Show Solidarity with Occupy Wall Street

Show Solidarity with Occupy Wall Street

Thursday, November 17, 2011, 2:00 PM

Selected By: MoveOn Henry

Capitol Building Rotunda

75 Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard., St Paul, MN 55155 (map)

Selected by: MoveOn Henry

Join Occupy St. Paul in bridging the gap between Supercommittee politicians and the needs of the 99% http://occupysaintpaul.org/2011/11/14/usuncutmn-bridge-th...
Rally in Rotunda from 2-3pm, and maybe the media area and the Governor's office, then head over to the U of M to occupy the 10th Ave bridge that runs parallel to the I-35 bridge. Occupy Minneapolis, Minnesotans for a Fair Economy, and student groups will join together there at 4pm, then march back to the People's Plaza for a rally in solidarity with #OccupyWallStreet.
Additional Web resources:
http://www.OccupyMinneapolis.mn
http://www.mnfaireconomy.org/2011/11/06/bridge-the-gap-ma...
http://www.moveon.org/event/events/attendees/index.html?e...

Occupy Wall Street - Minneapolis - Day 1

Sept. 7th, 2011 - Excerpts from interviews with people attending the first day of the Occupy Wall Street demonstration in Minneapolis. Interviews include Governor Jesse Ventura and WAMM chairperson Marie Brown.(and yours truly)

ALEC likely violated state campaign board ruling, start complaining !!

By Jon Collins | 08.11.11 | 9:45 am

A Twin Cities event hosted this spring by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) likely violated a 16-year old ruling by the Minnesota campaign finance board. The group, which brings together corporations and state lawmakers to create and distribute conservative legislation, failed to register a lobbyist with the state when organizing an issues forum, as required by the board’s ruling.

On March 4, 2011, ALEC hosted an educational event in Bandana Square in St. Paul. In attendance were state lawmakers including ALEC state chair Rep. Mary Kiffmeyer (R-Big Lake) and an ALEC task force director, who traveled there for the meeting.

 The event likely violated guidelines set in a 1995 opinion (below) offered by the Ethical Practices Board, now the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board. Under the ruling, which was brought on by a similar event organized by the group at that time, ALEC was directed to register a lobbyist with Minnesota if

“the issues forum and any written materials distributed include information that communicates with or urges others to communicate with officials in attempts to advocate a particular position to an official about legislative or administrative action.”

 ALEC spokesperson Raegan Weber told the Minnesota Independent that ALEC wasn’t aware of the requirement in the board’s 1995 decision. She denied the group engaged in lobbying.

“Our task force director was asked to give an educational seminar about the publication,” Weber said. “That’s what it was — it was an educational seminar.”

Weber said the purpose of the March event was to provide information on ALEC’s State Government Reform Toolkit, which includes what the group’s press release described as 20 “recommendations” to state lawmakers dealing with fiscal crises. The guide argues for legislative reforms in areas ranging from pensions to the establishment of a privatization and efficiency council. Many of the recommendations include citations to ALEC model legislation, which is sometimes written and introduced to the group by corporate ALEC members who pay between $7,000 and $25,000 to be involved in ALEC.

Hamline University School of Business professor David Schultz told the Minnesota Independent that the board’s decision likely was applied to ALEC’s forums because of the group’s unique organizational structure.

“Oftentimes, a lot of organizations, if they’re going to sponsor issue forums, don’t have to [register a lobbyist],” Schultz said. “Because the legislative exchange council is seeking to try to influence legislation and legislators, that’s why the issue forums would require them to be registered.”

Schultz weighed in on the possible outcomes of ALEC not registering a lobbyist with the state: 

“It looks like any event they’re going to be sponsoring in the future is going to require them to continue to  be considered a lobbyist.” He added, “It could affect issues like their tax status.”

 Opinions from the Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board are interpretations of Minnesota statutes, in this case the one governing the state’s lobbyist disclosure requirements. Board investigations of statutory violations are generally triggered by public complaints. If a violation of statute is found by the board, it could lead to a civil penalty.

ALEC counts some 2,000 legislative officials nationwide among its members. In Minnesota, that includes about 30 members — all Republicans, according to state chair Kiffmeyer – in the state House and Senate and at least one federal member, Rep. Erik Paulsen. The group has drawn criticism from some who say it allows corporations to lobby lawmakers and write legislation without disclosure.

Common Cause Minnesota connected the group to legislation recently introduced in Minnesota, including bills that would undermine greenhouse gas restrictions and shield large food companies from consumer lawsuits.

ALEC is sometimes viewed as secretive because it doesn’t disclose its membership, although leaked ALEC files and individual confirmations by the Minnesota Independent have provided a partial picture of some Minnesota lawmakers that are involved.

Are you a member of the legislature or legislative staff with knowledge of ALEC’s work in Minnesota? Send us an email: jcollins@minnesotaindependent.com.

Campaign Finance Decision

Reminder:  Call out MN's ALEC members.   Let's get them recalled and out of office. AND we must make sure these people are registered LOBBYISTS !!


http://usuncutmn.blogspot.com/2011/07/call-out-alec-members-in-mn-leg-now-or.html

[under construction .. ]

To People for the American Way (www.pfaw.org)

We have a nearly  complete government SHUTDOWN here in  Minnesota.

Our governor bravely struggles to "negotiate" with members of the "immovable object" - which is secret members of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), AEI, graft takers, those sworn to the Grover Norquist "oath" which places oaths to his "PAC" over the sworn State of  Minnesota legislative oath.

What is at stake in Minnesota is a complete gutting of our government, a resource grab of our land, resources and people as quickly, cheaply and as recklessly as possible; privatization of many vital functions if the right wing loonies have their way.  It is a graft and corruption racket which has not been exposed by our media despite our repeated and presistent efforts to expose the depth of the social cuts proposed by both sides and the total inequality of the Minnesota tax system.

We reached out to progressive legislators, the press, other progressive groups, unions and professional poverty industry "types," and citizens from November to date - including our position on Citizen's  United.

I was able to reach a minimum of 16,000 - largely at my own expense and am now facing eviction.  A few generous souls have seen to  it that at least we have a few dozen teeshirtson the ground, that we had ink and money for our blog, USuncutMN.blogspot.com.  Despite repeated requests for financial help and backing, we have not even reached the $1000 goal orginally required to do a half-way respectable job.

It was with delight that I saw that ALEC was finally being extensively exposed by PFAW.org and rightwingwatch.org. The booklet is superb and so were the public statements that came on national media.  We tried to reach as many fine bloggers, organizations, and activists as possible @Netroots Nation as humanly possible, asking for  help and support as the SHUTDOWN neared. There is not a single action  proposed or educational pamphlet that we have offered that does not mention ALEC since the beginning of the session.  We've added our tiny drop to the growing  ocean of  protestors against ALEC and Grover Norquist.

As a result of pushing "ideological purity," growing a progressive coalition to fight back has been fraught with difficulty. It's hard to get progressive support from organizations that don't want to work w/others and rely on the old organizing  prp

Minnesota on Impeachment and removal from office

Minnesota State Constitution - ARTICLE VIII IMPEACHMENT AND 

REMOVAL FROM OFFICE - Sec.6-RECALL - A member of the senate or the 

house of representatives, an executive officer of the state identified in 

section 1 of article V of the constitution, or a judge of the supreme court, 

the court of appeals, or a district court is subject to recall from office by 

the voters. The grounds for recall of a judge shall be established by the 

supreme court. The grounds for recall of an officer other than a judge are 

serious malfeasance or nonfeasance during the term of office in the 

performance of the duties of the office or conviction during the term of 

office of a serious crime. A petition for recall must set forth the specific 

conduct that may warrant recall. A petition may not be issued until the 

supreme court has determined that the facts alleged in the petition are 

true and are sufficient grounds for issuing a recall petition. A petition 

must be signed by a number of eligible voters who reside in the district 

where the officer serves and who number not less than 25 percent of the 

number of votes cast for the office at the most recent general election. 

Upon a determination by the secretary of state that a petition has been 

signed by at least the minimum number of eligible voters, a recall 

election must be conducted in the manner provided by law. A recall 

election may not occur less than six months before the end of the officer's 

term. An officer who is removed from office by a recall election or who 

resigns from office after a petition for recall issues may not be appointed 

to fill the vacancy that is created. [Adopted, November 5, 1996]

Why post this?  The GOP is already on the threads proposing that this be done to Dayton (and possibly Thissen and Bakk ... )


FIGHT BACK PEOPLE. Get the legal ducks in a row.  In the days ahead, the Capitol is going to be a BATTLEGROUND, trust me on that.  We must let people know what is in the "offing" .. 


Every single Legislator who is collecting a salary while thousands are forced to retire or are "furloughed" should be impeached and force to recognize who they are betraying their oaths of office.

US Uncut Minnesota writes to the Star and Tribune

The corporate media is as much to "blame" for the shutdown as the GOP, the unions who did not lead and work with other groups, the Democrats who didn't lead and treat some of us as second-class citizens and the professional poverty industry. They followed every red herring story and continue to this day to not explain that the budget is NOT the problem. The budget is a symptom; the disease is money in politics and corporations who would GUT THIS STATE as quickly and cheaply as they possibly can and to hell with anyone who gets in their way. Corporate tyranny via the Koch brothers, American Legislative Exchange, Grover Norquist, Tony Sutton and a host of right-wingers have "played" this state and they are winning. To have not ONE legislator complain loud and long about the furloughing and retirements on SHUTDOWN DAY, the 30th, should tell the entire story. They are still being PAID. Get that? Still being paid and taking PAC money. Our message was not "Tax the Rich" - but "MONEY OUTTA POLITICS", "Thank you Mark Dayton" and "36,000 good reasons to STOP A SHUTDOWN" which we spread all over the known Universe. Only the MN media isn't hearing us. Will it ever? We doubt it. Enjoy your Saabs and Volvos guys while people begin a starvation diet. You deserve the pink slips we handed out .. "You're fired!" which you absolutely REFUSED to report on. We're going to keep handing them out while asking continually, "WHY ARE LEGISLATORS BEING PAID on a holiday weekend this sad? and every single weekend thereafter until the SHUTDOWN stops. While you are WASTING taxpayer dollars bickering about which sector of the US population will have to do without, so you can sell more newspapers, build more bombs, fight more wars, give 6 billions a 7.7% tax rate while I pay 22.1% on $8,200 per year, bail out banks and flex your flacid, arrogant muscles - the rest of us will try to find jobs, try to keep our homes, pay over $4 for gas and skip lunch, PRAYING we don't get sick .... Shame on you all who had a hand in this. Real cuts hurt real people. www.usuncutmnblogspot.com

Pic from our rally .

There will be a joint press conference re camping permit/rally

So stay tuned.

Pack your camping gear. Let's have

"Camp No State Parks" regardless of a permit or not.

Why? Because the people will exert maximum pressure to END THE SHUTDOWN and force the GOP to give it up.

We need new revenue, and not from Racinos, clothing taxes or any of a myriad of other loco proposals.

Turn your speakers up! FIGHT BACK!

Wealth didn't trickle down, everybody's screwed now
Free ride, only for the biggest of the banks
They've made it well known, they don't want to pay for roads
Let me tell ya something bout' our friends B of A...

Dead beats, tax cheats, hiding money overseas
Take this piece of shit loan, rate it "Triple A" please
Tape off Wall Street, white collar crime scene
Shut down, marked out of business temporarily

We didn't start the fire
It was always burning, since the world's been turning
We didn't start the fire
No we didn't light it but we gotta fight it

Always jackin' up the rate, never give a man a break
Make the poor pay for the rich man's mistakes
Hedge fund fat cats, I propose a new tax
70 percent for being such huge douchebags

Next crisis that you face, don't ya come to us and beg
We ain't gonna bail you out, you can go to hell

And next time, by the way, people try to rob your bank
Don't you call on our cops, you can fuck yourself

And we ain't puttin out your fires
Cuz your greedy asses never paid your taxes
If companies didn't cheat, we could pave our streets
We could educate our kids, that's just what the fact is

Politicians want to cut pensions they should leave alone,
Privatize the profits, let the losses hit the old folks
When the stocks crash, what you saved gets bled dry
Funneled up to Wall Street & you ain't got a life line

Make em chop from the top, don't you cut another cop
Go to where the money is, don't you cut our services
Government we used to know, picked clean to the bone
Business big wigs aren't paying what they owe

"OUR EDUCATION IS UNDER ATTACK,
WHAT DO WE DO?
FIGHT BACK."


Lyrics by Chris Priest (except the first chorus)

MINNESOTA SHUTDOWN ACTION, #30JuneMN

FIGHT BACK! MINNESOTA SHUTDOWN EVE

Invest in MN rally, 10 am.

Our Parade permit granted: ASSEMBLE at Kellogg Park, Kellogg Boulevard & Wabasha Street, 1:30 pm, march @2 pm. BRING SIGNS !! WHISTLES!! DRUMS !

!

Rally at the Capitol, Thursday, June 30th, 3 - 7 pm.
From 3 - 5, if a shutdown occurs we will be giving PINK SLIPS to all GOP legislators
@5 pm - the doors to the Capitol are LOCKED.
5-7 pm - speaker rally. People who will be hurt by a shutdown/social cuts will speak, Money Outta Politics will speak, Vets for Peace Tom White, and many other surprise speakers - people from ALL communities have been invited to speak.

If your group has a message on FIGHTING BACK - please call 612 492 1411, ASAP.

At 7 pm, AFSCME has the Capitol lawn. They will doing a ceremony @ 9 pm to LIGHTS ON the Capitol. Bring a flashlight!

WE HAVE APPLIED TO THE CITY OF ST. PAUL FOR A CAMPING PERMIT for low-income people who want to stay since ALL State parks will be closed. "Camp No State Parks" will hopefully be established with lights and water available until the shutdown ENDS.

Planning meeting @Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, 7 pm, Monday 6/27, 285 Dale Street. PLEASE GET INVOLVED !! There will be a paypal account for DONATIONS. We need them. Teeshirts available for $15. Phone: 612 492 1411.

There will be a website, shutdownriseup.org established to help people find shutdown actions and rallies!

Hundreds of workers have taken early retirement to avoid foreclosure and other financial hardship in anticipation of a shutdown.

We will hold a rally of support for the workers and their families and to discuss how to defend our state next steps, rain or shine!

We ask that YOU come and tell your friends, neighbors, relations and co-workers attend.

Bring food for a food shelf for laid off workers and to supplement the food shelves during July and August when poor families have children at home to feed, but are low on donations.

Also bring a flashlight as we intend to be staying around the Capitol til dark - (just remember, no camping out or falling asleep). PLEASE PICK UP YOUR OWN TRASH !!!

We plan to deliver hundreds of pink slips to GOP legislators who are STILL collecting pay for not doing their jobs: which is to provide health and safety for all Minnesotans.

Enough! The People must circle the wagons, now. Citizens must ban together.

Enough is enough. Join with US Uncut Minnesota and its friends to say that our citizens come FIRST. We all rely on the State funds for healthy living choices. Now it's time to get people ON the page. Poverty does not mean second class citizenship; we contribute to the state, too. People need clean water. The People need State park spaces. They shouldn't filling up their own potholes! And 12,000 people should not be facing going to nursing homes; it's more expensive in the long-run. The ALEC/GOP "plan" is to bankrupt our communities and get unelected receiverships in place, ala Michigan. We must defend Minnesota now.

Enough with politicians who rule out ending tax cuts for millionaires being called "serious" about the deficit. We're serious, too.

Enough with talk about tax cuts for billionaires helping the economy when over the last ten years household income did worse than during the Great Depression. (1) On June 25th, the GOP is continuing to say that we need trickle down economics as it's a "recession." Well, we beg to say, there is PLENTY OF MONEY. NO human services need to be cut. NONE.

Enough with politicians being called "courageous" for proposing the end of Minnesota Care in order to pay for tax cuts for the rich.

Enough with Republicans holding the country and our state hostage for further cuts while unemployment and foreclosures remain rampant, while the cost of food, gas and health care go up, and while families around the country fall into poverty.

Enough. We are not broke, and there is a better way out of this. Join with us to say: tax millionaires and billionaires instead. Close corporate loopholes, too. And STOP the cuts!

We would like to get the Chamber of Commerce to Minnesota say whether they support this unfair tax system and all the cuts as they did during the session - OR do they want to stop squealing about the loss of revenue during the SHUTDOWN? We want to know why the American Legislative Exchange Council is writing MINNESOTA law - out of state.

Why should the poor continue to pay 21.1% in tax in MN, while the billionaires pay 7.7%!! AND we get our services cut when we are vulnerable. Everyone is one accident away from DISASTER.

This is a networking FLASH MOB !! Bring treats to share, if you like !

We can do enough to end this stalemate !!

Support our Governor now and stand STRONG 

and united.

(1) Last Ten Years Of Wage Gains Lower Than During The Great Depression, Think Progress, June 3

To RSVP:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=174559199270844

also, @USuncut.org's website
http://usuncut.org/actions/535

We need donations to pay for Porta-potties, trash receptacles, medical supplies, transportation and an adequate speaker system. People are asked to print their own flyers at their own expense, which can be emailed to you via USuncutMN@@gmail.com.

We will soon have a paypal donation link. We appreciate your support.

See you there, because even if there is not a SHUTDOWN for many it will be their last day of work. Rain or shine.

So pass this AROUND virally. 

GOAL; 60,000 peiople fighting back!! (with lots of support)

See US Uncut Minnesota FB page, USuncutMN twitter, and www.USuncutMN.blogspot.com

Email: USuncutMN@gmail.com 

This is an ad hoc Committee of Concerned Citizens to STOP the MN State SHUTDOWN.

Tax the rich! Stop the tax subsidies to corporations! End the draconian cuts! NO CONCESSIONS!

Fight Back 2.0 will be shared, "liked" and tweeted.  We will win.

BUDGET STANDOFF: Blinking? or Blindfolded? TruthToTell w/USuncut, June 7th

TruthToTell, Mon., June 6-9AM: BUDGET STANDOFF: Blinking? or Blindfolded? - KFAI FM 90.3/106.7/KFAI.org

The budget impasse continues as this is written with threats of a state government shutdown on Fiscal Year end – June 30. Will state workers be furloughed on July 1? Many have received notices that, indeed, they will be told to stay home on July 1 in the absence of a budget resolution between DFL Governor Mark Dayton and GOP Legislative majority leadership by the June 30 deadline.

Many citizens find the debate revolving around some seemingly arcane issues, but the looming $5 billion deficit and a Constitutional requirement for a balanced budget underlying the budget talks.

Dayton has already vetoed untold budget and policy bills he finds onerous, and he has cut in half his original request for a tax increase on high-income earners. Dayton considers this a compromise and enough to spawn similar concessions from the Republican majority. They disagree and are stonewalling him for their all-cuts budget. He has asked for a mediator to intercede. They have refused.

We jump into this discussion in the wake of a two-part series of articles authored by MinnPost columnist and political analyst, Eric Black, taking on the fine print in Minnesota’s constitution versus the historical reality of governing in the 21st Century. The so-called shutdown in 2005, when the partisanship was reversed, was essentially ignored, thanks to a judge’s ruling and then-Attorney General Mike Hatch’s insistence that the requirement that “No money shall be paid out of the treasury of this state except in pursuance of an appropriation by law” represent(s) a breach of separation of powers and that “core functions” of government cannot cease.

Memories are short. Few paid attention to the two-week stoppage six years ago, but this year, it could be a nasty cessation of salaries and state services. Resistance abounds to an all-cuts approach to the deficit and to governance, and budget analysts and activists will join us as well to say why.

ERIC BLACK – columnist (EricBlackInk) and political analyst, MinnPost.com

NAN MADDEN – Director, Budget Policy Project, Minnesota Council of Nonprofits

VIRGINIA SIMSON – US NoCuts Minnesota activist