Long Island Populist Examiner
11/20/11
Karen Rubin
Just days after Mayor Bloomberg tried to shut out the voices of Occupy Wall Street in New York, members of MoveOn.org joined a nationwide day of action last Thursday called, “We Are the 99%.” Nearly 70 local citizens rallied at the former K-Mart property on Hempstead Turnpike in Levittown to demand that the politicians in Washington focus on creating jobs and making millionaires on Wall Street pay their fair share. The “We Are the 99%” day of action was organized in solidarity with the Occupy Wall Street protests taking place across the country.
Events were held at crumbling bridges, understaffed schools, and other sites that show the local symptoms of a failed economy. Protesters were also targeting members of the Congressional Super Committee to increase pressure on the committee to focus on making millionaires pay their fair share, rather than job-killing cuts that will hurt working families. The protests were being held just days before the Congressional Super Committee’s deadline to submit a debt reduction proposal to Congress.
“We’re here today to demand that politicians in Washington stand up for the 99% and stop their assault on the American Dream,” said Lisa, a local MoveOn member. “The big banks and corporations are reaping the benefits of an economy that only works for the 1%, while the rest of us have been left behind. It’s time that Congress started fighting for an economy that works for all of us, not just the millionaires on Wall Street.”
The event was organized by MoveOn.org and the new American Dream Movement. Members of MoveOn.org were joined by other local groups: Long Island Alliance for Peaceful Alternatives, Veterans for Peace, Long Island Progressive Coalition, New York State United Teachers, Code Pink, and Yes We Can! The American Dream Movement is made up of millions of ordinary Americans, along with dozens of leading grassroots organizations, fighting together for good jobs for all Americans, securing a future for our children and our communities, and finally, making corporations and the super-rich pay their fair share in taxes.
