In preparation for their march with Occupy Boston today, MassUniting and the Right to the City Alliance released the following advisory to the press early this morning. Occupy Boston stands in solidarity with these groups in their mission to bring reform to Wall Street and to create more good paying jobs, but does not endorse them.
Hundreds are set to march in support of good jobs this afternoon, as the MASSUNITING coalition and national Right to the City Alliance gather in solidarity with #OccupyBoston. The march, which will run from Dewey Square to the Charlestown Bridge, comes on the eve of an expected US Senate vote on the American Jobs Act.
“With so many people out of work, we need action on job creation, and we need it now,” said Jay Chambers, an unemployed ironworker who has been with the #OccupyBoston camp since day one. “We can’t just sit idly by while the politicians in Washington play political games with our jobs and our livelihoods. It’s time to take the fight to the streets.”
The Charlestown Bridge is one of many tunnels, bridges, and highways across the country that have been deemed structurally deficient – and many require considerable work to be brought back into compliance. Repairing these structures is a significant part of President Obama’s American Jobs Act, which would not only bring needed jobs to the Bay State, but would also ensure the safety of all those crossing the bridge.
As proposed, the American Jobs Act would invest upwards of $850.7 million in Massachusetts’ bridges, roads and transit systems – creating at least 11,000 local jobs. The US Senate has scheduled a preliminary vote on the bill for Tuesday.
27 Responses to “MassUniting/Right to the City to March with Occupy Boston”
The resonating message that banks and businesses are maintaining large cash profits with a reduced number of workers needs clearer and more constant simplified delivery. Great activism. Young people deserve jobs and futures . The increased workload to make up for job
cuts on current wage earners will take a terrible toll on human capital
This movement is already dead. You have allowed the politics of Washington to infect this movement. The appeal of this movement to the middle class was the fact it was removed from the political spectrum of Washington be it republican or democrat. The reality is it is just another movement looking to position itself on the democratic agenda. Obama is part of the 1% yet members of your movement seek to side with him when he is one of the elite class. I can see democrat poles lining up to be part of this movement. These leeches will suck away the vibrant spirit upon which this movement was founded. This Occupy Boston farce is as much a part of the establishment as the Politicians in Washington and the Corperate intrests that will buy ans sell your movement 100X over. The people who lead this movement have sold it out for their own gain……wannabe politicians. So have fun because you are now part of the system. Do you like spinning your wheels for nothing?
I very much agree with the sentiments of Joe – this movement needs to be about more than Obama or the left or the Democratic party – I was very disappointed to hear this today. I felt blind-sided by it and after watching Occupy Wall Street’s spokesperson on meet the press responsibly say he would not endorse a political party – I can not believe you would jeopardize this movement by hitching your wagon to anyone – not brought forth as a candidate by the movement. We were on our way to starting our own party – one that didn’t play to politics that was about our issues. What a terrible disappointment made by people who are obviously not very smart decision makers. Huge developers make out from construction they scarily hire enough people to complete the jobs so they don’t have to spread the wealth and drag the projects out for years. How does this help office workers who also lost jobs or retail or bank tellers? This is a band – aid on the problem and does not address the core issue which is out-sourcing and loss of manufacturing jobs that were once the basis of the middle class.
Those who wish to give up on government altogether are playing into the enemies’ hands. Corporations don’t want jobs bills! Identify your foes: Corporations, yes. Our weakened and corrupted government: no. Do vote, all the while protesting electronic voting machine fraud, voter suppression and disenfranchisement. The minute you stop voting and supporting positive change in Washington is the minute you’ve given in.
The problem is that this particular movement? has attached itself to many left/far left organizations and people. It’s pretty much one-sided and does not include the “whole” 99%. I see at least 10 Union endorsements, Moveon . org, Michael Moore, Susan Sarandon, Cornel West, etc., and now support of Obama’s Jobs Bill. Please, you can say what you want, but what is visible to most, is a left wing agenda. It is unfortunate too, because there are so many people in the 99% that need this sort of movement but cannot participate in good conscience when it has been obviously hijacked by the left. It should be non-partisan, since both the left and right are equally corrupted. I am angry with both sides of the aisle and I surely won’t align myself with a movement that panders to one of them.
We need short-term goals as well as long-term goals.
Passing the Jobs Bill is achievable and it is a step towards greater equality.
The Bill would tax the top 1% -This is justice.
This isn’t Democratic-this is just fair.
We need a victory.
If we cannot make short term progress, how we will achieve our larger goals?
we need permanent solutions – not to sell out and be appeased so we can momentarily lessen the sting
Those who wish to give up on government altogether are playing into the enemies’ hands. Corporations don’t want jobs bills! Identify your foes: Corporations, yes. Our weakened and corrupted government: no. Do vote, all the while protesting electronic voting machine fraud, voter suppression and disenfranchisement. The minute you stop voting and supporting positive change in Washington is the minute you’ve given in.
All this talk about open source opinions and that no one opinion represented the movement – and then you make this kind of statement to the public on behalf everyone who has been supporting or involved. It’s truly shocking and a waste of an opportunity to create a centrist movement that would represent us all. I believe it may kill it – disappointed to my core. You just gave Wall Street what it was looking for – they love to attack the left – they love to attack Obama. They don’t love to attack middle America – What a gift you just gave Wall Street.
They’ve been trying to align this movement to the left as hard as they possibly can just waiting to attack – they held back in fear they’d be attacking middle Americans – but now they can pounce it’s already begun just listen to right-wing radio and the mainstream media – they’ll chew this up and spit it out.
Mitt Romney’s National Campaign Headquarters is directly next to bridge at 585 Commercial Street. Protesters were standing in front of it with their back to it today. Missed opportunity. Big Parking lot that they bullied inner city kids from setting foot on during free tennis and literacy camp held on adjoining city owned tennis courts this summer.
http://www.universalhub.com/2011/mitt-romney-has-problem-little-kids-north-end
If police attempt to relocate you in future, try Mitt’s big empty parking lot!
If the movement is to be saved those in charge of Occupy Boston need to be booted! Go back to your hometowns and take out election papers, align yourself with the Dems or Repubs and get out of this movement. You are allowing the corruption of politics to kill this movement. Obama and the dems are just as much a problem as the repubs. Already, with the statements made by members of Occupy Boston, many who were or wanted to be part of this ‘change’ are having second thoughts. This movement is about bringing forth our own change and not jumping on someone elses political bandwagon.
I agree 100%! I feel so bad for those of us that really need this movement. Occupy Boston sold out to the political parties and the left wing agenda. I have no sympathy if you are forced to leave the occupation site. Why don’t you rent a campaign space and be done with it, because that is all you ended up doing. Somebody else’s dirty work! Call yourself a campaign and stop hijacking the word revolution, because you don’t deserve it. Shame on the sell-outs, and empathy for the ones of us that are still left in the silenced 99%. Maybe we need to start our own revolution, a real one, that doesn’t pander like the corrupt politicians on the left and right!
This argument is inevitable but a little sad. What do you mean by the “left wing agenda”? Could you be more specific? To me, left wing means: socialized medicine, free education, strong regulations to protect the environment and the poor… NO money in politics, WPA, universal enfranchisement. If you can’t get behind that then you don’t know what you stand for.
There’s no reason to get nebulous and angry. You’re not proposing anything or adding to the discussion by blaming and name calling. Do you have any better ideas than aligning ourselves with the almost-extinct left wing?
This is in response to Cath:
The problem is that this particular movement has attached itself to many left/far left organizations and people. It’s pretty much one-sided and does not include the “whole” 99%. We were there from the first assemblies and witnessed things first hand. We also helped out and donated. But things took an abrupt left and after witnessing people with non-liberal views get hurried off the stage or booed, we realized we didn’t have a voice here. So, please don’t tell me that I don’t know what I stand for.
My core stance would be Libertarian, but I do not buy into one way, which is what the OB movement doing. During a “how to talk to the media” session at one of the GA’s, my husband was asked what brought him to the protest and why he was there. He was told by one of the organizers, and I quote “that sounds a little too much like the tea party”. We were silenced in how we felt. We were told to go back to the drawing board and redo it. REDO our feelings and beliefs???? REDO what has been hurting us and in our minds destroying our country.This, while numerous other left wing speakers and organizations take a foothold in your one-sided movement while given the red carpet treatment. That was one of many personal firsthand views.
This is what I see as a whole. I see at least 10 Union endorsements (not put up for a vote in the GA’s, Moveon . org, Michael Moore, Susan Sarandon, Cornel West, Jill Stein, etc., and now support of Obama’s Jobs Bill. Please, you can say what you want, but what is visible to most is a left wing agenda. It is unfortunate too, because there are so many people in the 99% that need this sort of movement but cannot participate in good conscience when it has been obviously hijacked by the left. It should be non-partisan, since both the left and right are equally corrupt. I am angry with both sides of the aisle and I surely won’t align myself with a movement that panders to “one” of them.
This is a statement I posted over at Add busters. I can only hope that many in the movement will voice their support of not allowing this movement to be hijacked by any political party.
I admire the vibrant spirit behind this movement, but in the same context I’M concerned by the fact that it may just fail and become just another political ‘fad.’ I’M already hearing from various ‘Occupy” groups throughout the US various political mantras. These mantras sound like they come right out of the Democratic Party’s playbook. This has me wondering if this movement will allow itself to become hijacked by the Democratic political machine. If this is the case then this movement will just be seen as a radical counter to the ‘Tea Party.’ The appeal of this movement is its apolitical stance. It is comprised of a wide spectrum of our society who is just fed up with the ‘greed’ that is destroying the fabric of our society. If this movement allows itself to hitch their wagon with any aspect of Washington (Democrat, Republican, etc.) it then becomes part of the system. Is it not the current system we are rallying against? When I hear people of the Occupy movements chanting ‘Obama’s Jobs Plan’ I just shake my head and wonder if the movement is not already doomed because some will have us go the way of the establishment. The vast middle class support this movement because it is apolitical and we see it as a voice of the people who are tired of the same empty promises, the corporate greed, the class warfare being waged against us, etc. If they see various Democratic party members (or any other Washington, State, or Local politician) lining up to be associated with this movement and use it as a platform for the ‘Party” agenda than middle America, which is not as dumb as some would have you believe, will see this movement for what it is……….POLITICS AS USUAL. So please keep the political parasites away from this movement as it was these same politicians and assorted wannabes (Democrats & Republicans) that are the problem. Keep their corruption out of this movement…………
I agree and plea for the same. The appeal for me has been the apolitical stance of this movement.
Signed,
An Independent AND strong supporter of the movement
This is all just empty rhetoric if we don’t engage politically,
a public performance.
This is democracy in action- we won’t agree with everything.
This movement is far too young to start engaging in politics. The strength of this movement is it’s apolitical stance. The focus of those in charge should be to grow the movement itself. You will not do this by engaging in political intercourse at such an early stage of the game. Firstly, we need vast numbers! Secondly, we need a show of strength and solidarity to show the establishment that we not only have the numbers we have the power to use them to get our message across. A show of strength would be of course non violent but it would have to be more than just a march. One thing that the establishment responds to is when you hit them in their wallet. This of course will take time but after all of this then maybe a politcal movement born of the movement will begin to take hold. YOU DO NOT WIN ANYTHING BY ENGAGING IN POLITCAL MASTURBATION AT SUCH AN EARLY STAGE!!!!!!!! YOU WILL KILL THIS MOVEMNT IF YOU INFECT IT WITH ANY PART OF THE ESTABLISHMENT!!!!!!!!
I don’t personally disagree with the need to pass the Job Act or to tax the 1%, but what I think the MOVEMENT is about is even broader than that. It should be positioned as a movement of middle-class America as opposed to a movement associated with the Democrat party. It is about affecting social change at its CORE and putting an end to corporate greed by forcing all these corporations to pay attention to us and share their deep pockets with us by re-investing in America, hire more workers onshore vs. offshore, and an end the era of bailouts and ‘Golden Parachutes’ for execs.
Here is a perfect example of ‘corporate greed’ and what it means. I say let’s rally our efforts towards this:
END THE ERA OF THE ‘Golden Parachute’ (1%) / CORPORATIONS TO REINVEST IN AMERICANS (99%)
http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/daily-ticker/another-corporate-outrage-golden-parachutes-failed-ceos-153646807.html
“By now you’ve probably heard the news: Leo Apotheker has received a severance package worth $13.2 million in cash and stock for his 11-month tenure as CEO of Hewlett-Packard.”
do you think southpark will do an Occupyxxxx episode?
This movement is already mainstream and well organized. It is a grassroots movement at its core.
When the CEO of GE asks why Americans can’t be happy for GE success in Rio, where thousands of jobs are being created that could just as easily be created here, you have to wonder. Or is 60 minutes just another left wing tool. Is that the best response we can cone up with?
What is your point? What do you want to see changed? You all seem to be a cause looking for reason to be.. Do you have anything to offer?
How many foreign companies have created jobs in the United States? GE creating jobs outside of the USA is a problem? That is a seriously shortsighted position…
A. Don’t feed the trolls, and I may have done so already.
B. “Libertarianism” as practiced today means “Free the Corporations from the tyrannical control of the Environmental Protection Agency!!”
I’m deeply disappointed to hear the Occupy Boston is using the “Day of Action” to lend political support to President Obama, even if it’s in the context of a bill that has ostensibly worthy goals.
Even if you support the concepts behind the “American Jobs Act,” do you really believe President Obama or the Democratic Party supports those concepts? At best, it’s nothing more than a political calculation on their part. Their overall agenda is war, greed and corporate kleptocracy. They are willing to throw a few crumbs at the huddled masses when it suits their political calculation, and you want to march for that?
Lending legitimacy to an illegitimate system, is not the answer.
on November 18th, 2011 at 11:22 pm #
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