occupy george

/

 

Good graphics can tell a story better than just good copy. I think the graphics on this site do just that. Check out Occupy George to see all the infographics.

Money talks, but not loud enough for the 99%. By circulating dollar bills stamped with fact-based infographics, Occupy George informs the public of America's daunting economic disparity one bill at a time. Because money knowledge is power.

 

occupy

/

Definition: Fill or take up (a space or time)
Synonyms: take - seize - hold – inhabit

 

The current Occupy movement has a small official outpost in Madison—this sign announces the General Assembly daily agenda. Those of us who have been keeping

a daily vigil at the Capitol since February 15 view Occupy Madison as a continuation of the occupation that started when the Capitol building was first seized, inhabited, filled and held for many weeks by outraged Wisconsin citizens.

Jonathan Schell of The Nation says about the wildfire spread of the Occupy movement: “Its members are crying out ‘Enough!’ to a corrupt political, economic and media establishment that is hijacking the world’s wealth for itself, making ordinary people miserable, sabotaging the rule of law, waging interminable savage and futile wars, plundering the world’s finite resources, lying about all this to the public and threatening Earth’s life forms into the bargain.” He adds: “When such sea changes in opinion and will are under way, entrenched institutions start to tremble and shake, and political miracles become possible.”

We cry out “Enough!” to our corrupt and power-hungry GOP governor and legislature. They can’t wage foreign wars but are waging one against the people of Wisconsin. We can’t wait to overthrow our state government with more recalls. On November 15, we can begin!

sustaining solidarity

/

 

why did I decide on October 4 to fly to Washington DC the next day?

Because, in recognition of the role Wisconsin played in sparking the October 2011 Movement, organizers asked Wisconsin participants to kick off their occupation of Freedom Plaza on October 6. I just had to be there to join with their movement to protest corporate greed and stand for social justice and democracy.

It was a thrill for me to march into the plaza with many other Wisconsinites, our flags, banners, heart balloons and heads held high. (So many cameras! I've never felt like such a rock star . . .)

I had just a day in Freedom Plaza. During that one day, I spoke with people who had traveled to DC from eighteen states. Each person thanked me profusely for Wisconsin’s response to Scott Walker’s unprecedented power grab in February. I usually answered, “We couldn’t help ourselves! We didn’t make a plan to stand up and fight back. A gut-level response to injustice welled up in each of us and sent us out into the streets. I’m so happy that many of you seem to feel that same indignation.”

On the other hand, what Wisconsin citizens have done since last winter has been more calculated. Once we discovered solidarity, once we connected and discovered the strength we have together, we took on the impossible—an historic recall of six senators, a Solidarity Singalong for 200 days in the Capitol rotunda, the work of exposing ALEC and following Walker wherever he goes with our protests. Most importantly we learned that the joy of fighting together is so much better than anger and apathy alone.

Now brave Wisconsin activists have scattered to occupations around the country to help others who will discover solidarity and sustain it. This video is filled with my photos from Oct 6 in Freedom Plaza and contains my message to Occupiers everywhere.

I made a 3-minute video called To Occupiers Everywhere

From Wisconsin based on my trip to D.C. http://youtu.be/f0i5c8Z9bsM

 

where in the world is carrie?

/

 

Rae here posting for Carrie who went to DC last week. I am sure she will share interesting things next week.

Here is an interview is with Peter Yarrow (of Peter, Paul and Mary), who sung to 100,000 in the cold in Madison and now sings with Occupy Wall Street. 

He helps to inspire the courageous October2011 occupiers of Freedom Plaza who will sit in and sleep in for Human Needs, Not Corporate Greed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RbZh9Hncag&sns=emwww.youtube.com

wine and wickedness

/

 

On Sept. 22, Scott and Tonette Walker hosted a private reception and croquet tournament, “Wine and Wickets” at the governor's mansion to raise money to upgrade their [temporary!] home.

"It sounds like a two-part construction project," said Scot Ross, a frequent Walker critic. "The special interests pay to remodel Gov. Walker's mansion, and he builds them a private entrance to his office."

Fundraising invitations were sent to 1800 people, including lobbyists, lawmakers, neighbors of the mansion, GOP campaign contributors, leading business officials and friends of the first couple.

"I am inviting fellow leading ladies like yourself to please join me in donating a purse filled with some of your favorite things. The purses will then be raffled off at the event," Tonette Walker added. "For example, I'll be donating a Tignanello bag filled with some of my can't-live-without items like my favorite shade of Bobbi Brown lipstick and an Aveda hand cream that I can't get enough of."

I know I was turned off by the talk of designer handbags and croquet matches during this time of austerity and program cuts. So was my friend Nicole, pictured above. She filled many handbags from St. Vinnie’s with some of her favorite things, things like excellent education, clean air and water, and affordable health care.

Unfortunately, Nicole was not on the guest list. But she and many others decided to attend the event—some by land and some by sea. They warmly welcomed guests to the mansion owned by the citizens of Wisconsin. I guarantee that if you watch this video, you’ll smile. It’s obvious that the protesters enjoyed themselves far more than the croquet players did. http://youtu.be/FDZ2ztboPgA

For an eyewitness account and more photos, go to http://www.bluecheddar.net/page/3/

Fighting Bob Fest

/

 

until recently I knew almost nothing about “Fighting Bob” LaFollette, the legendary Wisconsin reformer. From 1901 until 1906 he was our governor; then he served as a US Senator until his death in 1925. Fighting Bob Fest was begun ten years ago to highlight policies that lead to social justice. Some of the nations’ best-known progressives come to speak and attract a big crowd. Last week I attended Madison’s first ever Bob Fest and was inspired by the likes of Bernie Sanders, John Nichols, David Obey, and Thom Hartmann.

I listened to history professor Nancy Unger (author of the award-winning biography Fighting Bob LaFollette: The Righteous Reformer) as she gave us encouragement from the past. Just as LaFollette led an uphill battle to end the class warfare of his time, we’re in the fight of our lives now. We’re fighting so Wisconsin can reclaim national progressive leadership again. Like Fighting Bob we can’t give up.

The stakes are too high, as Senator Bernie Sanders (VT) points out. While the rich get richer, “the crisis of poverty in America is one of the great moral and economic issues facing our country. There are 46 million Americans -- about one in six -- living below the poverty line. That's the largest number on record, according to a new report by the Census Bureau. About 49.9 million Americans lacked health insurance, the report also said. That number has soared by 13.3 million since 2000. According to the latest figures, 21.6 percent of American children live in poverty.”

In Wisconsin today, we are fighting yet another GOP policy designed to hurt the poor. Fighting Bob would oppose SB107, a bill that if passed will roll back decades of progressive legislation for tenant's rights and make it harder than ever for people in poverty to find housing.

We’re the richest nation in the world but our priorities are sadly misplaced.

wisconsin to washington

/


ever since the start of the Wisconsin uprising we’ve wondered, “Have we started a national movement?” or “”Will our movement just fizzle out?”

Well, we show no signs of fizzling in Wisconsin—and all across the country people have begun to protest the growing influence of big money in politics at the same time that income inequality is growing. Many of us think the current political impasse is caused by far

right Republicans who do not represent ordinary citizens and do not care about the public good. We think the opinion of the majority of Americans is being ignored in Washington. So we are taking our fight there. (Please spread the word via the poster I designed. You can download a printable pdf at http://www.scherpelz.com/contact)

Can you travel to Washington, DC where an October 6 concert, rally and protest will kick off a powerful stand for peace, economic justice, human rights and a healthy environment? The date marks the 10th anniversary of the invasion of Afghanistan and the beginning of the 2012 federal austerity budget. Many participants have committed to staying in Freedom Plaza for as long as they can, with the intention of making it the Tahrir Square/Cairo/Madison of our nation. Can you stand up and demand that America’s resources be invested in human needs and environmental protection instead of war and exploitation?
Find information about transportation and logistics at http://wisconsinwave.org/october2011

on the road to Janesville

/

 

I’ve reached another personal milestone: my first protest outside of Madison. In the company of about 25 others plus a huge bouquet of heart balloons, I set out on a road trip from Madison to Janesville for a “Soup Kitchen and Speak-Out!” held outside Republican Congressman Paul Ryan’s office. On September 1, National Nurses United led 61 similar events in 21 states. All around the country, the message was the same: Tax Wall Street.

I joined the citizens in Janesville because even though Ryan does not represent my district, the proposals he advocates will affect all of us. The nurses, along with supporters like me, asked Senators and Congress members in their local district offices to pledge to "support a Wall Street transaction tax that will raise sufficient revenue to make Wall Street pay for the devastation it has caused on Main Street." Of course Paul Ryan, like many other legislators, refused to meet with his constituents or hold town hall meetings this summer.

Since their Congressman would not show up on Main Street, the nurses used a stand-in. My photos show the faux Ryan in his overalls (“I’m just plain Wisconsin folks”) as he answers some very pointed questions from the crowd. At one point he hustled off and apparently changed into his tux, because we spotted him later sipping wine.

This outside-of-Madison protest had the same hallmark as the ones I’ve seen in my hometown: smart, passionate people who are really upset but have creative fun while communicating a serious message. Just as they do on Madison’s Capitol Square, the drivers in Janesville’s many passing cars honked “this is what democracy looks like” or gave us a big smile and a thumbs up.

For video of some of the 400 job protests held across America in August http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/09/02/1012889/-Members-of-Congress-face-over-400-jobs-protests-in-August If you have not yet let your representative know your opinion on Wall Street and Main Street, speak up soon-and loudly.