Here is Vicki W’s detailed proposal, not intended as final but as a working draft:
Proposal for marking the first anniversary of Occupy Albany
Oct. 19-21, 2012
Invite residents of the Capital District to sponsor “tents.”
Tents are paper replicas of tents that populatedAcademyParkfrom Oct. 21 through Dec. 22, 2012. They will be strung on yarn and hung around the trees, etc. in Academy andLafayetteparks at the first anniversary “event.”
To sponsor a tent, an individual (or family) signs the “I support Occupy Albany in its fight for a living wage for all!” and identifies the community in which he lives. (If successful, this project will show how widespread the support for OA is.)
In addition to signing a tent, the individual or family can make a donation that would be divided 90 percent to OA-chosen (identified in advance and identified in the flyer) local organizations and 10 percent to OA.
Suggested charities – and I would suggest we keep the list relatively small – could be:
Regional Food Bank ofNortheastern New York– which steps in to help families who can’t make their money for food stretch to the next paycheck
Capital District Habitat for Humanity – Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.
Troy Bike Rescue – Give a man a fish …
The tent-sponsorship can be kick-started at the Labor Day (Sept. 3) picnic at Cook’s Park in Colonie and at the labor rally on Friday, Sept. 7 at theHudsonriverfront. OA could have a table at both events to take donations and collect signed tents.
The OA First Anniversary Working Group (and other OA members) can then flyer neighborhoods in the Capital District during the rest of September through Oct. 18.
For the Oct. 21 event in the park (in the Concourse of theEmpireStatePlazaif the weather is bad), invite organizations who tend to people’s needs to set up tables to educate people and raise money for their causes.
Have a drawing of something cool like a limited edition OccupyAlbanyT-shirt? (No one has to buy anything but the drawing tickets would give OA names, addresses, phone numbers and e-mail addresses of attendees (and possible active members). E-mail addresses could be used to make a listserv that could be used to alert people to direct actions.
DRAFT text to go on flyers
OccupyAlbanyinvites you to mark its first anniversary on October 21 by
- creating a tent city in Academy andLafayetteparks, and
- supporting organizations in the region that help people through tough times and learn skills they will have for a lifetime.
We are the 99%! YOU are the 99%!
In 2008, banks got bailed out, we got sold out!
How do we get rid of the deficit? Stop the war and tax the rich!
We need health CARE not health INSURANCE!
Why can’t New York State provide your son or daughter with a free college education?
People who can afford to pay $30,000+ for a purse made by Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen’s or Victoria Beckham’s fashion houses can afford to pay more in taxes.
People who can afford watches that cost $6,500 can afford to pay more in taxes.
Men who can afford, as part of the divorce settlement, to give their ex-wives the couple’s “threeCaliforniahomes” can afford to pay more in taxes.
People who can afford to underwrite their own gubernatorial races or to underwrite presidential candidates with their pocket change can afford to pay more in taxes.
[Charts showing something about income earned and taxes paid since World War II]
Please sign the tent and mail it with your donation (checks made payable to Occupy Albany) to472 Madison Ave.,Albany,NY,12201, or go to http://www.occupyalbany.org/contribute/ to contribute online.
Occupy Albany will mark its first anniversary of fighting against economic injustice with an information/education/action event in
Academy and Lafayette parks
Friday-Sunday, October 19-21
(Bad weather location:EmpireStatePlazaconcourse)
For more information, go to occupyalbany.org
Bring a sign! Bring your friends! Bring hope!
Talk to members of Occupy Albany’s working groups and caucuses. (Think about joining one those working groups or caucuses.)
Join the March for a Minimum Wage
“Buy a tent” and help “shelter” victims of economic injustice in the Capital District. Proceeds from the sale of tents will support the work of the Regional Food Bank ofNortheastern New York, Capital District Habitat for Humanity, and Troy Bike Rescue (90 percent of proceeds) and Occupy Albany (10 percent of proceeds).
Enter a drawing for a limited edition OccupyAlbanyT-shirt. (___ T-shirts will be given away.) No purchase necessary. Winner need not be present to win.
Feel free to make photocopies of this flyer and share with friends and co-workers.
I support Occupy Albany in its fight for a living wage for all.
______________________________
Please PRINT your name on this line.
______________________________
Print the name of the village/town/city you call home.
We
are the
99%!
