Raising Up The 99 Percent
It’s that time again and it hardly seems possible a year has gone by since Occupy set fire to the cause of the 99 percent, bringing greater attention to the kinds of disparity foisted on Americans by the greed of big banks and corporations. Occupy’s birthday is September 17 and it will be commemorated in New York City as well as globally. Locally, the action begins Saturday the 15th, with a mass gathering in Washington Square Park. Once again, people will converge on the streets to demand accountability and transparency because it’s even more evident today than it was a year ago that greed and corruption in business and politics have to end.
Many in the Occupy movement and many Americans in general feel big money is usurping politicians and destroying American democracy. They feel it’s big money, not public interest manipulating elections and politicians. Not everyone, however, is willing to sit back and watch it happen. Certainly not Guido Girgenti, east coast coordinator for 99Rise, who, last Tuesday night addressed an assembly of about 30 people, including several members of Occupy Bergen County and Bergen Grassroots, on the subject of 99Rise and our jilted economy, at The Ethical Culture Society in Teaneck.
99Rise, which was launched by the Center for the Working Poor in Los Angeles as well as other civil disobedience groups, is dedicated to putting an end to the corruption caused by "dark "or corporate money that rules elections. According to Girgenti,“in order for things to be fair, the top one percent needs to have 3,000 percent less power.”
The public also has to be made more aware and legislation has to go into effect. 99Rise is currently circulating an online petition to end dark money on its website: http://www.99rise.org. The public not only needs to become informed, it needs to become an ally by participating in movements and supporting legislation to end the problem, and by offering donations.
There has to be mass nonviolent action, said the Brooklyn-based Girgenti. “We have to reduce the influence that corporations has over the political process because they make so much money out of subsidies that they are not going to stop doing it on their own.” Girgenti gave some eye-popping statistics: “For every $1 that fossil fuel companies give, they get $5,900 in return; for every $1 that big pharmacies give, they get $77,500 in return.” Along with that, white males dominate politics and Congress, where, “if things continue going as they are, there will not be gender parity for another 500 years.”
Interestingly, studies indicate that there is a “bipartisan consensus concerning the issue of taking politics out of government.” When it comes to this issue, the parties are united.
On September 28, members of 99Rise and other groups will assemble in front of J.P. Morgan Chase Bank on Wall Street with the aim of engaging in mass nonviolent disobedience. Many who will be there, including Girgenti, do not intend to back down until they get disclosures of corporate money sources from the bank, even if authorities try to force them to go away. The 99Risers are prepared to go to jail.
99Rise believes in mass action, but it is also working on a constitutional amendment that will end corruption, so politicians can go back to supporting the American people and not their corporate sponsors.
In order to shift public opinion, 99Rise has to create active allies, said Girlenti. This means getting people to vote and give money to those causes and candidates that truly support the needs of people and democracy. “Fair elections supported by the American public need to become part of the American bedrock,” he said. Right now, “bankers can buy democracy while citizens demanding disclosure are put in jail.” Once people see how the system really works, Girgenti believes they will "come off the sidelines” and into the movement.
john ready
12:15 pm on Friday, September 14, 2012
Nice job, Arya.
Baba O'Riley
4:08 pm on Friday, September 14, 2012
Why not start with the President that you (probably) helped get elected with all of his promises of transparency, no lobbyists,...What did that get us besides more crony capitalism, more government non-accountability or unaccountability a downgrade of our credit rating / more governmet red. You tell me what Occupy Wall Street accomplished!? Why not talk to the people who live and / or work in the financial area on how they were effected or the business owners and ask what happened to their businesses?
William Mays
5:10 pm on Friday, September 14, 2012
I work in the financial area, I was affected by Occupy Wall Street, now when I walk from the parking garage to my office building, instead of a nice park, I have to walk by a bunch of bums who want their student loans forgiven because they got a crappy degree (usually psychology) and now can't find a job. It doesn't take a psychologist to realize that their problems were not caused by the banks but rather by their own stupidity.
Arya F. Jenkins
6:43 pm on Friday, September 14, 2012
@Baba: President Obama does need to be challenged on the issue of transparency. I agree. As far as what Occupy Wall Street has accomplished, the answer to that is too complicated and vast to sum up in one sentence. After all, it's a movement that just started. It usually takes years for a movement to make a change. As for the people who live and work in the financial district, I personally have talked to some. Some are good friends who are on the side of Occupy and reticent to rebel against the corporate giants that sustain them. There is nothing new in that.
William Mays
6:47 pm on Friday, September 14, 2012
Occupy Wall Street has accomplished one thing, the term "the 99%." Otherwise, no one cares about them, they are the butt of our jokes at lunch.
Baba O'Riley
11:30 am on Monday, September 17, 2012
I understand where you are coming from in terms of some movements taking years to develop; but I (still) cannot understand the goals of the (Occupy) Movement.
Linda Busch Somach
7:36 pm on Friday, September 14, 2012
hey I have one of those crappy Psychology degrees, a private practice, and I paid my student loan. I still occupy. Its aboiut money out of politics people..not about who is or is not in a park. PS. Why don't you poll the majors of those students? You might be surprised. The lack of jobs in psychology is directly relatd to the healthcare crisis, particuarly the crisis in mental health in this country. These are not just Occupy issues. These issues effect all of us.
William Mays
7:46 pm on Friday, September 14, 2012
People have to be realistic, no one wants a psychiatrist that graduated from DeVry University or some other crap college. Banks of course are at fault too, they should look at people's majors and what college they are going to before giving out a loan. For example, I would never give a loan to somebody who is going to a college like Fairleigh Dickinson or William Paterson.
Tee Smyth
6:22 am on Friday, September 28, 2012
@Billy: I didn't know that DeVry had a medical school. Learn sumn new everyday.
How you select your physician is your business, but quacks are everywhere and have attended every college/medical school. But, you knew that.
shimon baum
11:49 am on Wednesday, September 19, 2012
So the answer the writer gives when asked what Occupy Wall Street actually accomplished is that it is too complicated and vast to sum up in one sentence followed up by the movement is young and just started. In other words nothing. Oh wait they did manage to create a ton of garbage wherever they were. How about helping cleaning up some of that. Of course that would actually accomplish something.
Arya F. Jenkins
12:24 pm on Wednesday, September 19, 2012
@baum. Sigh. I refer you to the current President's agenda. Occupy has called to action and redirected the focus of most of the Dems and the Administration. Thanks.
Baba O'Riley
1:22 pm on Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Arya, please let myself, Shimon and the rest of the commentators know what the current President's agenda is (besides getting re-elected and getting free air time on late night television) as well as the focus of the Democrats and the Administration. Thanks as always for your prompt response.
Jack B Goode
9:52 pm on Thursday, September 27, 2012
be honest, most of the people in the "movement" are Democrats, voted for Obama and will do so again this year rendering your message and actions irrelevent. I say this because the anti-capitalism message is incompatible with the Republican Party.
Therefore what is the point?
William Mays
10:16 pm on Thursday, September 27, 2012
Please Jack, I'm not proud that they're Democrats, and neither are many others.
Arya F. Jenkins
6:32 pm on Wednesday, September 19, 2012
We have many concerns, among them improving the quality of education, providing more jobs for Americans, etcetera. We have pushed for a return home of the troops and a refunneling of money to feed worthwhile causes at home instead of the wars. Certainly, Congressman Rothman listened to us and changed his stance on Iraq on account of our insistence, and, as you know, the President has an agenda for returning more troops home. President Obama has also been pressed to be supportive of gay rights and women's rights, all of which the 99 percent support... The rest I leave up to your research. Thanks.
William Mays
9:23 pm on Wednesday, September 19, 2012
You also have a bunch of anti-semetic protestors at your camp.
Baba O'Riley
12:15 pm on Thursday, September 20, 2012
Arya- How would you improve the quality of education? Scale back the power of the Teacher Unions? Put more emphasis on the results of standardized tests? Increase the length of the school day and / or school year? Give vouchers to those going to private schools? Reduce a homeowners property taxes if they do not have any children in the school system? I cannot see yourself or the 99% / Occupy Movement going for any of those ideas. Pull back the troops from overseas? If you have not noticed, many foreign countries do not like us and take every opportuntity to kill us; see the situations in Libya or Egypt. Iraq is falling apart and the insurgents in Afghanistan are counting the days until we leave. Feed worthwhile causes at home? Most social programs put in place are failures; see Head Start and the War on Drugs. The President supports women's rights? The Secret Service runs around with prostitutes right under his nose; what a slap in the face to women. You want to make some real progress? Shrink the size, scope and spending of government (at all levels). The Founding Fathers must be in shock. Reform the (US) tax code. Maybe a flat rate? Regulation; use smart regulation not knee jerk reactions to a crisis and repeal laws that have no more meaning. Immigration; why not target / go after businesses that hire them? I understand why people (continue) to come here and deportation is not necessarily the answer (unless they are criminals). Back to you.
Arya F. Jenkins
11:57 pm on Thursday, September 20, 2012
@Baba. Having been an educator at various levels of the system, I can tell you now that I could write a book on my ideas for improving the quality of education. And I can sum up those ideas, for what they're worth, with the most important notion--that unless we teach children kindness first, before competition, we will continue to fail with our students. Without a sense of values, without qualities like compassion and understanding, all success is futile, temporary and worthless....As for the rest of your questions, they require more time and thought than one can give in a "comment." But here are some responses in snippets: Yes, the Afghan war must end. There are more than 70,000 American troops still there. Hundreds of thousands of civilians in Afghanistan have been killed. And Americans have yet to understand the degree of devastation that comes with killing and being involved in a war, and have yet to honor the bodies and souls of those we kill as much as we do our own....The issue of immigration is huge. This continues to be the country that offers the most opportunity, but we have to respect one another, and realize that with such a huge influx of foreigners, even in our own area, we have to establish a common language and make sure we are able to communicate with one another....As far as the plight of women goes, Obama is far more sensitive to our needs than Romney. No candidate is perfect...Who is best able to create peace abroad and at home?
Baba O'Riley
11:37 am on Friday, September 21, 2012
Arya- I appreciate your thoughts but unfortunately you have not offered anything of value (regarding how these problems that we face can be corrected). Teaching kindness is just like appeasement (teach children to stand-up for themselves and self-reliance and have cuts for sports teams to let them know everybody is not good enough); other countries laugh at us. We fail our students even though there is plenty of money in the (education) system. I have been on the ground in both Afghanistan and Iraq; war is hell. The poor souls in Afghanistan will have it worse once we leave the end of 2014; not that it is good now. Establish a common language; how about English? When my grandparents came to the United States, the first thing that they did was learn English and assimilate (and not be separate). In terms of women, what has the current President done? He was able to to get them "free" birth control (that was forced on companies and you and I pay in higher premiums). Always good talking with you; maybe one day we can meet in person.