Displaying 91 To 120 Of 4,429 Comments LIVE BLOG: GOP Debate Tonight on Bloomberg TV Was there any reaction to seeing a tape of Reagan talking about eliminating crazy loop holes that allowed millionaires to pay less in taxes than a bus driver? » Posted By javaz On October 11, 2011 @ 5:48 pm Oakland Mayor in trouble after riot I stuck my neck out in person, in public and on line telling the protestors to engage, to accept dialog, to back away from any confrontation and to carry ourselves with dignity out of respect for our fellow citizens and out of respect for the righteousness of our cause. It seems that the same message was needed inside our city government this week. No wonder that they never returned calls. And in the end, the police wracked more violence in a couple hours, destroyed more property and hurt more people that Occupy Oakland did in two weeks. Keep in mind, there was no riot, no emergency, no move made by the protestors other than to refuse to leave. It was the city of Oakland and the police that initiated the violence and chose its time. Many things could have been done instead, especially since there was no urgent problem. http://blog.sfgate.com/abraham/2011/10/26/occupy-oakland-mayor-jean-quan-in-big-trouble-after-riot/ » Posted By javaz On October 26, 2011 @ 4:16 pm Yep, but as far as I’m concerned, Steve Lemons has jumped the shark. As much as I’ve loved the ‘Feathered Bastard’ for his articles on Sheriff Joe and Russell Pearce, he’s sold his soul. » Posted By javaz On October 24, 2011 @ 6:07 pm And this is what gets to me – The Phoenix New Times, a supposedly ‘liberal’ paper in a Redder than Red State, publishes articles like this – http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/bastard/2011/10/steve_martin_occupy_phoenix.php » Posted By javaz On October 24, 2011 @ 4:29 pm GOP candidate Buddy Roemer supports OWS Former Louisiana Governor Buddy Roemer, who is a declared Republican presidential candidate although he has not been included in any debates, has come out in support of Occupy Wall Street. “There’s anger and anxiety in America. We’re in trouble,” he told MSNBC’s Chris Hayes on Sunday. “There is no leadership in either party that spells out what we must do now and for the next ten years.” Roemer asserted that the only two genuine issues of the campaign are corruption and jobs. “Washington, DC is corrupt,” he stated flatly, “and we must change it.” http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/10/23/gop-candidate-buddy-roemer-were-in-trouble/ » Posted By javaz On October 24, 2011 @ 9:28 am Oh Noes! Now I can’t use paprika anymore! LOL » Posted By javaz On October 23, 2011 @ 4:31 pm Tourists flocking to New York’s Occupy Wall Street – http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/10/19/travel/main20122861.shtml » Posted By javaz On October 23, 2011 @ 4:22 pm Cantor cancels speech due to protesters Philadelphia Protestors Take Over Wharton School, Chant: ‘Eric Cantor We’re Inside, Eric Cantor You Can’t Hide!’ | This afternoon, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) abruptly canceled his speech on income inequality scheduled for this afternoon at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. Although there is dispute over why Cantor canceled his speech, it’s likely that he was afraid of facing a dissident audience at a public event. A variety of local community groups including Occupy Philly, Americans United for Change, Philadelphia AFL-CIO, Fight for Philly, SEIU PA State Council, Protect Your Care, Keystone Progress, Moveon.org, NCPSSM, Progress Now, and AFSCME that were set to protest Cantor decided to rally without his presence. Hundreds of protesters marched into the Wharton School and chanted, “Eric Cantor You Can’t Hide, Eric Cantor We’re Inside!” http://thinkprogress.org/special/2011/10/21/350720/occupy-philly-eric-cantor/ Cantor canceled speech when he realized it was open to the public, “Stop Saying Mean Things About Rich People” House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) was supposed to deliver a speech on income inequality at the University of Pennsylvania today, but canceled when he realized that the public would be allowed to attend the speech (which, according to Penn, had been the case all along). The Daily Pennylvanian instead released his prepared remarks. Income inequality in the country is currently as high as it’s been since the Great Depression. The richest 1 percent of Americans make nearly one quarter of the national income, and the 400 richest Americans have more wealth than the bottom 50 percent combined. Since 1979, “the gaps in after-tax income between the richest 1 percent of Americans and the middle and poorest fifths of the country more than tripled.” And the trends are only getting worse. With all that to grapple with, Cantor’s speech quite literally has no policy proposals in it at all. In fact, the closest he comes to presenting an actual idea is a plea not to say mean things about rich people or ask them to pay their fair share in taxes: There are politicians and others who want to demonize people that have earned success in certain sectors of our society. They claim that these people have now made enough, and haven’t paid their fair share. But, pitting Americans against one another tends to deflate the aspirational spirit of our people and fade the American dream. I believe that the most successful among us are positioned to use their talents to help grow our economy and give everyone a hand up the ladder and the dignity of a job. We should encourage them to extend their creativity and generosity to helping build the community infrastructure that provides a hand up and a fair shot to those less fortunate. […] Instead of talking about a fair share or spending time trying to push those at the top down, elected leaders in Washington should be trying to ensure that everyone has a fair shot and the opportunity to earn success up the ladder. The goal shouldn’t be for everyone to meet in the middle of the ladder. We should want all people to be moving up and no one to be pulled down. How do we do that? It cannot simply be about wealth redistribution. You don’t just take from the guy at the top to give to the guy at the bottom and expect our problems to be solved. http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2011/10/21/350533/eric-cantors-speech-rich/ » Posted By javaz On October 21, 2011 @ 3:55 pm Mayor Bloomberg warns to expect more arrests at OWS – One week after Occupy Wall Street forced Brookfield Properties to back off of their plans for a “forced cleaning” that would have likely been used to bring an end to the occupation, Mayor Michael Bloomberg is once again publicly denouncing Occupy Wall Street. Bloomberg says the city will begin to enforce laws that supposedly require demonstrators to acquire permits for marches and large gatherings. The New York Post reported there will be more arrests of Occupy Wall Street participants, who do not abide by New York City laws for demonstrations. Bloomberg also warned that a crackdown was coming. The Post quoted the Occupy Wall Street media coordinator Thorin Caristo, who stated: “His inability to create a clear and definitive opinion or position on OWS just shows he’s being tossed around like a bird in a storm. We all know what that storm is, that storm is the growing concern in the higher factions of Wall Street, that this movement might actually be making a difference…The mayor’s statements sound hardline and I have no doubt he may actually try to enforce those. But we all know that every time excessive police force is used in this situation the movement grows exponentially.” The city should not take this point lightly. Use of excessive police force or any effort to disperse the encampment will only invigorate the occupation with renewed support. It will only lead to more marches and gatherings that the police will be deployed to babysit. It will only amplify scrutiny of New York City and its police force by the media and the people of the world. » Posted By javaz On October 21, 2011 @ 3:48 pm An Arizona Icon explains Occupy Phoenix “It seems to me that the ‘occupy’ movement’s message is crystallizing,” he said. “It is fairly focused at the financial institutions and the incestuous relationship between the Bush administration and the financial institution as well as the Obama administration and the financial institutions. The money for politics isn’t coming from the 99 percent, as the ‘occupy’ people call themselves. It’s coming from the 1 percent. These guys have bought themselves a place at the table and now Democracy isn’t working. What we’re seeing is a demand for some type of reform.” http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/EJMontini/146342 » Posted By javaz On October 21, 2011 @ 10:23 am New York Civil Liberties Union – Stop blanket surveillance of OWS The New York Civil Liberties Union on Thursday called on the New York Police Department to stop the 24-hour video surveillance of “Occupy Wall Street” protesters. In a letter (PDF) to NYPD Commissioner Raymond Kelly, the NYCLU acknowledged the city had accommodated the ongoing demonstration by allowing the protestors to remain at Zuccotti Park. But the letter expressed concerns about the the policing of the protest, particularly the actions of the department’s Technical Assistance Response Unit (TARU). “At Zuccotti Park, there are at least two special cameras trained on the park and apparently recording activity at all times,” the letter said. “In addition, many members of TARU are at the park and other locations and are conspicuously and routinely videotaping protest activity.” The NYCLU said the videotaping when “far beyond” recording unlawful activity. “More generally, it appears to us that the Department’s approach is basically to videotape all Occupy Wall Street activity. This type of surveillance substantially chills protest activity and is unlawful. In light of the Mayor’s recognition of the peaceful nature of these protests, we call on you to stop the videotaping of lawful protest.” » Posted By javaz On October 21, 2011 @ 9:54 am Police provoke violence at Occupy Melbourne http://www.sbs.com.au/news/video/2157461800/Occupy-Melbourne-violence-erupts http://blogs.bluebec.com/occupy-melbourne-and-police-violence/ » Posted By javaz On October 21, 2011 @ 9:51 am Rove cautions Republicans that PBO’s ‘class warfare’ is working – American Crossroads, the big money GOP group founded by Karl Rove, is warning Republicans that President Obama’s new campaign to raise taxes on millionaires is a political winner. Under the header “Obama’s New Class Warfare May Resonate,” the group’s director, Steven Law, cited their own polling data in a strategy memo to argue that the White House was gaining ground with its proposal to raise taxes on the wealthy. “It may be the result of larger environmental conditions, or he may be moving the needle himself, but Obama’s ‘tax the rich’ mantra is getting traction,” Law wrote. “Our poll found that 64% favor raising taxes on people with incomes above $200,000.” He added that Obama was winning over Americans on the issue even as their poll showed 47% of respondents concerned that increasing taxes would hurt the economy. “People are sensitive to the economic consequences of class warfare taxation – but right now, they split evenly between their concern about jobs and Obama’s class warfare agitation,” according to the memo. To quote Charlie Sheen – WINNING! » Posted By javaz On October 21, 2011 @ 9:43 am Chinese crackdown on reports about OWS after condemning the US media for NOT covering the movement. » Posted By javaz On October 21, 2011 @ 8:46 am Four themes of OWS – “However, if you look, not just nationwide, but worldwide, you will see some pretty consistent themes developing,” Black told Amy Goodman. “And those themes include: we have to deal with the systemically dangerous institutions, the 20 biggest banks that the administration is saying are ticking time bombs, that as soon as one of them fails, we go back into a global crisis. Well, we should fix that. Right?” “There’s no reason to have institutions that large,” he continued. “That’s a theme. That accountability is a theme, that we should keep—put these felons in prison, and there’s no action on that. That we should get jobs now, and that we should deal with the foreclosure crisis.” “So those are four very common themes that you can see in virtually any of these protest sites. And they have asked me, for example, to come to New York to talk about some of these things.” “So, I think, over time, you won’t necessarily have some grand written agenda, but you’ll have, as I say, increasing consensus. And it’s a very broad consensus. It’s not left, it’s not right; it’s not Republican, it’s not Democrat.” » Posted By javaz On October 19, 2011 @ 6:07 pm Occupy Wall Street’s Reality Check MICHAEL MANDEL, SR. FELLOW, PROGRESSIVE POLICY INSTITUTE: The “Occupy Wall Street” protests seem to be spreading across the country and around the world. I’m not going to speak about the group’s tactics or demands. However, I do want to address some of the economic realities that are driving the anger. The fact is, taking inflation into account, earnings for young male college grads are down 19 percent since their peak in 2000. Earnings for young female college grads are down 16 percent since their peak in 2003. These figures are for people who should be doing well, workers with a bachelor’s degree and a full-time job, 25 to 34 years old, prime working years. But this decline in pay shows no sign of bottoming out, much to my surprise. I had assumed that the job market for young people would have recovered by now. Instead, we are seeing the ongoing impoverishment of young college grad, who are often stuck with many thousands of dollars of student debt. Given these economic circumstances, the emergence of a group like “Occupy Wall Street” is inevitable. What’s more, this may be the beginning of the long-predicted struggle between young and old. I’m Mike Mandel. http://www.pbs.org/nbr/site/onair/transcripts/occupy_wall_street_reality_check_111018/ » Posted By javaz On October 19, 2011 @ 6:02 pm LOL @ Media-Democrat-Industrial Complex! But no mention of the Koch Brothers and Roger Ailes connections to the Tea Party. » Posted By javaz On October 19, 2011 @ 3:47 pm Whatever happened to the lawsuit filed by Sherrod against Breitbart? » Posted By javaz On October 19, 2011 @ 3:42 pm Chris Hedges – Corporations have carried out a coup d’etat “I covered the street demonstrations that brought down Milošević, I’ve covered both of the Palestinian intifadas, and once movements like this start and articulate a fundamental truth about the society that they live in, and expose the repression, the mendacity, the corruption and the decay of structures of power, then they have a kind of centrifugal force, you never know where they’re going.” He went on: “What happens, and it’s true in all of these movements as well, is the foot soldiers of the elite, the blue uniform police, the mechanisms of control, finally don’t want to impede the movement. At that point, the power elite is left defenseless. So, where’s it going? No one knows. Even the people most intimately involved in the organization don’t know. All of these movements take on a kind of life and color that in some ways is finally mysterious. The only thing I can say, having been in the middle of similar movements, is that this one is real … And this one could take ‘em all down.” » Posted By javaz On October 18, 2011 @ 6:43 am It also proves that the more things change, the more they stay the same. Seems that it’s always been ‘the rich vs the poor’. » Posted By javaz On October 16, 2011 @ 4:08 pm “A fool and his money are soon elected.” “Alexander Hamilton started the U.S. Treasury with nothing, and that was the closest our country has ever been to being even.” “All I know is just what I read in the papers, and that’s an alibi for my ignorance.” “Anything important is never left to the vote of the people. We only get to vote on some man; we never get to vote on what he is to do.” “Democrats never agree on anything, that’s why they’re Democrats. If they agreed with each other, they would be Republicans.” “Everything is changing. People are taking their comedians seriously and the politicians as a joke.” Every single quote is from one man. » Posted By javaz On October 16, 2011 @ 3:48 pm Government vs Corporate are synonymous. The corporations are the government. » Posted By javaz On October 16, 2011 @ 2:20 pm Another update for Occupy Phoenix – Representatives from both the Green Party and the “tea party” movement marched together. Chris Haworth, an online writer with Purple Serf, a libertarian website, said he came to show that the Occupy Wall Street movement includes more than liberals. “They (conservatives) want to be heard too and express their general disillusionment with big corporations. There’s a large dialogue and they want to be a part of it,” said the Tempe resident. According to the article, there are several hundred people remaining and they are walking to Hance Park and will continue to protest until 10:30. » Posted By javaz On October 15, 2011 @ 7:14 pm Over 1,000 at Occupy Phoenix Slightly surprised by the tone of the report from the New Times – http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/valleyfever/2011/10/occupy_phoenix_banks_are_evil.php Update from the Arizona Republic – http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2011/10/15/20111015phoenix-occupy-phoenix-protest1015.html » Posted By javaz On October 15, 2011 @ 4:19 pm Co-founder of Tea Party supports OWS Denninger has been complaining for some time that the Tea Party was hijacked by the Republican establishment and used to protect the very prople it had originally opposed. A year ago, he wrote, “Tea Party my ass. This was nothing other than the Republican Party stealing the anger of a population that was fed up with the Republican Party’s own theft of their tax money at gunpoint to bail out the robbers of Wall Street and fraudulently redirecting it back toward electing the very people who stole all the ****ing money!” Now he advises Occupy Wall Street, “Don’t let it happen.” “One of the things that the Occupy movement seems to have going for it is it has not turned around and issued a set of formal demands,” he explains. “This is a good thing, not a bad thing. Everyone is looking for a set of demands. The problem is that as soon as you pipe up with a list of four or five things — and you’ve got to keep it simple and short — then somebody’s going to say, ‘Well, we gave you 70 percent of it, now go home.’ And the fact is, that’s exactly the sort of thing that happened with the Tea Party.” “Stay on message, which is that the corruption is not a singular event,” Denninger urged. “You can’t focus in one place. You have to get the money out of politics, which is very difficult to do, but at the same time you can’t silence people’s voice.” http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/10/14/tea-party-co-founded-expresses-support-for-occupy-wall-street/ » Posted By javaz On October 15, 2011 @ 5:45 am 300 protesters today in Phoenix – Local allies of the Occupy Wall Street protests hit downtown Phoenix Friday afternoon, stopping outside of Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase and the Gannett Co. Inc.-owned Arizona Republic building as well as other sites in the city. Phoenix Police estimate about 300 Occupy Phoenix protesters were in downtown Phoenix. The Occupy Phoenix protests criticized banks and corporations regarding government bailouts, corporate greed, CEO pay and business influence over politics. “We are the 99 percent” was the predominant chant by the protestors, referring to the economic success of the country’s richest 1 percent during the past two decades. They also decried some of the social contradictions and political inconstancies with American capitalism. The protestors were outside of KPNX-TV Channel 12’s studios in downtown Phoenix and opened the doors during their chants at Bank of America’s branch in the Collier Center office building in Phoenix. The BofA portions of the protest drew the most vociferous responses from the crowd. Phoenix Police were inside the BofA branch but took a very hands-off approach to the protests. The protests were non-violent. Arizona has one of the highest foreclosure and underwater mortgage rates in the country and has seen wages and jobs stagnant. http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/news/2011/10/14/occupy-phoenix-protest-draw-300-on.html » Posted By javaz On October 14, 2011 @ 5:49 pm Poor Mayor Bloomberg – And true to historical form, very little has gone swimmingly for our potentate in chief. He purchased a third term at not inconsiderable personal cost — he spent a tidy $105 million on his re-election — and now his headaches proliferate. City contracts to computerize the time-card and personnel systems have imploded, leading to a billion dollars in cost overruns and indictments in the time-card case. Hundreds of police officers have been implicated in a ticket-fixing scandal. A campaign consultant stands accused of skimming $1 million from the mayor’s last re-election effort. And when a blizzard buried subways and highways last year, the mayor advised New Yorkers to use the down time to take in a Broadway play (presumably after residents outside Manhattan strapped on snowshoes and trudged across bridges). Meanwhile, Occupy Wall Street’s demonstrators sit on the metaphoric doorstep of his city, proclaiming that his financier brethren are guilty of gross national neglect. Numbers, which are supposed to be the sine qua non of Mr. Bloomberg’s management style, have proved nettlesome. City contractors made exaggerated, possibly fraudulent claims to reach the mayor’s inflated job placement goals; the Finance Department, run by a former Wall Street type, botched tax exemptions and property evaluation reviews; and the public housing authority’s claims that it promptly answers emergency calls and fixes elevators contradict available evidence, not to mention common sense. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/16/nyregion/mayor-bloomberg-and-those-third-term-blues.html?_r=1&hp » Posted By javaz On October 14, 2011 @ 5:08 pm NYPD bike cop runs over OWS Legal Observer – injured man arrested Footage from another perspective, captured by a CNN i-reporter, shows the aftermath more clearly. Yet another cameraman, whose footage was published to YouTube, captured the bike cop clearly acknowledging that he’d hit the man, then proceeding to roll over at least one of the man’s legs. http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/10/14/nypd-bike-cop-runs-over-occupy-wall-st-legal-observer/ According to the description on the video, it was shot around 8 a.m. Friday. “The Scooter policeman stops when he hooks his victim’s foot , then continues to apparently drive over it or around it and finish off the job with the back wheel,” the description says. » Posted By javaz On October 14, 2011 @ 1:08 pm Hi B’ito! Here’s an interesting opinion piece by EJ Montini from the AZ Republic – The local organizers of Occupy Phoenix explained their point of view in a press release that reads in part: “It is inaccurate and unproductive to suggest… that blame for our current economic crisis lies solely with conservative politicians and their supporters attacking the middle class and the truth of the matter is that all Americans, conservative, progressive, and moderate alike are suffering the effects of decades of fiscal malfeasance and the undue political power of all who practice capitalism irresponsibly and pursue personal wealth at the expense of America’s best interests, values, and ideals. However, it is critical to the future success of our nation that all Americans who wish to work can find employment at a fair and reasonable wage. All who support equality, liberty, and a strong, sustainable economy are welcome to attend our General Assembly meeting this Saturday and have their voices be heard.” Then there were actual members of the “occupy” movement like “VictorVito,” who wrote, “I plan to be part of this protest and I’m a 60 year old retired moderate Republican who is simply fed up with big government and its increasing willingness to restrict our rights as American citizens. I know exactly what I am unhappy with and plan to express my feelings now as I did back in the 60’s. If one wishes to do nothing but sit on the couch at home and complain about the problems facing our country today that is your right. On the other hand there are individuals like myself who want to express our bitterness with big government, its politicians, pimps, lobbyists and lackeys.” http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/EJMontini/145467 As a fellow Arizonan, what’s your opinion about the re-districting commission? I don’t quite understand it – there’s a petition circulating that would change our primaries? http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/EJMontini/145311 » Posted By javaz On October 14, 2011 @ 6:34 am Cleanup of Zuccotti Park canceled http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/14/cleanup-of-zuccotti-park-cancelled/?hp » Posted By javaz On October 14, 2011 @ 5:29 amComments Posted By javaz
For one they could have given our offer to act as a go between a try. No calls returned.
How was that any different from the folk at the General Assembly refusing to speak with the city?
Do you know who it is?
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Will Rogers – November 4, 1879 – August 15, 1935
Nothing is said about whether or not anyone plans to spend the night.
Whereby the 2 candidates who receive the most votes would run against each other.
To my understanding, wouldn’t that mean that if the 2 top vote-winners could be both Republicans (or Democrats), and those would be our choices for the election?
If our only choice was between 2 Republicans, I’d stay home.
Do you understand this at all?
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