Occupy WS2: Cincinnati Radicals Call For Socialism

The Cincinnati Beacon - Occupy WS2

Uh, The Cincinnati Black Blog has been calling for Occupy Cincinnati to localized the Occupy Wall Street movement. They've chosen, instead, to go off the charts!!!!! Read the extreme proposal outlined in the article by Bob Parks (link.)

Bob started off by proving a strategy that he suggests could work in Cincinnati. Is he right? Probably not, but we can't even justify addressing the strategy issue since the goals outlined in the article are so radical and shocking!

Bob thinks the Occupiers are engaged in class warfare and the 99% should join them in fighting for the following:
1. A 5% asset tax on all personal property in excess of $10 million.
2. A graduated personal income tax going to a marginal rate of 95% when the hedge funders break $100 million a year.
3. A freeze in wages exceeding the living wage for 2 years but with guaranteed full employment, union rights, universal publicly funded healthcare, and NO MORE FORECLOSURES.
4. A securities transaction tax.

Not only do Bob's ideas have little to do with a local movement, since everything on the list would require Congressional action, its simply contrary to American ideals.

The 99% want the 1% to pay their fair share. People are not going to support taxing anyone, including hedge funders, at a 95% rate. There's no moral justification for this.

And people aren't going to support Bob's idea of freezing wages beyond the living wage even if the country gets full employment and the other things he mentioned in return. (I am curious to know how Bob justifies ending foreclosures but not tenant evictions. And if the government ends foreclosures, why not provide universal housing, in a house not an apartment?)

The Cincinnati Black Blog graciously bestows the following rating on Bob Parks' proposal: FAILS!

Isn't there somebody...ANYbody...who can get Occupy Cincinnati to quit fooling around and get to work!!! They've been sidetracked and unfocused; pulled into a fight with the city over the 1st Amendment and the use of a public space; caught issuing a silly set of guiding principles that have very little, if anything, to do with the struggle in Cincinnati; engaged in a power struggle with the unions; and disengaged from the Black community. The people are counting on Occupy Cincinnati to win. Get your act together!!!

Believe!

9 DEMANDS OF THE 99%

No movement lasts forever, so its important to make change when you can. If Occupy Wall Street succeeds, our nations financial and political systems will be changed forever. If Occupy Cincinnati succeeds, the city will be better. But, what do the Cincinnati Occupiers want?

According to Working America -- a coalition of labor organizations and progressive groups -- the 99% have 8 national demand and they're looking for a 9th one. The 9 Demands of the 99% is Working America's 9-9-9 plan.

Here's what Working America says we want:

1. Tax Wall Street for gambling with our money.
2. Support education.
3. Keep working families in their homes.
4. End too big to fail.
5. Fair share of taxes from the 1%.
6. Businesses should invest in jobs.
7. Extend unemployment insurance.
8. End corporate control of our democracy.

How does this translate locally? What, if anything, are the local representatives of Working America demanding?

Here at The Cincinnati Black Blog we've been gently encouraging our Occupy Cincinnati comrades to get the act together! We believe they must eventually come up with a list of problems caused by economic inequality (some might call them grievances) backed up by research, a sensible list of suggested changes (some might call them demands), and a strategy to get their suggested changes accomplished.

Some of the items on Working America's list of demands could be localized. For example, they demand an end to the Bush tax cuts for the 1%. They demand that corporate tax loopholes be closed. In Cincinnati, there are special corporate tax loopholes for the the 1% that result in a loss of millions of tax dollars. Our research suggests one of the biggest tax loopholes was instituted under former Mayor Roxanne Qualls, who is now chair of Cincinnati City Council's Finance Committee. (The corporate media is now pushing to have Qualls returned to the mayor's office.) The corporate media tells you the city gets 2.1 percent of the salaries of EVERYONE who lives or works in the city. Well, you, our faithful readers know there's a special corporate ram loophole for the 1% that allows them to rake in millions of dollars from stock options and the city gets no money from that part of the rich corporate executives' salary. The corporate media also claims the city gets a tax from a portion of corporation' s earnings. Well, this also isn't necessarily try. The city has waived this income for dozens of corporations.

Yesterday, Cincinnati City Manager Milton Dohoney presented his proposed budget to Mayor Mark Mallory, Qualls, and the other members of City Council. The Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce and other representatives of Big Business and Corporate America have been meeting with Dohoney, Mallory, Qualls and others to make sure the tax loopholes stay in place and the rich aren't requires to pay their pair share. They have no problem aggressively advocating for their position. And they don't do it in 2 minute speeches as public hearings -- the way the politicians tell working Americans and average citizens is the way to have a say on the budget. What is Occupy Cincinnati's take on the budget? With so many smart people involved in Occupy Cincinnati why haven't they presented their own budget? We admit that we haven't had time to review the budget in detail, but we know it won't go far enough to address the city's pension problem; eliminate the threat of closing health centers, pools, and other quality of live things enjoyed by the 99%. So, where are Cincinnati's AFSCME locals, the AFL-CIO, and the local version of Working America? What's their plan? A report from the corporate media today states, "City residents might see rate increases from both Greater Cincinnati Water Works and the Metropolitan Sewer District...." How is it possible that at this time in history, there is a discussion of raising rates (taxes) on the 99%, closing swimming pools for poor families (the 1% don't care if public pools close because they have other options), slashing the city's Health Department budget, and doing nothing to protect city employees and retirees, or keep the city's promises to fund the pension/retirement system at a full rate?

The Cincinnati Black Blog strongly encourages Occupy Cincinnati to join forces with the Cincinnati Working America coalition and use this window of opportunity to help put the city on the right track.

Cincinnati Beacon's Justin Jeffre: SEIU doesn’t speak for me and I haven’t seen them at the occupations!

The Cincinnati Beacon - SEIU doesn’t speak for me and I haven’t seen them at the occupations! - Cincinnati blog, Cincinnati news, Cincinnati politics

Amazing!

The other day, The Cincinnati Black Blog reported on Occupy Cincinnati's Statement of Principles. You might remember the group claimed to be open and desirous of working in solidarity with a coalition of individuals and organizations. We told you that Occupy groups all over the country had disrespected prominent Blacks and whites associated with organized labor organizations. The linked story from The Cincinnati Beacon serves as more proof that the Occupiers aren't practicing what they preach.

The people of Cincinnati deserve better!!! People are hurting. They need the Occupy movement to succeed. Justin Jeffre should be ashamed of himself for attacking SEIU -- one of the most active, assertive, and successful labor organizations in the world -- and trying to distance them from Occupy Cincinnati.

Here at The Cincinnati Black Blog, we don't like to question people's motives, but in this case we have to ask why Jeffre is acting so foolishly. It makes no sense to push an organization away that has resources, people, a good focus, and a proven record of accomplishment. That is, it makes no sense if you are really trying to bring about change. We wonder: Whose Side Is Justin Jeffre On?

Rev. Al Sharpton

Watch "Blueberry Pie" on YouTube

Blacks See No Reason To Join Divisive, Paternalistic, Amorphous White Occupiers

Why blacks aren't embracing Occupy Wall Street - The Washington Post
Today, The Cincinnati Black Blog brings a Cincinnati focus to the linked Washington Post opinion piece by Stacey Patton.

Occupy Wall Street might seem like a movement that would resonant with back Americans. After all, unemployment among African Americans is at 15 percent, vs. almost 8 percent for whites. And between 2005 and 2009, black households lost just over half of their median net worth compared with white families, who lost 16 percent, according to the Pew Research Center.

However, these numbers have not translated into action. A few prominent African Americans, such as Cornel West, Russell Simmons, Kanye West and Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), have made appearances at Occupy protests. "Occupy the Hood," a recent offshoot, has tried to get more people of color involved. But the main movement remains overwhelmingly white: A Fast Company survey last month found that African Americans, who are 12.6 percent of the U.S. population, make up only 1.6 percent of Occupy Wall Street.

African Americans share white Americans' anger about corporate greed and corruption, and blacks have a rich history of ,,protesting injustice in (the) United States. So why aren't they Occupying?

A few points.

1. The Cincinnati Black Blog has criticized Occupy Cincinnati many times and for many reasons. One of our criticisms is that, after two months, the Cincinnati Occupiers still haven't provided facts needed to support the movement's argument for change. More than that, they have yet to define the problem with the current system or tell us why we need change. There is no excuse for this. Among the ranks of the Cincinnati Occupiers are college professors, social workers, and goverment bureaucrats with access to information. What's the unemployment rate in Cincinnati? What's the breakdown for whites? For Blacks? Did Black households in Cincinnati lose over half their median net worth between 2005 and 2009? What's the number? What's the number for whites? Everybody knows that the first step in problem solving is defining the problem. By now, there should be a clear picture of what's happening to the people of Cincinnati. These facts lay the groundwork for the movement. Without them, people are just hanging out in a park yelling to themselves.

2. Ms. Patton writes: "...if the Occupy movement does not grow in solidarity with other constituencies of exploited and oppressed people ... the powerful undertone of race and class in America will keep both blacks and whites from being free."

You may not follow the day-to-day happenings surrounding the movement and might therefore assume that the Occupy movement -- which is mostly composed of white people not associated with a labor organizion -- had reached out to activists in the Black community, labor organizations, and other natural allies. They haven't. To the contrary, white Occupiers across the country and in Ohio have done their best to insult prominent Blacks and Black leaders. Ms. Patton mentions that Congressman John Lewis, Kanye West and others have made appearances at Occupy protests. What she doesn't mention is they were disrespected and shunned! It's not just Blacks either. The Occupiers have waged war against organized labor leaders. In Cincinnati, the Occupiers have alienated a group that defeated Senate Bill 5 and showed they know how to stand up to an attack by powerful forces and win.

3. Ms. Patton writes: "Black America's fight for income equality is not on Wall Street, but is a matter of day-to-day survival. The more pressing battles are against tenant eviction, police brutality and street crime. This group doesn't see a reason to join the amorphous Occupiers." We can't agree with the idea that Blacks have no fight on Wall Street (or 4th Street in Cincinnati) or that Blacks are so overwhelmed with day-to-day survival that we can't stand against corporate greed and income inequality. Black people have bank accounts, pay taxes, and are affected by corporate America's actions. That said, yesterday, The Cincinnati Black Blog was the only media outlet to report on Occupy Cincinnati's Statement of Principles -- Peace, Love, Equality, Justice and Solidarity -- and how, based on these fuzzy principles, Occupy Cincinnati has chosen as its local mission ending war, reversing globalization, restoring communities and ecosystems, and reconstructing government. How can anyone seriously expect people to Occupy when the Occupiers are issuing silly statements like the one by Occupy Cincinnati.

What if Occupy Cincinnati isn't serious about making change. What if a few people are using the movement to gain attention? What if the people associated with Occupy Cincinnati are just too stupid to know how to capitalize on this moment in history to make concrete changes that benefit the people. Whatever the truth, we understand why Blacks haven't joined the divisive, amorphous, disrespectful white Occupiers in Cincinnati.

Five Principles Of Occupy Cincinnati

Five Principles - Occupy Cincinnati
The Cincinnati Black Blog supports the ideas behind the Occupy movement. We have a right, and a responsibility, to criticize stupidity within the movement when we see it.

Some goofball, calling himself Jim Press, purporting to speak for Occupy Cincinnati (and the Occupy Revolution as he called it), published the linked article in Daily Kos. The Statement of Principles -- most of which have absolutely nothing to do with economic inequality or corporate influence over our world and governmental institutions -- serves as a good example of why people don't get involved in movements when they seem to be dominated by white liberals. Too many white liberals aren't serious about making concrete changes, they are interested in engaging in happy talk about a world full of butterflies and singing birds. They don't want to change the system to limit corporate influence in goverment, elections, and society, and make the rich (and corporations) pay their fair share; they want revolution. They want to destroy the system!

To ignore the many powerful corporate influences in Cincinnati, which Occupy Cincinnati could impact if they were serious, and focus on things mentioned in the 5 principles, is amazingly ignorant -- unless there is a different mission.

Ask yourself, is Occupy Cincinnati bringing attention to Big Business' influence over local elections? Are they advocating a change in the political system, one that limits the influence of the rich?

Are they challenging the policies of Cincinnati's biggest bank? Did they promote moving money from 5/3 to a credit union? Have they exposed the bank's expensive check fee policy and pressured the bank to change it? How about the ATM and debit card fees charged by 5/3. Why is it that the Occupy movement all over the country is focused on certain things and moving, to some degree, in a coordinated manner, so as to have a greater impact, but the Occupy Cincinnati folks aren't cooperating?

Cincinnati has the ugly distinction of being the only major city in Ohio that doesn't levy a local income tax on corporate stock options. Why isn't Occupy Cincinnati working with their natural allies in the labor movement and in the Black community to end this practice and make the rich pay their fair share?

Question -If Nero fiddled while Rome burned, what is Occupy Cincinnati doing while The People suffer?
Answer - Read the linked article.

Cops Pepper Spray Peaceful College Kids At Occupy Protest

Watch "Raw Video: Cops Pepper Spray Passive Protesters" on YouTube
Here's the Associated Press' description of the video.

"Video of a tense standoff between police and Occupy demonstrators of the University of California, Davis shows an officer using pepper spray on a group of protesters who appear to be sitting passively on the ground with their arms interlocked."

A lot has changed since Bull Corner siced dogs and sprayed water cannons on Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth, and non-violent protesters in Birmingham. Still, history teaches the American people will never tolerate this sort of violent activity by government officers against citizens exercising their right to speak, assemble, and protest. The 99% are more powerful than the 1%. In the end, we will win. Believe!

New Reader Is Puzzled

Here at The Cincinnati Black Blog we receive quite a few emails and comments from people asking us to clarify our position on various issue. They usually aren't nearly as nice as the email posted below. We are happy to interact with you, our faithful readers. And we do not shy away from explaining our positions. If time permits, we will respond to the email by the end of the weekend. Do you have questions for The Cincinnati Black Blog? Have information for us? Would you like to be one of our sources or researchers? If so, feel free to submit information through the comments section or email me directly at natelivingston@yahoo.com. I've got a spam filter on the comments and the email, but I check the spam regularly.

---

From: Gerry Hoeper
To: NateLivingston@yahoo.com
Subject: I'm puzzled?
Sent: Sat, Nov 19, 2011 3:11:34 PM

Mr. Livingston,   I have read some of your posts recently going back to 2006 and I’m not sure what you agenda is. You want to get rid of affirmative action, so no one has an advantage. I personally view this as a positive. You want school funding to be equitable, so the property owners are not the only people supporting the schools. Again I agree on this issue.   Where the conflict arises and the confusion is that you wrote an article about the lawsuit of Laure Quinlivan. You say she was discriminated by her employer and that if they will do it to one of their own then they will do it to a minority. This statement is hostile as a minimum. A court brief is only one claimed side of a story. You did nothing but use conjecture and speculation as if it is fact.   Ohio is an “At Will” state. I can terminate or be terminated at any time any employee for cause or not. Who cares about the motivation. If this woman is the great reporter she claims then jobs must have been abundant, else she may not be what she claims.   Why should this woman receive any special treatment, conflicts with an end to affirmative action? Why are you worried about sales taxes to pay for education? This is fair, if an item is purchased in the state then you support education. Poor people and rich people have children in the school system. You mean the rich should only pay for education? So the poor get an advantage? This conflicts with your view to end affirmative action also.   What I would like to see is a consistent record/position.   Personally I am against the government taking anything and giving to a group of any sorts, And that includes welfare, section 8, Medicaid, free school lunches, etc. I started with nothing and have moved ahead, by hard work and not handouts. This should be the agenda. I also give back to the community, by voluntary donations, items and time. This is the proper approach.   Write to your hearts content. Dialogue is always a good thing. As my subject line states, I’m puzzled by what appears to be a inconsistenct statements/contradiction.   Have a good year and happy holidays.   Gerry Hoeper

Gingrich, Bortz, Smitherman: Self-Dealing In Plain Sight

What do presidential candidate and former Speaker of the House of Representatives Newt Gingrich, recently defeated Cincinnati City Councilmember Chris Bortz, and Christopher Smitherman have in common? Besides the fact that they are all Republicans (yes, Bortz and Smitherman are Republicans, they just won't come out of the closet), they've all tried to use their public positions to enrich themselves and/or their family members.

Mainstream, alternative, and independent white media outlets have taken Gingrich and Bortz to task for their ethical (and sometimes legally questionable) lapses. For examples, watch this story from MSNBC's Rachel Maddow titled "Getting To The Root Of Newt's Loot!" and read this story from CityBeat's Kevin Borne titled "Losing 10,000 Voters Is Nothing to Shrug Off," that discusses the Ohio Ethics Commission advisory opinion indicating Bortz shouldn't participate in discussions or make decisions on the streetcar project, in part, because Bortz's family business stood to gain from the project. The media hasn't focused on Smitherman.

Here at The Cincinnati Black Blog we realize that we are constantly attracting new readers who may not be familiar with our exclusive reports on Smitherman and his brother, Albert Smitherman, owner of Jostin Concrete. Our faithful readers know all about the Smitherman family's work on the streetcar. It was wrong for Bortz to participate in streetcar discussions or votes and it would be wrong for Smitherman to do so.

Some of you are still mad at us for writing about Smitherman. You think we should look the other way, or even worse, join with certain other Black media outlets and make excuses for Smitherman. We disagree. Since its inception in 2004, The Cincinnati Black Blog has served many roles, one of which is the moral conscious of the community. We didn't choose this role for ourselves, the community bestowed it on us. Regardless of how it came about, we take our responsibility seriously. So, you'll have to stay angry at us, because we intend to keep reporting on unethical and illegal activities taken by public figures in Cincinnati, and we intend to do so even when the out-of-order person is Black. As a matter of fact, it might not be fair, but we expect more from Black people and we hold them to a higher standard. White people have a way of straightening out their public figures or getting rid of them. They threw Newt out of Washington and will throw him off the national stage if this self-serving in plain sight is as bad as it seems. The voters just threw Bortz off Council.

Smitherman should voluntarily abstain from participating in discussions or votes on any project where Jostin is involved. If he doesn't take this step voluntarily, we will reach out to our concerned partners and find someone to complain to the Ethics Commission. If all else fails, our founder and publisher will stop Smitherman by any means necessary.

It occurs to us that Smitherman may actually benefit from our involvement. Here's why. He has promised the white community in general and the Coalition Opposed to Additional Spending and Taxation (COAST) specifically that he will fight against the streetcar. Now, he can't really do anything to stop it or even slow it down. Could he get some publicity by railing against the streetcar every step of the way from inside City Hall? Sure. But, having served a term on Council where he didn't get a single piece of meaningful legislation passed, Smitherman has got to want this term to be different. He may be in the minority with Charlie Winburn, but he is in the majority when you consider the racial makeup of Council. To get anything accomplished, he will need more friends than Winburn. So, abstaining voluntary, or being forced to abstain, means Christopher can go back to COAST and the white folks on the East and West sides of town and say "I really am opposed to the streetcar, and I would be fighting against it, even if it makes the Democrats on Council mad at me, but I can't because the Ethics Commission has tied my hands." He can let Winburn tilt at windmills. And maybe he can get a few legislative wins under his belt and not be a total failure like he was last time he was on Council. Finally, he might stay out of federal prison.

What's Next For Mayor Mallory?

Who will succeed Mallory in 2013? | Cincinnati.com | cincinnati.com

The Cincinnati Enquirer doesn't want people thinking about the idea of Mayor Mark Mallory challenging Congressman Steve Chabot. Instead, The Enquirer is already publishing stories about a Mayoral election two years from now and not so cleverly pushing Roxanne Qualls for the job.

From the story: "Ten days after Cincinnatians elected a new City Council, talk is already turning toward who might become the next mayor."

This is a great example of a newspaper trying to push a story and get people thinking and talking about an issue rather than reporting the news. And while The Enquirer tries to turn talk toward the 2013 Mayoral election, they deliberately ignore the Congressional election less than a year from now and the primaries in a few months. The people of greater Cincinnati deserve better.

By comparison, newspapers in northern Ohio have published dozens of stories about the Congressional primary, where March Kaptur will be challenged by Dennis Kucinich in the primary, and Joe "The Plumber" hopes to challenge the winner in the general election. (Sidenote: Where do Republicans come up with these guys to challenge Kaptur? Last time they sent a Nazi sympathizer named Rich Iott after her. She smoked him!)

The Enquirer should be asking Democratic Party leaders who they plan to run for Congress against Chabot. They should be asking the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee to explain why they don't have a candidate already. And if they do have a candidate in the wings (we hear Mayor Mallory use running), why aren't the DCCC and the candidate raising money, building an organization, and doing the work it'll take to win. And The Enquirer should be asking potential candidates if they are interested in running. (For some reason, The Enquirer has been covering the primary challengers to Congresswoman Jean Schmidt.) The Enquirer went to Qualls and John Cranley and asked them about the Mayoral race. Both of them have run for Congress before. Why wouldn't they ask them if they are interested in challenging Chabot. Why hasn't The Enquirer asked Democratic Party Boss Tim Burke who has shown interest in running? Why haven't they been down to the Board of Elections asking about who took out petitions? They've run stories about Fanon Rucker running for Ohio Supreme Court and Cecil Thomas possibly running for a seat on the Hamilton County Commission. Have the Democrats held interviews to screen potential candidates. If so, why isn't The Enquirer talking about it? If The Enquirer has asked these questions and they have he answers, they should share that information with their readers.

President Barack Obama is a beast when it comes to fundraising. One thing he re-taught in 2008 is Democrats put themselves in a better position to win when they significantly outraise their Republican opponents. Obama is already fundraising hard. Whoever the Democratic candidate is, they'll be competing with Obama for campaign cash. So its stupid to wait until the last minute to get a candidate and get them started, unless the Democrats plan to throw the election.

Chabot can be beat. Because Obama and Senator Sherrod Brown are at the top of the ticket, turnout is going to be high. Let's be real, the Republicans don't have a star on their side. No matter who wins their nomination, they aren't going to energize the party's base and turnout on their side in the city is going to be dwarfed by turnout from the Democrats. A good Democrat, with an articulate message, and demonstrated record of accomplishment, can use the increased turnout and a strong campaign warchest to overwhelm Chabot.

Here at The Cincinnati Black Blog we trust our sources. We believe they were right when they told us President Obama personally asked Mayor Mallory to run against Chabot and Mallory was almost certainly going to do it. We don't like the idea of Black politicians being set up for failure. While we acknowledge that Chabot CAN be beat, it is no guarantee that he WILL be beat. Democrats have a long history of throwing Black candidates under the bus. White mainstream reporters like Jane Prendergast aid in this process by ignoring races when the candidate is Black.

The Cincinnati Black Blog is back!!!

Believe!