I live in New York City and went downtown to Zuccotti Park to visit the Occupy Wall Street encampment yesterday. The Park is not a grassy expanse, but instead a long rectangular slab of concrete. On this hard surface people were sleeping or talking or holding signs or chanting anti-banker slogans. The assemblage itself was an intriguing mix of demonstrators, tourists, passerby New Yorkers, policemen, media people, young people, a few homeless. There were a few fringe protesters like the Socialist Workers Party. Blankets were strewn about, but there was a certain order to the scene. All in all, quite moving and poignant.
The common theme was "jobs, jobs, jobs." But still there is no agenda among the participants on how to create new employment. Which leads me to ask -- why, as a start, should Occupy Wall Street not support Obama's Jobs Bill?
Here is a direct act of governmental intervention to jump-start the entire hiring scene. Why can't Occupy Wall Street mobilize all this energy, emotion, anger, frustration and hard-work across the country to back this one legislative bill that can guarantee new work for millions of Americans. Why can't Occupy Wall Street protesters begin to put pressure on Congressmen and Senators to enact this initiative?
Instead Occupy Wall Street seems to shy away from this anything to do with the Obama idea. This seems to be odd -- and wrong. But there is still time to take this next step and play the role -- an immensely important one -- in bringing about this solution.
Dr. David Liepert: Should Muslims Occupy Wall Street Too?
I say that a companies employment should be in line with their employment. If they make record profits and don't hire, they are subject to a higher tax rate. If they fire 30.000 people and were making record money they are subject to a higher tax rate. If they make profits and hire people, they pay less taxes.
Direct incentive for these big companies to hire. I haven't worked out exactly how much each person is worth tax-wise, but i'm sure we could figure out a formula.
This is a movement of people who want change they can believe in. Empty promises of the political status quo are not good enough anymore.
And lastly, the jobs bill is a good bill that will help with our jobs recovery since corporations are making record profits and still aren't hiring.
But hey, why should anyone decide on any bill based on merit, when they can act like Republicans and oppose everything regardless of merit, or truth, or benefit, etc.
And this jobs bill is a solid solution that uses both Republican and Dem ideas to help create millions of jobs and help spur the private sector to create millions more.
PASS THIS JOBS BILL NOW!
It's encouraging to see so many OWS supporters not falling for the trap of any politicians, Obama included, who simply want to use the movement for their own advantage and/or re-election campaigns. The old system of two party politics is broken. Both parties have sold out to the highest bidders, have failed to adequately represent the needs of the 99%, degrading to nothing more than finger-pointing and blaming the other side time after time, while accomplishing little at a great economic and personal cost.
Obama's motivation for his jobs bill is transparent, writing it with no bipartisan input knowing it would not pass, nor even gain enough support from his own party to succeed. After demanding Congress pass it, embarking on a multi-month (re-election) campaign raging he would veto any attempt to break up the bill, and watching his approval ratings drop when that didn't work, this morning he derided Congress for evidently not being able to understand the complete bill, so he's going to break it apart to try to pass even some of it.
Gee, you might have tried that first, actually negotiating with Congress instead of campaigning and forcing us to endure additional months of failed economic policies.
Obama, you're fiddling while Rome burns. I voted for you, and I can't stand the "music" any longer.
The jobs bill is good. It is a solid step towards a stronger jobs recovery.
I don't care if this movement wants to be seen as non-political. Political solutions are the ONLY solutions that will work at the moment because corporations are making record profits and still aren't hiring. And thus, if political solutions are the only solutions, by refusing to back a solid political solutions, the movement is helping Republicans by stalling/obstructing/opposing any improvement of our current situation.
The American people understand this - why doesn't Obama understand this?
Occupy Wall St. is better off keeping partisanship out of this. Let the GOP side with the FAT CATS on WALL ST... it will be their downfall.
We need to get big money and corporations out of politics. This is the essence of the Occupy Wall Street Movement. Its about returning the system back to the people.
Backing the Obama jobs bill is a crucial first step towards getting our economy back on track.
And trying to be against both parties is essentially admitting the GOP and the Dems are both as bad as the other. Which is patently untrue. While the Dems may have corporate contributors, they also work towards regulations of corporations of all kinds. Dems consistently try to protect the American people from corporate abuses.
So while Dems may not be perfect, trying to equate Dems and Republicans is a false equivalent that only helps Republicans in their claim that all government is bad.
Republicans claim government doesn't work, and prove it every time they get elected.
Not only is it the right thing to do, it is also politically beneficial for President Obama to be seen as trying to help American jobless against the obstructionist GOP.
And if things go perfectly, public pressure will force at least some Republicans to vote in favor of the bill. I know, that is extremely unlikely. But it is possible. Keep in mind, Republicans occupy many House seats in districts that they easily could lose without some independent support.
He is as useless to the left and, even more important, America as any other DLC type corporatist.
You want to see support for his tax cuts to destroy social security called a jobs bill? Go to an Obama rally and chant right wing mantra's like "Tax cuts create jobs!" with them.
"Why won't they support the staus quo?"
And all is well inside his unjustifiaÂbly obtuse beltway bobblehead for Obama land for a moment...
For you, maybe?
Is our corrupt politicianÂs learned yet? The corrupt ones in both political parties with their billions of corporate money buying their votes? The alleged "left" politicianÂs who pretend that this bill is good for the people? The politicianÂs that will kill the social safety nets with their super duper pass the buck committeesÂ? The rotating cast of villain politicianÂs?
No, eh?
So we occupy.
And if you don't like the jobs bill, please state why. It is a crucial second step in creating millions of jobs.
O. only proposed it because he had faith the House would oppose it. Their opposition provides a platform from which he can attempt to get reelected. His record fails to provide any such platform. O.'s attempt to get reelected is one of the most transparent aspects of his presidency.
Secondly, why is a budding young movement of discontent expected to have all the answers? Did Gandhi show up in Champaran with a detailed Constitution and parlimentary structure for a new India? Did Rosa Parks have a blueprint for getting Civil Rights legislation passed in a divided Congress? OWS is a true grassroots movement. Demanding a comprehensive and calculated agenda now is like demanding a beautiful green lawn without seeding, watering, and waiting for roots to develop. You're thinking of astroturf.
Because you don't mobilize this kind of anger and passion to bolster a half-measure. Obama's mantra seems to be "Don't hit me.". OWS came to fight, not campaign.
It's shovel ready.
There's a large potential workforce-people leaving NY, Illinois,California could find work before reaching Austin.
We could construct two. If we slanted them correctly,they'd both be down hill all the way.
and solar panel tiles -of which there are a surplus-could be the flooring