YNN Southern Tier
11/21/2011
Melissa Kakareka
http://centralny.ynn.com/content/top_stories/564629/seniors-join-occupy-binghamton-movement/
BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — The Occupy Movement in Binghamton received a few extra members on Monday.
“We’re here in solidarity with the Occupy Movement here in Binghamton and across the nation, that’s saying that Congress and people have to wake up,” said Mary Clark of Citizen Action of NY.
Senior citizens were joined by Citizen Action and other community groups for a protest outside the Occupy Binghamton site. They held signs and expressed concern about the future of certain social programs that protect the poor and the elderly.
“My concern is what’s happening in America in terms of the budget and how to cut the budget. There’s a move to cut Social Security, raise the age of benefits and in our nation, that seems unfair to the elderly who helped build America,” said protester Fred R. Brooks Jr.
The demonstration was inspired by discussions in Washington about how to trim more than one trillion dollars from the federal budget. The protesters say they are trying to send a clear message to the Congressional Supercommittee in charge of the agreement.
“There’s many proposals on the table that would cut Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and balance the budget on the back on seniors and the disabled, all to give tax breaks to the one percent, the richest of Americans and we’re saying today no to that,” said Clark.
The activists say the demonstration is also a way to show solidarity with the next generation.
“What is so exciting to me about the Occupy Movement is that the young people are being awakened for their concern for the elderly and middle classes and the elderly are concerned for the young and I think that’s very, very important,” said Brooks.
The demonstration was one of many protests planned at occupy sites in New York City and across the nation.
