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SternSkipper -> RE: There Are Many Who Would Say The Occupy Movement Is Getting Old... And They Are Right (4/18/2012 7:02:35 PM)
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quote:
Occupy Erie kind of fizzled when it got cold. Then there was some power plays and I stopped going around because of that. The webmaster was even pushed out. He bought and paid for the web space from his own pocket, did all the work and some other people thought they should have control of the page because the guy who was doing our webpage didn't live in Erie County.
That sucks... There are plenty of resources in the OWS group in NYC now if you have a group and want to revive it. The big thing up here was the court ruled against em staying outdoors any longer, but instead of disbanding they rented a floor of a south boston warehouse and kind of turned it into a resource center for a while and the were steered toward a place with more facilities like phones, better heat, good lighting and web connectivity. Also, Occupy Cape Ann blossomed and kept a lot of us busy.
But we all got back together solidly a month ago and began the arrangements for Camp Charlie on the steps of the state house and we're basically there representing everyone who uses mass transit, which a HUGE thing in Eastern Mass. And three weeks ago the "privatized firm" whom Romney supported big time and in fact the CEO is a personal friend of Romney's announced that they were going to raise rates 25 - 35% and that there would be schedule cuts, and that was that. We have demanded the legislature step in and debate it on the floor, and come up with a better solution.
So essentially, if there is a different outcome, it's because of our efforts. The Tea Party doesn't even seem to get this is a failure of privatization and just concern themselves with the possibility that a scheme is afoot to create a new gas tax. Apparently the Tea Party is worse than cheap, they're wicked un-green. I've seen buttons around town that say "I want the freedom to DRIVE into Boston" with the "Tea Party Patriots"credited in the small print.
Anyway, we've also teamed up with City Life/Vida Urbana (clvu.org) and we do teach-ins (tennant/home owner rights) and when they call for an action we are there in strength. And their results are really becoming measurable. Certain banks now just walk up at the foreclosure sale and say "who do I give my card to concerning the restructure?". I'd call that progress.
There's still some kooks... like there are now candidates popping up in Mass that are pro-occupy and kind of modeled after Bernie Sanders and they often get a cold shoulder cause of few assholes who have a bunch of baggage over the Movement in general rejecting Ron Paul who the originally wanted to join thinking they could convert us.
I have faith that after Paul gets his nuts crushed in the GOP vise at the convention (ya know people milling around during his big moment of truth speech ... as if Pat Boone was on stage singing one of his ancient hits)... Once that happens they'll either get it or go away pissed. I am good with either.
I'm sold on this though.... as with the example above, we can be very successful, without worrying about having to be some 'perfect' movement. That's why it's fun to see the finger pointers spotting one rough spot and having a conniption fit thinking they've discovered the rosetta stone of Occupy's downfall.
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