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DEMANDS/OBJECTIVES/GOALS for 2014-15 (adopted 1/16/2014)

OCCUPY Wall Street – BELLINGHAM

Strategic Demands/Objectives/Goals for 2018-2019

This is a living document and expect changes as times change

(Rationales appear in parentheses and Italics)

OCCUPY BELLINGHAM VISION

I WANT JUSTICE

ECONOMIC JUSTICE

SOCIAL JUSTICE

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

I WANT DEMOCRACY

Demands 1 -3 OCCUPY BELLINGHAM demands that our elected officials at all levels:

  1. Tell citizens the truth via their web sites, tweets, town halls, social media about the looming global climate extinction/catastrophe. (Climate disruption is the #1 existential threat to the habitability of our planet and we must hold our elected representatives accountable)
  2. Enact enforceable legislation (sponsoring, co-sponsoring, signing on to) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to sustainable levels. (The global extinction intersects with immigration, gender, homeless, racial bias, equity, equality, labor)
  3. Hold citizens accountable to be honest about our own impacts and do what we can to reduce them. (Altering the current global climate extinction will take everyone’s cooperation and participation. (No one will escape the consequence of this global climate extinction)
  4. Abolish Corporate Personhood & Amend the US constitution: (Inalienable constitutional rights are for natural individuals, not corporations.)
  5. Stop the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade deal. (Free trade deals offshore jobs, nullify our environmental, labor and food safety laws, internet and affordable medication access. In short, they undermine democracy)
  6. Institute a State of Washington Public Bank. (Public banks transfer interest back to all of us, a counter-force to wealth accumulation; they help underwrite local community banks and credit unions)
  7. Break up the Big Banks, restore Glass Steagall and Brown Vitter Amendment, and enforce antitrust laws. . (Currently six banks control 63% of our GDP, putting our economy at greater risk than ever.  Financial services should comprise 10% of a healthy economy, not 40% as present.   We need to start making things again.  Anti-trust laws should be enforced on corporate monopolies, including food, energy, and agri-business.)
  8. Tax the 1% at 80% and reinstate the Wall Street speculation tax (Robin Hood Tax). (Restore progressive taxation. Tax breaks for the rich have decimated our public sector).
  9. Prevent privatization of all local public resources and services. (Our collapsed economy has forced local/state governments to sell off our resources and services, creating a nightmare of prison-industrial and school-industrial complexes).
  10. Repeal the Taft-Hartley Act of 1949 and pass the Employee Free Choice Act. (Unions protect democracy in the workplace, the war on unions has contributed to income inequality).
  11. Sustain Social Security and Medicare, which are insurance programs not entitlements. (Income in the hands of the most vulnerable promotes economic stimulus. Raise the cap on Social Security taxes to ensure sustainability.)
  12. Enact and fund HR 676 – Medicare for All Act. (Currently 30% of our health care dollars go to private insurance, and drug company patents prevent access to affordable medications; Part D drug contracts would save taxpayers billions.)
  13. Foster Sustainable Energy, Work, and Environmental Programs. (Full employment for all will take care of the deficit. Our infrastructure is decaying, let’s rebuild America)
  14. Empower and seek justice for marginalized communities, including indigenous, immigrant, incarcerated, LGBT, the homeless, & low wage workers. (Ensuring the right to a safe, secure and free life for all people. Confront and end racism.)
  15. End private military forces and prohibit private intelligence agencies. (Maintain public accountability over these forces.)
  16. Reinstitute mandatory public service for all United States Citizens after high school or college. (1-2-year military, Peace Corps or other nonprofit service would train citizens. Loan forgiveness for college students would stimulate the economy.)
  17. Stop the Patriot Act, NDAA & Drones. (These approaches are making more enemies rather than solving root problems.)
  18. Institute publicly funded elections. (Get money out of politics.)
  19. Establish and maintain the right of all citizens to vote. (Eliminate voter suppression laws such as photo ID, literacy tests, Jim Crow laws Poll taxes, etc. Allow prisoners to vote upon release from incarceration)
  20. Reinstate the Fairness Doctrine for all media news. (We are not getting real news from corporate media.)
  21. Stop Coal/Fossil Fuel transportation and exportation of these fuels through Washington via train or pipeline. (The earth is warming at an accelerated pace from burning carbon-based fuels and will not sustain human life if this trend continues.)
  22. Establish and maintain a strong COMMONS including cultural as well as natural resources to protect our earth and nourish our communities. (Ensuring access for all community members to natural resources such as air, water, and habitable earth and cultural resources such as schools, libraries, transportation, jail, fire and public safety protection) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commons

Concluding statement:

We support free enterprise, unhindered by monopolies, which has given us amazing innovations.  Newer concepts of social entrepreneurship promote exciting opportunities for small business that expand local/sustainable economies.

We do not endorse capitalism, the concept that an economy should be based on wealth-accumulation, and capital making money for a handful at the top.  Income derived from investment should be taxed at a higher rate than that of daily labor.

We believe in a new commitment to economic justice that includes a place for all to find meaningful work in their lives.

 Rationale:

  1. The statements above support the vision of Occupy Bellingham
  2. Clear objectives will guide our efforts in the future
  3. It is about time we state our demands clearly.

 

Adopted at OCCUPY WS BELLINGHAM General Assembly by consensus on 1/16/2014 with 1 – 3 added at GA 12/14/18

 

 

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