Forum Post: #OccupyWallStreet - Top 3 Demands - what are YOURS?
Posted 12 years ago on Oct. 8, 2011, 4:48 p.m. EST by jeffjotoole
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The corporate media has recently criticized the #OccupyWallStreet movement for not articulating specific demands. Here are my Top 3, please respond to this video with YOUR TOP 3 DEMANDS!
END THE DISPARITY BETWEEN THE SALARIES OF CEO'S AND THE EMPLOYEES THEY OVERSEE. We need legislation that limits the amount of salary and various perks that CEO'S receive. It's outrageous what they receive, and just downright criminal.
WALL STREET IS FULL OF CROOKS ! We go from one crooked scheme to another. The Wall Street Banks are crooked, the Ratings agencies are crooked (most likely owned/controlled by the wealthy), and who regulates them ? Either those that used to work for them, or those that hope to. Wall street is full of corruption. It's a rigged game. Who pays the salaries of those Wall street moguls ? It's the little guy, the ones they have screwed over. For every person that makes a dollar in the stock market, another person loses. The problem is that not enough people realize how corrupt Wall Street is, and how the game is stacked against them. Thankfully, that is starting to change.
Equality Fairness Compassion
1) TERM LIMITS. One-six year term for all congressmen and women.
2) CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM. No donations to political causes are allowed, either from people, organizations, or corporations. Accepting any donation of any kind becomes illegal.
3) NO POLITICAL ADS & EQUAL AIRTIME.. Political ads on TV, radio, and internet become illegal. Any candidate garnering a certain number of signatures in his/her constituency is guaranteed equal airtime on any TV, radio, or internet program/site that features other political candidates.
We all have different voices and opinions. We're never going to agree, as 99% of the population, on complex economic issues that most people don't even understand. WE NEED TO FOCUS ON THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM - CORPORATE CONTROL OF OUR ELECTED LEADERS.
It is time to have our leaders working for us, and not for corporations.
Credit default swaps
We must remember what allowed the banksters the ability to run roughshod over our economic system. The Graham-Leach-Bliley Act: "An Act To enhance competition in the financial services industry by providing a prudential framework for the affiliation of banks, securities firms, insurance companies, and other financial service providers, and for other purposes." allowed investment (casino) banking institutions, insurance companies, and commercial (retail) banking institutions to consolidate, co-mingle funds, to engage in risky investment activities, to take money from you and me to fund the injustice committed upon the citizens of, not only the United States but, in large part the world. The Commodities Futures Modernization Act allowed them to create the derivatives you hear so much about which were a major factor in the debacle which destroyed our economy. Both of these acts must be repealed within our system of government or the banks will continue to use our money to fund their gambling activities. Help me by signing the petition: http://signon.org/sign/repeal-graham-leach-bliley The Glass-Steagal act separates these two types of banking institutions to keep the gambling activities separate from commercial banking activities. (commercial banking activities are the services we, as bank customers, utilize. i.e. savings, checking, loans)
the only thing that matters right now is CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM, unless you get the big money out of politics, no change whatsoever will occur, this should be the focus of the protests, we need to have honest politicians that work for the public before any thing else can get done, campaign finance reform (ending corporate personhood, kicking the lobbyists out of the Washington) is the perfect starting point. It really is a no brainer that this should be the one thing we can all agree on. Because unless we do this, all those other demands that people have will never be addressed, not in a millions years.
Audit the Federal Reserve, then eliminate fractional reserves.
Eliminate Corporate personhood status.
Repeal Patriot Act
Fund political campaigns with tax dollars. Yes there will need to be some discussion on exactly how to do this but i figure if we can send some one to the moon, this can't be to hard.
Remove lobbyists and special interest groups from Washington. Special interest groups and lobbyists should be allowed to have 0 contact with our politicians out side of an open public forum.
Make all political donations of any kind illegal.
These 3 things will put the power back in the peoples hands. We will be the ones that buy and own our greedy politicians.
End Corporate personhood ... stop corporations from buying elections
End the Fed ... it's not a Federal Agency, it's a private bank. Look it up.
Boycott companies who outsource jobs ... Bank of America call centers in India?
In Canada I would like to see: 1) shifting the tax burden from lower and middle classed Canadians to those making $250, 000 pa + and streaming a significant amount of that money into offering comprehensive and meaningful social assistance programs which do not have restrictions on recipients that can inhibit their positive self development. This would include providing long term funding to social economy type community groups who do integral work 'on the ground' recognizing and serving local needs. 2) Supporting fair labour policies within the country (pay, benefits, reduction of flexibilization) and implementing policies that prohibit the importation/sale of products that are created by exploitative means. The more countries we could get on this bandwagon, the more difficult it will be for large corporations to exploit hidden pockets of people. 3) an orientation/dedication to making decisions and providing solutions to social, economic, and political problems that are focused on the long term. While it is important to see short-term gain, that cannot be the focus. We need to make decisions that build stronger communities for the future, not ones that deplete resources for future generations.
We are not obliged to respond to the media - let's deliver action: Thurs 10.13 is disrupt a bank day- - close all of your BofA and Merrill Lynch accounts - respond with action! we don't need a message, we need a method for correcting the problem and we can all do it with non-violence!
SHORTER TERM DEMANDS:
1) Tax the rich- i.e. cut all corporate tax loopholes and tax the millionaires and billionaires (start at the early 1960s rate of 91% for the top earners - "the 1%")
2) Regulate Wall Street and banking, forcing them to renegotiate mortgages, cut fees for the poorest customers, reinstall Glass-Steigal, etc.
3) Cut military spending, divert money to vast green WPA works program immediately...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pin8fbdGV9Y
Here are a couple -
1) Re-instate Glass-Steagall
2) Overturn FEC v Citizens United
3) Bring back the $500,000 and $1,000,000 tax brackets, and significantly drop the taxes for all other brackets
4) Income earned abroad by US based corporations should be taxed at the highest corporate tax rate, no tax holidays.
5) Tax carried interest as ordinary income
6) All regulatory bodies must be financed through Congressional appropriations (some regulatory bodies are financed by the industries that they are regulating)
7) End all corporate subsidies for all industries
8) Drastically scale back the role of the Federal Reserve, make necessary bi-annual audits of activity. All loans given to corporations over a certain dollar amount must have Congressional approval.
9) End prison privatization, we have the highest amount (per capita) of prisoners and do not need to incentivize increasing the prison population.
10) Adopt a "no loss socialization" policy, where the government cannot serve as a conduit to protect the revenue streams of corporate interests
11) End the revolving door between government and private industry by offering a sort of "non compete" clause between the two entities
LONGER TERM DEMANDS:
1) end all spending on the military, diverted to green tech (mass transit, solar, wave and wind generation, free insulation of homes, etc.)
2) directly accountable elections, with immediately recallable representatives who make no more than an average wage.
3) worker ownership of the means of production, with workplace democracy
Here are the issues:
1) Collective Bargaining 2) Corporations are not natural People 3) Ballot Access 4) Non Profit Media 5) Peace 6) Sexual Orientation 7) Separation of Church and State 8) Environmental Concerns (Energy to Food) 9) Poverty 10) Police/Court/Prison/Prostitution 11) Health Care for All/Reproductive rights/Marijuana 12) Educational reform 13) Equal Rights/Affirmative Action 14) Immigration
Corporate influence is mucking up all these.
Most of the media are owned by the same oligarchs as those who run Wall Street and the other Corporate Mogles who rule the country through their Political Puppets in congress. Ignore them.
If you really want to stop the power of Wall Street and other corporate special interests from having overwhelming influence on our government and crushing the middle class consider this idea.
There is only one way to get our legislators on the right track. I mean the track where the people come before the Corporations and other Special Interests that give the most money to election campaigns.
Put a limit on how much each candidate can spend so no one can buy the election by overwhelmingly out advertising their opponent. Base that dollar amount on the number of constituents in their district for Representatives and the whole state for Senators and the same for President. So much money per registered voter. If we do that then there is no worry about loopholes in campaign financing laws and everyone can compete as financial equals and ideas will be the determining factor in who gets elected. Then the voters will count more than the dollars in election campaigns.
If this were to become the law, lobbyists would no longer have the Big Stick that they currently threaten our elected officials with, ie... withholding financing in the next election and backing the other person campaigning for the same office, if elected office holders do not toe the line of their corporate and special interest financial backers. This will give the power back to the Voters.
I would love to hear your views on this idea. The British have a similar law for people running for the House of Commons
Most of the media are owned by the same oligarchs as those who run Wall Street and the other Corporate Mogles who rule the country through their Political Puppets in congress. Ignore them.
If you really want to stop the power of Wall Street and other corporate special interests from having overwhelming influence on our government and crushing the middle class consider this idea.
There is only one way to get our legislators on the right track. I mean the track where the people come before the Corporations and other Special Interests that give the most money to election campaigns.
Put a limit on how much each candidate can spend so no one can buy the election by overwhelmingly out advertising their opponent. Base that dollar amount on the number of constituents in their district for Representatives and the whole state for Senators and the same for President. So much money per registered voter. If we do that then there is no worry about loopholes in campaign financing laws and everyone can compete as financial equals and ideas will be the determining factor in who gets elected. Then the voters will count more than the dollars in election campaigns.
If this were to become the law, lobbyists would no longer have the Big Stick that they currently threaten our elected officials with, ie... withholding financing in the next election and backing the other person campaigning for the same office, if elected office holders do not toe the line of their corporate and special interest financial backers. This will give the power back to the Voters.
I would love to hear your views on this idea. The British have a similar law for people running for the House of Commons
1) Get big money out of politics. Elected officials should be accountable only to their constituents.
2) Radically overhaul the tax code such that elected officials cannot use the tax code to reward or punish any particular group or entity.
3) Balanced budget amendment to the constitution requiring 2/3 majorities to raise taxes.
RE; 1) "get the money out of big politics" good, but how?
2) Shouldn't the tax code be used to reward greener technologies, and dis-incentivise heavenly polluting ones?
3) a balanced budget amendment is stupid right-wing thinking. The best thing a government can do in a recession is spend more to put people to work and stimulate the economy. The huge investment in ships, planes, tanks, etc at the start of WWII is what pulled this country out of the great depression of the 1930s, and paved the way for the post-war expansion - the longest boom in capitalist history. The same huge investment now can be made in green technology.
1) Needs to be done. I don't have all of the answers.
2) No, the tax code should not reward or punish any one or any entity, period. Those things can best be handles as part of the budgeting process if it is deemed to be worth offsetting something else to pay for it.
3) Balanced budget is not right wing at all. Outside of the federal government, almost all other state and local governments are required to balance their budgets. Even wise private citizens balance their budgets. Keynesian economics doesn't work. If it did, 3+ years of deficit spending exceeding $1 trillion would have fixed the economy by now.
Don't even get me started on "green" anything.
OK who cares any more about what corporate media has to say. They have been exposed for being bias, so the more you try to appease them the Dumber they’ll make you look. THEY WANT A LIST OF DEMANDS SO THEY CAN CRITICIZE IT!!!!!! LEAVE THE MEDIA ALONE YOU ARE FIGHTING NOT IN THE SYSTEM BUT AGAINST THE SYSTEM !!!!
I get what you are saying but I think its important to communicate the top issues that can be specifically addressed and changed. Its hard to make tangible progress against vague ideologies.
they want a list of demands so they can label us then dismiss us. but if we take our time we'll gain more supporters our demands will have a stronger voice. if you come up with a list of demands now you will beging to isolate yourself and close yourself to new supports. for now just grow in numbers using the internet and take in ideas this is when we brainstrom
A question for your 1). Your advocating a system where a bank must hold 100% reserves right? This implies that a bank cannot lend money. Are you advocating a system where no lending occurs?
No, not entirely. I'm suggesting that we first evaluate all of the earth's natural resources, and use that as the basis for all economic activity.
How does that translate into a lending scenario?
I'm afraid we're talking in two different paradigms.
I am interested, please explain as this is a forum to express opinion and engage a sorta socratic formula.
Project Earth: A Resource Based Economy Explained http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDhSgCsD_x8
Yes, yes, and YES!
I get the publicly funded elections. But we already tax the rich and as far as rights for corportions? well .....do you not want jobs here in America?
1) Reelect Obama. 2) Short the market 3) Move to Tahiti
I think thats Wall Streets plan ;)
That what these market ups and downs are all about. Benefiting from long and short positions. The top tier are raking in more cash now than ever before.
Seriously? No rights for corporations? So you are ok with the government just saying "ok Apple, you are closed now, give us all your money."? And before you say " no, i just don't want constitutional rights for corporations", the constitution is where all rights originate from in our government. No constitutional rights=no rights.
Corporations are extensions of government power. They are absolutely at our complete control. Charters are grants of government power. To suggest that we don't have the prerogative to revoke them at will is fundamentally anti-democratic. It's an endorsement of a doctrine of inherent government authority, which is precisely what Americans rebelled against in the 18th century. Corporate rights are irreconcilable with popular sovereignty.
Totally agreed on 1 & 3 but can you expand on #2?
Many who have studied inequality have identified low taxation of the rich as a substantial contributor to the sharp rise in inequality over the last three decades. The rich's tax rates (and I'm talking top 1% and up here) are criminally low. When we fail to tax the rich appropriately, the political process gets distorted because the rich use that untaxed money to influence it in their favor. This amplifies and accelerates inequality. Having some semblance of equity in income distribution is important in its own right as it has been shown to (1) cause sustained economic growth and (2) prevent corruption. Income inequality has been shown to cause corruption.
See: Winner-Take-All Politics: Public Policy, Political Organization, and the Precipitous Rise of Top Incomes in the United States: http://pas.sagepub.com/content/38/2/152.full.pdf
See also: A Comparative Study of Inequality and Corruption: http://irps.ucsd.edu/assets/003/5298.pdf Equality and Efficiency: http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/2011/09/Berg.htm
1 Teach the people how banking and finance works 2 tell them that the whole country is in bankruptcy 3 let the people access their funds representing the funds that were bailed to the governments of the states through the certificate of live birth.
Im not sure I understand #3...
Henry Ford once said " It is well enough that the people of this nation do not understand our banking and monetary system, for if they did, I believe there would be a revolution before tomorrow morning"... Well Henry, tomorrow morning has arrived Because the American people now know how the banking and monetary systems work in this country and I am one of them. I know where the wealth of the American people is hidden!