Why Occupy?

      So...
Everywhere you look in the media, the news is all about Occupy someplace. Most people only get snippets of news coverage that reflect the political leaning of the news source's parent group. The media also seems to always find the most deranged, irrational protester available. I am fortunate enough to live in the vibrant counter culture rich metropolis of Portland, OR; consequently, I am able to witness the whole spectacle first hand. My feelings on the movement have changed like a speeding roller coaster. At first, I thought that they made some good points, and supported the movement. Then, some 30 days into camping in the local parks and turning them into filthy cesspools, I thought, "go home and get a life!" Then the city cleared out the parks and ran off the riff raff. This action seemed to invigorate the true Occupy protesters resulting in a clarification of the message. I am once again leaning toward supporting the movement. I feel like my journey of discovery reflects the uncertainty experienced by most mainstream Americans. What I would like to do is explain to you what the media has failed to do. Why occupy?
     The U.S. government bailed out big businesses to include multiple big banks such as Bank of America, Citigroup, Capitol One, Wells Fargo, Chase, and Regions to name a few. Meanwhile, over 6 million Americans lost their homes. The government dubbed these banks "too big to fail" while apparently dubbing the average American "too small to care." The banks have since recovered from their financial woes; in fact, Bank of America reported a 6 billion dollar profit last quarter while unemployment is at record levels, and most everyone else is feeling the pinch of the poor economy. Much of the outrage by members of the Occupy movement stems from the fact that these banks got massive bailouts, but failed to pass that second chance on to mortgage holders. I am well aware of the fact that many of those who lost their homes had no business having a mortgage that large to begin with. They were doomed to fail because there was no way they could consistently make the huge payments. Having said that, banks made loans to these individuals knowing full well that the buyers were unlikely to be able to pay them back. Many people simply lost their jobs in the economic downturn and were unable to pay their mortgage. There was no bailout for these people. Another point of contention was the gaudy salaries drawn by the CEO's of these banks despite having been bailed out by the government. Bank of America CEO Kenneth Lewis was paid almost 10 million in total compensation while his bank required a 45 Billion dollar bailout at taxpayer expense. JP Morgan Chase chief executive Jamie Dimon received 20.8 million dollars in total compensation in 2010, less than 2 years after his bank had to get 25 billion in taxpayer funds to stay afloat. The bailout of these huge banks and corporations was supposed to have a stabilizing effect on the economy. I think we can all agree that despite the infusion of 700 billion dollars of taxpayer money into these "too big to fail" businesses, our economy is far from stable.  The bottom line is that the only affect the bailouts had was to line the pockets of these corporate owners and executives while you and I continue to suffer. This SHOULD piss you off!
     Another concern of many Occupy members is something called income inequality. This refers to the disparity between increase in wealth between the very rich and everyone else. Terms like redistribution of wealth make many people cringe. I too took offense to the term for a while, and still oppose the outright "Robin Hood" concept of taking from the rich and giving to the poor; however, there are ways of making things better for the average person without gutting the rich guy. This will require all of us to satisfied with enough, and end our constant pursuit of more. Those with much wealth must take the lead in tackling this problem, for if they continue to pursue greed, the American people will demand that the government tax them into helping. I would rather see them choose the right thing themselves. I am not optimistic about that prospect. The American Dream must change from one of making it big on our own to one of making it together. Since 1979, the average American has seen a very modest gain in wealth. This gain has been essentially erased by inflation resulting in a net loss for most families. In the same time period The top 1-2% have seen a nearly 400% increase in wealth. This wealth has been achieved either by the labor or consumption of the average person. In the worst case scenarios, U.S. owned companies have moved jobs overseas to increase profits while continuing to sell products to U.S. consumers without a drop in retail price commensurate with decreased labor cost. The constant manipulation of the stock market by individuals and corporations has also played into the abysmal state of our economy. Some of the blame rest squarely with you and I. Over the years, we have demanded lower priced goods, higher wages, and higher returns on our 401ks and other investments. These demands have driven some jobs overseas in an effort to remain competitive. This is where you and I must become content with enough. Another sticking point in the income inequality realm is the tax code. Tax breaks for luxury items like second homes, yachts, and sports cars are just insulting in a time when most people are struggling to make ends meet. These and many other tax breaks designed expressly for the rich allow them to avoid paying much of their tax burden. I don't want to increase taxes on the rich so much as ending some of the ridiculous tax breaks. The rich will argue that this equates to a tax increase, but that doesn't wash with me. Those given much have much responsibility. I believed for most of my life that rich people earned their money, and some did, but the truth is that most earn their money by the labor of others. Yes, workers are compensated for their labor, but the disparity between the compensation for working class and the owning class / executive class is massive. I do understand that the rich employ people, and I am grateful for those jobs; however, in this time of record unemployment, couldn't those with great wealth create more jobs? I think they could and should.
     Although there are dozens of reasons occupy supporters cite for the movement, the last one I will present is health care. The Declaration of Independence states that life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are inalienably rights of all mankind. It is difficult if not impossible to have any of these things without good health. This is another issue that I have had a change of heart on. At one time, I thought there was no way I should have to pay for the health care of those who refuse to work, or destroy their health through bad habits like alcohol, drug and tobacco abuse. Then one evening a bright young friend of mine named Devon said, "we pay for those people one way or another." As I pondered this statement over several weeks the truth of it became more and more evident. Do you think that the hospitals just eat bad debt when people don't pay their bills? No way! They pass it on to you and I through higher cost for services or write it off on their taxes decreasing corporate tax revenue leaving you and I to pay for medicare and medicaid bills. Many posit that we can not afford to cover everyone. As things stand now, that is true. The answer lies in a total reform of our health care system to include ending fraud, waste, and abuse, reducing cost of care, and tort reform. I will address the health care issue in more detail in another blog, but this issue should concern us all. It's easy to say we shouldn't have to pay from the comfort of your living room. I see people suffer face to face each day. I see people who were trying to do the right thing and not get care they can't afford wait until they were so sick they had no choice. This resulted in an even higher cost for care. I have seen families have to decide between financial ruin or the health of a family member. No one should have to make that choice...
     My aim in this post is to bring you some real issues that effect us all in an environment free of shouting, posturing, and sensationalism. These issues are at the heart of the Occupy movement and motivate me to support the movement. While you may not support each of these positions, I hope each of you will consider ditching partisan politics and come together as Americans to demand change. The status quo is not sustainable. Change will come through either a complete collapse of our current economic and health care system or the concentrated efforts of a majority of Americans. I prefer the latter, and I trust that you do too.