Monthly Archives: October 2011

New York Observer: Uptown Grr! Protesters Start Occupying The Upper East Side

-By David Freedlander

October 11, 2011- Protesters from the Occupy Wall Street demonstration in Lower Manhattan took the rolling, roiling march up to the Silk Stocking District this afternoon with a raucous protest in front of the homes of some of New York’s wealthiest residents.

Several hundred demonstrators gathered in front of the Plaza Hotel at the bottom of Central Park chanting, “We are the 99 percent! And We Are On The Upper East Side!” and made their way north, first to Rupert Murdoch’s building at 834 Fifth Avenue, then on to David Koch’s building on Park Ave, and later to Howard Milstein and John Paulson’s homes further uptown. They carried signs which said, “Tax the Millionaires,” and some carried homemade signs that said “Koch Brothers–Dem Belly Full” and “No More Cake–Off With Their Heads!”

Chicago Sun-Times: Tea and empathy

Roger Ebert's Journal

October 9, 2011- The Tea Party and the Wall Street demonstrators share the same conviction: They are the victims of theft by powerful institutions. The Tea Party blames government taxation. The demonstrators blame corruption in the financial industry.

The concern about taxation is perplexing, since U.S. tax rates are at a historic low. Indeed, there seems little chance that we can ever begin to pay off the American deficit without raising taxes. Many millionaires, led by Warren Buffet, have volunteered to pay higher taxes. A belief persists, however, that the middle class bears an unfair tax burden. In repeating this charge the other day, Mitt Romney included himself in the middle class.

Financial corruption is widely manifest. It was greed on Wall Street that apparently led to the current economic downturn. A bailout of failed institutions led to them repeating some of the same greedy practices. Some financial executives have been sentenced to prison for their roles in the manipulation of the mortgage markets.

Easy Reference Guide to the Koch Brothers’ Activities

Posted on the Provocation, October 10, 2011-

THE NEWS: Bloomberg News recently published a scathing indictment of the Koch brothers, two modern-day tycoons who have used their considerable financial clout to finance tea party activities and corporate lobbying campaigns, while engaging in business practices that can best be described as questionable.

THE PROVOCATION: The following is a compendium of pertinent facts about the Koch (pronounced "coke") brothers, who have fought against efforts to curb global warming while promoting corporate interests, undermining labor unions and funding ultra-conservative groups. The material gathered here is condensed from information provided in the Bloomberg piece, as well as in articles by The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, ThinkProgress and other sources.

Scott Walker Watch: Campaign finance legislation to end unlimited cash contribution limits for Walker’s recall ignored by Republicans

October 16, 2011- The people of Wisconsin can see just how corrupt Scott Walker and the Fitzwalkerstan Cult are regarding campaign contribution limits are when it comes to recall elections.

When someone runs for governor, Wisconsin law allows individuals to donate no more than $10,000 limit to their campaign. But, oddly, if a governor is being recalled, there is absolutely no limit for individuals to contribute campaign donations to their campaign, thanks to a loophole that was meant for times when recalling governors was something that would never have to happen.

Copyright Kochwatch 2014. All rights reserved.