This is the perfect example of the "if a tree falls in the woods" question
CONTACT:
Occupy Kansas City, MO: directaction@occupykc.net, 703-477-9434
Occupy Portland, OR: press@shutdownthecorporations.org, 503-208-6775
Occupy Wall Street, NYC: press@occupywallst.org, 347-292-1444
Occupy Kansas City Takes Direct Action to Protect Voting Rights and Fight Corporate Influence in State and National Politics
70 Cities Nationwide Stand up to Corporate Greed and ALEC
National Day of Action to Resist the Selling Out of the 99%
On February 29th, concerned citizens, students, and occupiers in Kansas City, Missouri and over seventy US cities , including Occupy Wall Street (NYC), are standing up to the corporations and legislators involved in American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). The biggest corporations in America, including AT&T, ExxonMobil, Peabody Coal, Bank of America, BP, Monsanto, Pfizer, and Wal-Mart use ALEC to buy off legislators and craft legislation that puts corporate profit over the well-being of ordinary people. Here in Missouri, legislative members of ALEC - in the Missouri Senate and House - are advancing an anti-democratic bill (HB 1104) that is a direct assault on the voting rights of people of color, the poor, elderly, and students. These same Missouri legislative members of ALEC are also pushing a bill to attack undocumented workers (SB 590) and overhaul workplace protections against discrimination (SB 592).
ALEC members in Missouri, corporate and political, have hijacked our democracy and are attacking the civil and working rights of the 99%. They are attempting to turn the Missouri state motto - “The welfare of the people shall be the supreme law” - on its head .
This assault on the 99% will not go unchallenged here in Kansas City. In response to a national call from Occupy Portland, this will be the Occupy Movement’s largest coordinated action this year and will confront ALEC corporations in the cities in which they do business throughout the nation.
“ALEC is attacking the rights of the 99% to vote. They’re trying to put in place an unnecessary barrier to our right to vote,”said Melissa Stiehler of Occupy Kansas City. “We’re here to remind our legislators that voting is a right, not a privilege."
ALEC is comprised of state and federal government legislators and many of America’s biggest corporations. In ALEC task-forces and committees, lobbyists work directly with legislators to draft and advance cookie-cutter “model” bills that serve the interests of the corporations rather than people. ALEC is responsible for some of the most anti-democratic, repressive, and discriminatory legislation to pass through the halls of government.Wisconsin Act 10, attacking public employee unions, mirrors ALEC’s anti-union agenda and was introduced by Governor Scott Walker, an ALEC member from 1993-2002. Arizona’s widely criticized Racial Profiling bill (SB1070) also has roots in ALEC model legislation.
“SB 590 is an attack on every child’s right to an education. Missouri State Senator, Will Kraus and Kansas Secretary of State, Kris Kobach want to scare immigrant families away from our schools and out of our communities. Our message to them is that we are all the 99%,” said Jeremy Al-Haj of Occupy Kansas City.
Occupy Kansas City will be rallying at the Feltcher Daniels State Office Building at 4:00 PM and marching on a corporate ALEC member. Activists will place tents and occupy the corporation’s property to protest voter suppression, anti-immigrant legislation, and other attacks on the 99%. A coalition of trade unions, faith-based organizations, and human rights advocates will be participating in the event.
Actions in other cities responding to Occupy Portland’s call to Shut Down ALEC Corporations are listed below. For a full list visit http://bit.ly/alecactions:
Coordinated Southern California Action - (LA, Long Beach, Orange County and Riverside)
Actions will target one of the largest Wal-Mart distribution centers in the country in support of non-union warehouse workers.
Occupy Wall Street
Pop-up Occupation at Bryant-Park starting at 9am with teach-in with Matt Taibi; March leaving Bryant Park at noon with creative actions targeting Bank of America, Pfizer, and Koch Brothers
Occupy Salt Lake City
Actions focusing on private prisons, racism, and anti-union aspects of ALEC including a Utah replica of Arizona’s SB 1070; Actions will include a Debutant ball in the capitol.
Coordinated Connecticut Action - (New Haven, Hartford, Darien, New London, Shoreline, Danbury and Willimantic)
Creative actions to target Pfizer and draw attention to the way in which it serves the interests of the 1% while ignoring the health and well-being of people, animals and the earth itself.
Occupy Portland
Rally at SW Ankeny and Waterfront at 11:30; March leaving at 1:00 with creative direct actions targeting ALEC corporations throughout the city.
Occupy Phoenix
There will be a rally at State Capitol focusing on union-busting and anti-immigrant bills then a march on Freeport McMoRam and "museum" style tour of ALEC corporations.
