Occupy Wall Street Started 5 Years Ago!

Occupy Wall Street started 5 years ago.

Concepts such as the 99% versus the 1% helped articulate our frustrations.

Money Out Of Politics!

A growing awareness of corporate power corrupting our democracy 

no doubt made Bernie Sanders' success possible.

No Attack On Iran!

Julian called upon us to stand for Peace.

 Linda Durham, activist extraordinaire, 

 twice participant in a Gaza Flotilla,

stood for Peace

and against a build up to war with Iran.

 George, an almost retired state worker,

took time out of his busy day to stand for peace

and against the rhetoric of war on Iran.

Seasoned activists, 

Sumo and Isabella watched patiently from the sidelines 

as the protest progressed.

Unequivocal support of Israel 

will no longer do. 

 International tough stances and wishing for what once was, 

will no longer do.

 A groaning and moaning patriarchal system 

is on it's way out.

Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney is it's current poster child.

A new world order is inevitable.

OCCUPY - 1 YEAR

While Occupy lost significance since it's sudden explosion on to the world scene, locally I can report that a handful of activists have been meeting regularly three, then two times a week until recently. One young man told me only yesterday that it is because of  Occupy and his involvement that he stopped drinking and that he is now a committed activist involved with several local progressive groups. Occupy brought concerned citizens together, we now recognize each other and know we are not alone in our discontent. While the movement failed to thrive and bring meaningful results, the nerve that it hit is still raw, still hurting and is still in need of real change.

May Day Santa Fe Style

Occupy Santa Fe organized an event at our Railyard park for noon on May 1. followed by a General Assembly beginning at 2 p.m. May 1. a day without the 99%, a day of no work, no shopping, no school, no banking and no chores. Bring your family, friends, bring a picnic or share in food offered at this community building event.

Tania, our dedicated activist, rehabilitation facilitator and mother of a computer wiz kid had gotten there a bit early, all organized and ready for a serious picnic that included cheese and meat, with a brand new role of paper towels in easy reach. Later she would be facilitating the General Assembly seated in one of those little chairs. The woman brings such grace and enthusiasm to our community of activists.

 Occupy The Moment

Santa Fe, The City Different, in The Land of Enchantment, home of various mediation groups that have attempted to raise our awareness toward oneness and away from duality, which includes the 99% versus 1%, with some calling on the 100%. Mats invited folks to join in a meditative approach to activism.

NO WAR ON IRAN

During Occupy Santa Fe General Assembly our civil rights lawyer shared on one working group's initiative to urge our City Council with petitions and presentations to pledge a stance against a war in Iran. The raised hands signal support and agreement from GA participants.

NO WAR

WeArePeopleHere! has endorsed the Tuesday May 1 People's General Strike. We encourage you to join the strike in protest against a government and an economy that unjustly favors the super wealthy and big business at the expense of the American people. We are joining the strike to build solidarity for a national movement against the corruption of the worldwide marketplace, which has led to illegal foreclosures, mass unemployment, low wages and government policies that support the plutocracy.

 Passionate Performer

Captivated Audience

Cuddle Companions

Cop

Blessed with smiling cops, 

Occupy Santa Fe has enjoyed leniency from our public servants.

Only one cop checked in on our May Day event.

The day passed without any incident.

No violence.

Non-Violent Training 

for free

was on the agenda the very next day. 

unify

clarify

intensify

simplify

amplify

fortify

magnify

identify

beautify

sanctify

occupy

(Tania's T-Shirt)

ALEC

 

ALEC

The American Legislative Exchange Council

ALEC is a powerful  institution of corporations that manipulates corrupt legislators behind closed doors to promote legislation for corporate profit and against the people. There are 23 active ALEC members in the NM Legislature. The Koch Brothers, Exxon Mobil, Coors, Verizon, Coca Cola are known to fund ALEC.

 The People's Protest

An Alternative Pizza Dinner

was held outside the Eldorado Hotel

while inside ALEC affiliates dined on $250/plates.
www.occupynewmexico.org

www.alecexposed.org/wiki/ALEC_Exposed

6.14.12 Update:
Major corporations have distanced themselves since from ALEC. House Representative Kinkaid, involved in the altercation with Lisa Law, the seventy-some year old photographer, did not win his re-election, but he is still getting sued by Lisa, for the rough shot handling she had to endure by him.

Whose House? - Our House!

WHOSE HOUSE? - OUR HOUSE!

Occupy NM Encircled NM State Capitol

Protest I Can Believe In

 Outrageous, Hilarious, Singing Grannnies

 Oh Susanna

(looking upward toward Governor Susana Martinez's office)

 

Living in New Mexico

Our resources are thin

Without help from Medicaid

Our pain will never end!

 Oh Susanna

Oh she don't care 'bout me

Cuz she's prosecuting Medicaid

And running for VP.

 

 Oh Susanna

It's time for you to go!

We've seen where you are leading us

And we will not follow.

 And so the Grandmas walk on

away from their impromptu performance

toward the real deal

on stage with microphones

to loud applause, hooting and hollering.

Those ladies made my day,

showed me protest I can believe in.

Occupy The New Mexico State Capitol

THE MARCH TO THE ROUNDHOUSE 

JANUARY 17TH, 10:30 AM - 5 PM

Occupy Santa Fe Woes

After my attendance of our most recent GA, I kinda realized I was having trouble. In two full months now of involvement with the Occupy movement, I have not yet been able to express my concerns and contribute positively to the shaping of a still amorphous agglomeration of individuals in to an effective group of activists.

Yes, about 8 weeks ago I was able to influence the route of Occupy Santa Fe's march away from a narrow downtown street where it likely would have obstructed local business and created ill will, to a more visible path along a major flow of traffic through town. But as regards such obvious things of prime importance such as a good working, practical on-line presence, nope, no can do. No matter my posts on our various sites, no matter my mention to individual folks, no go. The Media working group concerned itself with big plans for video and radio transmissions, but seems to neglect the actual trouble with a smattering of sites: Facebook group and - page and - working group sites, plus additional two (no, not one, but two) sites for campers (with barely a post related to camp.) Then there is a rarely used website in existence that features working group sites not updated most in over a month, e-mail lists with their round robin plethora of e-mails ad absurdum and most recently a new yahoo group. These are only the sites I know of, there likely are more. All this makes efforts of organization cumbersome and dysfunctional and leaves newcomers at a loss of where to go for  their information and contributions. Why a central site is not a priority is beyond me. Why an updated agenda is not a priority is beyond me too. Why easy access to sites with capability of interaction is not encouraged, so as to create notices of events and to make efforts to let people know about plans and to inform about the progress of working groups is way beyond me.

Is it burn out already? My god-dess, we got a long road ahead of us if we are committed to the work of real change, rather then small change. I have been suckered in to what is called a Facilitation Work Group. The idea is to create templates to serve as basis for efficient facilitation of General Assemblies (GA) as well as training manuals for facilitators. The desire was to follow, but not imitate Occupy Wall Street procedures so as to serve our much smaller community. The benefit of trained facilitation has been obvious at every GA where such were amiss. Trouble is we got bogged down in minutia that I am afraid will stifle, rather then further the process of decision making in General Assemblies.

Odd that while I am normally shy and avoid the lime light, I have felt inspired, involved and committed with Occupy Santa Fe from the get-go. So facilitation seemed like  an arena I might be of use. I can be impartial, I have professional training to stay in an observer role and I have skills to follow process. I wish though I had better leading skills. I seem unable to really get my ideas across effectively and that is very frustrating to me. I guess it is my learning edge. I hope over time I will do better.

To my mind regular marches, preferably after lunch when families would be free to join in, would have kept us visible in the public eye. Instead we got buried in a part of our public park frequented mainly by transients and homeless folks. Others drive by, maybe notice the camp and at best wonder why. The Native American transient populace seemed to have laid claim to the real estate now occupied. They would get drunk and then belligerent and in this way would exhaust the campers in a seeming endless struggle to preserve their safe boundaries, their peace of mind and their sleep.

Of course my Cancer nature would find other means, more immediate ones, of being of service. I scored a whole chicken at the Farmers Market and made it in to chicken soup, my first one from scratch from a whole bird. (Reaching in to that bird to retrieve the innards was not as scary as I had imagined.) I  brought the steaming hot pot over to camp by 9 p.m. for something warm to eat during the cold night. I did got rave reviews and that felt very rewarding. But I also have brought over a pot of rice and lentils that then I had to discover hidden away, uneaten by the next day, what a turn off. Someone had made the decision that pancakes did not go well with brown rice. The whole pot with warm ready to eat food, made in part with vegetables from the adjacent community garden gone to waste, not to talk of the energy it had taken to make it.

 While these and similar struggles have been going on at Occupation sites across the globe and while many sites have been forcefully terminated, the spirit of resistance only will grow stronger forced underground. While for now less in the public eye, much does happen in working groups and there is no doubt a deep commitment for real change (rather then small change) by many fed up individuals.

An idea whose time has come can not be ignored. 

But the growing pains are many.

Tom, Traveler and Banjo Player

Only two days in town, Tom may be staying a few more days before moving on. For tonight, Tom will be heading to the Occupy encampment. This kid (at some point anyone under thirty seems to be still a kid) has been on the road for 6 years (since 21 years old.) Tom is a musician who lugs around a banjo (and a fiddle?) His musical roots come from Ska, but while he grew up  in Vegas, NV, surrounded by Rastas, he never became one himself. 

I think Tom looks cute despite, or maybe because of his eccentric style. Tom uses a mineral oil based salve for styling his moustache (or Zwirbelbart, Schnurrbart.) Was this style not fashionable in the eighteen hundreds? I believe Wilhelm Bush, the German poet, writer and painter wore a similar look. Tom was hanging out on the plaza as I was walking by with my pups. One of the advantages of getting older is the freedom to talk to any stranger at most any time and place. Tom was a delight, I wish him well, happy trails!

Update: As of Saturday December 3. Tom is still at the camp which experienced first snow a little bit more then a sprinkle, last night. Thankfully the forecast for an outright serious storm did not manifest, not so far, but currently the snow is falling and I hope they all stay safe and warm enough.

Occupy Santa Fe

 Occupy Santa Fe got a tipi, hooray!

Garrick Beck, Rainbow Elder, donated his sacred tipi.

It was set up in a beautiful ceremony.

Native American drums resounded from within
as I left the site just after the sun had set.

One delightful happy camper.

 One guy, one gal and one dog.

At sunset, outside the kitchen.

She said it made her feel weird to be photographed,

that did not deter her from smiling.

She graciously consented to having her photos taken,

from left and right. I did not get a chance to talk to her yet.

The Place NOT to be - WALMART!

 

- Research has shown Walmart pays an average wage of just $8.81/hour for their sales associates.

- Walmart is the world's largest private employer, with more then 21 million employees 

   (14 million associates in the US alone.)

- Despite the economy, Walmart continues to be profitable with 16.4 billion in net income for fiscal 2010.

- CEO  Mike Duke's compensation in 2010 was 18.7 million. 

- Walmart has been consistently anti-union.

- Walmart pays nothing ($0.00) in state corporate taxes in New Mexico

BUY LOCAL!

- For every dollar spent in a locally owned business, 45 cents stay within our Santa Fe economy.

- For every dollar spent in a non-local business, only 13 cents stay in our community.

- Locally owned business recycle a higher percentage of profits back into the local economy.

- Two major chains, when compared with local businesses, gave 75% less to charities than locally    

  owned businesses.

I have avoided Walmart for decades, but I will admit that many items can not be found from a local source, much less for a competitive price. So, if you do decide to shop at Walmart, at least do so not blindly, but know the facts, know the high cost of cheap shopping. (The above info was taken from  a Walmart Fact sheet off the internet.)

Our upcoming legislative session is the place to finally plug those corporate loopholes as regards  fair taxation and in so doing give local businesses a fair chance and the local economy a boost.

Finally the holidays are about people, not things. No need to shop 'til you drop. Just say no!

Why?

Why do I support the Occupy Movement? Because it is time!

I absolutely hate US war mongering along with corporate driven mainstream media's underreporting of the peace protests. I am so fed up with the cowboy mentality that brought so much devastation with no repercussions to the instigators, Bush, Cheney and cohorts. Sadly these days this is continued by our US government, ironically by our Nobel Peace Price winning President Barack Obama, who must have sanctioned the assassination of Osama Bin Laden. Unforgivable for our President, a lawyer, to not have made every effort to apprehend and to have brought before an international court of justice  Osama Bin Laden.

I hate US simple mindedness, of which George Bush will forever serve as poster child. It allowed for Bush to be elected twice, no matter any deceit, he got a lot of votes. This made America the laughing stock of the world. On top Bush got away with it all. No repercussions, except for a few countries (Spain and Canada, maybe others) ready to arrest him if he so much as touches their ground.

I hate US expansionism, no doubt pushed by corporate greed. We are given bogus reasons for invading and manipulating sovereign countries, even when the world knew Saddam had not been involved with 9/11 and we the US were begged to wait for the special report on Saddam's nuclear capabilities and intentions. We can not allow this same mistake, as some like to put it, or deceit, as others see it, to happen again with Iran!

"Military spending, found in the Department of Defense and other departments, has increased dramatically during each year that George W. Bush and Barack Obama have been president, roughly doubling during the past decade... both as measured in real dollars and as a percentage share of discretionary spending. Military and related “security” spending is now at over $1 trillion per year and comprises well over half of federal discretionary spending. It is also very nearly equal to the military spending of all other nations on earth combined. Ending our two most costly wars in Iraq and Afghanistan before the 2013 fiscal year budget would save $1.8 trillion, as compared with ending those wars on the currently planned schedule, with savings of $108 billion per year." The 99% Deficit Proposal

I hate to see all those funds go in to war mongering and useless defensive strategies when the American people are suffering and living in 3. world conditions already.  Brown University estimates that our wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan have cost 236,000 lives and $4 trillion. My state of residence for the last quarter century holds the 14th highest position of food insecurity. Kids go to bed hungry, here in the US! I want to see America close bases all around the world and especially in Germany, but instead it was announced the other day that expansionism will be continued now with bases in Australia, supposedly to keep an eye on China. "Today, we know that the "American way of life" – the model that the rest of the world is meant to aspire towards – has resulted in 400 people owning the wealth of half of the population of the United States." Arundhati Roy

While President Obama got elected under the premises of offering change, what we got is small change rather then real change. A mandate for the poor to get health insurance will bolster the insurance industries on cost of those that can afford it least. Nothing but universal health insurance will do. President Obama, while he admitted in an ideal world that would be best, never fought for us, the 99% of Americans.

One of the most egregious acts against the 99% may well come from the Superior Court's decision of having awarded corporations personhood along with an ability of unlimited funding to causes of their choice. This effectively has undermined our current democracy of one person - one vote, to one where those with the funds will be able to buy their votes, not in small part through deceptive and rigged, right wing media. (Why anyone would pay attention though to propaganda by either party, especially before an election is beyond me.) I shudder at all the wasted money thrown down this media monster machine in an endless frenzy of attempted manipulation. Meanwhile real people with real bellies and real mouths and real eyes go hungry, homeless and do not receive the medical care they need, or get it too late. (Check on the stories on We Are The 99%, they are heart breaking.) "Somewhere along the way, capitalism reduced the idea of justice to mean just "human rights." Arundhati Roy

As regards taxation, I am not in the camp that simply believes the rich should pay for the poor. What I  do want is fair taxation that no longer allows corporations and individuals to use legal loopholes for tax evasion purposes. "Closing corporate tax loopholes would return the fair share of taxes paid by corporations to the funding of government. Declining corporate taxation is another prime factor in increasing ...deficits. Corporate income taxes have fallen from roughly 4.8% of GDP in the 1950s to only 1.8% of GDP over the past decade. Ending just two large breaks, deferral of overseas revenue and accelerated depreciation would raise about $114 billion over a decade. The Treasury Department lists $365 billion in corporate tax breaks being gifted annually — that’s $3.65 trillion over the next 10 years. Due to tax loopholes, corporations pay record low tax rates — they actually pay 21% on average. Indeed, a recent report by Citizens for Tax Justice found that Wells Fargo received $18 billion in tax breaks, while both Verizon and General Electric paid negative taxes. Earlier Citizens for Tax Justice reported that 12 major companies which together made $171 billion in profits from 2008-2010 paid a negative $2.5 billion in taxes, thanks to $62 billion in tax subsidies." The 99% Deficit Proposal

There is too the world of lobbyists I personally have little experience with, but somehow understand the need for reform as there is an urgent need as well in the area of finance and banking regulations.


The Occupy movement has only just begun to scratch the surface, but tapped in to an outrage that is profound and will last and will be transformed only with real change.  Global occupation sites have shown the world that it is time and that we, the 99 percent, are willing to go to great length toward global justice.

Cutie Patoutie

Sumo stares at me intently.

"Your are leaving without me?"

Yes, I am off to protest

and stand at a busy intersection

not too safe a place for doggies, sorry.

My Experience with Occupy

I want to explore still why I am so attracted to the Occupy movement, like I take to it like a Mermaid to water. But the influx of information, opinions and happenings are overwhelming. On top I feel like I ought to present a masterly dissertation in favor of the Occupy movement. But I am conflicted like with most anything and things keep on changing.  Even while I was writing my post 11.11.11 describing the progress of our local encampment, the fire department had been checking out the site and had ordered the disuse of propane, leaving the kitchen stranded for the weekend, well kinda. Charcoal grills that are part of the park are o.k. to use and of course the community came to assistance.

On my way home from the encampment through the Farmers Market on Saturday, I managed to score a whole chicken and proceeded to cook my very first chicken soup from a whole bird. I was scared to reach inside and deal with the innards, but my fear was unfounded, all was wrapped in plastic and much appreciated by my pups, but not our Pretty Kitty, he is a finicky eater for sure. I was ready to deliver the goods, a pot of steaming hot soup with vegetables from the community garden across the encampment, on my bike at night, but got a response from my post on-line and got a ride, appreciated in frigid winter temperatures. The feedback next day was glowing "the best soup ever" despite little salt and spice since some of the campers can not tolerate such and our "Chef" had suffered a stroke. Tough to camp out in winter temperatures after a stroke, but he insists it to be his choice. There would be beds and warm meals at the shelter, but he prefers to be an essential part at our occupation site.

The very next day one crotchety, senior part time camper told me that he wished I would do something on my visits to camp. We seem to have a lot of those senior, sinewy, seemingly uptight guys in our local occupation movement. I have been walking my pups to the occupation site and through the park twice daily most days now since the site at my nearby park got occupied. It is a good way to get a feel for things, relay some information and offer a helping hand where needed.

I want to state that I did not vote for establishing an encampment, I abstained, because I knew I would not be an occupier and because I am not convinced that the freedom to assembly includes the freedom to create tent cities in public places. 

There are those that abhor the mere mention of such doubts and want those voices to shut up and go someplace else. I find that offensive and unacceptable. Americans really seem to be unable to tolerate dissent. One dear senior expressed a wish for those homeless occupiers to get pocket money for cigarettes and time off, maybe to hang out in a warm coffee shop. While his desire no doubt came from his heart and his experience spending nights at the site, I find it wholly unacceptable to pay protesters. I always object to providing anyone with their drug of choice, be that cigarettes, alcohol, dope or donuts. My senior buddy stomped off upon hearing my remark, somewhat flippant I admit, and we have not communicated since.

At such times it is good to go back to basics, do what's in front, take the next step. Despite having caught a cold during our last General Assembly and despite my doubts about the legitimacy of a tent city in an urban environment, I took to the street with my erasable bulletin board the morning after the unnecessarily forceful clearing of the People's Park, the Occupy Wall Street encampment. I was mostly standing alone! Campers did not feel like it! There were never as many as even a dozen protesters in the main intersection where our protest were to be held, announced on line while the destruction of OWS still was in full progress! A movement that can not mobilize at a moment's notice seems to me is not a movement! Movement or not, I believe we are the 99%, maybe 99.99%! I might take to the streets, or rather side walks alone, because it is time!

I object to police brutality, to the devious secrecy of the military style police action, and to the thrashing of personal property including the public library, all hauled off in dump trucks (60 out of 5000 books do not restore what must have been an outstanding library donated in part by Pattie Smith.) If you have not done so yet, feel free to place your objections with Major Bloomberg by calling 1 212 639 9675.

We can not eradicate an idea whose time has come!

11.11.11

 

It has been now over a full month of involvement for me with the Occupy movement. All along I have been feeling a need to express why I felt such an immediate attraction and got actively involved locally as soon as I discovered our first camp across Bank of America, erected on impulse, after that first successful demonstration on October 8th. Unlike my more usual reluctance to join any one group, I have been feeling compelled to stand up and be counted, so to say, and to do my part in speaking out and taking a stand against our global and local, social and economic injustices.

Lacking proper gear and equipment for camping in winter temperatures, I have no inclination of joining our encampment as an occupier. My passion is for the causes (there are so many) rather then the occupation. But if it takes an occupation to join a global movement for justice then I am all for supporting those that are willing to occupy. 

This said, I am in awe on what Occupy Santa Fe has managed to accomplish in such a short time. As I mentioned in an earlier post, besides a circle of about 25 tents, the kitchen got moved in to the bigger tent and got organized with the help of two welcome shelves, what a difference. The rotating crew puts out three warm  and delicious meals a day, despite challenges of accessing clean running water (frozen during frigid nights.) A third generator, now encased in straw bale to dampen the noise, supports meetings at the big tent with light and heat at night. Two solar panels got set up and are working, able to juice up computers and cell phones. Various working groups have been busy and teach-ins already happened and continue to do so, including today.

Yet there is trouble, here locally, like there is at occupation sites world wide, challenged by the winter season in particular, and for us locally by part of our population that is homeless, addicted, sometimes psychotic and on occasion violent. So despite great achievements the occupation has been seriously put in to question. Discussions will be had in these next few days. Should we give up the encampment and move somewhere indoors? There are no easy answers. I will keep you posted. Come back if you care to find out.

to be continued

At Our Occupy Santa Fe Encampment

This evening.