After telling CHS that the school would not allow protesters to camp on its campus at the corner of Pine and Broadway, Seattle Central Community College officials released a statement Wednesday afternoon on the planned move of Occupy Seattle to Capitol Hill:
Open Letter to Occupy Seattle
Seattle Central Community College is committed to its mission of providing for jobs training and educational advancement for its students. Primary consideration is given at all times to activities related to this mission. Furthermore, no arrangements will be made that interfere with, or operate to the detriment of the college’s mission and providing for a safe learning environment.
Seattle Central Community College learned yesterday that Occupy Seattle protesters voted to move its base of operations to Seattle Central with the intent to camp on college property. Camping on college property is prohibited for all individuals and groups. If this rule is violated, the college may choose to impose its own sanctions, including criminal or civil prosecution.
As an educational institution supported and maintained by the people of Washington state, Seattle Central supports the free speech rights of individuals and groups. However, as a State institution, Seattle Central neither sponsors nor endorses activities or opinions expressed by Occupy Seattle protesters. The college will not be liable for any injuries or damages whatsoever.
In addition, Occupy Seattle will not be allowed to interfere with any pre-existing lease agreements for legal and authorized use of its property. For example, the Broadway Sunday Farmers Market has a legal contract with Seattle Central Community College to stage the market on designated outdoor campus areas, including areas targeted by Occupy Seattle.
The Neighborhood Farmers Market Association (NFMA) has expressed concern about possible disruptions to its activities. NFMA holds contracts with 45 small local farms and businesses and any interruption of this event would create serious consequences to their revenues and to NFMA operations. Occupy Seattle will be required to provide recompense to the NFMA for any disruption of market activities, including access for set- up, take-down and sales.
In addition, Seattle Central’s authorized community engagement activities are also at risk of disruption. For example, this weekend the Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce is producing a variety of events for Halloween in the Capitol Hill community, including on the college campus.
Seattle Central Community College fully expects Occupy Seattle protesters to respect and not interfere with any current or future authorized college or community activities, and to respond to the directive of college officials.
Monday night, the Occupy Seattle general assembly voted to move the protest’s base camp from Westlake Park to the SCCC campus starting Saturday night. Organizers said that the group would continue to protest at Westlake by day but return to Seattle Central at night to camp on the school’s property.
Protesters have said they faced continued harassment by Seattle Police Department officers while trying to camp in Westlake and many have rejected overtures from the mayor’s office permitting the group to camp at the City Hall plaza.
The New City Collegian reports on some of the reasons behind the vote to move to SCCC and efforts underway to sway campus leadership to not try to block the move. More than 100 people have signed a petition posted to compel SCCC’s administration to embrace the Occupy Seattle camp.
When people look back at Occupy Seattle, what will be the moment when a strong movement fizzled into another generic protest, one that’s easy to ignore? Not sure if this move will be that defining moment, but it sure seems like a bad idea. I know a lot of people have questioned the ambiguity of the Occupy movement, but there was a cohesion to the action that kept it together. That has dissipated in the last week or so. I sincerely hope Occupy Seattle can regain its footing, but this just feels like the wrong next step.
just go to city hall. all you’re doing now is distracting from your actual intent– unless– holy shit, you’re all just slackers.
(just for the record, I support the 99% movement)
group mentality is never going to win this…
I like Occupy’s message, but to try to invade private property with express rejection from the property managers is almost contrary this movement’s voice.
Why don’t the Occupy protesters simply go home each night and then head back downtown to Westlake each morning? Then you can sleep in your own bed. Eat diner at home with your family or friends. Have sex behind closed doors. Feed and walk your Dog. Pray to your God. Whatever,,,
because that would make entirely too much sense to those goons.
So by moving their encampment to SCCC, Occupy Seattle is telling Capitol Hill that Occupy Seattle doesn’t care about the local community! Occupy Seattle is going to disrupt our Farmer’s Market and the Halloween Events that are legally scheduled for the SCCC Plaza. I hope SCCC calls in the police if Occupy Seattle trys camping at SCCC.
Occupy Seattle needs to move to Bank of America Plaza or Wells Fargo
instead.
Is it just me, or does the whole Occupy movement conjure up a lighted “restroom occupied” sign on an airplane?
Anyway… I hope SCCC’s message wasn’t too cryptic. They don’t want you there!
How about you guys conduct some real live civil disobedience? Send 100 people into a Bank of America and peacefully sit down, refusing to leave? Blockade the entrance to some downtown bank branches. (A prior responder to this suggestion indicated a bank protest at noon Saturday — when the banks are closing? — might be in the cards. Try noon on a weekday.)
This isn’t Tehrir Square. You don’t need to put up a 24/7 movement for it to be effective. In fact, some asymmetrical tactics might even get you more notoriety.
So long as the biggest achievement of OS is a four-fifths vote to move to SCCC, the whole thing is a joke.
We’ve had some commenting shenanigan alarms thrown here on this post resulting in the elimination of several comments posted by what appears to be the same user using multiple identities. If you feel that your comment should not have been removed, let me know at [email protected]
I made a number (like 6) of comments in this thread using the name Tarik Aziz. I frequently use different userids on CHS because I can’t be bothered to create yet another account for a site (where am I supposed to keep all those userids and passwords?), however, I never use multiple IDs in a single thread. A review of the IP logs of my comments will demonstrate this fact.
I would appreciate having my comments uncensored.
If they aren’t then CHS is obviously controlled by the shape-shifting aliens who are running Wall Street and are responsible for shooting JFK.
Thank you.
This will send a message to those fat cat farmers in Enumclaw: the 99% are going to camp out under some discarded jackets and, yeah, maybe drink a 32 oz Bud Lite or two until we magically get jobs.
I fully support the Occupy movement. Occupy Seattle, on the other hand, seems like a total joke. Why are they trying to disrupt a public college campus? I’m sure all the people at the farmers market will really appreciate these shenanigans. Just go to city hall.
I couldn’t be more sick and tired of the whiners that make up Occupy Seattle. They seem hell bent on Occupying spaces they aren’t welcome in, but more important, that actually defeat the purpose they claim to be about. Why DON’T they go to a bank plaza? That’s friggin’ brilliant! Why DON’T they occupy a bank?
Probably because they’ve decided they are a symbolic movement of solidarity and will take no direct action. They have no other purpose than to “stand in solidarity with Occupy Wall Street,” which is why they aren’t actually DOING anything. Slackers, indeed. And also, wtf do they think, that by moving to SCCC, the police WON’T hassle them? Ummm, the police station is like 3 blocks away. Give me a break. They are undoing their movement and trying the public’s patience to no end, which is NOT the way to get the public to support them. They serve no purpose except to hear themselves and each other talk, talk, talk. And wiggle fingers, apparently.
One thing is for sure if they DO move to Capitol Hill, my children and I will skip the holiday festivities this year. I don’t want to be anywhere near Occupy Seattle. I certainly hope they don’t disrupt the farmers market; knowing the economic implications for local small farmers, that actually REALLY pisses me off.
As a student, I support the move to Seattle Central. As someone who doesn’t participate in the GA due to limited availability, I will just offer this simple suggestion: draft and vote on a good neighbor agreement. Tents stored for the day by X o’clock, bias towards buying foodstuffs for the food tent from the farmer’s market, clean-up, a clearly marked corridor for students in the morning (Scott Olsen Way?) and nobody dresses Jimi up if he’s already dressed up.
Community Colleges are not private property.
There are three sources of sock puppetry on local blogs:
1) Seattle Times new media team
2) DSA/Seattle City Council staffers (usually on the same page)
3) Red County/Sound Politics wags
I am generally a supporter of the Occupy/99% movement, the Seattle faction has deteriorated into an embarassment. Go to City Hall, go to the Bank of America tower, Chase, Wells Fargo, etc.
This has no place at Seattle Central, and disrupting the Farmer’s Market is the opposite of what these people supposedly want to accomplish. Those farmers are part of the 99%, too, you know.
@CWoodjd, A public college campus is owned by the taxpayers that payed to build and keep the college running. However, it is controlled and managed by the college itself. It is generally considered private property unless you are attending.
Can’t they camp out on that grassy area? The farmer’s market doesn’t utilize that space. Besides, they already said they will be mostly using it for overnight camping, the protesting and such will still occur at Westlake during day.
Everyone here is making it seem like they intent to form some human chain around the entire place and prevent anyone from going to school or selling veggies.
Bank occupations are in the works. First up, Chase, this weekend. Lots of other events are on the calendar. See http://occupyseattle.org/calendar
Here was today’s schedule of events:
11:00am DJs on the Plaza!
3:00pm Tactical: Workgroup Meeting
4:00pm Process: The General Assembly
4:00pm Outreach: Working Group Meeting
5:00pm All Work Groups: Daily Meeting
5:00pm Workshop: ‘How the 99% Lost Economic Power’ – Sarah Laslett, the Director of the Washington State Labor Education and Research Center
5:30pm Workshop: Tearing Down Corporate Personhood: Citizens United, what to do next – UW Professor Lovell
6:00pm Let’s Dance & Occupy Seattle! – DJ Riz (KEXP), Michael Manahan (Starborne/Decibel), Ramiro (Uniting Souls)
6:00pm Meditation/Silent Reflection
7:00pm Meeting to Discuss the formation of a Public WA State Bank
7:30pm NO General Assembly
8:00pm Learning Workgroup & Rad Education Meeting
9:00pm Tactical: Workgroup Meeting
10:30pm Outreach: Working Group Meeting
As a fervent believer in the right to peacefully assemble, and a supporter of the cause that has united the “Occupy” protests near and far, I implore the Occupy Seattle movement to PLEASE:
Stop. Reassess.
This planned move to SCCC is diluting your message BEYOND RECOGNITION. Please be more innovative than this. Please.
I totally agree. A lot of skeptical people already don’t “get it” what the message of the Occupy Movement is. They already wrongly assume all the protesters are penniless, layabout, no-tax-paying, socialists. In reality there are young, old, rich, poor, etc., etc. The diversity of the movement is the difference. Moving to Capitol Hill will cheapen the protest by making it look like a typical, generic, ragtag, Capitol Hill/lefty/anarchist/student, Seattle whine-in. This will not engender support from the public at large nor from politicians; it’ll just trash what credibility the Occupy movement has had up till now.
Ever notice every protest in Seattle seems to being or end on Capitol Hill and/or Seattle Central? I’ve often suspected it was because “it’s lots more fun to be on Capitol Hill!”– but that doesn’t add credibility to the movement.
I am very pleased to read of the clear, unambiguous position taken by the SCCC administration. If the OS people carry through on their proposed move, this will further discredit their effort, and will undoubtedly lead to arrests. They will be asking for trouble, and they will surely get it.
I truly do not understand why most protestors have refused to camp at City Hall, where they have been welcomed. Can one of you explain this? Perhaps it is just that you are automatically anti-everything, including the Mayor who is supportive of your cause.
Regarding the Mayor’s reported support:
Mayor McGinn says he’s supportive, but his actions suggest otherwise. On May 10, he told us police would not be coming, but then they did. His police chief has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars having police harass peaceful demonstrators at Westlake Park on a nightly basis (I don’t mean arresting them for unlawful behavior; simply harassing them; I have personally witnessed this). In McGinn’s October 9 statement, he wrote that Seattle Police Department “granted permits on the fly for the Saturday evening march,” but my public records request to SPD revealed that this was false. I can’t find it in our minutes now, but one day our representatives went to City Hall to attempt to speak with the Mayor, were told he was not there, then later found that he had been there, and learned that he said he invited us up but we declined.
Early on, I repeatedly told people that I thought McGinn believed in this movement and wanted to see it succeed. I still suspect that, but it seems that he’s more interested in appeasing those who oppose it.
Regarding a potential move to City Hall Plaza:
Occupy Seattle General Assembly voted on May 11 to begin negotiations with the Mayor for a move to City Hall Plaza. Shortly after that, a conflicting proposal was passed, directing us to refrain from such negotiations. Reconciliation was not achieved, so the later proposal stood.
Following is an excerpt from the minutes from that May 11 GA:
preamble: This is an emergency proposal dealing only with immediately necessary items. In light of the fact that if basic demands are not proposed to the Mayor’s office by 8pm tonight, the police will sweep the plaza tonight and arrest everyone. The demands submitted by 8pm will gain us one day of leeway with the police. After that, no matter what, police will be sweeping the plaza and arresting everyone every night after 10pm. It is highly likely that this will crush the movement instead of allowing us to build and really support a national people’s movement. This proposal is only applicable to those who want to move to City Hall for nighttime occupation. We do not currently have the numbers to hold Westlake Plaza. By moving to City Hall we will buy time to build numbers and ensure there is shelter to keep warm, healthy, and safe. Please remember that this is Occupy Seattle, not Occupy Westlake. However, we are committed to maintaining a daytime presence here at Westlake. So we’re absolutely clear: this is not a proposal to move everybody to City Hall. For those who wish to stay: Godspeed.
proposal: First and foremost, we demand that Mayor McGinn meet with nominated representatives of Occupy Seattle in order to discuss our long-term goals.
We also have a list of practical demands:
Four large tents for medical, kitchen, supplies, and information
24-hour parking at City Hall: one space for supply purposes
24-hour occupancy shelters for the health and safety of protesters
24-hour access to first floor of City Hall for access to restrooms, meetings, and etc.
written statement from Mayor McGinn regarding the right to indefinite occupancy of the City Hall site
clarifying questions:
On tents and supplies: Would we provide those ourselves? Would that be acceptable?
Idea is that we are self-sufficient. Not seeking handout, merely necessities. Intention is to do the same there.
Is the intent to re-take Westlake Plaza once we have the numbers to maintain?
That is undefined.
will be a matter of getting the people out once we do, let’s pass it through GA
What exactly would the police be charging people with?
criminal trespass due to city and state laws prohibiting parks from being inhabited after closing
It is never legal to camp in Westlake Park.
There are parks in City of Seattle with legal camping.
They have campsites, and require permits.
They are not downtown.
Is there any other occupied city in the United States that has moved from their original occupying site upon the request of city government?
Portland is in two parks, so clearly they moved some of their people.
How will representatives be selected to meet with Mayor McGinn?
Through the working groups you can decide on representatives.
Facilitator note: This is not really pertinent to these specific proposals.
Occupy Wall Street originally occupied Wall Street then moved to Zucotti Park
Will we be allowed to return to Westlake to educate the morning commuters who are currently confused?
Yes. There will be an information table here at Westlake throughout the day.
The park opens at 6:00 a.m. At that point everyone who is sleeping at City Hall can march themselves over here to educate people.
On City of Seattle website, there are two proposals. One for City Hall, one for Westlake.
If we don’t you’ll get arrested.
I was arrested three days ago and I don’t care if I’m arrested again.
You don’t have to move. This proposal is for those who want to continue occupying without arrest to be able to do so indefinitely.
Number of people restricted?
No.
Will there be legal assistance for those who stay?
That is a question for the GA to decide. Legal WG will stand behind the GA.
Facilitator note: That is not related to the proposal.
Will the campers at City Hall be allowed 24 hours per day?
XXX
Whether or not these change, this proposal must be in by 8:00pm.
Will we be able to assemble here after 10pm without arrest?
The park closes at 10pm. It is always up to the police.
Someone asked about legal action and that is going to determine whether people leave or stay.
We don’t know for sure whether people will be arrested. Those are the threats.
This is already decided for some people.
If you want to take that risk it’s up to you.
Remember you cannot put tents up here. There you will be able to do so.
Is it true that the police plan tonight XXX
I have been informed that the Mayor’s office has already contacted police to come tomorrow morning at 6:15 at cleaning time.
Mayor’s Office told police not to come last night, but they did anyway.
Temperature check: How do you feel about this proposal?
Straw pole: If you wold support this proposal now, raise your hand.
clarifying questions:
Temp check on the proposal to the mayor or temp check on the proposal to legally defend those who choose to stay?
How will we know the Mayor is not trying to coop us into the next election? Or trying to divide and conquer?
How can we call it an occupation if we have permission? Isn’t that visitation?
Facilitator note: We’ll open for discussion after clarifying questions.
XXX be hassled and arrested for marching out of XXX
If we don’t need permit XXX
Can we just keep the food and medical here, and not camp here?
It is unlikely that there can be a permit for overnight tents. Possible, but cannot say one way or another. However, as the medical and food is to serve the protest, it defeats the purpose of moving it from the protest.
points of information
Whether we stay or go we can discuss later. That is a personal decision. This is a proposal for communication with the Mayor. Let’s vote on that.
discussion
I was here last night all night with no sleep. We had XXX. We had sickness. We had people XXX. I believe this is a safety and health pattern. I do not believe that the Mayor is trying to screw us over. There was too much interference between communication with the acting Lt. and the Mayor. I believe there’s a power struggle.
From what I understand, the whole point of the occupation is civil disobedience and we’re supposed to be defying who gives the rules. If we give a concession to the Mayor or whomever, doesn’t that defeat purpose of occupation.
To remind you, this is not a vote for a move to City Hall for everybody. Some people want to put up a tent and not risk arrest. This is specifically for those people, so they can have a legal, safe, warm, place to sleep, so they can come back and join those who wish to XXX.
Heather: I support this proposal and I support those who want to remain here. However we must grow our numbers. Portland has 10,000 people. At 2:30 last night, we had 50. I am not camping at Westlake. I am not occupying Westlake. I am here for the people. I am here for Occupy Wall Street. I’m here so we can make a difference. We’re not being co-opted. We’re a powerful voice and we’re going to shape this for the people.
I am the people also. You are not XXX if you go to City Hall.
Facilitator note: It is 7:15. If we do not get rid of extraneous conversation it will become a moot point.
Temperature ch
eck: Do you want to take this to vote, not discuss it more? This is just for those who will be moving to City Hall, and only if the Mayor meets with us to discuss our long-term goals and the demands of those who will be staying there.
time: 19:17
Point of process: First round of voting, we look for clear majority. If we don’t see one, we do it again and count hands.
clear majority
block: If we move as a group, we alienate those who stay here. XXX vulnerable. If we move to City Hall, we move away from the corporations XXX
Facilitator note: We will now take a vote.
Facilitator note: We’ll re-vote. Now requires 4/5 majority. If not, it would normally go back to working group, but this is time sensitive, so if it does not pass, some people will have to simply make separate choices. The proposal is not whether we stay or go. It is: Shall these demands be made to the mayor? XXX and XXX 24 hours.
vote: 19:23
average in support: 108
average in support of block: 17
block overturned
proposal passes
From what I gather from speaking to people at Westlake and taking part in a couple of GAs, the decision to not move to City Hall Plaza is based on the idea that if they are invited they are guests, if they are not wanted somewhere only then are they an “occupation”. Funny, when the city permitted us to occupy Gasworks Park for six months in protest to the first Gulf War, we didn’t think it marginalized us at all.
One thing that I mentioned many times to people at OS is that should they decide to take the mayor up on his offer and coordinate movements to and from Westlake, it becomes a twice daily, unpermitted march through the downtown business district, with a sort of leniency granted by the permission to sleep at city hall and demonstrate at Westlake. Why no one has embraced the idea is beyond me.
Moving to SCCC is so far the dumbest decision I’ve heard of yet come out of this group. Central’s position seems pretty firm, and I can’t imagine that the tactics committee thinks getting everyone arrested for trespassing will lend any credibility to the movement. Of course, if they think it will, then I must ask the question “why not just camp at Westlake?”
I can only imagine when the arrests happen that they’ll start calling Seattle Central’s staff a bunch of fascists. Hilarious considering it’s not only some of the most affordable education in Seattle, but it’s been ranked amongst the top community colleges in the country for years running, has an incredibly diverse student body and is far more a part of the solution than the problem. I guess the riff-raff think that any mainstream entity that supports them isn’t worthy of consideration.
Michael, the Occupy Seattle Tactics Working Group was not involved in this decision. In fact, they announced Sunday that they were studying potential locations for a move, and that they would bring a proposal to the GA on Wednesday:
Joint statement from: Process and Facilitation, Food, Outreach,
ICT, Tactical, Peace and Safety, Medical, Legal
Occupants of Westlake and the working groups which provide
support to Westlake have continuously expressed desire for
additional and stable base camp. Around 15 locations are being
seriously scrutinized for their tactical and logistical advantages.
To best prepare ourselves for this transition and maintain the
advantage of surprise, we are not at this time announcing the names
of these locations. Instead, we will share the list of tactical
priorities against which these locations will be judged. Wednesday,
we will provide an important update on how the proposal and
possible establishment of this base camp will proceed. Stress that
this is meant to be short-term and interim solution while gathering
strength for next long-term steps.
Requests:
two reps from each working group attend 5pm inter-team meetings
held daily this week
feedback on priorities:
legal implications of the site
24-hour access to and display of tents at the site
water access
defensibility
shelter from the elements
public gathering space
nearby public transportation
ideal space for camping and facilities for waste
management
patience while they determine which locations can actually
support our supply, medical, and other logistical necessities
as soon as possible, within days, an actionable solution will
be brought for proposal
encourage to go to second floor Westlake Mall food court where
tactical meets if would like to discuss and share other site
priorities
(Sorry about the formatting. CHS doesn’t render unordered lists well. See http://occupyseattle.org/blog/2011-10-23/general-assembly-no for a cleaner view of the above.)
We in Seattle seem a little ‘high-falootin” compared to a place I usually consider stodgy: Orange County. Take a look:
http://www.occupy-oc.org/tears-stream-as-city-council-unanim
At least the College (Seattle Central) isn’t stopping Occupiers from gathering! S o m e t h i n g to be thankful for. And, I will be there!
Janette Brown
Green Lake
Regardless of whether you think McGinn is truly supportive of OS, the fact remains that City Hall is a safe, warm, and legal place to camp overnight. But it is beginning to sound like more radical elements are calling the shots at OS, and it is they who pushed for the move to SCCC. Too bad…it will end badly there.
Bob, City Hall Plaza has been plagued with theft. Our volunteers are exasperated from dealing with the throngs of people who are there not as part of Occupy Seattle, but for the homeless shelter there (we feed them regardless, but their hoarding of our offerings is straining us). It is not warm. There is insufficient space for our demonstration there. If our police eventually turn violent in the dead of night as other cities’ have, they will do so with the luxury of very few witnesses nearby.
Some of these problems will be remedied by occupying Seattle Central instead. The SCCC move is intended to be temporary. We’re still evaluating other options, and plan to move again after our numbers grow.
great dialogue; and I’m both a fan of OWS and the bill of rights. But hey Phil, please answer this:
how does the move to SCCC, –an outdoor plaza, with several events already scheduled there, filled with pedestrian traffic, occasional homeless, and with a high crime rate — solve/address:
warmth?
theft?
throngs of non OS people?
homeless folks? (which are, quite frankly, a 99%/OWS issue, not to be avoided but embraced IMO)
the ‘violent police’ with the most-well-stocked-with-teargas East precinct 2 blocks away?
having enough space for demonstrations?
the only thing that seems to line up is having a better chance for witnesses for police violence: that would give the impression you’re *planning* to be teargassed, and being that it takes 2 to tango you’ll please excuse me if it sounds to me and many others like you’re sending a tacit message that you’re there to make/be part of trouble and to more or less get in the way of the community that already use/need/fought for that scrap of open space.
It just comes off as moving your match closer to the powder keg, rather than toward a lady-liberty style torch instead.
Mappy, I wasn’t arguing for occupation of Seattle Central, but explaining why City Hall Plaza is not the great deal some people make it out to be. I voted against the move to SCCC, hoping to await the proposal that our Legal and Tactical groups planned to make Wednesday after careful evaluation of multiple options.
However, not being located next to a homeless shelter will likely reduce the number of transients abusing the generosity of our donors (again: we’re happily feeding everyone, but some people are reportedly taking whatever they can rather than what they need), Cal Anderson Park has lots of space that can be used as overflow, and if the Seattle Police ever turn violent against peaceful demonstrators as police in multiple other cities have done in recent weeks, it will be a simple matter to get many, many, witnesses on the scene ASAP. City Hall is in a nighttime dead zone. Capitol Hill is the most densely populated neighborhood this side of San Francisco.
Hmmph. I say if you want witnesses wouldn’t it make the MOST sense to set up camp at the base of the SPACE NEEDLE, right across the street and/or within 3 blocks of all three major tv/media networks?
And just a nitpick on census stats: while Capitol Hill is dense, it’s the 2nd densest of this city. (Belltown wins readily since zoning allows much much more height than 60-65′ Broadway). Also, with the crack dealers AND pub scene, there are a few hundred more people on the streets at night down there than Broadway.
and homeless shelters? Screw that… they are the least of your worries – – what about the THIRTY (30!!) Sex Offenders that you’ll be surrounded by at that SCCC location (within less than a 1/4 mile), including the one watching from the building across the street? Look it up: 3 are all within 2 blocks. Or the ELEVEN others living at Boylston and Pike?
bad call, 80%
Phil, thanks for the explanation of the problems camping at City Hall…this is the first time I have read this, and I have more of an appreciation as to why it’s not a great spot for OS. I wish all the OS people were as calm and reasoned as you are.
But I also agree that the SCCC location does not really offer any significant advantages over City Hall.
I would like to know where workshop agendas are determined. I like the change your bank message. (let’s list the better bank choices) I would like to encourage “Change your investment” with the model of “Main Street Stock Exchange”. Local investment institutions with elected citizen advisory boards that examine local business plans and investments to create local jobs and economy, eliminating outsourcing by global corporations and allowing a sense of ownership amongst the average investor. I and many other Wall Street investors would jump at the chance to divest and apply our investments locally. OK, How do we proceed?
Thanks for not thinking the worst of real street people trying to get there message out. We are all amateurs I guess. After all of this somewhat divisive ranting it is great news to me to find out SCCC would like to use this as a learning opportunity. Yes, actually talking of alternative solutions.
More:
I would like to know where workshop agendas are determined. I like the change your bank message. (let’s list the better bank choices) I would like to encourage “Change your investment” with the model of “Main Street Stock Exchange”. Local investment institutions with elected citizen advisory boards that examine local business plans and investments to create local jobs and economy, eliminating outsourcing by global corporations and allowing a sense of ownership amongst the average investor. I and many other Wall Street investors would jump at the chance to divest and apply our investments locally. OK, How do we proceed?