by Jack Lee
As promised, I paid yet another visit to the Occupy Wall Street encampment in the downtown park. What it’s deteriorated to is this: A mere one or two true believers on site and the homeless looking for a place to hang and a cause to make them feel wanted.
My first encounter was with one of the main organizers, Quentin Colgan who often posts on our Post Scripts blog. Quentin appeared a bit harried as he explained he was late for a meeting elsewhere, but at least we managed to exchange greetings and I asked him for something to read about the OWS protest issues they were endorsing. He pointed to a
number of books on display. I said I didn’t really have time to read a book, did he have something else… smaller? He handed me a few sheets of white paper that formed a booklet, published by the OWS movement headquartered in NY. He said was as his last one. I promised to look it over and return it.
While we were standing there chatting an older gentlemen in a white compact car pulled up along side the OWS tent and yelled angrily, “You’re the 1%!!!” and then drove away. I asked Quentin if this happened often? “Not too much, we get mostly good responses from people.” Quentin left and I scanned over his OWS brochure and I did return it.
Next, I walked inside the canopy part and spoke with one fairly articulate young man named Brandon who was a true believer for the cause. Brandon wasn’t (or didn’t appear to be) well versed on the issues endorsed by the OWS movement, but he knew there had to be change coming, that too many things were wrong in this country. I
asked Brandon what one thing would he like to see come from this protest movement, what was his personal top priority? “Too much injustice in the world. I would like to see more justice.” How to get that justice was another yet to be determined issue.
I tried to help him out and suggested that America needs equality of justice, that all people, both rich and poor, weak and powerful, should be held to the same standards, all on an equal basis, all accountable and responsible under the law. Brandon nodded in agreement and he asked me to say all that again as he took mental notes.
As an example of where I was coming from I cited the energy fiasco of a decade back that began in California and consumed Enron, then it extended across the nation and became industry-wide. The closer look that came by feds and stockholders eventually exposed all kinds of widespread corruption. Energy stocks plummeted and people were fired. However, there were not widespread arrests, despite the obvious cheating. Only the most egregious felons outside of Enron’s easy pickins only two or three others were ever indicted. The rest of the hierarchy got off Scot free after billions were literally stolen from the shareholders in one of the biggest looting’s in American history, thus fulfilling the old adage, “If you’re going to steal, better to steal a million, the punishment is less – the more you steal.”
It was a small little piece of ground, but it was at least some common ground, some point of mutual understanding that we could share. While Brandon and I talked this homeless looking guitar playing guy wanted to give us financial advice, and kept interrupting with “You should buy Tesla generators!”
On the sidewalk another homeless looking person about 20-23 years old was yelling into a speaker, “Boycott Chico – boycott Chico – boycott everything.” Boycott everything? I think this person was playing around, but he didn’t add any credibility to the OWS movement.
I took a few pictures as you can see above. This is what represents the OWS movement here and it’s not much. This time I came away with mixed feelings from sympathy to resentment. First, most of these so-called protesters would be there anyway because they are the homeless with their dogs, shopping carts and bicycles loaded with their worldly possessions. These folks have mental issues, addiction problems and they shouldn’t be made fun of, yet they are here as a force for the OWS movement who is glad to use them. I think the pictures say it all.
Next are the organizers. They have a few legitimate issues that need attention by Washington. For instance, there are those corporate bailouts for those too big to fail. They were very unwise and government squandered our tax money and delayed our recovery. I can empathize with another issue, the breaking of rules and laws by Wall Street. Their transgressions carried little or no consequences. Even the most repugnant offenders got off, and then there is the issue of jobs. We all want to see more jobs created, but we’re divided on how to do that. One side, OWS, wants to see more government work projects and the other, the conservative (right) side, wants to see capitalism unburdened and competing on a level playing field with the rest of the world…the jobs will follow.
Well, there it is, my 2nd visit to the OWS camp. They’re a peaceful bunch and not much going on at the Chico camp out, unlike their Oakland counterparts who are genuine die-hard Socialists ready to wage war on capitalism.
If our local protesters are still around after the rain coming this weekend I will check back and give you another update, chances are this is it.
Jack, you mean Quentin Colgan did not call you a bleeping bleep bleep with your head up your bleep like is does in Post Scripts?
He must have been harried. That or harried at the thought of having a conversation with you.
Did you make sure your shots were up to date before you went? Did you delouse after your visit?
Re Jack’s: “However, there were not widespread arrests, despite the obvious cheating. Only the most egregious felons (two or three) were ever indicted.”
That is not quite accurate. For Enron alone sixteen people pleaded guilty, five others were found guilty. This does not include prosecutions of people who worked for Arthur Anderson or NatWest Three.
The government did it’s job. Sometimes plea bargains were made for in exchange for testimony. My take on it is that federal prosecutors in the Justice Department stepped up to the plate and did their jobs.
Are there crooks and evil people on Wall Street? Sure, but no more than there are crooks and evil people in government.
Pie, thanks for your additional comments and filling in the fine details.
The point I was trying to make was the rather large number of serious cases of fraud involving energy companies that didn’t result in any charges being filed.
If you take Enron out of the equation, there were next zip prosecutions for fraud and some of these frauds ran into the hundreds of millions. Enron was so blatant the prosecutions should have been a cinch, but we don’t pay prosecutors just to take the easy cases, we pay them to arrest all felons and try them when the evidence merits, not cherry pick and let fear of possible arrest straighten out the rest. Many people should have gone to jail over the energy scandal and they didn’t…the system only got a few.
Re Jack’s: “… we don’t pay prosecutors just to take the easy cases, we pay them to arrest all felons and try them when the evidence merits, not cherry pick and let fear of possible arrest straighten out the rest. Many people should have gone to jail over the energy scandal and they didn’t…the system only got a few.”
I can’t argue that point. Especially without specifics, but I am willing to take your word for it simply because I think you are a pretty smart guy and I know about government prosecutorial failures in so many other instances. Some of them personal.
All in all I think the government often does a pretty good job. It is hard to make a case for fraud, meet the legal definition, and convince a jury or judge beyond a reasonable doubt. If the case is hard to make, sometimes they let it go. Or some of the participants go.
Bottom line — I prefer our legal system over any other.
Pie said, “Bottom line — I prefer our legal system over any other. ”
And on that…we can most certainly agree! And thank you for the kind words too.
One of the reasons I took special note of the energy debacle was because I had a vested interest in it and lost a ton of money…well, it was to me anyway. About 70% of my retirement was taken by fraudulent means between certain utility stocks and the reckless lending that preceded the recession.
Utility stocks were considered a safe haven for retirement money. They had a decent yield and some growth and overall they were considered stodgy old stocks that just plodded along…a nice, safe place to park your money. That was until good ol Enron started a cascade of events that wiped out many little stockholders in many other “safe” utility stocks. We had the rules in place to prevent it, but we just didn’t have the oversight necessary to enforce the rules, much like the reckless lending practices and derivatives that followed.
Quentin Colgan Writes in relation to the homeless folks occupying occupy Chico: ” I am doing my best to get them out of there.”
Wait a minute… You and your select chosen ones have a God given, constitution protected right of assembly in that public place, but “they” do not ???
LOL mark you beat me to it. I have a few things to add.
So Q do the professional underprivileged make you feel foolish or frightened? Your reaction to your equally smelly comrades is a prime example of an “inconvenient truth”. So when you ask your minorities to move to the back of the park and they stand up and beat you down, who are you going to call? I only have one more question. How do you tell a professional park bench occupier from a rank amateur “Occupy Park Bench” rent-a-mob POS?
Re Mark’s: Quentin Colgan Writes in relation to the homeless folks occupying occupy Chico: ” I am doing my best to get them out of there.”
Wait a minute… You and your select chosen ones have a God given, constitution protected right of assembly in that public place, but “they” do not ???
Evidently.
This just in: BRING ON THE HARMONICAS!
Now OWS New York is finally getting serious. One thousand harmonicas will be distributed Saturday.
http://www.mediaite.com/online/just-what-occupy-wall-street-needs-one-thousand-harmonicas-will-be-distributed-on-saturday/
This is, obviously, what Occupy Chico is sadly lacking.
Buy Tesla coils!