99% Declaration along with Occupy has come up with a platform. Throw your two cents in.

[TalkingDog]

Last edited Wed Feb 15, 2012, 09:00 PM - Edit history (1)

http://www.the99declaration.org/

The final version of the PETITION FOR A REDRESS OF GRIEVANCES, is to be written and ratified solely by the elected Delegates, and may or may not include the following grievances and solutions currently suggested by the 99% Declaration Working Group.

Elimination of the Corporate State.
Overturning the “Citizens United” Case.
Elimination of All Private Benefits to Public Servants.
Term Limits.
A Fair Tax Code.
Health Care for All.
Protection of the Planet.
Debt Reduction.
Jobs for All Americans.
Student Loan Debt Refinancing.
Ending Perpetual War for Profit.
Emergency Reform of Public Education.
End Outsourcing and Currency Manipulation.
Banking and Securities Reform.
Foreclosure Moratorium, Mortgage Refinancing and Principle Write Downs.
Review and Reform of the Federal Reserve Banking System.
Ending the Electoral College and Enactment of Uniform Federal Election Rules.
Ending the War in Afghanistan and Care of Veterans.
No Censorship of the Internet.
Reinstitution of Civil Rights Including the Repeal of the NDAA.
Curtailing the Private Prison Industrial Complex.


snip: For the people who wanted me to edit the headline for accuracy

On October 15, 2011, the attorney took about 400 copies of the declaration to Occupy Wall Street in Zuccotti Park where he and others passed out the copies, answered questions and took down emails of people interested in helping implement the plan called for in the document. The people who joined the group at Occupy Wall Street formed the core of the original 99% Declaration working group. That same evening, the group announced to the New York City General Assembly the formation of the 99% Declaration Working Group.

[Vincardog]

1. Uniform Federal Election Rules: The Constitution says elections are up to the states. Where is

public financing of elections, Free Public education thru college, a guaranteed minimum income?

[TalkingDog]

2. Good points. Go let them know.

n/t

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. Splinter group from occupy

Just so the record is clear. Don't feel bad, it's taken months to know who is who in the zoo

[nadinbrzezinski]

4. Oh and it does not go far enough

Repeal of right to work for less laws

Strengthening of the NLBR.

EFCA as a first step

Any company with fifty or more employees the union gets a seat on the board like we imposed on Germany.

I could go on.

[think]

6. TY for your input. +1 For a union seat on corporate boards. CEOs

have become the bane of American capitalism.

[wiggs]

5. IMO they should limit initial declaration to easily understandable issues that

have widespread support. Down the road, add more.

Many on the list are esoteric.

I also suggest that a list of solutions is not the place to start. If you want to state a position and want to build support then outline the problem first. Get agreement that there is a problem to solve, then offer solutions. Ending the Electoral College....what problem does that solve? What will someone on the fence think about reading that? That person might agree that there's a problem to solve if the problem is identified...then that person might be willing to think about solutions.

For instance, I bet that a vast majority of the public (maybe not 99% but a lot) would agree that private money in politics is undemocratic, results in a misinformed public, leads to corruption, is not in the public interest in many ways, and is a problem. Great...let's use that as a declared problem, then offer suggested solutions regarding Citizens United, term limits, public financing of campaigns, corporate tax reform, lobbying, etc. But if you simply start with citizens united you immediately lose a third of the public who have heard over and over that one team favors citizens united and the other doesn't and they will choose sides that way.

Have to start by identifying problems and issues, then offer solutions.

[nadinbrzezinski]

7. Funny, I had zero problems understanding the list

Though one item needs badly a red pen.

[wiggs]

14. You're likely more informed than most. Still, I'll say:

Elimination of the Corporate State: nebulous, will sound vaguely communist to a wide range of americans, could be argued doesn't exist. I have my own thoughts about what it means but many will not

Overturning the “Citizens United” Case: concrete and specific and understandable.

Elimination of All Private Benefits to Public Servants: nebulous. the phrase private benefits means what? I can make my own meaning out of it, someone else could have different interpretation. If it refers to insider trading or accepting gifts or going to private parties or lobbying after serving then say those things

Term Limits: concrete and specific and understandable

A Fair Tax Code: means different things to different people

Health Care for All: all people get health care now to some degree. I think I know what it wants to mean but it doesn't say that.

Protection of the Planet. nebulous. how can protection of the planet be a platform item? everyone wants to protect the planet to some degree. how is the 99%'s position different? few are as environmentally oriented as I but this is too vague to say yes I agree with this.

Debt Reduction: fine

Jobs for All Americans: Really? So broad as to be meaningless

Student Loan Debt Refinancing: I'm for nearly free and accessible education for all americans and would extend that through college. I feel it is a basic and fundamental right..similar to primary health care. if student loan debt refinancing is a part of that fine. I think it can be a part of a much better phrased stance on education overall.

Ending Perpetual War for Profit: for people to sign on to this you have to convince them that's what we have now which isn't always the case. This seems to me to be an outgrowth of the larger problem of money in politics and that's where I'd place the emphasis. Again, simplification into larger issues.

Emergency Reform of Public Education: see above. and again...the problem with education should be discussed first because half the country believes teachers and unions and lack of vouchers is the problem.

End Outsourcing and Currency Manipulation: End outsourcing completely? 100%? Or eliminate incentives to outsource? Ending outsourcing completely is not realistic and will seem extreme and may not always be desirable. How many people will understand what currency manipulation refers to? Esoteric.

Banking and Securities Reform: what about it? the RW wants reform too...repeal of Dodd Frank and more deregulation.

Foreclosure Moratorium, Mortgage Refinancing and Principle Write Downs:

Review and Reform of the Federal Reserve Banking System: esoteric by definition

Ending the Electoral College and Enactment of Uniform Federal Election Rules: complex complex issues. how about something about election integrity wrt paper trails, elimination of caging, elimination of voter ID rules that make it harder to vote? not allowing secretaries of state to be campaign managers? not allowing secret code black boxes?

Ending the War in Afghanistan and Care of Veterans: the war is being ended so what is the request?

No Censorship of the Internet: no censorship? none? by whom?

Reinstitution of Civil Rights Including the Repeal of the NDAA: reinstitution of civil rights means what? repeal of ndaa is specific and concrete and worthy

Curtailing the Private Prison Industrial Complex.

I think they can do a much better job than this.

[U4ikLefty]

25. Another one who doesn't read the links.

Here is an example of your words: "Jobs for All Americans: Really? So broad as to be meaningless"

Clearly you didn't bother to read the link which states:

"Jobs for All Americans. Passage of a comprehensive jobs and job-training act like the American Jobs Act to employ our citizens in jobs that are available with specialized re-training through partnerships between companies seeking employees and community colleges and other educational institutions.

The American People must be put to work now by repairing America’s crumbling infrastructure and building other needed public works projects. These jobs should not be outsourced with cheap foreign labor or using foreign building materials. In conjunction with a new jobs act, re-institution of the Works Progress Administration, Civilian Conservation Corps and similar emergency governmental agencies tasked with creating new projects to provide jobs for the families of the 151 million People living in poverty and low income homes.

Astonishingly, one in four children are living in poverty in the United States while 8.3% of American adults are unemployed and 16% are underemployed. Many others have simply given up looking for work. Special tax incentives should be granted to companies who partner with educational institutions to re-train workers to work in green energy and new sources of American manufacturing to reduce reliance on imported goods and services. A democracy simply cannot survive with more than half of its population struggling to acquire basic needs such as food, shelter, education and health care, a shrinking middle class and a tiny fraction of the population controlling the media and the political process. This is a dangerous convergence of circumstances."

[JDPriestly]

8. In the past, the liberal/progressive movements have been divided into

small interest groups using the method you suggest: focus on a problem and offer a solution to it.

For the civil rights movement, segregation and racial inequality were the problem, and integration was the solution offered.

The women's movement focused on the inequality of women and offered laws penalizing those who treat women inequitably.

That approach worked for that time and for those problems.

Today, our problems mostly boil down to the corporate corruption of our government and economic injustice. These problems and their solutions are far more complex than those that the civil rights and women's movements, for example, focused on.

That is why this new, broader, more inclusive approach is being tried. Will it work? Time will tell.

But continuing to be a fragmented and competing disorganization of causes and interest groups is not working. We are too easily divided and bought out by wealthy corporations and individuals. The Occupy movement unites people to solve problems that we share.

So, I hope I have explained why your question is a good one, but why the approach you suggest cannot work today. It fragments us too much. The solutions we need today have to be broader and encompass more.

[libtodeath]

9. A good

start and I would also throw in a right to basic shelter and food.

[greytdemocrat]

17. *sigh*

Just unbelievable...

[ananda]

10. Add: Free and fair elections with paper ballots.

nt

[spedtr90]

11. YES!

[Citizen Worker]

12. End the slave trade agreements.

[Kellerfeller]

13. That is not a platform. It is a list of issues.

Elimination of the Corporate State: How?
Overturning the “Citizens United” Case: Ok, this one is actually specific enough, but if organizations like corporations are not "people" enough to have some protections, don't be surprised if the SCOTUS rules that they then are not "people" enough to be sued..
Elimination of All Private Benefits to Public Servants: Like what? Does that mean military members cannot accept military discounts from retailers?
Term Limits: For who. How many terms?
A Fair Tax Code: This: http://www.fairtax.org/site/PageServer?pagename=about_main
Health Care for All. Who defines the level of quality. Who pays for it?
Protection of the Planet. A space laser system to protect from alien attack?
Debt Reduction. So you want to cut most programs?
Jobs for All Americans. Who is paying for this? Who is hiring? How many will OWS hire? (Seriously though, this on will get ZERO traction with the real world)
Student Loan Debt Refinancing. At a higher interest rate? That is just mean.
Ending Perpetual War for Profit. This could easily be made more specific. "All US combat troops out of _ by __________" Otherwise, it is just ranting.
Emergency Reform of Public Education. So they want to fire everyone and rehire? Or do they want to privatize?


I could go on but I think I've made my point.

It is a start but it is so vague, almost everything can be twisted and, more importantly, within 100 people in OWS, there will be 100 different interpretations of the guts behind it.

[wiggs]

15. our posts are very similar. see above. nt

[Luminous Animal]

20. And it doesn't come from any Occupy group.

[U4ikLefty]

24. Try actually reading the links before snarking.

Click on the link & each of those issues is explained in more detail.

Nah never mind, I can tell by your post that you are only interested in shitting on Occupy.

[Luminous Animal]

27. Well she gets a twofer because this is not Occupy... it is The 99% - entirely

different org but now there are two groups to shit on.

[U4ikLefty]

39. This is true and thanks for making it clear.

I am sure that OWS did not endorse this at their GA.

[Luminous Animal]

40. You are welcome!

I wish the OP would correct the misleading title.

[U4ikLefty]

42. I agree.

I forget that most people don't know the workings of the GA.

This was announced at the GA (according to the website), which is VERY different than a proposal which must get consensus at the GA.

[Luminous Animal]

43. And they are not completely honest... They could meet with OWS any time...

despite the clearing out of Freedom Plaza and OWS is still holding GAs.

They continue to muddy the waters. Blatantly.

Quite simply, I do not trust them.

[U4ikLefty]

48. True, upon further reading I wonder why

they haven't brought proposals before the GA. Something smells funny.

Like you, I have a healthy distrust of people trying to co-opt OWS in this blatant way. I was never under the impression that this group was an official part of OWS. I don't mind splinter groups, but they give the impression that they are OWS approved...that is NOT cool.

[pinboy3niner]

51. Hey, Occupaisano, I hear you're crabby :)

Funny, when we did lunch after Occupy the Rose Parade, you never told me that.

When those 2 wingnuts accosted us, I thought you were gonna deck one of them. But, as much as I hate violence, I thought you were pretty right-on, and not being crabby at all. Plus, I definitely had your back. I love you, man.

[U4ikLefty]

65. Hey there Occupartner. I guess I should change my name to CrabbyLefty ;)

Those two Limbaugh-lovers really pissed me off. Especially the disrespect they showed you. It doesn’t bother me when I get shit for taking a stand, but when they do it to my friend my inner-pit bull comes out. I know better & would not hurt Occupy in that way, but if they had come down the steps to start something…

I miss you man, let me know the next time you are going to a Occupy event & I will meet you there. I think it’s my turn to buy the chow. I love you too man and take care.

[pinboy3niner]

49. I join with my Occupaisano, U4ikLefty, to thank you for continuing to point that out

I don't trust them either. They certainly do not represent nor speak for the Occupy movement.

[Luminous Animal]

54. You're welcome. It pisses me off... 34 recs despite gross disinformation...

Few do due diligence any more.

[pinboy3niner]

55. +1000. nt.

[Kellerfeller]

32. Thanks

The OP gave no indication there was more behind the list. My bad.

And there is a lot of good stuff behind the list to consider. There's some silly stuff like The Second Bill Of Rights but OWS could learn a lesson from a lot of the things this group has codified as a platform.

[quaker bill]

16. Personally oppose term limits

It was only ever offered in the first place by republicans because they thought the Dems had controlled the House too long. The people should be able to elect who ever they want as often as they want

A fair tax code means alot of different things to different people, stongly opposed to the "fair tax" currently being kicked around.

Emergency reform on public education, it is all in the details, currently "reform" means allowing business people to take over public education, a really bad idea.

Elimination of the corporate state - what does this actually mean? If it means the end of corporate "personhood", it is probably a pretty good idea. There is however a point where one can throw the baby out with the bathwater here.

Debt reduction is all the rage, but I am not sure the effects are as good as the hype, it is again all in the details.

[dreamnightwind]

52. Agree with all of your points.

I have never seen term limits as a good reform. We need, absolutely, to get rid of all private money from our elections, and to return to hand counted paper ballots until a secure, verifiable open-source electronic solution exists. Once we have all that, we'll be able to elect decent representatives of the people, true public servants, who should be compensated well and treasured, and should serve at the pleasure of the people as long as the people want.

Also, I see little in the way of decriminalizing our society, incarcerating less of us, reforming drug laws, and giving poor homeless people an actual safety net instead of criminalizing their poverty.

[quaker bill]

58. criminalizing poverty

There is this guy I am helping. He more chose me than I chose him, but regardless. He has significant cognitive problems (the most polite way I can put it). In a former age he might have lived a sheltered existence, where meals, modest shelter, and medication were consistently available, perhaps even a sheltered workspace. Today he lives on the street except when I pop for nights at the Salvation Army shelter, provide some change so he can get his laundry done, and provide the copays for his anti-psychotic meds.

When it is going to be really cold, he goes to a park and gets arrested for sleeping on a bench. They toss him in jail for a couple of weeks where he gets "three hots and a cot", along with heated shelter. Unfortunately, he generally loses all of his possessions each trip (mostly second hand clothes in a duffle bag).

The policy in this regard is just stupid. One can administer all the "tough love" one could imagine and this guy will never "get a job". He is just not sufficiently normal to be hired, by anyone, even those who routinely hire laborers among the homeless population and have a broad tolerance for different people. Leaving people like him on the streets to fend for themselves is most of all completely heartless, but only slightly less, very stupid.

[dreamnightwind]

62. Great example

and a very sad story, of which there are too many. What kind of society makes an outlaw out of someone like that? A heartless one, and a stupid one.

Awesome that you help him, cheers!

I know there must have been some of it, but I personally do not remember homeless people being around until the Reagan years. I was 21-ish then, so I was old enough to be aware of such things. I'm certain it became much worse due to safety net dismantling, and remains so today.

A lot of the homeless and poor are drawn to the Occupy movement, seems like a natural fit for them to advocate for alternatives other than the crowbar hotel.

[quaker bill]

66. There have always been homeless

But you are correct, Reagan "deinstitutionalized" the mentally ill. They made it sound compassionate, because we weren't "locking these people up", but actually it was just a ruse to cut funds for mental health services. Then they cut funds for housing, and created "CDBG"s (Community Development Block Grants) that the private sector can compete for. Several companies locally compete for these to construct "affordable housing".

The housing created is in fact more "affordable" than the rest of the market, but it is not free or particularly cheap. Locally it created small $80K+ houses and $700 to $800 a month apartments, both unattainable at minimum wage. The working poor do live in them, the unemployed not so much. The businesses however turned out quite profitable.

I don't help Ron all that much. I do what I can because I am called to do what I can and am lucky enough to have a job that pays enough to enable a bit of charity.

[kemah]

57. We already have term limits they are called elections.

If you do not agree with your politician then primary him or her. The tea party was very good in forcing term limits in their primaries. Just look at the job they are doing on Romney.

[flexnor]

18. a great list, if you had absolute power

but if you didnt, you might want to refine and prioritize

not saying they're wrong, just saying it's about 50 times the power of the movement - at least

[Luminous Animal]

19. Please edit your title. This is not an Occupy group. This is an entirely different org

called "The 99%".

[TalkingDog]

22. Fixed it. And they are not "entirely different" please read the addition to the OP

But thanks for playing along at home.

[Luminous Animal]

26. I can start a "Mandatory Clown Suits for Politicians" working group at OWS.

But, unless I get consensus from the GA for any proposal produced by my group, it doesn't mean squat.

Starting any kind of group within OWS does not need of approval from the GA but the product of the working group needs consensus. Otherwise it is NOT a product of Occupy.

There has been quite a bit of discussion within OWS about this organization covering themselves with the mantle of Occupy because they have not and do not bring any of the issues in this list of grievances to the GA for discussion. They even admit on their web page that there is a conflict.

It is critical to mention that The 99% Declaration’s requirement of a transparent election was never intended to be a slap in the face to #OWS and their use of direct democracy.

And this...

There is no reason that this effort cannot continue parallel to and in synergy with #OWS’s continuing peaceful resistance to the corporate state that has insidiously stolen our democracy.

http://www.the99declaration.org/message_to_occupy

[rucky]

33. Entirely different

the three board members are defense attorneys for...

Successfully defending multiple criminal tax matters and federal investigations related to the securities industry, banking, private placement memoranda, and other white-collar investigations by state and federal authorities.

http://marvinandmarvin.com/CustomContentRetrieve.aspx?ID=1080318

[randome]

35. 'The 99%' is a more meaningful name for change.

[Luminous Animal]

36. Some people might believe that but even so,

it does not excuse misinformation. The 99% is not OWS or Occupy.

The 99% is a separate organization. After their initial release of a draft of the list of grievances in October, 5-6 people who started The 99%, they decided to start a working group within OWS called the 99% Working Group Declaration.

The items on this list (separately or collectively) have not been presented to the GA. They have not been voted on by the GA. Thus, it is NOT an Occupy product. It is NOT an Occupy declaration.

They themselves admit that they are separate from the Occupy movement in their Message To Occupy.

http://www.the99declaration.org/message_to_occupy

It is critical to mention that The 99% Declaration’s requirement of a transparent election was never intended to be a slap in the face to #OWS and their use of direct democracy.

And this...

There is no reason that this effort cannot continue parallel to and in synergy with #OWS’s continuing peaceful resistance to the corporate state that has insidiously stolen our democracy.

[randome]

37. I hear you. And I agree.

I'm glad to see a different organization take shape. If you want effective change in whatever you do, it starts with a meaningful name.

Human beings are all about naming things.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

21. Cooperatives

business organization run by the people for the people

end dependency on oil

phase out gasoline vehicles

[Cartaphelius]

23. The quadrillion dollar question....

Cool...

Maybe????


1) Establish the requirement that all corporations that receive any money from the Federal, State and local governments must maintain transparency with all their finances. Said moneys include but are not limited to research funds, negotiated tax relief or expansion funding to name just three.

2) Stop the wrist slaps for corporations. That is, if you or I kill someone, our freedom is forfeit, if we are lucky, our life is forfeit if not. The same rule should apply to corporations.

3) Similarly, if a corporation "misappropriates" money through fraud, neglect or practices that harm humans or the commons, damages should equal the "misappropriation" and fines should be equal to the damages. Wouldn't we all take the standard corporate "deal" of
being able to steal billions and pay fines equal to a mere fraction of that which was stolen? I'm sure no one would ever steal again...

4) Immediately reverse the Gramm, Leach and Bliley Act. Most specifically, the obligation to recognize Credit Default Swaps and all other bogus securities established specifically for the one percent. Which are further protected with regulations making sure that this specific debt is paid before all others in a bankruptcy. Then, declare the $1 quadrillion plus of outstanding debt generated by and for the 1% null and void. This debt is the product of all of the bankruptcies, devalued property values and the trillions sent to foreign interests in the way of gifts or bailouts.

5) Nationalize the Federal Reserve and eliminate debt owed by the Federal Government to this for-profit business.

[Luminous Animal]

28. Your title is still wrong. The OWS GA never discussed or adopted this list of grievances.

It is solely the product of The 99% working group. That some members of Occupy worked on it does not make it an Occupy product.

[Zalatix]

29. Currency manipulation may be the only way OUT of outsourcing. Other than that,

GO OCCUPY!!!

[Luminous Animal]

34. This is not a product of Occupy. It has not been discussed at any GA.

It has not been voted on at any GA.

It is a product of an entirely different organization called the 99%.

[randome]

30. And this petition will be delivered to whom?

[JSnuffy]

31. Elimination of All Private Benefits to Public Servants.

What does this mean exactly?

[JSnuffy]

67. Kicking...

... because I still don't know what this means.

[jeanpalmer]

38. An excellent agenda

They left out reform of the corrupt campaign finance system, but other than that these people have their ---- together. They've identified the fraud inherent in the current system and have put forth a very aggressive agenda to intitute fundamental reform. By nature, both party establishments are against any of this stuff because they capitalize and feed on the corruption. We need to ----can them and get new responsive leadership committed to the common good. The basic thrust of the establishment that they are the lesser of two evils needs to be discarded, and we need to show them that they are interchangeable and not indispensable. The OWS movement is a fledgling step in the right direction that hopefully will pick up steam and ------- these two faces of the same system.

[Luminous Animal]

44. FYI, this declaration does not come from ANY Occupy group.

[loyalsister]

41. We have term limits

in the form of elections. Getting rid of people who know what they're doing, understand unintended consequences, etc is exactly the problem of the current congress.
Only political novices will go to congress with a single agenda and be willing to allow the government to fail. We did this in MO and it has been an absolute nightmare.

Elections are state and local because they are not uniformly timed across the country. Local and state initiative would be lost.

Universities are corporations. Be careful what we wish for.

[Luminous Animal]

46. Term limits is a right wing scheme.

The end result is that it hands over more power to lobbyists (and thus, to the private sphere.)

Term limits shift balance of power to special interests
http://www.mercurynews.com/politics-government/ci_15517816

And the ACLU, Planned Parenthood, the Sierra Club, etc., etc., are corporations, too.

[loyalsister]

50. You are correct

It has been a total disaster in MO. Serving in the state GA is now a stepping stone to a lobbying position. Absolutes are dangerous.

[Uncle Joe]

45. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, TalkingDog.

[Luminous Animal]

47. So, it doesn't bother you at all that the title of the OP contains

outright misinformation?

[Uncle Joe]

59. Actually it does, I was too hasty, kicked and undoed.

I should've clicked on and read the link, not to mention the thread, I don't see anything coming from Occupy.

Thanks for the headsup and correction, Luminous Animal.

[Luminous Animal]

60. You are welcome, Uncle Joe!

[loyalsister]

53. Seems like a waste of energy to duplicate efforts

There are advocacy groups that are focused on climate change, as well as civil rights.
Seems to me it would be smart to narrow the scope to focus on economic issues. Derailing attention will only serve to break the group up. Taking advantage of the size of and energy of the group to target one primary issue would be more productive than having a handful focused on each grievance on this list.

[Luminous Animal]

56. Meh, it's only 12 people passing this off as an Occupy initiative...

As far as I can tell, they've got few ties to anything but their own self-promotion.

[silvershadow]

70. I am watching this thread and comments for clues...

I signed up as a delegate candidate for reasons of my own. I have never been to, supported, or affiliated with any group except the Democrats. Period. But I have a deep love for my country, and I view it as a leveraging tool for maximum pressure. If it were legit...If it's some kind of front group, or political tool for nefarious purposes remains to be seen. Q: I thought Occupy wasn't an organized movement, so I'm confused about some of the comments. Is it not appropriate to just declare yourself one of the 99%? Or is there a proper way? If this convention isn't it, then what would be? I'm all for the premise of following the steps the constitution outlines...which is petition for redress first...and I like the idea of putting all 3 branches on notice. I like the idea of meeting to discuss and debate the issues, just as our founders did, and as all good Americans should hope and want for. Now kind of confused about my candidacy....

[Luminous Animal]

71. Just because Occupy does not have any leaders does not

mean that individual Occupy groups are not organized. Many are highly organized.

What distinguishes this group from Occupy is that they've never brought the items of this proposal for discussion and consensus of any Occupy group.

In fact, the leader of the 99% Declaration Working Group, Michael Pollock, has deemed OWS a failure:

“OWS is a failure and there is no backup plan. it is antidemocratic and censors people outside of the narrow agenda of the small elite oligarchy that runs it; I have been down there and I saw them in action; they are a star chamber made up of anarchists and other antidemocratic movements who want everything and nothing. it cannot succeed; it has consumed it’s own oxygen and now the flame is out what a waste. we will press on with the nationwide election of delegates to a National General Assembly”

“this is an anti-democratic movement and we withdraw our support.”

They did seek endorsement from Occupy Philly for the convention but instead, Occupy Philly decided to disavow them and Occupy Wall Street came to a consensus to remove them as an official working group of the New York City General Assembly.

http://occupyphillymedia.org/content/99-declaration-receives-vote-%E2%80%9Cno-support%E2%80%9D-op-ga

Representatives from the 99% Declaration group were hoping to have a discussion which would lead to an endorsement from Occupy Philly for plans to hold a National General Assembly in Philadelphia on July 4th of 2012. Instead, in an unusual display of collective assertiveness, the GA voted to unaffiliate themselves with the group and any of its future events.

On Tuesday’s General Assembly, representatives from the group, the 99% Declaration presented plans to organize a National General Assembly in Philadelphia and hold an online election of 890 delegates from all over the US who would vote on a list of grievances the current government would be asked to redress. During the questions and concerns part of the conversation, OP members presented information detailing the backgrounds and comments of three board members of the organization. In addition to these concerns, OP General Assembly attendees raised issues surrounding the selection of delegates and the current efforts to plan the national gathering. OP quickly weighed the evidence, and as a result of the overwhelming concerns raised by the group, the GA voted “We do not support the 99% Declaration, its group, its website, its National GA and anything else associated with it.”

Read more as to why Occupy Philly decided to reject the 99% Declaration and the group...

[silvershadow]

72. Thank you....

I have read your entire post, and the link. Kind of understand where you're coming from...I also am also cautious of egoism getting in the way, in this regard: I am a single person, just trying do do what needs to be done...For example, suppose the occupy groups disavow 99D, as they have, only to find that 99D continues to swell just as these individual groups have done...who is to say they aren't legit? From where I sit, by the time OWS ever gets to a national convention it may be too late...I believe in many of the general concepts of making sure the constitution works the way it is supposed to, and in fixing the perversions that may have occurred...Is OWS planning on such a thing...And curious, have you read and dissected the plan? I can say I don't like the corporate governance you pointed out, and the internet voting thing...Tempted now to withdraw candidacy....

[Luminous Animal]

73. You are welcome!

The issue is not whether they are legit... The issue is the attempt to cover themselves in with the mantle of the Occupy movement and raising money while doing so.

For myself... Originally, I participated in the 99% declaration discussions (before they became a working group of OWS). I became pretty frustrated with the process because the "leaders" seemed reluctant to incorporate any input. There was fair amount of objections to the term limit proposal and also to the phrasing pf the language in other parts. It became apparent that few changes would be made. I am not the only one who left the discussion because of the top down participation.

[nashville_brook]

61. this is not supported by occupy ... this person seems to have a person gain angle

im on a mobile device or else i'd post links

google it

[lovuian]

63. That covers my list

Thanks to the Occupy Movement
you guys and gals Rock!!!

[Luminous Animal]

64. Not Occupy... and Occupy Philly & NY do not endorse this declaration

The New York General Assembly has removed this working group and the declaration from their website.

http://occupyphillymedia.org/content/99-declaration-receives-vote-“no-support”-op-ga

http://www.nycga.net/2012/01/05/removal-of-99-declaration-from-nycga-net/

[lunatica]

68. This is a very interesting thread and proves the OWS and the 99% are right on

Making us think and grasp the size and complexity of the issues. I love it.

[silvershadow]

69. I am officially a candidate for

Indiana's 6th District...Mike Pence's district. Whether or not this group is legit, or gets traction as I suspect it will, I would like to be the voice that is heard from this district. My profile is up on the site, and my contact info is there as well. I also just made a FB Public Person page or whatever they are called under "Politician". Any "likes" I get would be appreciated. Heck, what can it hurt?