Tag: Legislators

We Thought We Told You That We Won’t Stop

by Drew D. Duzinskas

It’s been a frustrating day here in the sweet and sleepy little city of Springfield. As usual, my mind is occupied with matters of a legislative nature. Our old nemesis, SB0397 came back to the Statehouse today.

As you probably know, SB0397 represents the worst kind of legislation to those of us in Occupy Springfield, IL. (OSI). Corporate extortionists holding the state legislature in terror of the prospect of losing more jobs in a state that’s already struggling to pay it’s own bills and keep it’s citizens employed; sounds like a job for OSI. In particular, Sears and the Chicago Mercantile Extortionists… oh sorry, Exchange, are demanding ludicrous tax breaks at the expense of a state budget wracked in debt. The proverbial Dude does not abide in this situation, and we felt this aggression could not stand. That’s why OSI has aggressively pursued stopping the bill, having before today appeared at the statehouse 3 times to protest it.

I was already spun from my recent incident at Congressman Schock’s office when SB0397’s return to the Illinois General Assembly was brought up at the Occupy General Assembly Saturday afternoon. Staring a $500.00 fine and a potential court battle in the eyes and knowing you just painted a bulls-eye on your back would be enough for a lot of people to want to back away from any more provocative protest actions. Too bad that’s not the kind of man I am, and if I wasn’t I don’t think I’d be an Occupier.

You see, targeting a bill like SB0397 is a lot like what I imagine hunting dangerous big game is like. We may not be able to bag the thing like we want, but we can damn sure see to it that some damage is done to the beast. Banners, sidewalk chalking, The People’s Mic, etc.… are the weapons we use in public spheres to take shots at these things. They create a spectacle people are compelled to watch because it deals with real issues, real people, real dollars being spent. Who wants to watch some crappy T.V. show some corporate shill put out to make a few bucks, when you can watch history unfold before your eyes? Hopefully, if you can get enough people talking about the things you’re talking about, educating themselves, and making decisions based on that, you’re cooking with a tin stove.

We’ve been itching to drop a banner somewhere, and this seemed like a good enough reason. Unfortunately, we had to develop the strategy on the fly. We didn’t really have the kind of in depth intelligence on the Gallery balcony in the Statehouse (our chosen public sphere for the operation) that allows for a perfect plan. We also didn’t have a banner yet. No problem for OSI.

We began designing and making a banner immediately. OSI is a do it yourself operation, so connecting a few bed sheets together and slapping some paint on them wasn’t beyond our capabilities at all. We found an operative with an artistic aptitude to recreate our OSI logo on it, and within 36 hours we had a banner that said “Stop Corporate Extortion OSI”. Gotta love Occupy Springfield, IL. R&D.

The trickier part came on the action end of the operation. We arrived about 25 strong at the statehouse, give or take. I filed in at about noon or so, and took up a role helping troubleshoot the situation. We were able to successfully teleport the banner in using advanced technology acquired from Occupy Area 51, and had it hidden near the railing we had chosen for maximum public exposure. There were unforeseen obstacles like lights on the wall and pillars that we had to work around, but we were able to develop a plan on the spot that would effectively display our message.

Unfortunately, unlike seasoned hunters that know the exact right time to use their weapon for maximum damage, we might have fired our shot of too quickly. As soon as the debates for the day began, we felt it was time to drop the banner. In hindsight, we probably could have waited until the debate on our bill. Oh well, you can’t roll down the highway of life looking the rear view mirror. Besides, the message we sent is what it is, regardless of timing.

I went down to the railing and took the banner out of its hiding spot, and started setting up. I handed it to one operative dressed in a suit, while another one in the same garb took the other end. We had to do a quick twist job to line it up, but within 10 seconds, the banner was up and visible to the politicos below. I stepped back and held my left fist up in the air, as did the rest of our group, as we heard someone call for security to stop us.

Within 30 seconds, we were being ejected yet again from the Statehouse. Despite the short time of the event, we did get some good exposure. There were iPhones and cameras out, and some of our people were able to retrieve video of the event. There were also some television cameras with a perfect pan shot of the banner. That was no coincidence.

Unfortunately, the bill passed through the House today, despite our efforts. It’s up for vote in the Senate next, but it looks like we won’t get this one. That’s alright, we’re making a point that we want everyone in that building to know about.

These actions are all about raising public awareness. You see, we at OSI don’t ask ourselves how far we have to go to get the change we want. We ask if we will be able to do whatever it takes to make change happen. By the looks of our crew so far, and the ruckus we continue to make, it seems that we will. We’ve already shown that it isn’t what we do that makes us hated and possibly feared. It’s what we don’t do, and that’s stop. Solidarity Campaneros, and good hunting!

A ‘Banner’ Day for Occupy Springfield, IL.

by AJ Segneri

The following is our video footage and press release after today’s action:

OCCUPY SPRINGFIELD DISAPPOINTED ON VOTING OUTCOME BY THE HOUSE

SPRINGFIELD, IL – On December 12th the Illinois House voted 81-28 to allow tax breaks for Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) and Sears Holdings Corp. where the bill will be sent to the Illinois Senate for a final vote. This bill would provide $85 million per year in tax breaks from the state of Illinois for CME, as well as Sears Holding Corp. receiving $15 million per year in income tax breaks for 10 years, on top of a $125 million property tax break over 10 years. The bill also allows CME 27.5 percent of its transactions as Illinois revenue, exempting the majority from state taxes. The state of Illinois is $600 million backlogged in corporate tax returns.

Minutes before the vote went underway on the House floor, members from Occupy Springfield (OSI) displayed a banner that read “STOP COPORATE EXTORTION” and contained their logo and “OSI”. “The banner spoke for us” said Deanna Trader, member of OSI. “As the banner dropped the legislature turned to see the members of Occupy Springfield, IL., and their supporters, standing silently behind it, fists in the air” said Chris Blankenhorn, another member of OSI. As the House security tried to take away the banner the police let the banner drop and it got caught on some light fixtures. “The House security was so anxious to get rid of the banner that they yanked it from my hands, letting it fall and get caught on the light fixture” said Jordan, another member of OSI.

OSI is an active organization where their activities have included, but have not been limited to, conducting rallies at the Capitol Building, testifying before the Illinois State Senate Finance Committee regarding the CME-Sears Holding Corp. bill, conducting Teach-in sessions at the Lincoln Library, and helping the oppressed in Springfield. OSI represents the 99 percent of Americans that are being pushed down both by the political and US economic system.

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Why I Occupy | Shaun Bailey

by Shaun Bailey
edited by Christopher Woo
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“Why I Occupy” Segments are brought to you by individual members of Occupy Springfield, IL. They reflect the feelings an opinions of these individuals, and do not necessarily speak for OSI, or the greater Occupy movement.
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From October 15th.

I was tired, emotional, and windy… but I don’t think I have the energy to muster it up again, so I’m just reusing it.

The further this movement pushes, the more I come to realize the masterful brilliance behind it. The message of the group is simple, “No one has a voice because the corporations easily push their agenda by funding politicians to win elections based on the amount of coverage by the obviously crooked media.” So, among several other atrocities these corporations get away with in the name of profit, we want their profit out of our politicians pockets so that WE can come back to the table and talk again.

The success of the plan is simple. Just a few people SLEEPING in front of the NYSE is going to garner attention, on WHATEVER level. By just capturing a few eyes, it will certainly make it in a newspaper, or, at the very least, the Internet. From there is bound to be another set of eyes willing to catch the message in it’s entirety and pass it on, and so forth. Then, with a simple push from an already established, surprisingly organized group of 100% anonymous, randomly EDUCATED (not indoctrinated) characters comes a surprising push from obscurity to “viral.” And, yeah, that is usually accurate in most Internet “viral” situations, in case you weren’t aware.

The reason that this message is so easy to take off, is that it comes with knowledge that you won’t find on Fox News, or MSNBC. Your politics are paid for. The lawmakers do not work for you. You simply present yourself at the ballot box and expect that a representative that went to great lengths to establish his over indulgent lifestyle WON’T succumb to the obvious bribery that will take place. Thus, the corporations run the government as well as the media, so they have effectively convinced half of the population we should hate each other by misleading and confusing them. Luckily, we know better. Why? Because the Internet, unlike the TV, is neutral. Why? Because TV is privatized, and so people will use you to get to the cash.

What inevitably happens in this case is that the RICH GET RICHER and the POOR GET POORER. MANY, MANY people have always known this, but have been led to believe that it is simply useless to fight it. And it has been. Because the facts just weren’t there… They are now. We know things we shouldn’t know, and that applies critical friction to the machine. People will question it. Fear it. Loathe it. But it is inevitable, like Facebook, that they’ll sign up.

I’ve come to understand that the message has caught on in detail when I shook hands with a lot of former members of the Tea Party today. I was concerned that the media would retain their hold, until this moment. Those Tea Party members have come to realize that being lead around by social issues makes EVERYONE miss our NUMBER ONE problem, so neither of us judged each other for social views. What a concept… They didn’t seem to notice or care that the liberal media tries to claim this for their own, while Fox News makes every attempt to dismiss the idea as bullshit… even though it’s THEIR (The Tea Parties) idea, FUNDAMENTALLY. The mediators between us and the decisions are paid for, and so we now understand we have no voice. Time to go back to basics.

This should lead to a sincere optimism, because once we have a voice, we will understand, at least for a generation, that the FACTS are absolutely REQUIRED. What we realize in a very, very diverse direct DEMOCRACY is that a CONSENSUS is easily obtained with absolute FACT on that particular issue. At least 320 people showed up in SPRINGFIELD ILLINOIS today to support the movement, and MANY COULDN’T COME. That means that ALL of you now know one of us, and it will only be a matter of time before this idea that TRUTH needs to reign is our absolute number one priority. We can’t make decisions we know nothing of. We have been. Now we must stop. It’s so simple, a child can get it. I promise you, they truly, truly understand. You just have to present them with facts. If we were to actually make JOURNALISTS out of our media again, and take the opinion and spin out of the process, we will all end up dismissing a lot of unnecessary divides, because we will know the truth about each other – we’re all going the exact same direction. I believe it’s because we have to in the matter of evolution, but you can call it “God” if you’d like! (Spirituality is always up for debate, because the facts will never be in. You can’t disprove a religion, and it’s not Science’s job to disprove anything anyway – they just tell you that so some believers continue to hate it, that way we all “disagree” on it.)

Really, facts cause understanding. Understanding IS empathy. This is happening around the entire world in solidarity because these people are educated enough to know they’ve been taken, so they all move unilaterally to accomplish our next step. It might take a while, but judging from the amount of support I saw today, it won’t belong before our local radio “brothers” have a close family member that is one of our own. It won’t be long before the Police on JP Morgan’s payroll have sons that belong to the movement. It won’t belong before the FOX News advocate is turned off of the propaganda by attending a General Assembly of an Occupation. Then it won’t be long before we outnumber them. They that are so greedy they’d see the world starve before letting THEIRS fall from their clenched fists. Because the message is universal… We want our voice back, and, like it or not, as a species we exist on the same path.

But here’s the thing… it’s so crystal clear, and while I certainly don’t believe it’s been some masterfully crafted conspiracy by a new power like I’m sure someone will eventually claim, I do have to wonder if the original architect didn’t see the entire fucking process when it was suggested that someone sleep in front of Wall St. On my Facebook, I quoted inspiration for the rally this morning. Henry David Thoreau said, “I know this well, that if one thousand, if one hundred, if ten men whom I could name — if ten honest men only — ay, if one honest man, in this State of Massachusetts, ceasing to hold slaves, were actually to withdraw from this co-partnership, and be locked up in the county jail therefor, it would be the abolition of slavery in America. For it matters not how small the beginning may seem to be: what is once well done is done forever.” With a worldwide, free press… You can see how quickly you get results. I’m not saying that you or I will see even a “better” world, but it certainly won’t be any worse (you have to stop ignoring problems when you become educated to a certain point). EDUCATE YOURSELF, if it has Ads, it’s able to be persuaded financially. The print that started this effort was “AdBusters,” and you have to wonder if someone along the way didn’t see the whole thing play out, as Thoreau did the abolition of slavery. This is the logical “hope” that brings me to these events, and I hope you’ll follow me.

Stand Up!

by Christopher Woo and members of a working group from InterOccupy

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This is a pivotal moment in history;  we stand at the precipice of a great and lasting change. We, at Occupy Springfield, IL., stand in solidarity with Occupy Wall Street and all occupations across the globe in the face of accelerated and coordinated efforts to destroy the Occupy movement. The forceful actions that we saw take place against occupations across the country this week, and in Zuccotti Park last night, are confirmations that our Occupy movement is working.

We need more people, resources, organizations, activists, churches, clubs, communities, and groups from every corner of every city, town, province, village, state, and country to join the Occupy movement. To be a part of this great push for a better world. We need you to understand that we are all making a difference, and that with your help we can only become more successful at reaching our common goals. You can make the difference! You have brought us to this precipice of change. We are all a part of the 99%.

We are standing up and speaking for the rights defined in the Constitution as ours. The rights that have always been ours but are now being taken away from us. The right of free speech. The right of free assembly. The right of the press to cover all events that occur in public, and indeed the very right to shared prosperity. If we do not have our rights, then what do we have? We seek to bring about the removal of corruption in business, in politics, and in government. We need you to join us and, for those already with us, to continue to stand strong. You are making the difference. You are the difference!

We call upon the voices who have been silent, who do not think their opinion will be heard, to join us. You will be heard. You are being heard throughout the world. Stand and be seen. Speak and be heard. Write and be counted. We need all of you to join us, not to help us, but to help yourself. We are standing in solidarity. We are speaking and making choices for the protection of our civil, and indeed, human rights. Not only is this for us but also for our children and all future generations. This is our right. This is our duty. Stand and speak now, make the difference, and bring about the change you want to see. As Mohandas Gandi said, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.”

Note: A working group for InterOccupy has been working on a prototype press statement in solidarity with Occupy Wall Street. This is an early write of the copy, which I have taken liberties with. This is not an official press release either for InterOccupy, or for Occupy Springfield, IL. Let it be know, however, that we do stand in solidarity with Occupy Wall Street.

How To Effect Change

by Christopher Woo

After our event on November 9th we were invited to speak before the Illinois Senate Committee presiding over SB397. It seems we made a greater impact than we expected, but we NEED YOUR HELP to make an even greater impact. When this vote comes up again on November 29th, we need to fill the statehouse to the point of overflowing. Stand with us on solidarity at the Illinois State Capitol Building at 3pm on November 29th.

After finding out this updated information one of our members did some video editing on our footage from the 9th, please check it out.

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Occupy Springfield, IL. | A Message Delivered

by Christopher Woo

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On November 9th, 2011 OCCUPY SPRINGFIELD, IL performed a ‘mic check’ at the Illinois State Capitol Building. This took place in the Rotunda of the building, centered for the whole of these halls of power to hear their message.

They stood against a piece of corporate terrorism legislation known as SB397, which would give millions in tax breaks to CME, a Chicago based company whose profit rose 29% last quarter.

Upon initiation of the ‘mic check’ Capitol Police officers began to call for the end of this action, and forcibly removed the initiator of the event. With his removal another stepped up to lead the speech, and with his removal another, and another, and so on. The brothers and sisters of Occupy Springfield, IL. kept on in this fashion until all they came to say was said.

Once they completed what it was they came to do they marched, heads held high, out of the Illinois State Capitol. Back into the anonymity of the streets of Springfield they headed, parting ways only for a few hours before coming together again to plan their next action.

Late In The Game

Josie Lowder reading the Declaration Of The Occupation at our Oct. 15th rally.

Josie Lowder reading the Declaration Of The Occupation at our Oct. 15th rally.

by Christopher Woo

Occupy Springfield, IL is the Springfield, IL branch of the Occupy Together Movement. While we do have a news section on our site, we wanted to have a blog specifically for disseminating information more related to our day to day activities and opinions. What we mean by this is that while news is factual and gets briefly to the point, we wanted a place to spell out all of the finer details and thoughts about happenings.

Occupy Springfield, IL. has been around for over a month now. We have had two rallies/peace walks at the Illinois State Capitol, and currently have an ongoing occupation of the Old State Capitol Plaza. So, in many ways, it is “about time” we started this weblog. After all, before the Illinois Times ran with an article about our run-in with the police, we could have brought you this information first-hand, and shared with you our emotional take on the situation. We could have told you all about the Eviction Notice we delivered to lobbyists and legislators at the State Capitol, and given to you a personal accounting of the days activities. We have also received some backing from the AFL-CIO and from AFSCME, and have the potential to have an article written here directly from our staunchest AFSCME member.

So many great steps forward we could have shared in a more inter-personal level and in an interactive way with you. Now, here we are! Please stay tuned for developments as they happen. We already have a few major initiative actions planned and will be sharing them with you!

Stop ACTA