Some solutions
The Occupy movement has been notoriously lacking in specific demands and goals. That’s okay—in fact, it has so far probably been a strategic advantage for various reasons. What’s important is that this movement has created a new political space and national conversation where such proposals can be offered up and discussed. Now is the time for all who have prospective solutions (such as the organizations listed here, as well as—inevitably—every pundit and blogger in the world, even us) to offer them up for consideration. Here are a few we collected at ETS!—not intended as an exhaustive or definitive list, but simply a reminder that it’s not solutions that we lack, but the political power to implement those solutions, which is what this movement is helping to build. You may have some solutions of your own—you can add yours below in comments.
FINANCIAL REFORM—Stop gambling with our economy & lives
• Break up big banks. “Too big to fail” is too big to exist.
• Investigate financial crimes and prosecute criminals. Long overdue.
• Reinstate Glass-Steagall separation between commercial banking and investment banking.
• Tax financial transactions to reduce risky speculation and raise needed revenue.
• Revamp the Securities Exchange Commission, an agency tightly wed to the Wall Street interests it supposedly regulates that failed miserably in its oversight duties in the lead-up to the financial crash of 2008.
• Strengthen the newly created Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
TAX REFORM—Toward greater fairness
• Close tax loopholes for corporations and the wealthy at local, state, and federal levels.
• Raise income tax rates on the rich and remove the cap on social security taxes.
• Implement “Buffett Rule” to ensure minimum tax on corporations and individuals.
• In Washington state, create a progressive income tax and reduce regressive sales taxes. Our state has most regressive tax system in the country, with the top 1% paying less than 3% of their income in taxes, while those earning less than $20,000/year pay more than 17% of their income in taxes. Only a progressive income tax can fix this imbalance.
POLITICAL REFORM—Get money out of politics
• Create a system of public financing for elections.
• Pass a Constitutional amendment that would reverse “Citizens United” decision by US Supreme Court. Amendment would declare that money is not speech and that corporations are not persons.
• Reform and regulate the lobbying industry which has grown to ridiculous proportions in recent decades. This should include ending the revolving door between elected officials, government contractors, and paid lobbyists and requiring greater transparency and public reporting.
Comments
By Paul Cienfuegos on October 24th, 2011 at 9:00 pm
Lance,
You encouraged me to comment on your articles, so here’s my thoughts about this one…..
(from your text: “a reminder that it’s not solutions that we lack, but the political power to implement those solutions, which is what this movement is helping to build.”)
i disagree. we have all the political power we need to implement solutions. not as activists but as the sovereign people with self-governing authority, which we haven’t used in aeons (except these 140 towns), but which is our innate right.
there is no greater political force in this country than we the people, we the majority. but only if we EXERCISE our local power, not squander it as all these single issue groups continue to do, year after year.
your financial, tax, and political reform lists are a hindrance to seeing clearly. almost every item on those lists could be dealt with collectively, if we only focused on root cause: corporate “rights”. strip those rights away, and voila.
again, 140 communities in 6 NE states have now done so. why isn’t your paper covering THAT? a real WIN.
where’s ETS’ coverage of EnvisionSpokane.org’s revolutionary work? they’re on the ballot again in nov. where’s your coverage? why is the left not paying attention to any of the RIGHTS-BASED organizing that keeps growing and WINNING? why such a uni-focus on single-symptom organizing campaigns only?
DN missed the story entirely too. why? i even wrote about it, and worked HARD to get truthout, huffington, alternet, commondreams to run my piece. not one of them even had the courtesy to respond. pravda ran it. many euro sites ran it. in this country: dead silence from OUR indy media.
here’s the piece i wrote:
http://paulcienfuegos.com/node/70
what’s YOUR explanation for this?
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