Taking inspiration from the Occupy Wall Street demonstrations, about 15 people showed up at Penn Valley Park at 9 a.m. Friday for Phase One of Occupy Kansas City. The cars and bicycles collected in a parking lot near the shipping containers that comprise sculptor John Salvest’s IOU/USA temporary installation. Val Baul, who hosts a show on KKFI 90.1, pulled up in the KC Strip trolley car that she drives and left the group with a megaphone. “I think the movement is about movement,” she explained, standing near her trolley. “I think people are tired of the status quo.”
On its website, Occupy Wall Street describes itself as a “leaderless resistance movement with people of many colors, genders and political persuasions. The one thing we all have in common is that we are the 99 percent that will no longer tolerate the greed and corruption of the 1 percent.”
Tyler Crane, a ponytailed glassworker, was handing out “We are the 99 percent” buttons as Phase One of the Kansas City occupation began. Over his shoulder stood what he believes to be a symbol of the greed and corruption of the 1 percent: the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. Crane subscribes to a theory that our modern economic turmoils can be traced back to the decision 100 years ago to establish a central bank. “People are mad because they played with the money system,” he said.
The Occupy Wall Street movement is diffuse. The Federal Reserve Act that vexes Crane is a non-issue for other demonstrators. What’s shared is a frustration that our economic and political systems seem rigged.
Meghan Whelan, a 30-year-old single mother who lives in the Northeast, said she got involved with Occupy KC because of inequality.
“I think that’s the main reason that all of us are here, is because we don’t really feel like there is any equality with how the people are being represented in Washington,” she said. “Because we don’t have the money to pay lobbyists. We don’t have the money to contribute to campaigns in the way that corporations do.”
Whelan graduated from Park University in 2006 and found a job in her chosen field, public relations. But her employer began shedding clients when the economy tanked in 2008. Whelan lost her job. Today she works as a bartender.The financial crisis put Whelan’s career on indefinite hold. She’s upset that it has been treated like a natural disaster. “There’s nobody who’s being held accountable for it,” she said.
The Occupy movement is an opportunity for the young and young at heart to air their grievances in something resembling a festival atmosphere. (One middle-aged Kansas City occupier broke out a fiddle.) Baul’s issues include the influence of lobbyists on policymaking, military spending, capital punishment, genetically modified foods and media consolidation. “There are seven corporations that control all of our media,” she complained.
Stephen Grube, 29, was balancing on a bike as Baul spoke. Identifying himself as a libertarian conservative, he said he felt more like an observer than a participant. As he saw it, the litany that Baul presented would make it difficult for the Occupy movement to turn grievances into outcomes. “I think that’s part of the problem, is that a lot of people see so many problems, and they don’t know where to start,” he said.
Whelan said the demonstrators just wanted to be heard.
“We’re not going to come out of here tonight and say, ‘OK, guys, we figured it out. This is the one thing why we’re here.’ Because there isn’t one reason. That’s just the truth. People who can’t swallow that and handle that, I’m sorry. There isn’t one reason. There just isn’t,” she said.
Before Phase One began, Whelan and other organizers had talked with city officials about their plans to occupy the area around Memorial Drive. As Whelan spoke to a reporter, a police cruiser pulled into the parking lot. The officer in the car called out to her. “Did you want my phone number in case you have a question?” he asked.
A day later, more than 700 demonstrators were arrested in New York. But in Kansas City, the movement was still in Phase One. Phase Two begins October 9.
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In 1997 and 1998 , theres was 1 man who tried to tell everybody it would come to this, I remember very clear him saying it will eventually come down to this, but back then like many others I percieved what he was saying as hype and BS,, and then as the years went by and I started seeing what was happening with the likes of the ENRON Scandal, and the Worldcom Scandal, and the TYCO Scandal, and all these Corrupt Corporate idiot CEO's doing what they were doing, and thinking they could get by with it and how they destroyed so many people lives in vast numbers, and then the Bernie Madoff Scandal,,, and the lists just grows - I begin to realize he was right these Corporate Idiots are nothing but Crooks in suits & ties, that use that persona as a ruse to hide behind their criminal intent, they use it as a deception to decieve those that don't want to see the Truth and don't care, and don't wanna know - their very Deceptive and good at Deception, and Fabricating & creating Diversions to side track you from what their really doing, which boils down to , "Organized White Collar Criminal Activity" / Organized Crime, worse than any well known Mobster or crime family in this nations History as we know it . The FBI & Dept. of Justice spent Decades trying to take down & go after the Mob, only to let these Corrupt Schiesters on Wall Street and in Washington take over and completely disrupt everything the last 20 years ! People had better get their head out of the sand and seriously Wake up, and QUIT thinking just voting for some other political canidate is just going to turn everything around and everything just be hunky-Dory - Okie - Dokie, because its NOT going to be. Many of these political figures are being controlled by these very Corporate Criminals of both Parties, its all a game of Smoke & Mirrors placed upon YOU the American people , its a side Show - Freak Show - Circus Act and your the Naive Audiance their Playing for, and your eating it up, like kids, that just Entered a Candy Store !! YOU PEOPLE ------} http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3L3QVn4JyYA
The Fed is not the problem. The political control of the Fed is the problem. Wall Street is pulling the strings there as well. When responsible people control the Fed it will function for the people as well as any institution. Keep your eye on the ball.
The amount of dysfunction in the government is ridiculous. They have lost themselves, in this far removed from reality world they live in.
Hey GladKansan, pull your head out - Lawrence does have a Occupy group - here is their facebook page. I heard there were over a hundred gathered there yesterday.
What would happen if we took our money out of corporate banks and put it in local credit unions?
Let them protest in Kansas City, Missouri --- yet another, visible reason to move to Johnson County, Kansas -- where they wouldn't be well received.
Not even Lawrence has this bunch.
I dont think anyone disagrees about how money is controlling Washington. Why arent these people protesting at the White House since Obama promised financial reform and didnt deliver? Obama has failed miserable, and he is doing the same shady backroom pork deals as bush did but with different industries. Wake up you sheep.
What is amazing is that like the Arab Spring demonstrations there is no central power point and here in the U.S. there is no central power point like Martin Luther King Jr. so the parallels are striking! There something going on here that we haven't seen since Woodstock. If we keep it up Congress will have to act and start the investigations of Wall Street and hand out the indictments that they so well deserve! I think the Democrats are waiting until the TARP money is exausted so they can't use it to pay the fines out of it! If Obama gets the indictments he will surely be elected because so many GOP working class people feel it to there just too stupid the realize they support an ideology that is hell bent on destroying them for the Robber Barons!
The only way to fix the economy is to get the corporate money out of Washington, stop the corporations from buying off congress. The problem is the people who benefit the most from the corporate money are the people who make the rules. So the only way to change the rules is a peaceful revolt against them. What I would like to see happen is:
1) Congressional term limits enacted- Currently a congressman can run for office forever as long as they get reelected. I think a 3 term limit (6 years) should be applied to representatives and a 1 term limit (6 years) for senators.
2) One person, one dollar, one vote (campaign finance reform)- Everyone pays one dollar on their tax statement that goes toward campaign funding regardless of if they get a refund or if they owe. There are 312 million people roughly so that’s $312 million dollars for national campaigns. I don’t believe lobbying should be outlawed- people have the right to petition their congressman for what they want, but it should be illegal with stiff penalties for them to give gifts, including campaign contributions. Accepting any money for campaigning outside the money provided by the taxes of the people should come with very stiff penalties. This makes it much harder for politicians to be bought off by big money and hopefully more likely to vote in the populous’ best interests rather than by what will personally make them the most money.
3) Stronger regulation and oversight with penalties that actually have teeth for Wall Street.
4) Tax reform- starting with taxing income from investments at a higher rate than income earned working. Creation of a flat tax, no loop holes, no exclusions, no deductions.
5) Stricter enforcement of our anti trust laws- there should be no such thing as a company that is too big to fail. If there is then the law is not serving the purpose it was intended for and should be revamped.
That’s my take on it anyway. The main thing is getting large corporations to quit buying off politicians to help level the playing field and give the rest of us a chance to excel as well.
Prior to major media coverage the Big Dumb Fun Show® (BDFS) spoke with Grim who manned the Occupywallst.org phone on Sept 19th, here http://youtu.be/7wcr47r2Upk
Thereafter BDFS spoke with the occupywallst.org media rep on Sept 26th, here http://youtu.be/UfdBGg21VVY
Then on Monday, October 3rd BDFS spoke with a new OWS media rep in NYC plus two organizers of Occupy KC joined in-studio. Those interviews are in replay all week long at www.livestream.com/bdfs
These actions aren't going unnoticed! I personally have been looking for something of this nature and it's great to see actions actually being taken. I speak for myself and many others when I say you will see more show up for these causes.
However, I agree that defining an agenda is paramount. How can we help?
-Ariel Penner
United you stand, divided you fall. You are addressing the issues, do not allow anyone to highjack your beliefs.
Note to everyone who may be arrested: Demand a jury trial, do NOT just accept a judge's ruling
To be fair, this reporter arrived at 9am, before anyone had actually gathered at the site. We have grown in number from the 15 he observed that morning. Last night, our General Assembly was comprised of 67 people actively participating in a decision-making process towards setting goals and defining our agenda. We've had up to 100 people at the site supporting this movement. The numbers fluctuate as much as anyone's daily schedule does.
We are steadily gaining support from leaders of organizations across the city who align with our movement. Collective action takes time and patience. And we are dedicated to seeing this action through.
If you wish to know what grievances we have, Occupy KC stands in solidarity with Occupy Wall Street and their official declaration, found here:
http://occupywallst.org/forum/first-offici…
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