Occupy Portland - Goals and Demands/Proposals

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<< Return to Occupy Portland - Goals and Demands page

We can fine tune goals, proposals and demands here

Note that all statements officially endorsed by Occupy Portland, unless stated otherwise are located at http://OccupyPortland.org

Proposed demands?

This list was originally published on the page(?) and was moved here pending discussion of how this should all work...

1. Overhaul and simplify the federal income tax code to promote fairness and reasonableness in the collection of funds from the general public to pay for government activities. Eliminate deductions that primarily benefit the wealthy.
2. Strengthen and protect Social Security and Medicare through increases in payroll taxes, including lifting the cap on income subject to Social Security taxes and subjecting investment income to both Social Security and Medicare taxes. Prohibit "payroll tax cuts" that undermine the long-term solvency of Social Security and Medicare.
3. Set a statutory timetable for lowering Medicare eligibility to age 0 by 2020, to ensure that all Americans have access to quality medical care.
4. Disassemble/reorganize the "too-big-to-fail" financial institutions, to protect the long-term financial and economic health of the nation. Impose a tax on speculative financial transactions to fund an expanded Securities and Exchange Commission. Enforce a separation of banking and "investment" (gambling) activities.
5. Set a statutory timetable to close all overseas military bases by 2030. Immediately cease all covert military operations. Use the fiscal savings to support and strengthen the United Nations and World Court as viable international organizations promoting peace and justice.
6. Increase income taxes on wealthy Americans to fund a National Race Relations Board, in order to break the persistent link between race and economic status.
7. Require all states to institute "instant run-off" voting to allow voters on all sides of the political spectrum to express support for 3rd party candidates. Allow the popular vote to determine election winners, and eliminate the electoral college.
8. Abort the Keystone XL pipeline project, or offset the environmental impact through mandatory reductions in coal mining in North America. Institute a tax on carbon emissions to fund expansion of the EPA.
9. Abolish corporate 'person-hood.' Shift liability for corporate actions to shareholders. Revoke corporate charters for corporations with a history of acting in disregard of the public interest.
10. Set mandatory caps on executive compensation, expressed as a relationship to the federal minimum wage.
11. Tax private secondary schools and colleges, to create a fund to reduce the cost of public education.
12. Withdraw all troops from Iraq and Afghanistan immediately.
13. Cut the defense budget significantly and use the savings to pay for budget shortfalls in education, health, and infrastructure.

-- Racer (talk) 16:20, 2 October 2011

• See OrganizeAndDemand.org]

Proposed Demands Simplified with local efforts to support

I propose we keep it super simple as follows (adjustment of language needed)

We Occupy Portland demand the separation of corporations from political power. (have this or something with the same meaning be our uniting mantra) To accomplish this We demand that corporations can not donate money to political campaigns and the politicians can not benefit during or after office in ways that would cause a conflict of interest with their service as elected officials. We demand that the rights we have as people are not given to corporations and that corporate personhood is ended.

I propose Occupy Portland supports three local efforts Ranked Choice Instant Runoff Voting for Portland. Currently the Charter Review Commission has formed a committee to consider putting it on the ballot. But they need popular support.

Public Financing of Elections in Portland, sometimes called clean elections or voter owned elections. We had it briefly, but it lost last election due in large part to the counter campaign of the Portland Business Alliance. While we had it councilwoman Amanda Fritz used it to get elected. There is a signature gathering campaign to get it back on the ballot, but they need support. This directly challenges big money in politics.

Lastly battling corporate personhood. There is an effort to get Portland to pass a resolution that would show support for a US Constitutional amendment that would end corporate personhood. In addition there is an effort to get the city charter review to put on the ballot a charter amendment that would have Portland directly challenging the US Supreme court by saying corporations are not people and so are not entitled to the rights of people.

-Jorden Leonard

-- 174.25.159.128 16:21, 2 October 2011