A lot, if you believe that the fundamental structure of our economy is changing. I recently learned from a career development expert that by 2025, half of all jobs will be from contracted employment. Imagine, 50% of jobs being contracted. I don’t know about you, but that tells me that as communities, we’re going to have to change the way we think not only to survive, but also to prosper.
That’s where sustainability comes in. And what exactly does sustainability mean, anyway (I’ve heard this word a lot, but until recently had only a nebulous idea of what it really meant)? Wikipedia offers one of the most concise definitions I’ve read:
“Sustainable is science. Sustainability is the capacity to endure. For humans, sustainability is the long-term maintenance of responsibility, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of stewardship, the responsible management of resource use.”
On April 16, Citizen Action, MoveOn, Occupy and other community groups joined with citizens across the region to protest against tax inequality. Like other demonstrations I’ve covered, the concerns are not about one specific issue, but a confluence of factors that have all but crushed middle class hope.
Yet the positive and productive conversations that flow from the lack of hope or faith in our collective future is the knowledge that for things to change, the people must act. And they are. From clean elections that would take money out of politics to sustainable living plans that focus on creative community development, these groups are pushing back with organized plans, and a growing number of people.
Stay tuned as WiThePeople begins to investigate sustainable living in the Hudson Valley region.
What is the 99% Spring? One of the trainers described it as the political arm of the Occupy movement.
Many people who attended the Training either supported the Occupy movement or were part of a local Occupy group. Others were citizens eager for political and economic change. Almost everyone in the room said it’s time for a revolution – a peaceful one. In fact, plans were made soon after the 99% Spring Training to offer a non-violent direct action training, which took place last week (April 26) in Kingston.
Part of the 99% Spring Training included segments from “Heist: Who Stole the American Dream?”, a documentary by Frances Causey and Donald Goldmacher. Afterward, participants introduced themselves, talked about their concerns and shared ideas about how to work together to make change. This week’s video features clips from Heist, and some of the concerns shared after the film.
The following information is taken from the “Heist” website:
“A new, groundbreaking feature documentary about the roots of the American economic crisis, and the continuing assault on working and middle class people in the United States. “Heist” boldly reveals the crumbling structure of the U.S. economy – the result of four decades of deregulation, massive job outsourcing, and tax policies favoring mega-corporations and wealthy elites.
Through expert testimony, investigative filmmaking and key archival footage, “Heist” unfolds critical historical background, beginning with the dismantling of FDR’s New Deal, uncovering the ideological influence of the infamous Powell Memo and the Heritage Foundation’s Mandate for Leadership on government reform, and traces both Republican and Democratic allegiance to big business.
After detailing how the economy has been derailed, “Heist” offers a robust Take Action section with real world solutions and up-to-the-minute footage from the current Occupy Wall Street movement – an essential primer for everyday Americans to participate in the restoration of economic fairness and our democracy.
A movie with its pulse on the most urgent issues of our time, “Heist” aspires to spark national dialogue, champion solutions and encourage audiences to engage with one another to understand how we might create a fair, sustainable economy.”
To watch the documentary in entirety, visit http://www.heist-themovie.com/.
Is living simply so radical? For many, the answer is yes, even if they don’t know it.
In this week’s video interview, Amy Sirohi, a licensed acupuncturist and massage therapist, tells us what it means to “assess your surplus” using Jim Merkel’s book Radical Simplicity as a guide. The discussion led to several suggestions on how to assess your surplus and live a healthy lifestyle, from measuring your global (or ecological) footprint to examining the amount of time you spend away from the chaos of life’s daily demands.
This presentation was third in a series of educational events offered by Occupy Millbrook from January through March 2012. They developed the series to offer as a model to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of community education in rural and suburban areas:
Part 1. “Occupy Wall Street: An Historical Perspective” – provided information on economic protests, uprisings and occupations in the U.S., from the colonial period to the Occupy Wall Street movement.
Part 2. “Common Goals” – featured panelists presenting their views on the relationship of their own backgrounds to the goals of Occupy Wall Street.
Part 3. “Occupy Your Self” – panelists offered eye-opening facts about immigration and hunger in Dutchess County as well as the value of living a radically simple life.
Not all Occupies are alike. Some offer films, seminars and presentations on topics ranging from broad social movements to non-violent local demonstrations. Others help homeowners facing foreclosure, or the threat of foreclosure, by providing free information and legal counseling about their rights. A small but growing number of groups work on electoral politics, even though some say that Occupy is an expressly non-political, non-partisan movement. Nearly all are planning their next occupation.
As for Occupy Millbrook, the group doesn’t just occupy the corner of Front and Franklin Streets every Saturday. From January through March 2012, the group offered a three-part series of educational events at the Millbrook Library, which they hope to offer as a model to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of community education in rural and suburban areas that are not easily accessible from large urban areas.
Part 1. “Occupy Wall Street: An Historical Perspective” provided information on economic protests, uprisings and occupations in the U.S., from the colonial period to the Occupy Wall Street movement.
Part 2. “Common Goals” featured panelists presenting their views on the relationship of their own backgrounds to the goals of Occupy Wall Street.
Part 3. “Occupy Your Self” panelists offered eye-opening facts about immigration and hunger in Dutchess County and the value of living a radically simply life.
This week’s interview features a discussion from part three of the series, on immigration and hunger in Dutchess County.
Who doesn’t love theater? Especially street theater, where anyone can attend and performers can share their craft with an unlimited audience.
As part of Catskill’s Wall Street to Main Street art project linking Wall Street and the world (www.greenearts.org), Bread & Puppet theater took to the streets in March to perform Upriser Callisthenics, a three-part act beginning with “economic shrinkage in the land of possibilitarians.” From there we are taken to a world where “extra judicial democracy” and “extra democratic citizen procedures” lead to the final conclusion in the “whole and perfect all.”
During a recent visit to Catskill, I met Tom Pletcher, a member of BlueinGreene.org. The group’s name comes from the Miles Davis song “Blue in Green,” and fits perfectly with the group’s political disposition in Greene County, NY. After all, New York is a blue state. Yet the only thing blue about Greene County is the melancholy many residents feel about future economic prospects. Members of BlueinGreene.org are working to change that.
This week’s interview features a discussion with the group’s founder, Ron Lipton, and member Tom Pletcher. The two talk about the goals of BlueinGreene.org, the group’s political work, and their relation to the Occupy movement.
St. Patrick’s Day kicked off Catskill’s Wall Street to Main Street art project, a 10-week endeavor linking Occupy Wall Street and the world.
I arrived early to film the exhibitions. As I walked down Main Street watching artists prepare their displays, a young man stopped me. He asked me for my impression of a large suited figure with bare feet painted on the side of a building. After I told him what I thought, I asked him for his impression of the figure. It turns out the young man had a lot to say, and so did his friend, who happened to be carrying a guitar.
A minute later, the two gentleman said they would like to play me a song they planned to perform for the public later that day, one which they also sang for Occupiers in Washington, DC.
This week’s video features that song, with images from some of the many spectacular exhibitions in the background.
For more information or to get a detailed map and calendar of events for the Wall Street to Main Street project, visit www.greenearts.org.
The following information is taken from a slide presentation being developed by The Occupy Democracy Project, a subgroup of Occupy Albany.
The Occupy Democracy Project
“Money out of Politics”
The subgroup has been focused on getting money out of politics because it is a roadblock to progress on myriad other key issues, including:
- Regulation of Wall Street
- Health Care
- Equality
- Fair Trade
- The Environment & Sustainability
- Prison Industrial Complex
- Peace
One essential tactic is to create a base of grassroots people-power via a Voting Bloc.
At the root of many problems is the corruption of the system, and two major roadblocks:
Our system is populated with representatives who are being enriched by the corrupting system
Our Supreme Court system’s (mis)interpretation of the Constitution consistently undermines any efforts to clean up politics
To remove these roadblocks:
Public Funding of Elections – Clean Elections Style
to populate the system with representatives funded by the people
Constitutional Amendment
to strike down the notions that money = speech and corporations = people
Constitutional Amendment is needed…
Because of biased interpretations of the Constitution (First Amendment), the government cannot meaningfully regulate political expenditures
Independent expenditures are unregulated: SuperPAC’s
Cut costs of public funding elections for taxpayers
Constitutional Amendment is needed to “legalize democracy”
Clean Elections
The problem with privately funded elections:
Problem #1- People don’t think politicians speak for their needs because once candidates win they owe favors to special interests (oil companies, Wall St., etc.)
Problem #2- Whoever has the most money typically wins the election
Since Clean Elections makes elections publicly funded:
#1- Candidates receive the same amount of money to run their campaigns
#2- They only owe allegiance, loyalty, to the public
The Cards are Stacked Against Clean Elections & a Constitutional Amendment
Since Clean Elections levels the playing field—> Most politicians don’t want to vote for it because they benefit from their current fund-raising advantage
An influx of well-funded grassroots/low-income candidates would threaten the monopoly incumbents with connections to big $$$ currently have on government
In sum, Clean Elections and an Amendment are against politicians’ self-interests
Unless…
…Or are the cards are stacked against the .5%?
More than 99.5% of the population give less than $200 per election cycle
Less than .5% of the eligible population give over $200
let’s bring it to a vote…
JOIN THE MONEY OUT OF POLITICS VOTING BLOC!
I care about getting the corrupting influence of money out of politics. I want this fixed immediately, so we can have a fair election process and a government that works for ALL people, not just the wealthy donors. If candidates want my vote, they need to support [Clean Elections] and a Constitutional Amendment that limits the role of special interest money in our election process. I would like to be informed of which candidates support Clean Elections in my district before I go to the polls.
IS a way to build a base of political people power, and put higher power on notice
WILL NOT endorse candidates or raise money for candidates
WILL educate and mobilize voters and expose politicians who resist change
IS Transparent
For more information, visit http://nydemocracyproject.org/
or email democracymatt@gmail.com
Occupy Orange County, NY
General Assembly meeting
March 1, 2012
This week’s video features Occupy Orange County’s first General Assembly meeting (and their second gathering). The meeting drew about 60 or more people from the region who engaged in lively discussion about common concerns and proposals for change.
I am including here a poem written by Charles Stein, independent scholar and author of eleven books of poetry. He is also a member of Occupy Northern Dutchess. When I read the poem, it reminded me of the poignant and lasting thoughts inspired by the meeting in Orange County.
PROPOSAL TO CHANGE THE WORLD
Our very existence depends upon the vigilance of our perceptions and the veracity of the reports on whose basis we negotiate our lives.
If you shut your eyes on the highway, there’s a good chance you’ll crash your car.
Tolerance of falsehood is riding blind,
yet we live in a culture of falsehood.
We have grown tolerant of lying on every level of our national existence. We are numb to the lies that manufacturers tell about the products that they are selling us; we don’t care that those sworn to protect us lie about the dangers that threaten us; that those engaged to enhance our lives lie about the possibilities that are open to us.
Our leaders do not tell us the principles upon which they truly act; they mask their motivations, distort the facts upon which their acts are based, and keep us from divining their consequences.
We accept as a matter of course that persons in public life will paint their public “face” to maintain position and power; that corporations will manipulate their public reports to serve their interests; that information about what is really going on in the institutions that comprise the context of our lives cannot be got at.
Yet everybody hates being lied to.
In our private lives we rarely stand for what in public we barely notice.
The Truth is We Hate Being Lied To.
Therefore
Consider this
PROPOSAL TO CHANGE THE WORLD:
LET US ALL SIMPLY NOTICE AND ACKNOWLEDGE
ONE SIMPLE FACT:
WE DO NOT LIKE BEING LIED TO
And why shouldn’t this be enough to change the world?
Wall Street to Main Street: Bringing the Message Home
March 17 – May 31, 2012
Visit www.greenearts.org for a detailed map and calendar of events
Beginning March 17, Catskill’s Greene County Council on the Arts kicks off a 10-week art project linking Occupy Wall Street and the world. The following interview with the Wall Street to Main Street project’s co-organizer Fawn Potash highlights upcoming events, and talks about the impact of Occupy’s horizontal approach on the project.
…The occupation itself in art, birthed from a set of values and principles that activate creative, independent, and critical thought. Together, we aim to inspire and empower the 99%, expose specific economic injustices, and envision the alternative future we are building.
- The Arts and Culture Committee, Occupy with Art, an affinity group of the Occupy Wall Street Arts and Culture Working Group
For more information on Occupy with Arts and Arts and Culture, visit: www.artsandculture.nycga.net, www.occupywithart.com, www.occupymuseums.org, and www.artsandlabor.org.
