Senate Ways and Means Committee Hearing Comments

LINK
During the meeting testimony/comment period, I encouraged the Senators to spend some time each day meeting with people under the dome in the rotunda — to validate the experiences of the people who gather there, the unpaid lobbyists, the non-monied people, who really feel that they are not being listened to and not being represented.

Wednesday 30 November 2011, 3:30pm, Olympia Global Occupy Wall Street Solidarity——I was just under the dome in the Legislative Building rotunda. About an hour and a half ago a Representative was talking with a few of the gathered. He was asking them what the 99% movement means/is about.

Yesterday, I attended the Senate Ways and Means Committee hearing. My understanding is that the agenda was changed before the meeting. Instead of a hearing directly about the budget situation, it was an emergency proposal to develop a finance plan to help a struggling municipality.

Lots of people attended the meeting anyway. During the meeting people used the People's Microphone to override regular meeting business. People were able to be heard when otherwise their concerns might have been relegated to working within the present-day system —which many of are coming to realize very well might be systemically corrupt —rotten to the core.

I was #7 on stack for the People's Mic. But the public speak out was ended by the Committee. Thus I was forced to wait until the very very very end of the meeting in order to speak to the Committee.

TVW did not publish the People's Mic portion of the meeting. Many people were taking video. Some is uploaded to the OO YouTube Account, you can find that here: http://occupyolympia.org/day-two-videos-and-photos-whatta-day/

There is also a url link to the TVW program where I commented next to the very end of the meeting here, you can find that in the comments section of the blog, here: http://occupyolympia.org/day-two-videos-and-photos-whatta-day/#comment-161

Here are some re-pasted words I wrote earlier in the day:

I am sitting in the rotunda right now. About an hour ago, a Representative stopped by to meet with the people who are gathered here now.

We have been having a great seminar here about how the system is basically corrupt. And the system older than the USA. The corruption goes way back.

In the beginning, this continent represented a refuge from persecution and oppression. Then things changed, and it turned into a place to be conquered.

The State of this nation was founded by owning class, and the function of the system is born to maintain that corrupt owning class establishment.

The whole election system is corrupt, because campaign finance contribution limits are EASILY circumvented ( and have been easily circumvented for a long long long long long long time.)

This is what we are finding here in the rotunda.

So here we are. Rising up from the ashes of this inane and criminally inhumane culture of disease.

Grace Lee Boggs' Message to Occupy Wall Street

Grace Lee Boggs' message to Occupy Wall Street - 10/9/11 from American Revolutionary on Vimeo.

More YDHWM

Dear Governor Gregoire, Join us in solidarity!

Dear Governor Gregoire,

I am discouraged. I am looking at the prospect of the emergency special session. According to your office, the special session will focus on cutting programs in order to balance the budget.

I want to ask you to think about whether this is the correct approach. I want to ask why are we pushing for cuts, before seeking new revenue.

Maybe there is a better way.

Maybe, just maybe, instead of a "first cuts" approach, your office could call for a special emergency session to RAISE REVENUE.

For example, the Boeing and Microsoft corporations have tons of money. Tax exemptions that these corporations enjoy could be allowed to expire, instead of making cuts that will result in death and further suffering for so many. Look at this. The Boeing and Microsoft corporations have outsourced jobs to exploit cheap labor overseas. The government, by granting them indefinite tax exemptions, enables, encourages, promotes and rewards these, and other, harmful behaviors.

There is an appearance of betrayal. After all, we cannot abide policies that enable cash profits at the expense of the well-being of so many people (and planet.) We cannot abide cash for killing!

Please consider this: Instead of a special "cuts first" legislative session, how about an emergency session to raise revenue. To save lives.

You could even say to the people and the legislature something like this:

"If at the end of this special session to raise revenue the legislature has failed, then I as Governor of the State of Washington, will leave the luxurious abode of the Governor's Mansion, and move into Solidarity Village, in solidarity with those whom are most afflicted as a result of the systemic injustice and corruption that plagues this society."

Please join us. Please protect us. We call on you.

I hope that you will seriously and sincerely consider this message.

Thank you,
Robert Whitlock

beautiful morning!