planned and thousands of brave souls are out there participating and risking their freedoms. But do they all have a reasonable-purpose and is it getting closer to obtaining the primary goal? Also all these planned rallies is one thing but are the facilitators out there with the participants? Only a very few. Back to the space. It’s not the space that matters, but the fact that thousands of different faces come to Zuccotti park every single day. The whole world is watching and questioning. Even one supporter can make a major difference. They need our presence, we're all in this together. When people come and try to look for information, interact, share ideas and not a soul is to be found. How do you think that looks reflecting upon the movement? People that pass by daily are being sent off to "60 Wall Street". When they arrive at "60 Wall Street" in regards of finding information, they’re told to go on NYCGA.NET. We need a valid information structure to point people in the right direction. It's unbelievable to have people come from across all over the country / states to be told that they should visit a website for information. The individual may not be computer literate and would much rather prefer to interact physically, besides the website has all type of things going on at the same time. Now from my understanding there's 2 spaces "60 Wall Street" And an office at "52 Broadway". What I would think is that a lot of individuals are starting to get way too comfortable and off-task. A lot of excuses are being made. Just take as minute to look and open your eyes on what's going. Look at the other movements throughout the world where, people are dying, getting shot, getting killed for fighting what they believe in. Do they receive the same luxury as we do? definitely not. I think it’s time for major improvements to take in place. The Occupation isn’t at 60 Wall Street. Change isn't going to happen overnight, but we can start by taking little steps such as going to Zuccotti Park, going to different communities. Interacting with different individuals, sharing information updates, and simply give them a reason why they should be part of the movement. Even if it's only one or two hours a day. Seems like a majority of the Spokes council meeting nothing ever gets done, from the fact that some working groups have tension towards each other. There are over 80+ working groups, which is unnecessary. We have way more things to be worrying about then just argue about who takes control of what, and who has the power to do such. The website Occupywallst.org needs major improvements as well. It's a source of network connecting worldwide. It’s affecting a lot of viewers negatively. There’s a lot of bogus content. As if there were nothing real and important to post about. Just random videos and content talking about how well the movement is doing maybe we shouldn’t credit ourselves just yet. I’d advise you to start posting more serious information, like the new bill that’s being passed NDAA (National Defense Authorization Act) and SOPA. Let our people who don't already know how it can affect this movement, our rights and freedom. The reason for a lot of the downfall in this country is that we wait to get things done at the last second or when it's too late. This movement is still at its early baby stage. On top of that the NDAA bill passed on $663 billion dollars. Most of us that are aware of this are just watching it fly right by us, allowing it to happen as if it was nothing. There was a chance for Congress to vote on a millionaire's tax last week - a tax most people support - and if OWS had organized against it something could have actually been done. Instead - people picked a fight with a generally supportive Church and sat in an atrium drinking coffee, eating, argued about how to celebrate the holidays (People didn't donate money for this). People argued about bureaucratic points, deciding which politicians to shout down. We protest against the banks instead of the politicians who write the tax laws that allow the banks to get away with paying no US Federal Income Tax ; they protest the banks that give campaign donations instead of the politicians who accept them; we protest verbally against the lobbying done by big business but don't protest the Congress that the lobbyists are influencing. We are squatting in places that are private property instead of marching on the White House which set the Loan Modification program in motion that was supposed to help 7 - 9 million people keep their homes. Instead of protesting the "feel good but do nothing" modification program - they seek to block access to the banks. This all comes back to the people we elected to represent us in DC and locally - yet we are protesting those who are only following the rules laid down by those election persons. We need a real tax reform Why are local marches ignored in favor of supporting a union only based on its early support of OWS? Yes we have supporters, but nearly not enough. People are still debating If the movement is on the right track. Half of the people don’t even know what’s going on. We have to continue to keep up the vigorous energy. Keep in mind again, this movement is still at it’s early stage and there’s so much more to progress in. We cannot afford to lose the energy and slack off. I’ve been bringing this topic daily to OWS, and speaking of the behalf of many others and feel our voices been neglected and ignored. Part of this movement is that everybody needs be welcomed and that everybody needs to work together. The real change has to start within yourself. There are a lot that needs to be done before we can say there was actual change. We have to find a realistic demand and specific goal we're aiming at. In order to do so we can start by taking steps such as working with other occupations, etc. We need serious planning, direction, discipline, focus, coordination among all the Occupy camps, coordinated local strategies, Start local in our communities showing that we care, etc. I know that's going on to an extent, but it needs to be more organized and purposeful. Remember, everyone is entitled to have a voice and say. Sincerely, The 99% that wants economic and social reform
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Excellent.
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