Archive for the Documents Category

States with Higher Corporate Taxes have Lower Unemployment Rates

on September 8, 2012

The corporate tax rate in Minnesota is 9.8%, there is no federal corporate income tax deduction and their unemployment rate is 5.8%. North Carolina’s corporate tax rate is 6.9%, there is no federal corporate income tax deduction and unemployment here is 9.6%. This is why candidate for NC governor, Pat McCrory, is wrong. He has compared NC’s higher corporate tax rate to TN and SC, then blamed this for “driving corporations out of NC” as if to suggest they create jobs. However, NC and SC both have the same unemployment rate even though SC’s corporate tax rate is 1.9% lower. TN is a very  interesting case to look at. Their corporate tax rate is 1.5% higher than SC’s and their unemployment rate is 8.4% or 1.2% lower than SC’s.

Higher job competition is constantly pitched as a tool that spurs innovation and production. Are we not living in a highly competitive job market right now? Look at what this has done to the value of labor and number of jobs across the board in comparison to record corporate profits.

This entry is filed under Documents.

The Scam To Destroy Public Education

on August 19, 2012

“High-Stakes Tests: A clever system that serves to discredit our educational system by blaming the obstacles related to poverty on teachers. High-Stakes Tests highlight the failure of our teachers to increase the scores of children living in poverty so our leaders can blame the teachers & schools for failing our children. If we were actually concerned with helping children, we would better fund our failing schools, decrease class sizes, and perhaps research methods for better educating our poorest kids. The central goal of high-stakes tests is to de-legitimize public education and clear a path for the charter school privatizers.” NC Middle School Teacher Dov Rosenberg to NC Schools Superintendent June StClair Atkinson upon learning that she is in the process of developing FIFTY-TWO ADDITIONAL high-stakes standardized tests. It’s confusing why she would waste millions of taxpayer dollars when she could start a program to support and mentor our teachers.

This entry is filed under Documents.

The Proposal for UNITY between the G.A’s via Facebook

on January 27, 2012

The Proposal for UNITY between the G.A’s via Facebook

1 The proposal is that each occupation pick 5 individuals via there G.A’s approval to participate on a facebook group page called Occupy Solutions NC.

2 The 5′s main objective is to relay Factual / Credible / Up to Date information to the other G.A’s who are on the page.( Not to make Decisions ) for the other G.A’s

3 If there is a Proposal or Action that is G.A approved that a G.A would like to bring to the rest they would be able to Fast/ Credible and Direct.

4 This is a Closed Group. The only people who would be added would be the 5 from a G.A approved Occupy.

5 All the one’s chosen will be Admins.

6 We are a leader full movement the Purpose of this is to bring UNITY and Better our Communication.

7 If there is changes that the group would like to make to the actual page as far as Events or what not they would inform the other Occupy’s on the page.

8 The 5 who should be on there( And this is just a suggestion) Should 1) Be a constant participant at there respective G.A’s 2) Have access to the Internet and 3) be trusted by there respective G.A’s to receive and relay the correct information.

9 This Proposal has been already approved by the Occupy Charlotte G.A we are in the Process of picking our 5 we hope you will work with us as we work together to make a change.

If you approve please send the names of the 5 to https://www.occupyclt@gmail.com and they will be added.

In Solidarity Occupy Charlotte

This entry is filed under Documents, FACILITATION / MEETING SUPPORT, GA Planning, OUTREACH.

GA notes wed Nov 30th

on December 1, 2011

GA notes wed Nov 30th

Announcements

There is a party at treys house noon until. If you drink you can stay or pitch a tent by the fire.

Joe investigated OWS regarding the national GA. He found it seemed legit, but could not find exactly in the OWSGA notes were the proposal to have a national GA passed. He will be doing more research.

Denny is an admin on occupy NC, question if this was real; Denny felt it was legit.

Lynn brought turkey soup

Committee reports

Finance- Non profit status has been filed on the state level. Ron presented the bylaws made for the non profit due to a lot of questions and concerns. He was still met with a lot of questions and concerns.

        There will be a forum at 7:15 on Friday regarding this. Please bring all questions and concerns to that meeting.

Media/outreach-  has a list of foreclosures, needs to work with direct action, wants to do this sooner rather than later

Direct Action- having a meeting after the GA

De escalation – Ron and Denny met with police, police said several things that the GA expressed they wanted in writing. The police are not the bad guys, the bones we have to pick are with city council.

     Concerns were brought up that Ron and Denny’s interaction violated the proposal passed in a previous GA saying that no agreement are to be made with the police without informed consent of the GA.

New business

   Facilitation brought a proposal on how proposals in the GA should be handled.

The proposal- diagram of how proposals should be discussed in the GA, all proposals should come from working groups.

Concerns were brought up that it takes away from the individual.

It was amended to have proposals come from individuals in the GA as well.

Proposal from an individual member-

   There should be a limit on how many WG one person can be involed in.

    2 was discussed

    3 because we are small

    4 because we are really small

    No limit because we are not trying to rule over people.

Proposal is going to facilitation for brainstorm.

Denny read the letter from city council explaining why we would not have overnight acess to the park. He proposed this go to encampment for discussion. passed.

Proposal there should be a disclaimer on all our personal media. Going to media/outreach for reworking.

Proposal to have a show called “occupy the truth”. Passed, contact steph to provide volunteer info, ideas and concerns. The goal is Feb.?

Follow ups

Concerns regarding de escalations involvement with the police, please meet with de escalation and bring your concerns to there meeting.

  • noted concerns- stepping over GA boundaries with the police
  • not enough accountability
  • not getting anything they are saying in writing to back it up

 

Contact steph to contribute energy to the occupy show

In regards to the city council letter

Meet with encampment to discuss

Concerns regarding nonprofit status and bylaws, come to the finance meeting at 7:15 Friday. Noted concerns:

  • to much power
  • not enough clarification
  • lots of decisions being made without the GA’s input
  • no transparency

 

concerns regarding facilitations proposal, please come to the facilitation WG meeting

  • to much control

 

Old bissness for the Next GA

Joes report on the OWSGA’s opinion with the national GA and min to back that up

     Media and outreaches conclusion to work with Direct action on foreclosures

     Reports from finance, facilitation, and de-escalation. On the issues discussed above.

I NEED DENNYS LETTER FROM CITY COUNCIL; FINANCES BYLAWS AND FACILITATIONS DIAGRAM TO ATTATCH TO THIS. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF I LEFT ANYTHING OUT

This entry is filed under Documents, FACILITATION / MEETING SUPPORT, GAnotes and tagged , , .

Letter that will be read/delivered to Wilmington City Council 11/15/11

on November 14, 2011

11/15/11

 

To: Wilmington City Council

From: the General Assembly

Occupy Wilmington, NC

 

Good evening Mayor Saffo, Mayor Pro Tem Sheridan and City Council members.  I am Mary Ann Priestley, a representative of Occupy Wilmington, NC. We are part of the Occupy Movement that began two months ago with Occupy Wall Street and has grown to more than 100 occupy sites in this country and more than a thousand around the world.

 

The Occupy Movement arose to address economic, political, and social issues that affect 99% of the population. It also supports veterans’ rights and efforts to preserve and improve the environment, as well as other issues that affect us all.

 

One goal of the Occupy Movement is to reclaim public lands to use as spaces for discourse and peaceful assemblage. This right or privilege is guaranteed in the First Amendment of the US Constitution.

 

For more than two weeks Occupy Wilmington has tried to secure the use of the City Hall lawn through the permit process. We have approached the city’s department of parks and recreation and the city manager’s office. No one in either office has issued us a permit. Both said the permit was denied because the lawn is a public park and Wilmington city code does not allow for camping or sleeping in a city park. We were told all requests are non-negotiable. However we interpret the city code as allowing such activities by permit. We have the right to occupy public space, which belongs to us the people, in pursuance of our First Amendment rights of free speech, peaceful assemblage, and redress of the public’s grievances. These rights are supported by court cases. In Metropolitan Council, Inc.  Vs. Safir the federal district court in New York stated that sleeping in a public space as a form of political protest is protected speech. The court also said that the blanket ban, like the one in the City of Wilmington code, of sleeping in public spaces is too restrictive.

 

Thereby the General Assembly of Occupy Wilmington asks you, the Wilmington City Council, to direct staff to issue a permit allowing Occupy Wilmington to camp on the City Hall lawn. We are not asking for the City’s endorsement of our reasons to assemble but our rights to use public space for assembly.
Thank you for hearing and addressing our request to exercise our First Amendment rights.

 

The General Assembly of Occupy Wilmington

We are the 99%

 

This entry is filed under Documents and tagged , , , .

Older Entries »