Zuccotti Park

I had the opportunity to visit Zuccotti Park in Lower Manhattan last Thursday.  No, I didn’t see Jackson Brown play for the Occupy Wall Street protestors and on-lookers. 

But I did meet Jesse La Greca who has become a media voice for the movement. 

This marks my fourth visit to an Occupy site including ours in Columbia, the opening day of Occupy DC and Occupy Seattle. 

Why am I still a big supporter of the non-violent Occupy movement? 

Last week the U.S. Senate couldn’t get enough votes to levy a 3.25% surtax on about 350,000 people with taxable incomes of OVER $1 million so that 160 million mostly middle-class taxpayers won’t see their payroll taxes increase up to $1500 per household.   The consequences of such an economic hit to working Americans would be a disaster for our small businesses.

While the millionaire-defenders  in Congress were obstructing, the New York Times reported on the state of millions of our children.  “Millions of American schoolchildren are receiving free or low-cost meals for the first time as their parents, many once solidly middle class, have lost jobs or homes during the economic crisis, qualifying their families for the decades-old safety-net program. “

So yes, I’m supporting the Occupy movement for the voice it has given to the 99% who have suffered in this economy due to the corporate greed on Wall Street and the stranglehold big corporate money has on Congress.  The public understands that our economic focus should be on growing small businesses on Main Street not growing the profits of multinational corporations. 

Note to offiicals in other states...check in with S.C.

Maybe South Carolina actually does have something the rest of the country can emulate—at least as it relates to the Occupy movement.

Last night, S.C. Governor Nikki Haley backed off last week’s order that the Occupy Columbia protesters had to be off of the State House grounds by 6 p.m. or be arrested for trespassing.  Last Wednesday 19 protesters were arrested by the Bureau of Protective Services officers when they refused to leave.

Outrage immediately followed with attorney’s weighing in that the arrests violated the First Amendment.  Occupiers were buoyed by the Mayor of Columbia, Steve Benjamin, and his police chief, Randy Scott, refusing to take part in any way in the arrests saying that the protesters were not breaking the law.

All this led to a showdown last night at the front steps of the State Capitol.  The word went out calling for supporters of Occupy Columbia’s 19 to be at the State House at 6 p.m. for a peaceful protest and challenge to Governor Haley. 

In what was probably the largest turnout since the opening day of Occupy Columbia, First Amendment supporters came to be part of the “General Assembly”.   Certainly more media was there than ever before.  Many if not all the original 19 arrested were back protesting.

As the clock ticked close to 6:30 p.m. and the crowd waiting for some sign of enforcement of the Governor’s order, word arrived to the protesters that no arrests would be made—an announcement that was met by a large cheer. 

The lesson—elected officials can do the right thing even after making a bad decision.  It applies to the Occupy movement and, for that matter, every decision.  Just do what is right.  The political world won’t end.   

Occupy Seattle

I am in Seattle for a few days this week and visited Occupy Seattle on Sunday.  This is my third Occupy event (Columbia and Washington DC being the other two). Below are some pics. Enjoy.

 

Signs of the times

Here are some signs from Saturday' Occupy Columbia event at the State House.

 Then there was this lonely counter demontrator.  I had to ask a lot of people to tell me what the bottom left image was.  Apparently it stands for anarchy.