"Rise like Lions after slumber
In unvanquishable number -
Shake your chains to earth like dew
Which in sleep had fallen on you -
Ye are many – they are few."
Percy B Shelley 1819
http://www.occupy-wallstreet.com/
Occupy-Wallstreet.com
In unvanquishable number -
Shake your chains to earth like dew
Which in sleep had fallen on you -
Ye are many – they are few."
Percy B Shelley 1819
Time to start Chapter two! Today (November 17th) marks the beginning of the second round of global protest, after October 15th. Part of this is in response to the cowardly attack in the middle of the night against the Zuccotti encampment: roarmag.org
The importance of protest in the US is immeasurable. The US is able to influence all other countries, affecting their ability to practice democracy: if there is no democracy in the US, there won't be democracy anywhere.
The incredibly brave first wave of protest helped prove it can be done, that there is hope. Even when their efforts were blacked out of the main stream media completely, they fought on, with love, and the gesture has inspired millions. It took the shock of violence against peaceful protestors to jump start the media, but now the movement can no longer be ignored. Hope is growing, as more and more people around the world join the movement and organize to occupy their own cities. 82 countries have joined, in over 1000 cities. The message could not be more clear: we are not alone! We are feeding each other with love. This is what it is to be alive!
In part, this blog is my apology. I am sorry I lost faith something like this was possible. I am sorry I gave up hope, and felt overwhelmed by the staggering power of our oppressors. I am sorry I had the arrogance to think I was alone. This blog is also my thank you. OWS, you have restored my faith in America, in humanity, in myself. You have reminded me of something even bigger than Democracy or economic justice or social equality, you have reminded me of the ability of love to unlock our infinite power. Thank you, for revealing my fears to be what they are, just fears. Thank you, for awakening my heart. There is so much to be done. Thank you for uniting us, so we can get started.
Posts
I believe as Thomas Jefferson believed. Wall Street Banks and other investment bankers should be controled. When the bankers cost tax payers money, they should have thier assets taken to cover the tax payers cost. When the banks go bankrupt, the goverment should close the bank(s) down.
what Jefferson was talking about was that the u.s. government should never give over the ability to issue money to a central bank such as the federal reserve that can inflate and deflate at whim, because what happens is that the whole structure of the economy becomes corrupted and migrates to feed off of the phenomena of monetary expansion. This is what happened in the financial crises as corporations i.e. mortgage lenders, investment banks ,rating agencies and insurance companies all colluded to justify the expansion of the banks ability to create debt through the fractional reserve banking system. Thomas Jefferson was a believer of free markets and capitalism but the American system corrupted by the power of the fed has veered from free market philosophy in the last thirty years and has become a fascist state .
I believe this to be the core of the debate the corporate media is (desperately) seeking to avoid.
I couldn't agree more. Unfortunately, those charged with controlling the banks (the Securities and Exchange Commission) have been compromised. Here is a great Rolling Stone piece on how the SEC is illegally covering up for the criminals they are supposed to prosecute. I guess you can easily afford bribes when you have stolen as much money as Wall Street has:
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/is-the-sec-covering-up-wall-street-crimes-20110817
For those in Oakland- the protesters started the altercation by throwing things (including glass bottles, paint, etc) at the police who then, as expected, started in with the flash bangs etc. Did they really expect to threaten and injur police officers and just have them stand there? I see so many articles claiming all the protesters kept returning peacefully-, and that is a flat out lie.
If you want people to even take the time to listen to what you are protesting- then do it without being threatening to the general public and without destroying property etc. When you truly have a peaceful and legal gathering- then people may actually listen to you.
Hi Erin,
I certainly agree that it is essential for OWS to remain nonviolent. I think so far the protestors have done a remarkable job, even when confronted with unnecessary force.
Bottles may have been thrown, but who knows who threw them, or why? Residents of Oakland have a lot of local issues to be angry about, such as the closing down of public schools, in what already is one of the most dismal school districts in America (the Oakland school district came up with Ebonics, as a way to move kids through the system without teaching them the skills they need for college or a good job). There is a long history of police violence in Oakland, which is totally unrelated this protest, most notably the murder of an unarmed man in a BART station by police. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZTbJH6BNaU&feature=fvst
The very minor departure from nonviolence – which did not actually harm any police officers – does not represent the Occupy movement as a whole, whatsoever.
On the other hand, the police can be seen intentionally firing projectiles at people – which resulted in a fractured skull for a war veteran. Dispersing a crowd with tear gas is different than trying to hit people with the canisters. And the truth is, the police were already very well prepared to unleash a full blown assault. The few thrown bottles merely provided a catalyst for them to do what they had come to do.
GREED KILLS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdWmlnwhhlo
Very nice, perfect song too!
Support Occupy Wallstreet. Too many riches are not deserve to the wealth. Stop working hard. Let the richest do everything including join the military to protect your country.
It seems in light of the northamerican uprising that people are becomming aware of thier plight. Unfortunatly I don't see real change happening any time soon. Presently the E.U. is struggeling to maintain thier economic system so the few people who benefit from it may continue to do so. The same thing happened when the big banks and auto makers where bailed in the U.S. The bail out allowed the 1% (probably less) to continue to maintain a lifestyle that the average american could scarcely concieve. Any economy that allows one person to live in poverty and another to live in gross excess is flawed. The oil in the U.S. does not belong to B.P. or Exxon,
It does not belong to Chinese share holders and most of all it does not belong to traders on wallstreet. So why are these companies and people living large off the American peoples. Well they are living large for the same reasons that debeers lives large off off the african people or gadaffi lived large off the lybian people. American Tax dollars subsidise these companies, american politicians profit form these deals and, American workers earning $8-$20 an hour pay for it all by working thier whole lives if thier lucky enough to have a steady job.
Our planet cannot sustain unlimited growth. Our planet cannot sustain unlimited polution. We do not need tankers and aeroplanes so every corner store stocks wines from all over the world, or the few who can afford it can take trips to exotic places. We need to grow up as a comunity that can share this planet responsibly, with dignity and integrity. The science comunity as a whole have understood these problems for decades and It's a shame our politicians have yet to acknoledge these undeniable truths. As far as these protests are concerned, act responsibly with dignity and the knowledge that you have to do this for the next generation because it may well be the last chance this planet has to survive this bullshit.
The Bankruptcy Abuse and Consumer Protection Act of 2005, Pub. L. No. 109-8, 119 Stat 23 (April 20, 2005), is the little known, but destructive force which the then sitting Legislature passed into law, stripping American's of the majority of their Chapter Seven Bankruptcy Court protections. This bill single handedly created and ensured the environment where "Predatory Lending" could begin, while creating the crooked Consumer Credit Rehabilitation Industry which is every bit as predatory as the "Predatory Lenders." Once this under the radar law was passed, in the name of controlling "Bankruptcy Abuse," added to the mortgage meltdown, bundling, and default practices which received all the press, the Legislature and the bequest of George Bush Junior gave greedy Wall Street fat cats all the tools they needed to almost bankrupt America via the 2008 crash.
What exactly was it about this one simple law, which sounded good on it's face, which was able to cause such havoc with America's financial markets and way of doing business? Simply put in lay terms, it fundamentally changed the very way which America had done business, ever since the first store owner decided to provide his customers with credit. How? This law, removed the number one check on the market, on credit, and removed for businesses the most watched business variable in the book. The variable of which I am speaking of, is of course "Risk."
Risk is what business get paid for. They're risking their capital, their time, their energies, and talents, and the reward is supposed to be the benefits you receive for taking that risk on yourself, your idea, your partners, or whatever business venture or enterprise a business person sees fit to risk their capital, time, effort, or resources into. If you're novel, better then the rest, efficient, nimbler, or whatever it is that makes you more successful than the rest, the rewards for your risk taking is of course your profits. That is the fundelmental way in which business works.
As all businesses know, and usually have incorporated into their operating cost column is the risk of companies of individuals defaulting on credit you have extended them. Prior to the passage of this 2005 Act, every business and business-person in America worth their salt knew this to be an absolutely known fact and fundlemental rule of doing business. This risk is part of what entitled businesses to their hard earned profits. However, shortly after Bush Junior was elected, several large and well monied business interests decided they no longer liked the rules of the game. The rules of the market, of business, and decided that instead of them being good at their jobs, the Government should eliminate for them the most nature check on the market Capitalism has. Therefore, they lobbied the then Legislature, and the Republican President, to eliminate their credit risk by law.
The bill became an Act, which according to the Constitution is perfectly legal as the Legislature may create the perimeter and laws with which the bankruptcy courts can operate upon and with. What happened next, is the story all American's know. After successfully convincing the Legislature that they were some how in danger of going bankrupt themselves, due to these so called "Bankruptcy Abusers," these billion dollar companies successfully got the Chapter Seven and even Eleven Bankruptcy Laws changed to where consumers could no longer receive a clean slate, and no matter what they had to repay their debts. Granted at slower, and reduced payments, but what this Act essentially did was create an indentured servant class out of consumers whom got in over their heads. No longer allowed a fresh start, American's debts now follow them for life.
What makes this so evil, is that isn't the end of the story, it is the mere beginning. For starters, bankruptcy pre-Bankruptcy Abuse and Consumer Protection Act was not an easy thing. Yes, you got a fresh start, were debt free, allowed to keep certain nessicities like your car, home, and things of that nature. However, you couldn't receive a lick of credit, for seven years. Which meant whatever car you had, where ever you were living, or what you had when you filed for Chapter Seven Protections, was all you were going to have for the next seven years, unless you were able to successfully save up and pay in total the cash value of whatever you hoped to purchase. As every American knows, unless you're making bug bucks, isn't the easiest thing in the world to do.
At the same time, these billion dollar companies were no where near bankruptcy, and merely wanted to ensure that their greed was protected by law. Smelling blood in the water, Wall Street crooks decided that since these new styled "never may be wiped clean debts" were now in existence and on the market, why not begin purchasing, bundling, creating financial products from, and give value to these defaulted on debts. The reasoning was, even though they are defaulted debts, they were still a secure risk or bet, as the Chapter Seven Laws had been changed to make it so these debts had to eventually be paid off according to the new and unfair laws. Once this idea caught on, there was only one thing left to do, and that was to ensure that more people got in over their heads and more of these defaulted debts were available on the market.
As Wall Street not only controls the majority of the markets, it also controls the banks and lending companies as well. Pretty soon, American's are being given credit they could never afford to pay back, and consumerism hit an all time fever pitch. Mean while the banks, financial types, and other crooks, whom should almost be charged for treason for the way in which they attempted to destroy America's markets via their greedy, shortsightedness, and smugness about it, continued to find bigger and better things to utilize their new tools on. Finally, as we all know, they broke into the highest prize of all, the American dream itself, otherwise known as home ownership.
Utilizing the same tactics, and principles learned from mere consumer debt assignment and debt selling, they expanded into the housing markets. Pretty soon, people were given $800,000 homes, with no money down, and with incomes as low as $40,000 a year. Then they introduced the variable rate loans to the game, so they could exelerate payments at will, or back-load heavy debts. The American consumer never stood a chance, and what was their crime…. Merely accepting money which was offered them, so they may have a shot at the American dream. In Law, the term for transactions like these are called "unfair bargaining power." It's when a sophisticated and knowledge possessing party intentionally convinces a less sophisticated and ignorant party to enter into a business or sales contract, which is morally corrupt, and one sided as far as the bargained for consideration of both parties. While not ill-legal, this legal remedy stands strongly in equity, and there is recourse for such victims. However, unless a party is a lawyer, they've probably unfamiliar with the equitable doctrine of "unfair bargaining power."
So ignorant, the laws stacked against them, and having notions of living the American dream dangled in front of them, the average American consumer was purposely victimized and swindled by the greedy of their own countrymen. Without the protections the Courts were once allowed to offer in a Chapter Seven bankruptcy, as far as wiping a slate clean, and making the creditor the one whom had to bare the brunt of the defaulted credit or actually suffer the consequences of lending to risky credit seekers, the pockets of American's got emptier. People stopped buying things, businesses suffered drops in sales. Worst of all, the Wall Street crowd still pumping up the idea that these defaulted debts were the best thing since sliced bread, bundled, packaged, and sold these "products" to American's and foreigners alike. The people whom purchased these products, tended to be middle to upper class investors looking for a safe haven for their money, with a decent return on their risk.
Therfore, these near treasonous Wall Street crooks, not only ripped off the poor, but stole from the middle to upper classes as well. By this time Bush is out, and he hands President Obama this shit sandwich that he and whatever idiot Bush had as his Treasurer created. Here is the sad and most infuriating part of this twisted tale, when all these debts came due, and the shit hit the fan, these Wall Street crooks and banks had the nerve to ask the very people they had just bankrupted, stolen fro, manipulated, and ripped off, to bail them out. To put a cherry on top of the shit Sunday, these doosh-bags served the American people, they then gave themselves these insultingly large bonuses and salaries. Their reasoning, so they could retain their talent. Mind you, this is the same talent that created and profitted from this mess.
There's no class warfare, there's no one percent. There are people that are rightfully angry, but they don't know why. This is the cliff notes of what they're pissed off about, how it happened, and the arguments they need to be touting, instead of clogging traffic and being annoying. They should be petitioning their elected officials to undue the Bankruptcy Abuse Act, insist that any credit rehabilitation company be by law required to pay off all the debts of any consumer seeking help, and offer them a lower, longer, single monthly payment plan which is with-in the bad credit possessing parties budget. Instead, these crooked credit rehabilitation companies, take consumers money, hold it in trust, and offer to "negotiate" the same simple satisfaction and accord which any individual may due on their own. Meanwhile, the Credit Rehabilitation people use the money given them in trust, to make investments, the profits of which are not shared with the bad credit payee. This could constitute the crime of "usury," or a possible "conversion" if only for a short period of time.
Do the Occupiers have a reason to be mad, absolutely! Are they stupid hippies, whom should conduct research into matters, and seek out legal recourse via a clear and concise message… Absolutely. This is just one man's opinion, and take on things. I have with purpose not included the fact that while all of this was taking place, the price of oil more then quadrupled, which in turn made everything twice as expensive. Which is ironic as most people are or were twice as broke. How to prosecute? Who are the major players of these actions. Names, dates, specific products sold, trace the monies, lop off the heads of those whom hurt the country financially, reinstall confidence in America's regulatory powers. Show the World we don't tolerate bullshit, get off the foreign oil, and use Solar Power and it's infrastructure capabilities, dollar saving possibilities, and most of all it's mass job creation abilities. Let's get this Country running again!
Where do we start? Giving Joel Marshall Drotts his license to practice law, and get your best players off the God damned bench and in the game! Sure there's plenty of others like me. $98,000 a year, and I will go about hunting these fuckers down, and prosecuting them one by one. I'll do it with glee. As a patriot, as a lawyer, as a fighter, and let's face it, some one whom just loves to fight and argue! I want in the game, now coac
We the People of the United States of America, citing our First Amendment right "to petition the Government for a redress of grievances," do hereby respectfully ask that the now sitting Legislature's of both the House of Representatives and the House of the Senate, in lawful accordance with Article One, Section Eight, sub-section Four, to re-amend all Chapter Seven and Eleven Bankruptcy Laws to their pre-existing state as of Nineteen Ninety Nine, thereby re-establishing the much needed protections and clean state debt forgiveness which were available to any United States citizen, legal alien, or resident whom did properly seek the protections of a Lawfully convened Court of Law, in proper accordance with the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure as so written in the year Nineteen Ninety Nine.
We make this request of the Legislature, as a proper redress to our grievances. By signing this petition, I hereby state that under penalty of perjury and voter fraud that I am at least eight-teen years of age, I am a citizen of the United States of America, and I am lawfully allowed to vote by in the United States of America. Furthermore, by signing my name to this lawful petition to Congress I am stating that I do hereby agree that:
1. The risk of a credit default and the possibility of that debt never being paid by the debtee to a business debtor, is and has always been a proper check on the market, as well as a part of the risk which a business agrees to under take by extending consumers credit.
2. That for almost two-hundred years of this Nations history, businesses, not the consumers, have always been better situated to bare the costs associated with lending credit or monies to consumers. Furthermore, that the possibility of the bankruptcy of a debtee always had been and should once again become part of the risks one agrees to undertake when one goes into business, and extends credit or capital to a customer or consumer.
3. That the lack of this risk no longer being present or common place in the market or in matters of business, was and is the cause of predatory lending, mismanaged funds by individuals and businesses alike, which did created an era of unprecedented success to certain businesses in America, to the extreme detriment of the American Consumer.
4. That prior to Nineteen Ninety Nine, businesses, lenders, and creditors were required to properly assess, understand, and be held accountable for their lending and crediting practices, by way of simple fact that a debtee may become over extended and file Chapter Seven bankruptcy, whereby the debtor would lose all rights to claim a debt was owed them, after the proper proceedings and liquidations which could be a part of a Chapter Seven or Chapter Eleven filing. In other words, Consumers could have a clean slate, after a lawful bankruptcy proceeding.
5. That becoming even debt free, the filing of bankruptcy was never an easy or inexpensive task. Moreover, a bankruptcy was a mark on your credit, which could haunt a Consumer for up to seven years. Furthermore, that even if the myth of Bankruptcy Abuse were real, any such abuses could only be made possible by the negligence of a lender or creditor for not properly investigating and ascertaining the credit worthiness of an individual consumer or even a businesses.
6. Moreover, that it today modern age of instant information, the likelihood of a bankruptcy going un-noticed on a would be credit receiving parties record is highly unlikely, if not almost an impossibility. Therefore, a proper re-alignment and balancing of the risks and rewards willingly undertaken by both debtor and debtee, or lender to consumer, are not only proper but much needed.
7. That I am signing my name to this lawful petition to both Houses of the Legislature of the United States of America, I am with purpose invoking my First Amendment Right to petition my Government for a redress of my grievances, and hereby ask that those grievances are heard, understood, and lawfully remedied in the manner so prescribed in this petition.
Respectfully,
_______________________________________________________
I understand it is a felony offense to unlawfully impersonate, transcribe the name of another individual, to forge another persons signature, and the name so attached to this petition, is my own, and that I am the person whose name I did with purpose, free of duress, fraud, or threat did lawfully transcribe and attach to this Petition to Legislature of the United States of America.
Strategic Goals of The United States Solar Industry
ROUGH DRAFT: I apologize for misspelling, language, and grammer
1. Solar systems on every roof, and plug in electric cars in every garage!
This is the main goal of the Solar Industrial Complex, which in my mind is a hybrid Governmental and United States Industry mix. Government provides the proper incentives for business and industry to occupy the field, through a serious of carrot and stick tax, trading, manufacturing, and installation programs.
Now, while the Federal Government can and should do all it can from the top down, in order for such massive and needed change to be instituted it must occur from the bottom up. Therefore, the question becomes, how can the Federal Government influence business and local governments at the City, County, and even State levels to successfully move America in the correct direction.
1. Mass Media
Propaganda. Using legal dollars which are already in place from the Tobacco industry, alcohol, or other so called "sin tax" bullshit the US Government starts pumping out and under takes a national we're going solar ad campaign. This ad campaign should be on par with the national don't smoke, don't DUI, and other such already instituted advertising campaigns. The ads should feature the benefits and positiveness of local businesses, installing pay for plug electric hardware already available by General Electric and Siemens Corporation. The adds should also show FOR FREE, Chevy Covalts, Mitiubishi Electrics, as well as Nissen Electrics.
What this does is show and say to American car manufacturing & Electric Infrastructure Hardware Creators that FREE ADVERTISEMENT will be made available to companies, by the United States Government who so properly chose to get on board with the program.
2. TAX Incentives and the Carrot
A. It is and has been known for a great while to any tax attorney or Accountant worth their salt that Public Utility Companies pay no property taxes on energy producing lands, or properties. This law and tax code, is already legally usable by any independent tax producing family, city, county, or State Government. This is a good law, which needs to be touted and advertised. Every square footage of solar array, wind, or other such independent electric producing footage of an private home, business, or local governmental agency is legally exempt from all property tax.
This doesn't mean the entire property, unless any such property is entirely dedicated to the generation of solar power production and storage. This is a system, already build into the tax code, where just as the square footage of a home office or business/ private home hybrid may be differently assets for tax purposes, so too shall the square footage of any building dedicated to the generation of solar power, and areas dedicated to even pay for plug or personal electric plug in areas. This program, is a proper usage of how the Treasury Laws or Tax Code may be properly used to influence government policy, as the Founding Father's set for in the Constitution.
B. The EPA and other Federal Regulatory Bodies
As the legislature has already given certain executive powers to the Office of the President, the President may at will enact and influence a large portion of Federal Policy. This is especially true when it comes to the areas of National Defense, where he is the Supreme Commander and Chief, as well as all energy policy. The reason such energy policies may be controlled is the Legislature has given the EPA, great amounts of power, which sort of another Legislative vote remanding said powers the President may do as he pleases.
With that in mind, it is know that major Oil Companies seek to drill and expand the operations on shore. This is plausibly a good thing, as it will extend out the level and amounts of America's National Strategic Reserve Supplies. However, what the President may do, as the Primary Executive of this Country is cut deals with these oils companies. The deals would be far from the usual "sweet heart" deals, one generally thinks of. Instead, the President produces land grants, covenants, and contracts with the oil companies stating that:
In order to drill, explore, or finance any new patrolium based activities, within the boundaries of the Untied States or as a part of any contract, land grant, or land covenant covered by this agreement, any such parties in good consideration for the right to continue further patrolium based activities must keep a good faith accounting of the costs, profits, and expenses of all such activities. Then the sum total of all three standard business accountings, when calculated in accordance with the standards put forth by the American Accounting Board (Forget the name of the American Bar Associations Eequivilant for Accountants), shall be matched dollar for dollar in tax exempt research, development, manufacturing, production, job creation, installation, or distribution of Solar Electric Technologies, Solar Electric Storage, and/or Solar Electric transmission and distribution programs, which as a part of good consideration for the right and privilege granted said company to undertake petroleum exploration, production, drilling, and/or extraction from Federal or State held lands. All financial benefits, wind-falls, or financial gains which may befall any such oil company through their good faith and legally funded dollar for dollar expenditures, made in the areas of Solar Electric generation, storage, distribution, transmission, electric transportaion, American home construction technologies and/or power saving technologies, shall be to the sole benefit of the creating company to mass produce, market, exploit, or profit from. However, at no time, may any ground breaking or patentable technologies created or discovered as a part of this program be patented without bringing said technologies to market within six-twelve months of said technology being patented. The sole purpose behind this patent clause is to ensure that no technologies are discovered and patented by any such participating company, merely to ensure that said technologies stay off the market and unavailable to the American Public for use, job creation, production, distribution, transmission, or construction.
3. LOCAL GOVERNMENT
A. The role of local government on a nation wide scale
A. Local government is the most crucial part of any strategic policy based plan, as while the Federal Government may attempt to dictate from the top down, the Constitution and pure logistics require that local City and County Governments enact the majority of any such program. For lack of a better term Local Government IS the boots on the ground. Therefore, what sorts of Federal Policies and Programs may be enacted, to help and not hinder the coffers of local Governments?
California has taken the lead in this area, by allowing for the "Solar Leasing" and "Green Credit Sales," programs. These programs allow Solar installers to install onto the roofs of local buildings Solar Arrays, in exchange for the "Green Credits" which may be sold to polluting State or out of State companies, and the allowing of the sales of excess power generated to local utilities. The next legal and logical step, is for local Solar installation companies to install Solar Systems on medium to large apartment and office complex buildings, and sell at discounted rates electricity to the tenants. This sort of contractually legal arrangement, merely offers tenants of any rental space an alternative to the local municipality.
The landlord entering into either a purchase agreement or leasing agreement, with the Solar Installer, offers a viable alternative to the local municipalities. If local Governments are smart enough not to tax such enterprises out of competitiveness, what local Cities would have his their first truly NEW stream of taxable income they've experienced in decades. As most municipalities, are taxed at the State level, due to their size, these local independent power producers offer NEW streams of much needed income to local governments. Of course, every City can do as they please, and the possibility for corrupt politicians to accept pay offs or moneys from the larger State sized municipalities is and will be an on going concern.
We've already witnessed where sort sighted politicians, eager to fill coffers now, tax or other wise create an unfriendly local business environment through fees, dues, or even red-tape. As the boots on the ground, the Federal Government has little control over such business killing policies. However, the power of the Federal purse may again, be utilized to state certain Federal Dollars received by State and Local Governments are conditional upon exempting or strictly limiting the amount of local taxes placed on an industry America is attempting to grow nationally. Moreover, smart local politicians will be able to see the immediate local job creation, pay increases, joblessness, and over all economies grow from such a large, multi-teared, multi-trade and profession, manufacturing, distribution, instalation, and ultimately cost savings benefits visited upon the local citizenry.
The more locals employed, the more locals saving on energy bills, and the more businesses looking to do business locally, pay reasonable permitting fees, the more locals will have to spend at local shops, entertainment attractions, and other benefits of economic bounty a local Government receives, when the local economy is thriving. Also if small enough, so they may remain competitive and cheaper than the large municipalities, local city governments may begin to tax small usage points, such as the State does on small independent power producers. Again, the main concern being that this NEW industries biggest chip in the big game is that they are cheaper and more efficient electric power producing entities, than the large State wide municipalities. If local Governments tax that advantage away, they will effectively kill this possible and huge job creating industry.
B. Direct Income Sources and saving for local Governments
It is crucial and already Constitutionally decided that it is local State and City Governments whom shall control and contract for their own cities needs. Under this pretext, City Governments can and should contract with large Solar Power Installation companies, and grant certain city contracts. A. Pay for plug hardware. B. Solar systems on City lands. C. Maintaining of City vehicle fleets.
Every City shall be free to negotiate it's own contracts, and decide if it wants to buy, lease, rent, or partner with Solar Industries. A prime example is the now available Solar Power City Block Lights. These brighter then currently existing Solar Powered Street Lights. charge in the day, and are able to shine from dusk till dawn. With batteries and smart features, these lights can shine for several nights, one they have reached fully charged levels. Given the current millions of dollars large cities pay for the price of keeping their cities streets safely lit, would it not be smarter to either purchase for the ownership of the public solar powered street lamps, which have a ten year warranty on them? The alternative being to partner with or begin to accept bids from companies willing to install, maintain, and provide solar powered city street lights, which would be significantly cheaper than current municipalities prices.
The author also reminds the reader that along with any such installation or project undertaken by the city, comes employment opportunities for the installers, maintainers, as well as all the local supplies and distribution houses whom will receive a major benefit from the undertaking of such projects. Local Electrical Union benches emptied, as teams of Electrical Contractors are put back to work installing cost effective and solar efficient solar street lamps, all to the benefit of the local economy. Moreover, that's just one example.
San Francisco, being a prime and perfect City for any Federal, State, or Private experiments into just how cost effective, efficient, and beneficial Solar Systems could be for local Governments, Economies, and the Citizenry, San Francisco's MUNI system is an already electric powered system. If an entity, private or public, were able to install a Solar Electric System capable of generating enough power to power the Municipal Rails and Buses, the Solar Electric System would pay for itself. The City could quickly pay for any such system, by allocating
.10-.25 out of every dollar paid the system by riders. This is the same concept used to pay off the now failed "Clipper Card" system. However, instead of complaints and more expense the City would actually enjoy drastic cost reductions in it's massive electric bill. These savings could then be allocated to other more needed areas of government, like police, fire, and recreation departments.
Another cost saving area, would be the actual energy bills paid by local Government, just to keep it's own lights on. Aside from the City Street Lights, the actual operation of City buildings is quite expensive. Again, using a purchase as own, a leasing, or a hybrid model, the City could install Solar Electric Systems on the roofs, windows, and lands of the City, providing electric power cheaply and more efficiently than the current PUC's. This also allows the City to bid and contract out pay for plug hardware, for Citizens and even city fleets. Imagine the cost reductions of a City which had close no no electric bills, and had no gas bills to pay for the majority of it's fleet?
Then imagine the amount of local jobs and growth of the local economy from undertaking and instituting such a program? Local suppliers, installers, contractors, car dealers, the Government, and all their employees all experiencing increases in pay, job creation, even local, state, and Federal taxes. Imagine if all major cities were to do this. However, like any large business plan, a test bed must be found and used. San Francisco makes a highly attractive test bed.
4. San Francisco the testing Ground
1. First and for most San Francisco's population is a more liberal and probably more willing population to undergo such an experiment. As a eco-friendly and a city with a mean average salary of $69,000-$74,000, and a City instituted minimum wage of $9.75 San Francisco is one of, if not the largest Economies on the West Coast of the United States of America.
2. As once said by Mark Twain, "The coldest winter I ever spent, was a summer in San Francisco." What Mr. Twain was referring to, is of course San Francisco's famous fog, which outside of London is as close to pea soup as an American city can get, as far as fog goes. Therefore, San Francisco proves to be a perfect test bed for Solar Technologies, which MUST be able to capture, harness, and convert the power of the Sun on foggy days as well as sunny. Thankfully, all Solar Technologies are efficient enough to harness the suns rays through even the foggiest of whether these days. However, exactly which solar electric system does so most efficiently is yet unproven or tested on a mass scale. Which is exactly why San Francisco makes such an excellent test bed.
3. As previously stated, almost %80 if not more of San Francisco's public transportation system is already electric based. Therefore, a large infrastructure (at least on a large city scale), already exists in San Francisco. All that would be needed is to convert the on grid electric power utilization system, to an independent power generating system, or a hybrid there of. The results, costs, and savings could then be measured, modeled, and reported nationally.
4. San Francisco has many medium to large apartment and business buildings, and some of the trickiest land covenants, historical landmark, and building code regulations in the United States of America. If compromises, legal precedent, and tactful legal interpretations around and through needless red tape can be accomplished in San Francisco, it can be done any where in the nation. As one of the two California State Bar Associations is located in San Francisco, the possibility of co-operation and the recognition of pro-bono hours for the highly specialized real-estate, business, trust, non-profit, and administrative law lawyers could be a possibility.
5. The political climate is such in San Francisco that any politician which apposed such pro-green, pro-job creation, pro-union, pro-environment, pro-cost savings, and first of it's kind opportunity like the one's so proposed, would be committing a political suicide by opposing such progressive movement. However, as any reader should realize this isn't really a progressive movement, it is a push to get America's political and industrial powers to realize the incredible job creating, cost saving, and nation saving abilities Solar Electric Technologies truly represent. For the first time, possibly ever in this nations history we are at a cross-roads, and presented with an everybody wins scenario, opportunity, and industry. It's all made possible by the Solar Electric Industry.
Jobs? Creates them. Breaks our need for foreign oil? Does that as well. Jump start the economy with a large enough industry to sustain the United States of America? We're only limited by our own imaginations. Our power grid is over fifty years old, lets rebuild it. Only smarter, faster, and with Solar Electric Capabilities in mind. Are we the first Country to successfully pull this off? No, there is a German model to study, if the ney sayers must. Are we alone? No, our usual trading partners and allies, are merely waiting for the United States and her still the largest economy on the planet (for now), to make the right move, and to call the tune the rest of the Western World and Japan are going to dance to. Will it happen over night? No, but it the President started now, in four years time he can and will have pushed this movement so far forward that there can be no turning back.
This isn't Jimmy Carter's solar panels on the White House roof. This is read Bill Clinton's latest book, The Diaries of an Economic Hit Man (To see what could happen in the negative), heeding the Presidents own call to Nation Build at Home, with President Mac Authors statement about "The military industrial complex," and the infrastructure of the 1950′s. Wrap those all together, then the President using the power of his office makes some phone calls to heads of car industries, Senators, and industry giants, he says "Just a heads up, this is where I plant on taking this Country. I'd like your help, if I can count on it, what do you can I do to help you to help me, help America? If not, you may gladly get left in the dust, because the only bail outs or bail ins or for these programs and ones that help."
CEO's do it all the time. My Grandfather often would call personally local Electrical Contractors, to let them know Independent Electric was now doing business in their area, and would appreciate their business. My Grandfather found that having the President of IES call personally, and ask for business did a lot of good. Smoothed over egos, and made people flattered if a big guy calls on a little guy. Imagine what would happen if the Office of the President of The United States called a couple of industry big shots. They may be big shots, but a call from the President with a heads up has got to humble almost any American. Enough so, to get this plan into serious over drive, I know that much. Maybe he could leave off the last sentence, and state that publicly. Personally, I feel the President speaks for the American people, and that's probably about the tone people want taken with the so called "to big to fail" size companies.
That's a good start, for an over-view. Each layer, level, or idea can and must be expanded upon greatly, either by this author, his partners, or those whom wish to run with and utilize this plan. This is a mere over view, a general direction, but specific enough to actually act upon on several levels by several parties. This isn't the end, this is the beginning.
Occupy Walls Street is the greatest movement I have witnessed in my life time. I am 79 years old. I am proud of every American that takes part in and supports this movement. Keep up the good work OWS.
If all persons in this country had access to quality health insurance and education, especially emotional and mental health, then the statement that conservative republicans (who support the wealth) who say that the reason people in this country are poor, is their own fault, may have more meaning, But the children in the growing middle class who are financially hurting, the poor, the disabled, and the working poor do not have the resourses to send their children to education beyond high school, many of the parents themselves are emotionally unstable due to the lack of work, their children may drop out of school, do not graduate, they do not have quality medical insurance as you and the wealthier people in this country, The statements made by conservatives that money, quality medical care, and resources to pay for quality education and jobs for all of the unemployed, are not required to be successful persons but far too many conservatives in this country are people who are just not concerned with the unfortunate. It is their way of making themselves feel good, and will communicate with and pay people who agree with them, who themselves have no concious either. The money to pay for all of this will come from millions of the additional tax payers, billions plus in money saved from entitlement programs, billions saved from Justice systems including prisons where millions of non violent inmates who committed petty crimes for food or drug addition, and other government programs. these costly programs are like a giant whale, beached on a mountain side bellowing out, FEED ME, FEED ME!!
Kenneth E. Aldhizer
Moneta, Va.
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