From an ordinary member of the 99:
Hello all. Let me say how excited I am that these occupations are taking place, and that I have the opportunity to contribute to change in some small way. I decided to come here because I would like to address certain issues that matter to me, including why I support the movement and where I would like to see it go. This is important to me, because my perception is that public support for our movement is beginning to slip, and to maintain our momentum we need to continue to show initiative and growth, by listening to many voices, and considering a diversity of ideas.
I don’t pretend to speak for anyone but myself. I’m no one important. My reasons for being here and showing support are based on my own recent personal experiences. Until recently I was an educator at a public university, until I was laid off at the end of the summer. This was due to state government cutbacks that resulted from the sudden fall of property tax revenues, which in turn I blame on the collapse of the property bubble, due in large part to irresponsible speculation in the financial markets. Consequently, my investments, my savings, the value of my home, my children’s tuition accounts, my retirement plan, and my health care have all lost value, through no mistake or decision of my own. To add insult to injury, the financial leaders whose poor choices cost me so much now want to avoid responsibility for what they have done, and transfer the blame, as well as the sacrifice, on to me and others like me: “The 99”. So I speak from the heart.
I do not want anyone to give me any free handouts. I do not want someone to give me a job, or to forgive my debts, or to offer any pity. In spite of all that I have gone through, I’m not here for myself. I am also not vindictive. I do not want specific individuals to be punished (unless they broke the law), I do not want bankers to be tarred and feathered (in word or in deed), I do not want vandalism, rage or violence against the authorities. I’m not an idealist, and although I respect idealism and I support conversations about transformative reforms, that’s not why I’m here.
I want to help prevent this sort of thing from ever happening again. To accomplish that, I want three things, three outcomes that I feel are necessary to protect ordinary Americans from the consequences of poor decisions that they had no part in making. I support three practical reforms that, although they might not achieve global justice or eliminate greed and corruption from the world, would at least give me and others like me the assurance that our risk is being managed effectively. That’s all I ask. The three things I want are:
1) Reduce the influence of money on politics. I don’t care how it’s done- whether Congress can pass a law, or a series of laws, whether we need to publicly finance election campaigns, or take re-districting away from the state legislatures, or if we need a new amendment to the Constitution to redefine the rights of corporate persons, or if we need to restrict the influence of lobbyists, whatever it takes. I’m happy to debate any or all of those things, but I don’t need to start a revolution. I just want to know that my voice is still being heard, even though I am neither wealthy nor well-connected.
2) Reduce the effect of speculation on banking. Again, I don’t care how. Maybe we should create a firewall between personal accounts and investments, maybe we should pass a law that no bank is too big to fail, maybe we should strengthen the power and authority of government regulators, maybe we should use tax incentives to promote smaller banks, maybe we should outlaw certain types of derivatives, or re-write the accounting standards or nationalize the credit rating agencies. Again, I don’t need to overthrow Capitalism, or redistribute all wealth. I just want to know that my family’s financial future is safe from people who irresponsibly and without accountability gambled with my money.
3) Strengthen the safety net for people who suffer from circumstances they did not help create. Cutting health care, unemployment insurance, or social security in an era when ordinary people are suffering financial hardship due to bad decisions made by the financial elite is simple injustice. Whether this will require forgiving debt, or increasing taxes, or cutting the military budget, creating new forms of semi-private/semi-public insurance, or working with the business community to create green jobs, doesn’t matter to me. I just want it done.
I am aware that these suggestions of mine, which represent nothing more than my personal desires, will appear to various others as both too modest and too hard. Too modest because I am not attempting to address what many see as the true “underlying problems” of all economic crises. I am not trying to “uproot the rot” or “cure the disease”. Those kind of goals may very well be important, but they are long-term transformative changes that I and my children can’t wait for. I can take care of my own short term needs, the long term goals and aspirations of humanity will have to wait upon a much wider global conversation. But I need the hope of middle term solutions now.
Too hard because the outcomes I want run directly counter to the vested interests of this nation’s most powerful stakeholding groups. I know that money will always talk. I know that any organized nation needs a leadership class, who however noble or carefully regulated, will always pursue their own self-interest. I know that the system fights back, and that a very large number of people have already given up on change, gave up a long time ago, and that even modest reformers fight against long odds.
I speak only for myself. I’m not especially intelligent or well-informed. I don’t know the solutions to these problems. I have no ultimate answers to offer anybody. I can only describe how I feel right now. I am frustrated, but not enraged. I am concerned about the future, but not intimidated nor afraid. I am ready for a long and difficult struggle. Winning or losing can wait until tomorrow, right now I am ready to take a stand and fight for what I want. That’s why I support the Occupation.
Thank you.