Occupy Wall Street is Becoming Less Visible…and More Powerful

More news stories have been coming out about citizens organizing and protesting various issues. This is occurring while major media outlets are falsely calling the death of Occupy as final. Protesters recently interrupted the shareholders’ meeting for Bank of America (LINK); the financial subcommittee, headed by Representative Ron Paul, is examining proposals to limit the Federal Reserve’s power or abolish it altogether (LINK); Greece has entered into a barter economy in certain parts of the country (LINK); and protesters in various countries are protesting Monsanto and it genetically modified seeds.

For a time, hope seemed lost on America and its people, but these actions show a prosperous chance where the system in which the underclasses were fooled into believing can be shifted, changed, or stopped.

Adbusters, a Canadian-based, anti-consumerism magazine, is credited with setting the September 17 date where people would occupy Wall Street with tents and a unified voice. The camp-in was set back by much negative media coverage. Rapes, drugs, racist messages, and the like became the news of the day by media outlets controlled by the large corporations which Occupy was protesting against. Anyone born into the information age could find independent news sites and blogs which showed the other side of the story. Police brutality, sabotage by corporate plants, and legislative oppression made the case for Occupy stronger for those that knew the truth.

The people who make up occupy are not superstars or saints. They are a representation of America, a mash-up of different ideas, ethnicities, and personalities. This could be seen as a downfall for the movement. However, these differences have led to Occupy’s increased power over corporate power. The Occupy movement has become organized through diversification. Capitalism’s most powerful tool has become a part of the Occupy movement.

Different Occupy committees seem to have formed around ideas following the corruption of politics; the national food and agriculture system; corporate corruption; illegal foreclosures; and fractional reserve lending. The protests even follow individual organizations like Bank of America, Monsanto, and the Federal Reserve.

Some people have the misconception that Occupy Wall Street is about bringing communism or socialism to capitalism, but if you look at the facts, the movement is about bringing capitalism back to America and its people. Government bailouts of major industries and subsidies for oil and agriculture is socialism. Forcing companies to compete for consumers by becoming better and cheaper is capitalism. Some people who believe in the system are being called “sheep”. I’m still looking for a more offensive word to use that will make people look at their own actions and realize that there is a better way to living.

If you or someone you know is interested in Free Pinellas please contact us at freepinellas@yahoo.com. If there is a topic you think we should cover please send any ideas to our email or comment on our blogs at WordPress, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

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Occupy The Cause

Occupy The Cause

#OWS is still a disorganized situation so I thought that if they had one driving point that tied all the causes together then it might help. This is it: Reform election laws that will put a cap on campaign expenditures. Make a cap amount that can be funded through campaign money from anywhere, including a grant or loan for people with no income, so that candidates may only spend just enough money that allows them to

1) make their voting record more widely available,

2) create a plan for foreign & domestic policy, and

3) make limited commercials and announcements.

The cap could be any amount, but it has to limit this stupid garbage on the air waves now. It’s so easy to tell you that “I want to make America great again,” but not tell you how or tell you without standing next to a public voting record.

It’s obvious that Gingrich has not known a hard day’s work for a long enough time that he thinks nothing of regularly spending money on jewelry that is worth more than the average annual wage of most Americans. This is just his personal life choices, by the way. His professional life shows that he worked as an independent consultant for one of the failing financial NGOs that helped perpetuate the financial bubble that led to the crash we find ourselves in today. He also nearly lost his bid for re-election for passing bad checks from the congressional bank account.

His other hypocrisies are listed on this site:

http://www.realchange.org/gingrich.htm?mid=534

We know that each candidate involved in the upcoming elections is a part of the system in one way or another. Herman Cain, who tries to play the part of the outsider of Washington, used to work for a regional branch of the Federal Reserve and was president of the National Restaurant Association. This trade organization boasts some the largest fast food franchises in the world and acts as a lobbying channel to reach legislators who can game the system for a kickback in one way or another. I really do not care about his sexual activity except that it was behind his wife’s back. It shows a deceptive personality. Trying to get some is not a crime and he made a mistake talking to the wrong women. Take the subtle private room suggestions to a bar and it would be fine. He probably would have scored some bar skank ass.

The political process was explained to me very realistically in a subtly sweet way by Peter Nehr (R-FL), a representative in the Florida state house in 2008. Representative Nehr said that laws must be supported by other congressmen to be able to go to vote and pass for ratification. He went on to explain that if he wanted a bill supported, he would have to support a bill of another congressmen. I don’t remember him saying that he would never sacrifice his principles or act unethically.

This is not a condemnation of Nehr’s behavior or character, but it is a point to be made that ethics aren’t something to be mentioned, but that is definitely not because it is a piece of assumed political criteria.

The crimes of congressmen is being dragged out in the mainstream media now with congressional members Bachus and Pelosi being questioned on their financial deals made before the financial collapse of 2008. Legally, these were not crimes, but that is only because these lawmakers said that their own actions were not crimes. Writing that sentence just made me feel stupider, but I think it’s an important part of the paragraph.

To get back to my original point, we need election reform that will force candidates to stand by their past decisions, formulate actual concrete plans, prevent the unlimited dirty cash from special interests entering into elections, and put a stop to the cowardly commercials that are put forth by men who may not be called men and women who are a disgrace to their gender.

This all leads me to a final point; we need to run our communities. We need to run for political offices; we need to start businesses that can create jobs and influence citizens; we need to take power away from this system and create a new co-existing system. We can do it through capitalist means with real competition where failure is a freedom and getting bailed out is a charitable action made by friends and family, not an obligation forced upon us by criminals who wouldn’t stop their shopping days at Tiffany’s to help out the college students, factory workers, and farmers that are the gears that turn the economic machine.

If you or someone you know can help please contact us at freepinellas@yahoo.com. If there is a topic you think we should cover please send any ideas to our email or comment on our blogs at WordPress, Facebook, and Twitter.

Find our new Facebook group at the Free Pinellas Information and Business Network. Join up, force your friends to join, post stories, comment, then continue doing something stupid like watching Jersey Shore.

TAMPA- Six Protesters Arrested for Assembling

 

 

 

 

If we do not publish these stories and these actions taken by the police and government then we will, as free citizens, be oppressed further until we are willing to fight again. Resist oppression now before it is too strong to fight against.

TAMPA- Six Protesters Arrested for Assembling.

The Renewable Community

I entered a submission to the Creative Loafing 10-100-1000 Contest a few months back. This is the article with a link at the bottom. There will be more articles to come soon. Tim.

Creating a Renewable Community

By: Tim Lofgren
Free Pinellas

For the 10-100-1000 contest, I decided to submit my idea for a renewable community model. The following is my idea submission with some elaboration.

I believe that a multi-pronged commercial approach to the improvement of the Tampa Bay Area would offer many outlets for improving the community both economically and socially while creating jobs for people to support themselves and their families.

These businesses will be individually unique, but connected to the community through their customers, employees, and raw materials sources. A general breakdown would have commercial, political, and social extensions. However, since $1000 would be a relatively small capital investment, I will only go into detail about the first part of the project.

Agriculture operations that encourage locally grown food can cut down on freight miles of trucks and trains and also help industrial production of renewable energy and other needed materials like fabrics, soaps, oils, and construction materials. The production of this agricultural business will be sold through farmers markets, local restaurants, the construction industry, the transportation industry including auto repair garages, and will include any other businesses that may benefit. The agricultural production process will be handled, at first, through a single business distribution hub. Eventually, other growers may become a part of the process by selling their products through the main hub or as an extension of the original hub which may include secondary buyers who use the products to produce end line consumer products.

This business will have need of people skilled in an area that is relatively easy to learn and will also spur employment of local landscapers who may be having trouble with work. This arrangement with landscapers would require a slight shift in current business models since many landscapers dump their yard waste and usually specialize in ornamental plants.

This community-supported enterprise model has the potential to lower local demand on petroleum products by exploring alternative energy production options like ethanol, biological-based fuel, solar power, wind, and wave – all of which can be produced locally. Local horticulture practitioners, professional and amateur, can become self-employed business entrepreneurs by composting, growing needed products, breeding beneficial animals, or providing pest management that does not require chemical pesticides. People and businesses that are not directly involved with the agricultural process may become skilled in other needed areas like pottery, soap and candle making, or food preservation. Corporations may participate in this community growth by buying locally by branch location. Grocery stores may buy from the community hub because of the volume required. Car dealers and gas stations may offer alternative fuel options that work because of alternative fuel availability. Auto repair shops can offer engine conversions to the new fuel options.

The rest of the project would eventually include extended services such as: Local journalism, Community Outreach, Local Currency Exchange and Management, Marketing and Distribution, Political Action and Legislation Reform, Quality Control, Business Networking and Management.

For more information, visit:
http://freepinellas.wordpress.com
http://www.myspace.com/freepinellas

Any questions or comments would be great to hear. I can be reached at freepinellas@yahoo.com.

A link to the original article can be found here:

http://www.creativetampabay.com/2011/07/creating-a-renewable-community/

White House Insider On Obama: President Losing It | Newsflavor

Cool article from White House “insider” about the current state of the president’s mindset and motivation.

White House Insider On Obama: President Losing It | Newsflavor.

Videos that moved me to share their message

This video contains topics like the new world order, falseflag terrorism theories, and corporate-control of America. These ideas are irrelevant in their accuracy and actual truthful content. The ideas that are relevant are those of a country that is democratically controlled through its people. This idea is exactly what America used to be. Now, we cannot control whether our hard earned and easily taken tax money is used to prop up banks so they can float until they have enough time to cash out.

This second video is a clip from “60 Minutes” which shows the coming collapse of the state and local budgets which Americans are dependent upon.

Entertainment is the biggest distraction in a consumer-based society.

War will the biggest distraction in a survival-based society.

We have been taught to think that there are boundaries to our existence on Earth. We must learn that our lives are not defined by the liberties that we are given, but by the ones we take.

Turn off the television. Tune into the community. Your life is not dependent how much money you have in the bank. Your life is dependent on the freedom you exercise. Stop listening to lies from corporate media and business. Start making your life into what you want without reservations.

Profits From Pain, Revisited

          It has been a half of a year since the Deepwater Horizon Oil Rig exploded, killing and injuring workers. Now, Halliburton has been brought into the aftermath of events. An investigation panel stated Thursday (10/28/10) that Halliburton may have responsibility in the explosion by knowingly supplying unstable cement which was meant to seal the well. Halliburton has deflected responsibility by saying that British Petroleum failed to conduct its own tests which would reveal any defects after it was laid.

          Halliburton is a well-known conglomerate with a past that is commonly seen by people as shady and reputation that may be called evil, or at least, not that nice. The company’s ties to former U.S. vice president, Dick Cheney; It’s no-bid contracts in the Middle East; Cheney’s plans for an oil pipeline through conflict-ridden Iraq and Afghanistan; conducting business with Iran despite being under sanction by the United States and a key opponent to America’s significance in the world stage; and, most recently, the $579 million settlement for charges of bribery paid to Nigerian officials, through the subsidiary Kellogg Brown & Root, involving contracts to build a liquefied naturals gas facility. This investigation into the sale of faulty cement, of which Halliburton may have been aware, is another notch on the belt of underhanded deals of the oil services giant.

          Halliburton’s stock took a dip of 16% after the report was announced to potentially have legal and commercial consequences. It settled the trading day down 8%. The company has denied any responsibility for the inferior quality of its oil well cement, saying it was BP’s responsibility to test the cement’s integrity. But Robert MacKenzie, managing director for energy and natural resources research at FBR Capital Markets, made this statement, “I don’t think a report written by nontechnical people is going to affect industry perception… [Halliburton] does billions of dollars of work every year, and one job doesn’t make a reputation among their customers.” This would make total sense if Halliburton, one of the world’s biggest producers of oil well cements, had not provided the cement used in an offshore well near Australia that blew out last year.

          It is crystal clear when one looks at the behavior of Corporate America that profits must be maximized at any cost, including the safety of human life. This is the American way because American citizens allow it to happen. If any American is serious about change then they would act on it. It is up to the everyday American citizen to stop corporate corruption by becoming politically aware and demanding that national and state politicians bring justice to these organizations. Political awareness entails knowing what politicians stand for by following voting records, not listening to campaign advertisements. Corrupt corporate practices cannot occur without legal backing from politicians who are themselves corrupt.

Stop being a sheep, start thinking for yourself, and act for what you know is right.

 

Facts and figures taken from

Inquiry Puts Halliburton in a Familiar Hot Seat

By BARRY MEIER and CLIFFORD KRAUSS

Published: October 28, 2010

New York Times

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It’s Nice to Think that the Government Cares About its People

          So the representative republic we call America is supposed to look out for its citizens and protect most of the population from the people who would like to screw us over in the most discrete ways possible. Kashkari of the TARP Program, proved otherwise in a recent interview. I do not have the article specifics, but this article can most likely be searched for online.

[Kashkari] became a sort of punching bag for legislators during his appearances at congressional hearings [regarding TARP].

“When I went to testify, I was now one of the faces of this program. I had to do my best to explain what we were doing and why we were doing it, but I also had to represent us and show that I understood the American people’s anger, I understood how deeply unfair this crisis is,” he says. “But we had to stabilize the financial system, because if we failed, it would be the American people who bear the consequences of that.”

Oftentimes, it meant he just had to sit there and absorb their verbal lashings.

“It was an opportunity for members of Congress to vent the anger they were hearing from their constituents. And because I was a young man at 35 years old, I think they felt it was appropriate for them to take it out on me — which is fine. I sat up there, I think, in total, for 25 hours of testimony — most of which was exceedingly hostile.”

Throughout the testimony, Kashkari says, one particularly biting moment sticks in his memory.

“I remember when Congressman [Elijah] Cummings from Maryland asked me if I was a chump,” he says. “I remember just scratching my head, thinking to myself, ‘Did he really just call me a chump? Or did I just imagine that?’ “

But when the hearings were over, Kashkari says, their attitudes switched from critical to congenial in a matter of moments.

“Oftentimes afterward, when the cameras were off, they would take you into a back room and tell you that they really appreciate how hard I was working or our team was working, that they support us and our programs, and let us know if they could be helpful,” he says. “It was a 180-degree change from what they were showing in front of the camera. That obviously surprised me, but eventually I got used to it.”

          So it’s nice to think that our representatives’ anger at the TARP Program was an extension of the citizens’ anger, but the truth is that it wasn’t and politicians never will be on the citizens’ side as long as the citizens allow themselves to be separate from the politicians. In conclusion, citizens are not special, their rights are expendable, and they will never be respected. This is all true unless they change the country like they’re supposed to do.

If there is any topic you would like to share an opinion on please send an email to FreePinellas@yahoo.com. Visit myspace.com/freepinellas and twitter.com/FreePinellas

Debt Relieved, Part Three

A few months ago, I posted the story of the collections agency that harassed me and recited my Social Security number without verification of my identity. I filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau and had the collections company discontinue any calls to my house. I am continuing the conflict to bring legislative action to the Florida House of Congress. I am pursuing legislative action to bring balance to the conflict lines that have been drawn between Corporate America and the lower classes who are not within the top quintile bracket of wealth and income distribution. I am posting the letter that I have sent to the State Attorney General to show my progress in this matter. This same letter was also sent to the Federal Trade Commission. I am awaiting word from either organization. Pass this link to the next person to show that someone is there for those in need or communicate to me that this is what is important to you.

-Tim

State Attorney General Complaint

Hello, my name is Tim [Last Name Deleted]. Four months ago I received a phone from a collections agency which harassed and attempted to humiliate me. I filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau which has been settled, but I am pursuing the matter with the office of the Florida State Attorney General to begin the process of enacting legislation that will prevent more Floridians from experiencing the same harassment that I have. My original complaint with the Better Business Bureau follows,

On July 1st, 2010, I received a call at 8:39am. A woman began to inform me of a bill I was not aware of and asked for my information on how I would pay for it. I asked who this bill was for and was told that it for a psychological company whose name I did not recognize and asked for verification of the practitioner’s identity. She said she did not know the doctor, only the company. She immediately began reciting my Social Security Number and date of birth without verifying my real identity through my own recitation. When I began to say that I do not understand who she is talking about she stated that my conditions are full-time employment. I have no conditions with any psychologists so I must assume that she was referring to conditions of my legal status. This condition she stated is incorrect. She attempted to use this information of conditions as a way of forcing me to admit employment which I do not have and I stated that conditions were full-time employment or full-time college. After becoming angry at her attitude and her ignorance of my questions, I said I do not appreciate her attitude and that she kept talking over me. I asked for her company’s name and her name, which she stated as Medical Business Consultants and Ms. Banks, respectively. After this exchange, she threatened that after Friday my file would go on to collections department and that I must contact her by Friday to prevent this and she left no contact details or details on specifically whom the bill came from before hanging up on me.

I requested that action be taken on the part of the Better Business Bureau which follows verbatim,

There are two (2) actions I would like to request. I would like Medical Business Consultants to be listed with the Better Business Bureau in a manner that conforms to Bureau guidelines as uncooperative, harassing, and as irresponsible with private information or, if feasible, as a possible source of identity theft due to the sharing of private information without verification of the listening party. Second, I would like an apology letter from Medical Business Consultants which states, in plain language, their abhorrent business practices and their willingness to fully cooperate with an investigation by the Federal Trade Commission and Florida State Attorney General’s Office, if necessary.

The actions carried out by the collections agency I have described are not unique and are, apparently, not a part of the worst-case scenario. The economy may be in recovery from an economical and analytical standpoint, but Florida’s unemployment is still higher than the national average and more people are falling into debt delinquency. I am writing to bring this dilemma to your attention and ask for your assistance in stopping this abuse to be allowed to continue. I understand your elected position must be hectic, but your office says you are dedicated to helping protect Florida’s people from this type of violation. I would like to know that there is legislation to be proposed and passed regarding this, but any assistance you can offer me to help would be greatly appreciated.  I would value your expertise also if you could advise me how to enact proposals or show me names of our representatives who are keen to help on matters like this one. I have attached a short list of legislation guidelines that I believe can help. Thank you for taking your time to read this letter. I look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

Timothy [Last Name Deleted]

 

Legislation request:

• ·         Protect consumers: prohibit collection agencies from harassing citizens who are unemployed; require collections agencies to record all collections calls; prohibit collections from reciting sensitive personal information regarding Social Security number, date of birth, legal obligations and conditions including criminal background information; require collections companies to have detailed information on the company to be paid instead of generic company names which makes it easier for phishing scams to collect account numbers.
• ·         Regulate the debt collections sector of the financial industry: Blacklist and, if necessary, ban company and its employees from practicing collections calls; require certified letters from guilty collections agencies which state, in plain language, the business practices that caused the restriction; inform the business and consumers involved that the certified letters can be found through consumer protection agencies; require collections businesses’ full cooperation with an investigation by the Federal Trade Commission and Florida State Attorney General’s Office, if needed.

 

If you or someone you know can help please contact us at freepinellas@yahoo.com. If there is a topic you think we should cover please send any ideas to our email or comment on our blogs at WordPress, Myspace, and Twitter

A Clarification Meant to Refocus and Reconnect Our Mission and Our Readers

         In an attempt to create a simpler goal within my blog and organization, I have decided that my mission goal of promoting the principles of community involvement, economic sustainability, industrial responsibility, ecological conservation, political awareness, social resiliency, and personal accountability to enhance the mind, body, spirit, and community can be brought to the audience through one phrase. Social consciousness. This is not a obligation of action, but it is a dedication to thought. I am recording my action to offer society something to think about in the hopes that others will act as well. The mission statement remains the same but the goal is stated simply as provoking social consciousness.

         In definitive terms, social consciousness is just awareness of the social condition. This is not a call for government-run social justice or neo-fascist politicking. However, it is a sign for those few that when they arrive to the thought that there is something wrong then they need to do something. Nothing large or costly, but something that may not be noticed except by the smallest eyes. Something that lets you look in the mirror and know that you are no longer a part of the problem.

         This writing is just a clarification and when I document my actions, I will ask who is aware of the social condition. Most will not know what I mean, but some may answer with confidence, “I am aware. Everyday.”