NYC General Assembly # Occupy Wall Street

Proposal Summary: OWS will join with Occupy NH to Occupy the NH Primary from
Thursday January 5th – Wed January 11th to participate in a series of direct actions aimed
at political targets of both the Republican and Democratic Parties to confront the problem
of corporate money and the wealth of the 1% buying elections and controlling and
influencing our political system.

This proposal comes from interest in some people at OWS combined with a request
from Occupy NH for support. People from other Occupies around the country will be
joining Occupy NH and Occupy the Primary, so this will be an opportunity for national
movement building and relationship building with other Occupiers.

Program: The five days of action in NH will include a series of Direct Actions
including:

Direct actions on scheduled events including Republican Primary Debates;

Bird-dogging candidates and raising our issues and concerns during candidates
appearances;

Taking over the office/offices of National Democratic Targets;

Targeting a corporate political donor of both parties;

Talking to Republican Voters and organizing mini general assemblies and speak
outs at polling sites.

A General Assembly and Speak Out across from the Hotel where the acceptance
speech of the winner will be made to show what real democracy looks like; and,

NOTE: This action is NOT about disrupting the voting process. Occupy NH has made
it clear that it is not seeking to stop people from entering the polls or to disrupt the
voting process. Disruption will be of candidates events and other targets not associated
with the voting process.

Message: Occupy the NH Primary will address growing economic inequality and the
disproportionate economic and political power of corporations and the wealthiest 1-
percent. We want to highlight our concerns, which are often absent from the candidates’
speeches and media reports. We will also raise the issue of corporate money and the
wealthy buying elections and destroying true democracy in the US. We will raise the
issue of Wall Street buying both Republican and Democratic Candidates.

What We Need: We are asking that Direct Action join other Working Groups in
supporting this action in the following ways:

1 – to identify people who would want to come to NH for a number of days to engage in
direct actions and organizing work that are being organized and to help be the lead on an
action on a Democratic Target.

2 – to support our ask for funding to cover travel and some food and lodging costs to NH
and the cost of logistics at the Occupation Site in Manchester.

3 – to think of a small direct action in NYC to do during the Primary on January 10th to
secure media coverage in NYC that will echo and support the media coverage in NH and
nationally.

Resolution to End Corporate Personhood

Consented to by the Politics & Electoral Reform Working Group on 12/29/2011

Proposed by: the Subgroup to End Corporate Personhood of the Politics & Electoral

Reform Working Group

Type: Public Statement

Contact: endcorporatepersonhoodnyc@gmail.com

A RESOLUTION TO END CORPORATE PERSONHOOD

The New York City General Assembly of Occupy Wall Street,

Convinced that one critical threat to authentic democratic self-governance comes
from the fact that corporations have been defined as legal persons,

Declaring that persons are rightfully recognized as human beings whose
essential needs include clean air, clean water, and safe and secure food,

Deeply disturbed that the granting of Constitutional protections to corporations
has compromised, or resulted in the destruction of our communities, economy,
democracy and natural world in many ways,

Recalling that corporations are human-made legal fictions, and that human
citizens are the source of all legitimate power in any democracy,

Deeply concerned that corporations need only profit for survival, and that such
profit and survival are often in direct conflict with the essential needs and rights of
human beings,

Having observed that the great wealth of large corporations lets them misuse the
legal system to overpower human beings and communities, thus denying The
People’s rights,

Recalling that corporations are not mentioned in the Constitution, that The
People never granted constitutional rights to corporations, but that individual
judges and courts have misguidedly done so without Our consent,

Particularly disturbed that the rollback of the legal limits to corporate spending
in elections creates an unequal playing field enabling corporations to influence
elections, candidate selection, and policy decisions,

Having seen that large corporations own most of America’s mass media and use
that media as a megaphone for their own agenda, drowning out other voices,
With conviction that defining property as people is fundamentally immoral and a
threat to real people, all other life forms, and the planet,

Be it resolved that the New York City General Assembly of Occupy Wall Street
joins the millions of citizens, grassroots organizations and local governments
across the country in calling for an Amendment to the Constitution to firmly
establish that money is not speech, that human beings, not corporations, are
persons entitled to constitutional rights, and that the rights of human beings will
never again be granted to fictitious entities or property.

We support a proposed New York City Council Resolution calling for such an
amendment and urge the members to vote YES.

We further call on other communities, movements, and jurisdictions to join with
us in this action by passing similar Resolutions.

How:
By making this resolution one of our public statements.

Why:
Corporate personhood is incompatible with democracy and individual
sovereignty. We have the opportunity to declare our will to restore constitutional
protections to human beings.

Occupy Los Angeles came to consensus on a similar resolution on November
27, 2011 (2 days before they were evicted) and another on December 5, 2011
in support of a Los Angeles City Council resolution to end corporate personhood
which passed unanimously on Dec 6, 2011.

On January 4, 2012, the New York City Council is set to vote on a similar
resolution calling on Congress to begin the process of amending the Constitution
in order to reverse the 2010 Supreme Court ruling of “Citizens United vs. Federal
Electoral Commission.”

Making this public statement days before the City Council votes, and before
large-scale national actions marking the 2-year anniversary of “Citizens United”
on January 20 and 21, positions OWS as a key voice in the dialogue and creates
a powerful and resonant context that can rally more people to the movement.

We propose this resolution as one of many strategies for self-empowerment, not
as part of a political party or as an endorsement of the current political system,
but as one of many parallel efforts at curbing corporate dominion.

The OWS Sustainability Working Group is requesting funds for
participation in the Left Forum, at Pace University March 16 to March
18, 2012. This year’s theme is entitled “Occupy the System:
Confronting Global Capitalism.”

Abstract:
OWS Sustainability Working Group would like to present and moderate a
panel discussion / Q&A tentatively titled : Creating A Sustainable
Culture: Food, Farming, Energy and Our Future. The panel will include:
Maggie Cheney of Bushwick Campus Farms. Notable Permaculture Designer,
Andrew Faust. Lisa Depiano Instructor @ UMass Amherst and owner of
Mobile Design Lab. Dr. Susan Rubin, Master Composter and Coordinator
of Transition Westchester. It will be moderated by Winnie Wong,
Coordinator of OWS Sustainability Working Group. We have assembled a
very diverse group of of teachers, activists, community organizers,
and green innovators who have broad knowledge in the areas of
Sustainable Agriculture, Energy, Green Design, Social Activism, and
Permaculture. Together we hope to inspire, engage, and empower
participants of this panel to become more informed, and to get
involved with occupying their food supply by using their personal
energy supply in a more creative and sustainable way. We may also
screen a very short film of no more then 8 minutes in duration.
Sponsoring Journal:
OWS Sustainability Working Group

BUDGET:

Participation: 8 Panelists * $55 per person fee = $440
Transport: 8 Panelists * $4.5 two way metro card = $36
Total Requested Funds: $476

A mass protest is being organized in Washington, DC on January 17th. Occupy DC is actively involved with a group called Occupy Congress. The thought is to have day-long actions on the 17th through 21st because the 17th is the first day the House of Representatives is in session for 2012. It’s an opportunity to bring our grievances to the nation’s capitol and interact with occupations all over the country.

I propose we express solidarity with the event on the 17th and use all means at our disposal to promote it. I propose we begin organizing a contingent of OWSers to go to DC and offer our support. Occupy Congress is asking for a liaison between OWS and them, so if we express solidarity with the event we should reconvene at another GA to choose liaisons, or not and just organize autonomously.

Solidarity isn’t an endorsement. I don’t believe it’s necessary to endorse the action, unless we want to, because solidarity with them is enough. Each occupation is invited to bring its own list of grievances or to simply send individuals to participate. We don’t need to decide on any grievances, but protest and participate like we’ve done at other mass actions here in New York.

Occupy Congress may be contacted on Facebookhttp://www.facebook.com/pages/Occupy-Congress-January-17th-2012/203536356392018?sk=info or atwww.occupyyourcongress.info.

All individuals are welcome to participate autonomously; this proposal is only to seek consent for an expression of solidarity and the use of our social media to promote the event.

The 21st of January is also the anniversary of Citizens United – another opportunity to voice our concerns.

I have copies of their call to action for review by the GA (or find it here: http://wiki.occupyyourcongress.info/index.php?title=Call_to_Action_to_Occupations).

Proposal to create a new OWS working group.

Name of Group: Antiwar

Contact emails: jbf1987@gmail.com, melanie@codepink.org

Is your group open for anyone to join? Yes

How does your group actively try to include the voices of people who are marginalized by larger society? Our members include people from women’s organizations, people of color, and immigrants.

If you have regular meetings, when and where are they? alternate Tuesdays, 6PM @ 60 Wall St. (public atrium)

Movement Group: How do you contribute to the OWS movement? While we struggle to keep our homes, jobs, hospitals, schools and libraries, our money is being laundered for wars. These wars are waged by corporate and government forces for profit, causing untold death and destruction to life and earth. Our group works to abolish these destructive forces, through nonviolent direct action and education, and stands in solidarity with those facing war and other forms of oppression.

Strong Women Rules Working Group proposes questions about Spokes Council ethics.

Strong Women Rules Working Group proposes questions about facilitation ethics.

Strong Women Rules Working Group proposes auditing the Accounting Working Group.

Spokes Council Assembly Proposal

This is to set a protocol and timetable for the completion of the assembly of the Operational Spokes Council.

1. To enable a systematic inclusion process to be carried out, each Working Group that presently exists at the time of this meeting (12/30/11) will be warranted consideration to apply to membership at the Operational Spokes Council over the next week.  For consideration in the petitioning to join the Operational Spokes Council, and that body only, we propose a temporary moratorium on the acknowledgement of new working groups, using this date (12/30/11) to note which Working Groups are able to petition for inclusion or decline to do so before the Spokes Council is considered fully formed.

2. We propose that for inclusion in this discussion, all Working Groups that wish to be considered for membership in the Operational Spokes Council provide their group’s charter, an email address point of contact, and the forum they most frequently use (be it the NYCGA.net forums, or another method, such as Google Group or Facebook group) for information-sharing purposes.  This information should be tendered to the Facilitation Working Group by Tuesday, 1/3/12, to be posted on the NYCGA.net website by Wednesday, 1/4/12, and printed by Outreach for distribution as a packet at the 1/4/12 Spokes Council.  An announcement of this, including the contact information to send this to, should be made at the 12/31/11 and 1/1/12 General Assemblies, and the 1/2/12 Spokes Council, in addition to being distributed widely electronically via ComHub and the NYCGA website.

3. At this time, all working groups will be invited to join the Operational Spokes Council, even those not previously invited due to not being operational in nature.  However, as we are forming the Operational Spokes Council, Working Groups that had previously been not petitioned for inclusion due to being movement groups instead of operational groups may be asked to join as members of a caucus, just as any other non-operational working group is being asked to be involved.

4. At this time, overlap of charter or function is not being considered.  A group’s inclusion as either an operational working group or valid caucus shall be on the merits of their charter alone, even if this charter seems identical in function and purpose to another group’s charter; a later process was intended originally to consolidate overlapping Working Groups and caucuses into aligned clusters, and this assembly of the Spokes Council is intended to judge solely on the validity of the group as an operational working group or its inclusion as a member caucus.  Failure to be included in the Operational Spokes Council, or declining to be so included, does not negate a group’s Working Group status; the Spokes Council model is only intended to streamline the processes each group uses, better direct their functions by building intergroup communications, and allow for better direct democracy consensus-building by enabling these groups to work together more fully.

5. In addition to the process of petitioning for inclusion at the Monday, Wednesday and Friday Spokes Council sessions, we propose that on Saturday and Sunday, 1/7/12 and 1/8/12, beginning at 11am and taking place at West Presbyterian Church (165 West 86th St.), each and every working group that wishes to participate in the Operational Spokes Council be present to participate in an all-day discussion specifically to continue and complete the assembly of the Operational Spokes Council.  Any group previously ratified will be given the option to remove themselves from the Operational Spokes Council if they feel they are no longer an Operational Working Group or Caucus with a relevant charter given the current state of the Occupation.  Such groups will be given the opportunity to be folded into another Working Group whose charter might presently encompass theirs.  Any group previously turned down will have the opportunity to petition again for inclusion at this time, as will any group previously not on the list acknowledged as a working group by the 12/30/11 meeting of the Operational Spokes Council.

6. Spokes will be used for this assembly process, just as it was for the beginning of the formation of the Operational Spokes Council, but due to the expected long nature of the meeting the spoke will in many cases be presumed to rotate several times throughout the meeting, and in fact this behavior is encouraged.  For the purposes of these meetings, whether one was serving one’s working group as a spoke at the previous Spokes Council meetings will not be considered a limiting factor, and whether one serves as one’s spoke in the course of these meetings will not be considered a limiting factor for forthcoming Operational Spokes Council meetings.

7. Any Working Group which presents three or more members for the duration of the discussion to complete the Operational Spokes Council’s membership will be afforded blocking option for each proposal, so long as this is the consensus of the Working Group.  For a group with ten or more members, modified consensus will be accepted.  For a group with two or fewer members, including a group which previously had three or more members but presently has only two at the time of wishing to issue a block, these blocks will be tracked by the group as a whole and no more than five such blocks can be issued by each such Working Group each meeting day.  This is intended to prevent any personal opinions from evading the consensus process which challenges all of our personal opinions and strengthens them with the thoughts of the group, and tempers them with the will of the many, not just the voice of the one.  Any group not able to achieve consensus among their members, either for or against the inclusion of a working group or caucus, will be considered to be standing aside for the purposes of consensus.  These spokes will not tallied for overcoming blocks via modified consensus.

8. There will be a hard meeting end of 6pm, to ensure anyone present at these meetings is able to still attend General Assembly, giving a maximum allotment of seven hours per day to this process.  To ease time pressures, we ask that each Working Group attending these meetings have a discussion within the group after the submission of the group charters and their publication, to go over each and every group asking for ratification into the Operational Spokes Council.  Clarifying questions and concerns should be voiced to the group as a whole for discussion, and the group should reach consensus upon a question or concern before being asked as such by a spoke during the assembly process meetings.  In many cases, questions and concerns can be asked within the group and an answer reached, and this will streamline the process and assist in completing this process.

Proposal for Funds

From: Occupy Oakland

On September 17, tents sprang up here in Zucotti Park, blocks from Wall Street, to
protest a destructive economic and political system. What began with a few tents has
since ignited into a worldwide movement that has left the 1% shaking.

Since October 10, when an encampment began in Frank Ogawa Plaza – now Oscar
Grant Plaza – Oakland has been at the forefront of the Occupy movement. When tear
gas and flash grenades were sent into crowds of peaceful Oakland protesters on October
25, nearly killing Iraq War veteran Scott Olsen, Occupy Oakland acted swiftly and
powerfully. Within a week, a massive General Strike was organized that culminated
in 30,000 people marching on the Port of Oakland and shutting it down. This action
was also in support of Longview Longshoremen in their ongoing struggle against EGT,
a grain shipping company owned by Bunge Ltd, a global corporation with massive
control of grain production and distribution worldwide, and with a long track record of
perpetrating economic and social injustice.

During the month of November, brutality escalated and Occupy camps around the
country were forcefully evicted – including the one here at Liberty Plaza and the
one in Oscar Grant Plaza. Occupy Oakland once again responded to the coordinated
repression of the 1% by calling for a coordinated response in the form of a West Coast
Port Shutdown on December 12. This massive day of action was coordinated with
Occupy assemblies up and down the west coast and across the country. In addition to
supporting the Longview against EGT, the action also called attention to the exploitation
of independent truckers on the ports.

The call to action on December 12 was an inspiration around the country and the day
was highly successful. Oakland, Portland, Seattle, and Longview ports were shut down,
along with partial shutdowns or support actions at Long Beach, San Diego, Hueneme
(Ventura County), Vancouver, Houston, Tacoma, Coos Bay, Anchorage, Hawaii, and
Japan. In Bellingham, WA protesters locked themselves to rail lines carrying Goldman
Sachs goods. In Denver, CO, Salt Lake City, UT, and Albuquerque, NM, demonstrators
blockaded Walmart distribution centers to protest its low wages and lack of adequate
health care for workers. Here in New York, Occupy Wall Street protesters stormed
financial institutions. When police brutality was carried out against protesters in certain
cities, Occupy Oakland kept its pledge to extend the port blockade, and hundreds stayed
into the night to shut down the port for a third time in 24 hours.

December 12 proved to the world that the Occupy movement was alive and kicking,
despite the camp evictions.

On December 21st, Occupy Oakland General Assembly took the next step. By a 98%
consensus vote, the GA voted to support the “EGT Grain Shipment Action,” a massive
picket of the Longview EGT shipping terminal. EGT, a subsidiary of Bunge, Ltd, a
multinational grain exporter, has been in conflict with the members of Local 21 of the

ILWU/Longshore workers for refusing to hire union dockworkers. Local 21’s contract
with the Port has not been honored, and EGT/Bunge, Ltd has done everything in its
power to break the longshoremen’s union – including bringing in scab labor from out
of state. The fate of this grain shipment, and whether it is allowed to be unloaded, could
decide the fate of the ILWU and the labor movement in the U.S.

Aside from union busting and highly exploitative labor practices, Bunge has used its
power in the grain trade to commit major abuses worldwide, colluding to set global grain
prices to enhance its profits, major tax evasion in Argentina, deforestation in the Amazon
forest, forcing Brazilian workers to work in near slave conditions, multiple violations of
the Clean Air Act, and much more.

This battle against EGT/Bunge is one of the most significant battles of our time, a classic
case of the 99% against the 1%.

To make this action a success, to ensure that the grain shipment is blocked, as well as to
reimburse costs incurred by Occupy Oakland to carry out the West Coast Port Shutdown,
Occupy Oakland requests $20,000 from Occupy Wall Street. $8,000 will go towards
reimbursing costs to Occupy Oakland for the Port Shutdown, for which there is a budget
breakdown and the necessary receipts. $4000 will reimburse Oakland for the costs of its
own shutdown, and the other $4000 will reimburse Oakland for $1000 it gave to each of
four cities on the west coast (Portland, Seattle, San Diego, and Los Angeles) to ensure the
success of their shutdowns.

$12,000 will be spent on the Longview action, specifically, providing lodging and
transportation for Occupy members around the country to go to Longview, and creating
flyers and publicity for the action. Much of the funding will be shared with Occupy
Portland and Occupy Longview, who are major coordinating partners for the action due
to their proximity to Longview.

This action is a continuation of the successful actions up and down the West Coast on
December 12, and directly in line with the principles of the Occupy movement.

If we are to continue to move forward as a movement – nationally and globally – then
we must continue the types of direct actions that Occupy Oakland has been pioneering.
These actions hit the 1% where it hurts most – in their pockets – and gain international
attention for the movement, helping to build the movement begun here in Liberty
Plaza. We hope that you will vote to act in solidarity with Occupy Oakland and Occupy
assemblies up and down the west coast by allotting funds from Occupy Wall Street –
much of which has come from donations meant to sustain the movement as a whole – so
that Occupy Oakland can continue to plan and carry out successful actions.

Thank you for the work you continue to do here in New York, and we hope that you pass
this proposal tonight so that we on the West Coast can continue to work for all of us – the
99% everywhere – to bring the 1% to its knees.

Amendments

An additional $5000 will be given to Occupy Oakland for a bail fund, bringing the total
in funding (reimbursements, Longview action, and bail fund) to $25,000.

The money will be transferred to Occupy Oakland as soon as OWS Finance/Accounting
Committee receives receipts from the December 12 action.

The December 12 action receipts will also be posted online.

We are asking for a budget of $2000 as a deposit on borrowing silent disco equipment for our new years eve afterparty. This money would be refunded upon receipt of the equipment, which is being distributed based on a tree of trust system of accountability.

Proposal to donate one of OWS’s army tents to Occupy Dartmouth to support their winter survival.

Context:

Hi, my name is Lily Brown, from Occupy Dartmouth.  I’m a student at Dartmouth but live in Brooklyn, and am currently on Christmas break.  Occupy Dartmouth is a branch of the Occupy movement started by Dartmouth students, but which also includes many community members.  We have an encampment and two tents which are occupied 24/7, however one of our tents is not particularly warm, and our warm tent which we built ourselves is starting to smell and grow mildew etc.  We would love it if OWS could donate one of its army tents to us for the winter.  I will bring minutes from a GA where we talked about getting a new tent, and pictures of our encampment to prove that we are really an Occupy.

Proposer: Jason Woody

Contact: jjwoodynyc@gmail.com

I would like to purpose that no proposals can be passed through the General Assembly without a quorum of at least one hundred people.