Forum Post: Our message
Posted 13 years ago on Sept. 29, 2011, 10:58 a.m. EST by Vipp
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This content is user submitted and not an official statement
This movement is absolutely wonderful but it's clear to me that there is no clear message to the movement. All the ideas that have come from those who protests are all spot on and should be a part of a message to our politicians and government. However, for this movement to succeed we must have a primary objective and demand that, if met, will allow all of our ideas to be heard and debated.
So, I propose that we hit at the heart of the problem. If we are all sick of not being heard, the unfairness, if we are tired of the greed, the injustices, the corporate welfare, the corporate lobbying....we must ask ourselves why is this all happening. We all know the answer. When a politician runs for office they have to seek large amounts of money to do so. Because of this, they are beholden to the corporations that fund them which places the citizens (us) in the backseat. Politicians go to where the money is and when they win election they have to answer to it as well. Therefore, I propose that our message be that....
1) We demand that legislation be created that states that no longer can a corporation, special interest group, or any lobbyist be able to donate to campaigns period.
2) We demand that only individuals are able to donate to campaigns and at a max donation of $50. This way the wealthy can't simply donate huge sums of money which would defeat the purpose of my point #1.
3) That politicians salaries can and will be affected by public opinion and polling. For example, if a politician is capable of making 200K per year he or she could only make that max salary if he or she has an approval rating of 80 percent or more. If their approval rating is between 60 and 80 percent they will make 150K. If their approval rating drops between 40 and 60 then their salary drops to 100K...so on and so forth. This rule would help to ensure that the politicians main focus is the people of his or her state.
I believe if these 3 messages and demands are pushed by this movement then everything else can be debated if only we win on these three points. If money in politics is the main problem then we need to take the money out of politics and change the incentives.
Let me know what you think.
look around, demands have been posted repeatedly and message statements have been crafted.
https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150409084095833
MADE LAST NITE IN TRIBUTE TO ALL OF YOU!! This is a 130+ year STRUGGLE in America - it has ebbed and flowed. The fight here is the fight of the 60s and the 30s and the teens of last century and the protests against the Gilded Age! Keep at it!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dVREetDSoE
I agree. I think this movement is about restoring fair practices and removing the corruption that is involved with politics. I think the title should be For the People, By the People, You Answer to Us Not Money or You Answer to Us Not Wall Street.
I think we need to have a crowd sourcing of ideas and demands. You have some good ideas, but we need to be concise.
https://occupywallst.org/forum/proposed-list-of-demands-please-help-editadd-so-th/
I hear you. You should look down the forum and watch the video from Michael Moore last night and read the thread called "a great essay on our cause by...", also check out the demands made by the Egyptian people earlier this year (there were many). I started discussing with people on this site about 6 days ago and had the same impression. But I am starting to understand that the single message approach is less important.
On your 3rd point: I think the politicians should make whatever the average income is in their district. That way they have some stake in improving things.
why do we even need politicians!? Technocracy is what we need & to abolish money.