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The People in the People's House, singing and chanting without interference. (photo by Occupier)
One of the largest crowds I have seen at the Capitol, supporting education. (photo by Occupier)
Occupy is truly decentralized and leaderless. Yet, it somehow all works in an organic sort of way.
On Saturday, The Oregonian published a scathing editorial—Why Not Help People Keep Their Homes?-- concerning the Oregon House leadership which appeared intent on killing the last two remaining bills (out of six submitted) which had offered foreclosure relief to Oregonians who are losing their homes.
In true Occupy fashion, none of us can remember where we picked up on this editorial. I do know that I spread it throughout the Occupy social media and to the select few Occupiers whom I recognize as “movers and shakers” from networking at the Capitol. By Sunday, we had a plan.
Monday was education day at our Capitol, so there was a huge crowd of people from school, parent, and union organizations to demonstrate for education and against any Draconian cuts in a system which had already suffered cuts over the past decades. Twenty busloads of Oregonians from all over the state arrived to occupy the Capitol steps and the rotunda (ala Madison, Wisconsin).
The 99% was there.
Early that morning, I had gone to our local FedEx to make copies. As I always do, I had told the clerk that I was with Occupy and that we were going up to the Capitol to fight for two foreclosure bills. To my surprise, her eyes welled up with tears as she shared with me her story of losing her home of twenty years when the lender had refused to negotiate with her.
These are the people whom Occupy fights for.
Later when I was buying red face paint at the craft store, I also managed to mention that I was with Occupy and on my way to the Capitol. The man ahead of me in line was buying craft supplies for an entourage of children out of school for Presidents Day. He related that he was a certified teacher who was unable to find a job even though class sizes have swelled to overwhelming levels.
These are the people whom Occupy fights for.
On the trip up to Salem, my buddy and I collated and stapled all 400 copies. Once at the capitol, we walked among the crowd and distributed copies of The Oregonian editorial and my own piece Who is ALEC in Oregon? which named all the House legislators who are ALEC associates and revealed ALEC’s corporate agenda--as gleaned from their own website—of lower corporate taxation, overturned environmental regulations, school privatization, undercut health care reform, union busting, voter disenfranchisement, and increased imprisonment rates which benefit private prisons.
After the sit-in within the rotunda (where some shouts of “we are the 99%” rang out among the protest songs), a small group of Occupiers visited both offices of the co-chairs of the House. In both cases, we met with aides and left copies of The Oregonian editorial rubber-stamped with a big red OCCUPY. We were told that Senator Hanna had been misquoted in the editorial and that there were “inaccuracies”. We were told that these two bills would most certainly be going to committee.
As of this morning, the bill tracker on SB 1564 (provided online to citizens by The Oregonian) indicated that this bill was still on the co-speakers’ desks. Occupy Eyes are keeping close watch over these surviving foreclosure relief bills. If there is no movement on these two bills, legislators should…
Expect us.
