A tentative date of April 10th has been worked out for Professor Lawrence Lessig, Harvard Law School and legal expert on Citizens United, has confirmed he will speak at a UNH event hosted by UNH Students for Peace and Justice Group. Communication between Occupy Nashua, Occupy UNH/Durham have been ongoing to find a date that worked with the busy professor. Occupy NH member Theresa Earle also with Occupy Boston was also helpful in communicating the importance of this event. More details will be forthcoming as event is finalized. Lessig is the author of Republic Lost and has appeared on John Stewart, Stephen Colbert and many more.
www.marketwatch.com/story/grantham-wonders-if-marx-was-right-after-all-2012-02-29
• It’s about profit, not people: “Capitalism in general has no sense of ethics or conscience. Whatever the Supreme Court may think, it is not a person.”
• The more people borrow, the more they just gamble: “Leverage … increases your returns over and over until, suddenly, it ruins you. … There are no Investors Anonymous meetings to attend.”
• This time, it’s not so different: “Ignore the … inevitable cheerleaders who will assure you that this time it’s a new high plateau … even if that view comes from the Federal Reserve itself. No. Make that, especially if it comes from there.”
• Washington is becoming a corporate subsidiary: “What capitalism has always had is money with which to try to buy influence. … The issues they influence are precisely … the ones that are most important to society’s … very existence.”
• Big companies can’t help it: “Ethical CEOs can drag a company along for a while, but this is an undependable and temporary fix.”
Occupy Nashua GA minutes 2/21/2012
Attendees:
Marianne
Sylvia
Ellen
Marty
David
Agenda discussions:
#F29
Jerry has been in on the phone calls and has been getting information. There is no real planned event in NH. Ben suggested doing a Walmart easter egg information action. Occupy CT is doing an organized event at Pfizer Corp. Some people have interest in attending. Marianne will help get more information out on the organized effort in New England at CT. CT did attend Occupy Primary. Here is the link if you want information: www.facebook.com/events/156112434501340/
#M18
This is the Peace and Justice St. Patrick’s Day Parade event in Boston. Sponsors are Veterans for peace and others. Is there an organized event page or sign up for this? David is interested in pursuing this as an action. It was not discussed at the Nashua state wide GA. David holds peace vigils and has received some positive feedback on a recent review on Nashua Patch.
Here is a link to the March 18th St Patricks Parade for peacxewww.facebook.com/events/242916262450591/
Mass. Peace Action: info@MassPeaceAction.org
Veterans for Peace: info@massvfp.org
David also discussed a riveting documentary he saw. He would like to share this link on LT. Col. Davis in a Rolling Stone interview:
www1.rollingstone.com/extras/RS_REPORT.pdf
May Day, May 1st day of action: It was discussed only minimally, but this action will be discussed at a later date and was tabled for the time being.
Review of Nashua state wide GA:
A number of issues came up during the GA. One issue that leads to discussion is a Constitutional Convention, and whether or not to hold this in NH. There is conflicting and confusing information. There was a suggestion to have an expert (Lawrence Lessig) come in to a NH state wide GA to discuss this. Occupy Nashua believes at this time that more information is needed before agreeing to a recommendation on a Con-Con. Lessig ‘s in-demand resources would be well intended to discuss this issue, but would be valued more in other areas such as in a public -speaking venue. (which we are pursuing.)
Sylvia will review Blue Book on the history and the procedures for this. Questions remain on who gets to go if a con-con is slated. State Secretary Bill Gardner would have info on the NH state Gov web page should have information. This will be reviewed.
The subject appears controversial. There seemed to be some members of ONH wanting to pursue this and other members oppose to it. There is some misinformation and it appears an information gathering mission needs to happen before decisions are made. What we know: A Constitutional Convention is called every 10 years, and the year 2012 is up for this review. There needs to be clarification on who attends or who is invited to attend these meetings. Also, is opening up a constitutional convention by the voting public (first) the way to go about this? Sylvia will look into the blue book and try to answer these clarifying questions. The other option is to look into the NH Government web page under State Secretary Bill Gardner. www.sos.nh.gov/
NH Pride March ll
There has been interest in doing a second Pride march in NH for the summer. There’s a tentative meeting scheduled for March 15th at Element Lounge in Manchester. For more info ask Marianne at
Next meeting: Tuesday Feb 28th at Thousand crane II Nashua 6:30 pm.
Update on Lawrence Lessig in NH
Alex Fried of Occupy UNH and Marianne had been communicating about getting Lawrence to speak in NH. This came up at an earlier Nashua GA. Lessig in a Nationally recognized speaker and practicing law professor at Harvard. He has published several books, the most recent “Republic Lost”. We have established communication with Lessig’s personal assistant and secretary and are working out dates. Theresa Earle has also copied Lessig on an email and the details are being worked out to have Lessig speak at UNH this spring.
www.nashuatelegraph.com/news/950622-196/occupy-movement-meets-in-nashua-to-map.html
An Excerpt from the Nashua Telegraph:
” Adhering to Occupy protocol, members proposed initiatives, allowed lengthy discussion and used hand gestures to represent whether they agreed, disagreed, were unsure or blocked the vote.
The members came to consensus on many measures, despite or perhaps because there was no imposing hierarchal structure. They agreed on ideas, big and small, that they hope will push the movement forward.
For instance, they have plans to take action in Manchester on May 1, a date long recognized as a day to recognize workers’ rights. They almost agreed on participating in a state Constitutional Convention, but tabled the proposal to instead first hear ideas from an expert.
But no decision was too small for a group vote. Members agreed to install a drop-down tab on the Occupy New Hampshire website.”
“New Hampshire and other states passed laws that punished organizations that provide or refer for abortions by stripping them of money to provide basic health care services. And states around the country are getting in line to do the same this year.
So for those of us who were rightly outraged about the Komen Foundation, and took action and made them pay attention — let’s celebrate that victory. But we can’t stop there. For the sake of women’s health, we must be equally vocal in our opposition to these threats coming at us from all across the nation. We must stay engaged and defeat all of the efforts to put women’s lives and health at risk by punishing organizations that provide abortion related care.” ACLU Blog of Rights
www.aclu.org/blog/reproductive-freedom/komen-foundation-just-tip-iceberg
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Nashua will be host to the NH Occupy State -wide occupy movement. The date is set for Saturday February 18th at 12:00. Members from Occupy Manchester, Concord and Dover have already expressed interest in coming. Meeting will be held at Unitarian Church on 48 Lowell St., Nashua. Event is free and public is welcome. We will be offering food.Anyone who is willing to make or bring food please contact Marianne at Marianne@occupynashua.org
” The future direction of the country should be too impassioned of a debate to sit idly by and watch from afar. To sit idly by and passively submit to the will of our leaders will, over time, result in a soft tyranny over the people. In a free society we have the chance to form the future of the country and while we may be divided and while we may get angry with one another once in awhile, that is a product of that free society. And it sure as hell beats the alternative.”
Mitt Romney sure would like to make everyone sit down and shut up, and dissenters have these discussions in quiet rooms. (Does that mean prison cells?) He has been trying to divide people with rhetoric about Obama, about Occupy Wall Street. He continues to try and paint Occupy NH as unAmerican, just because we got in his face and asked him tough questions. Tyrannical leaders don’t like to answer tough questions. (Go ahead and ask a member of Congress why they exempted themselves from Obamacare, or the same laws that put Martha Stewart behind bars for insider trading.) They like pre-approved questions and censorship. They don’t like to be harassed with real questions because that makes them have to give complicated answers and usually that exposes them for the frauds they are. “Buildings don’t pay taxes….” We already knew that Mr. Romney, but maybe if you weren’t so out of touch with the rest of America, (and reality), you would know that the 99% includes a huge portion of America. Mainly, 99% of it. Hmmm. I wonder how many of those people didn’t vote for you in South Carolina?
While this hypocrite continues to try and divide the middle class and the poor, we will continue to unite the middle class and the poor so that everyone has a chance to become part of the middle class or better. This country already is divided. The candidates themselves are divided and say many divisive things. I don’t understand how he could possibly think one person asking tougher questions than normal is trying to divide this country. Especially when the questions aren’t even criticizing America. They are criticizing you Mr. Romney.
So once you pull your head out of the clouds and begin to see the world for what it is, then we welcome your comments and feedback. But until that day, you are attributing to the division of America much more than Occupy Wall Street ever could. And even that probably isn’t making much of a dent in the divisions this country has already become accustomed to.
“A spokeswoman for the Kentucky Senator said he was being held “indefinitely” after he set off an alarm in an image scanner used at the airport’s security check point.”
So I have to ask this question, Is Senator Rand Paul engaging in direct action to highlight the abuses of the TSA on ordinary citizens, and also, by using the word “indefinitely” trying to attract attention to the NDAA which gives authorization to the president to ask for the indefinite detention of any United States citizen or group of citizens they view are giving comfort and aid to the enemy?
Are the seeds of liberty being planted in the senate? I’d like to hope so. Perhaps we can call on our representatives and other high profile people to engage in more acts of civil disobedience of this nature.
Whether or not this was intentional of Rand Paul or intentional of the TSA agents themselves is up for debate, but the attention it has gotten is not up for debate. Soon the conversation will begin about the over reach of the TSA. (Which does not just control the skies, but our roads, rails, and I believe our waterways as well.) This was either a coincidence, or a deliberate act of civil disobedience. A senator being detained by the TSA after speaking out against the NDAA makes a big statement. Who was making what statement is yet to be discovered, but it got me paying attention.
Grassroots Action Day to Protect the Middle Class
Public Event · By Protect NH Families
Thursday 8:00am until 4:00pm
With the 2012 legislative session in full swing, reckless politicians in Concord are determined to carry out a politically-motivated ambush on New Hampshire’s middle class – including dozens of proposals that would weaken – or wipe out – the right of thousands of Granite State workers to collectively bargain for better working conditions.
These ruthless legislative attacks are designed to undermine the economic security of hard-working families across the state, and are out-of-step with mainstream support for preserving collective bargaining rights. Measures like so-called “right to work” laws and denying workers the right to have a collective voice on the job will do nothing to help the state’s economy – and many of the proposed laws would have a disproportionate impact on the people we count on to educate our kids, keep our communities safe, and help protect the “New Hampshire Advantage.”
On Thursday, January 19, the House Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services Committee will hold a public hearing on several bills intended to strip public workers of the right to collectively bargain. Now is the time to have a voice – it’s likely that this will be the only public hearing on this legislation before it moves to the House floor for a full vote.
Please stand with New Hampshire working families, and help us send a clear message that we want our legislature to stop attacking the middle class and focus on creating more and better work opportunities for people in the Granite State. Our January 19 Grassroots Action Day will kick off at 8:00 a.m. with coffee and an informative briefing – we’ll also have pointers available for folks interested in giving citizen testimony at the public hearing.
Contact info@protectnhfamilies.org for more information – we hope to see you there.
Legislative Office Building – Coffee & Briefing 8:00-8:45am, America Votes
4 Park Street, Room 302, Concord, NH
PSA (POSITIVE STREET ART) LAUNCH PARTY (outreach)
Public Event · By Cecilia Ulibarri and Manuel Phelany Ramirez (who created huge banner at occupytheprimary)
Thursday
6:30pm until 8:30pm
Want to know what the buzz is all about??? Want to be part of our local art movement?
Join us for some refreshments and some networking while we launch our new venture!
PSA’s Mission Statement:
To encourage, enlighten and educate the public
about urban art and its unlimited potential for
a positive impact on our community.
Let’s paint this town a million colors!
Visualize Nashua
88 Main Street, Nashua, NH 03060
Rally to Unite Citizens for Democracy
Public Event · By Occupy Boston
Friday
4:00pm until 8:00pm
4:00 – 4:20 – Community Gather Time + Arts and Entertainment
4:20 – 4:30 – Opening Remarks
4:30 – 4:50 – We the People (Rep. Cory Atkins)
4:50 – 5:10 – Cross-Partisan Organizing: Finding Areas of Agreement (Szelena Gray)
5:10 – 5:45 – Break-out Sessions – Corporate Influence
**Financial Industry (Pam Wilmot)
**Environmental Concerns (Terra Fredricks)
**Housing Crisis (Grace Ross)
**Military Spending (Cole Harrison)
**Immigration – Historical Perspective (Felipe Zamborlini)
**Education
**Corporate Culture
**Healthcare (MA Nurses Association)
**Agri-business (Theresa Earle)
5:45 – 6:15 – Corporate Personhood 101: A Panel Discussion (John Bonifaz, Donna Palermino and Malia Lazu)
6:15 – 6:30 – Occupy Legislation Handbook From Progressive Massachusetts (Senator Jamie Eldridge)
6:30 – 7:00 – Questions and Answers
7:00 – 7:30 – Break-out Sessions – Citizens United in Context: Money in Politics
**Communication Strategies around Money in Politics (Pam Wilmot)
**Where the Campaign Money Comes From (Patrick Frank)
**Pay to Play and the Lobbying Industry
**Supreme Court Decisions Empowering Corporations (John Hill – MTA)
**Public Financing of Elections (Jules Levine)
**Disclosure and Corporate Accountability (Judy Whipple)
**The Implications of Corporate Personhood: Pros and Cons (Donna Palermino)
7:30 – 7:35 – Closing Remarks
7:35 – 8:00 – Reception and Entertainment + Arts – Poets, Skits, end with Music
St. Paul’s Cathedral, Boston
138 Tremont St., Boston, MA 02111
From Occupy to Workers Control
Public Event · By Doug Enaa Greene
Friday
6:00pm until 8:00pm
Join Immanuel Ness and Elaine Bernard for a panel discussion on From Occupy to Workers Control sponsored by the Howard Zinn Memorial Lecture Series and Encuentro 5.
The Occupy Movement is taking new and exciting steps as it continues to reshape political possibilities (such as reclaiming foreclosed homes).
The discussion of how to organize a society that represents the interests and aspirations of the 99% is a debate that is being held across Occupy sites.
What would it mean to really take the Occupy Movement into the workplace? Into the heart of the economic system itself? And how to do it?
Join us on Jan. 20 at 6 pm for two of the contributors to the book, Ours to Master and to Own: Workers’ Control from the Commune to the Present (Immanuel Ness and Elaine Bernard).
encuentro 5
33 Harrison Ave, Boston, MA
Occupy New Hampshire Media Tech Twitter Teach In
Public Event · By Ryan Glen Hirsch
Friday
6:30am until 8:00pm
Ryan will be doing a media tech teach in on how to set up a twitter account, link it to your phone, and tweet by sending a text message from any mobile phone with texting enabled.
Autumn will be teaching people how to use the occupy nh google calendar to add events.
If we have extra time and anyone wants to learn and has a smart phone or laptop, we will go over live streaming video.
please bring your laptops and cell phones. we will be setting up twitter accounts, and tweeting one thing by text message. I have a phone with 4G hotspot capabilities so we will have internet. so bring your laptops and connect to help set up accounts quicker.
thank you.
Greg’s Place
641 Elm St, Manchester, NH 03101-2510
Corporate Money Out of Politics Rally!
Public Event · By WolfPac New Hampshire
Saturday
1:00pm until 4:00pm
The Statehouse: Concord, New Hampshire, 107 N. Main St.
This is not a Democratic or Republican issue, both of our political parties have completely sold us out. If you don’t think that corporations should be able to buy our politicians and thus our Democracy then we need YOU to show up at the Statehouse on Jan. 21! We are not against corporations at all, we just don’t want them to be able to buy our Democracy anymore.
We need to pressure our State Representatives into calling for a Constitutional Convention with the purpose of passing an amendment to end corporate personhood. This issue is the root cause of all other problems in this country and we need LOTS of people to show up with signs protesting corporate money in politics. Or if you don’t want to bring a sign just come and hang out, you’re guaranteed to meet some interesting people from all over New Hampshire!
We chose this date because it is the anniversary of the awful “Citizens United” court case allowing unlimited amounts of money to pour into our political campaigns from both domestic and foreign corporations. This is the first step of our plan, let’s show them we are paying attention!! Please click on the Invite button at the top of this page and invite all of your friends!! We need EVERYONE to attend this rally; firemen, teachers, small business owners, farmers, athletes, techies, male, female, young and old! We are ALL affected by this and I Believe we are going to save our Democracy but it’s going to take a little effort, see you there!
*Suggestions for signs if you want to bring them, we should stay on message, this a very focused rally: “Amendment to End Corporate Personhood” “Corporate Money out of Politics”
Corporate Personhood, Campaign Finance Reform and Move to Amend
Saturday
1:00pm until 4:00pm
On January 21, 2010, with its ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, the Supreme Court ruled that corporations are persons and opened the flood gates for corporate control of elections. Please join the Social Justice Committee of UU of Haverhill on Saturday January 21st on the second anniversary of this ruling to discuss the role of money in politics, how we can help to change the campaign finance and be a part of the movement to amend the constitution across the country. We will first view Harvard University Professor Lawrence Lessig’s lecture (50 minutes) on “How Money Corrupts Congress and a Plan to Stop it” from his book “Republic, Lost” followed by discussion and action on Move to Amend and Campaign Finance Reform proposals.
Universalist Unitarian Church
15 Kenoza Ave, Haverhill, MA 01830
MORE TO BE POSTED AS THEY COME IN.