Democracy

This is a quick report from Steve at Occupy Wall Street

Hi folks,

A quick one, if I can finish in 14 minutes.

Got back into the city around 8 a.m., and spent the morning running around Broadway, Wall Street and surrounding streets and intersections. Kind of reminded me of DC demos around’00 and ’01, but without the tear gas, fortunately.

People blocked entrances to Wall Street, and there was a huge crowd behind the NYSE, on Exchange Street. Cops only allowed people with work IDs through the barricades, but at times there were so many demonstrators that the police blocked everyone in, which was a victory for us. Someone said the start of the 9:30 NYSE was delayed, but it looks like that was not true. So we didn’t actually prevent the official start, but did delay a lot of people, presumably, cause a lot of headaches, and made headlines again.

The scene in Zuccotti Park is crazy. Barricades everywhere, police keep changing where you can enter and exit. All kinds of commotion. Cheers of victory, shouts of anger, irritation at this barricade and that. After a while I wonder, where is all this headed, what are we accomplishing, what should we be doing?

But we’re temporarily disoriented, three days since our eviction, and where do we even go to talk with each other? Hopefully over the coming days we’ll answer some questions: what do we do next, etc.

Police are being annoying, at times brutal, most of us have been able to avoid direct confrontation and arrest. Just move when they tell you to, then go back ten seconds later when they’ve walked away. Cat and mouse.

Storage unit closed today, hopefully we’ll be in tomorrow. Okay, 6 minutes to go, will try to send to as many people as possible. Send this report anywhere you like.

Continue reading Report from Occupy Wall Street, Thursday, November 17

I made a statement before the Joint Committee on Health Care Finance at a public hearing on Friday, June 24, 2011 at 11 am in Pittsfield.  The Committee was hearing testimony on H1849, “An Act Improving the Quality of Health Care and Controlling Costs …” .  My statement was in opposition to the bill.  The Chair of the committee asked me several questions afterwards.  A transcript is posted below.

I was happy to meet with fellow health care advocates from around the state, most of whom are strong supporters of Single Payer Health Care (aka Medicare For All), which is one of my major campaign issues as a Green-Rainbow Party candidate.  The issue is also one of the major policy initiatives behind the party’s mobilization around the Commonwealth.

Joining me at the hearing were fellow Green-Rainbow Party members Patrick Burke, Mark Miller, Jeff Turner, Jeff Wheeler.  Mark Miller, a candidate for 3rd Berkshire District, also provided testimony.

Continue reading Statement at Health Care Public Hearing