Occupy Asheville News

On September 14, 2013, seventeen members of Occupy Asheville met for two hours at Wall Street Coffee to discuss disbursing all funds from the treasury. This has been an ongoing discussion for approximately the last year, which culminated in the group effort today. This does not mean that Occupy is over, it simply means that we are honoring our commitment to put "people over profit". We are no longer requiring funds as a safeguard against arrest or to engage in actions, but we ARE still participating in actions, and our participation is from a wide variety of Asheville occupiers. WE ARE STILL HERE. We are a community and have bonded during the time we spent together. Our fight is not over, we are just passing our financial support on to those that need it.

Here is a list of disbursement; some funds have been disbursed already, while others will be made in the next few days as available:

$48.90 reimbursed to NonViolent Direct Action Training Working Gfroup
$50.00 to an ongoing documentary project by Victor
$116.61 to Asheville Homeless Network
$116.61 to the campaign to elect Martin Ramsey
$155.48 to Veterans for Peace, Chapter 099
$155.48 to Beloved House
$38.87 to National Lawyers Guild

These totals were the result of much input and a vote based on percentages of the input. We believe in full transparency, so here it is folks. Social justice work continues. Keep fighting the good fight, everyone!

Occupy Asheville General Assembly May 2013

Occupy Asheville General Assembly

May 4, 2013

Kathryn Facilitating; Jonathan Notes

Treasury Report: John S reported that as of March there was $726 in the treasury.

Website: We’ve paid for another 6 months, which means we have about 5 months left. The cost

has been $39 for six months. Kathryn has paid for this the last two times. We agreed that we would

capture the information from the website for archival purpose and allow the website to expire at the

end of this 6 month period. Jonathan agreed to figure out how to capture the info from the website

and to approach the archives at the downtown library to see if they would be interested in holding that

information.

We also consensed on a proposal to disburse $39 from the Treasury to Kathryn to reimburse her for the

most recent website renewal cost.

Asheville Solidarity Network: After the May Day parade there was a meeting at the downtown library

about wages in Asheville. Jonathan reported that by the time he got there it had changed into

conversation about starting some kind of Solidarity Network for Asheville. The purpose of this network

would be for people to share information about actions, issues, and projects, so that others might show

up in solidarity. There seemed to be some strong feelings about having this Network not be a place for

trying to has out ideological unity but be open for all kinds of calls for solidarity. There was interesting

conversation about past efforts and alert systems, particularly Asheville Mutual Aid. Jonathan

mentioned seeing some familiar faces from Occupy Asheville’s past. At GA there was discussion about

whether to approach this forming network about if it would make sense to send out an email to the OA

list inviting people to join the “solidarity network, however no decision was made in this regard. It was

noted that we needed group consensus before using the OA email list for this purpose.

Sunsetting Occupy Asheville: We had a long conversation about whether we should and if so how we

should “put to rest,” “close down,” “sunset,” etc. Occupy Asheville. On the one hand there was strong

sentiment that we should not in any official way indicate that Occupy Asheville was finished or over.

There were concerns that doing this would prove people in power who believed they just needed to

wait out “occupy” as having been correct, that there are still efforts associated with Occupy Asheville

active and that gatekeepers/people in power or authority believe that Occupy Asheville is still in

existence and indicating otherwise would mean a loss of leverage or standing. There was concern about

the message that officially ending OA would send about the Occupy moment/movement in general and

concern about where doing so would leave individuals who are still active on issues that OA was

involved in and who are associated with OA. It seemed that folks with these concerns were OK with not

having regular meetings but would block any proposal to officially end Occupy Asheville. On the other

hand there were a number of people who were concerned that felt like there needed to be a clean and

clear break. They expressed concerns about efforts that might claim continuity with OA but might take

stand or actions that were not representative of Occupy Asheville as it is or has been; there were

concerns about the common assets of OA, including funds, contact lists, web presence etc, and decisions

being made about those by individuals after in effect there was no Occupy GA or Coordinating Council

meeting. There was also a concern about the loss of integrity that could come with continuing to

present OA as a vibrant active group, when that is not the reality, at least when it comes to people

meeting collectively as OA. It was noted that there are several groups two which predated OA: Asheville

Homeless Network and Veterans for Peace, as well as two groups that came out of OA: Nonviolent

Direct Action Training Working Group and Seniors and Friends that continue to meet and are active as

projects. Some felt that these groups were important reasons to not end OA others felt like it made

more sense for these groups to be able to continue as members of a larger effort: Occupy Asheville.

There were feelings both that if OA ended we would lose the relationship we’d developed, and that OA

ending did not mean that we’d loose our relationships with each other but could carry those into future

projects and efforts. There was a third perspective that given that there are still groups meeting and

that there are still shared assets that OA does need to continue to meet, but that the first Saturday may

just be a bad time. And there were at least two people: Kathryn as a frequent facilitator and Susan as

the individual that the group had empowered to manage the email list who are no longer willing to play

those roles.

Sonny proposed: We hold a GA on June 15th at 2pm under the big tree at Pritchard Park and invite

people to bring proposals about what should be done with remaining OA funds. The proposal was

amended to include a reminder that all groups and individuals have and will continue to have the

ability to act autonomously but that they need to be clear that they are not acting for the totality of

OA and that at the GA in June we will provide information about how people can continue to support

these groups that have been associated with OA. The proposal passed with consensus. Jonathan

agreed to send out the email about the June GA. Susan will transfer the list to Jonathan.

While it was not explicitly stated in seemed implicit to the note taker that after the June GA, if all

common assets were dispensed of, there would not be another meeting OA scheduled unless those

gathered at the GA decided to do so.

Latest on Civil Liberties resolution from Cecil

Subject: Civil Liberties delayed again


I regret to inform you that the Civil Liberties resolution has been held up again due to concerns expressed by law enforcement agencies.
I'll be meeting with the agencies, with City legal, with an asst. City Mgr., in the next two weeks to iron out whatever wrinkle they've discovered.

It will now be on the agenda for the May Public Safety Committee meeting.

It will definitely pass through the PSC when it does come up, as I have Gordon Smith's affirmation that he wants it to go to the full Council.

Best to all,
-c

Occupy Asheville General Assembly Minutes April 2013

Occupy Asheville General Assembly

April 6 2012

 Jonathan announced OA was starting and read General Agreements

Announcements

NVDA Training Working Group Will be doing a training for 350.org next Saturday  from 9-12 at the Quaker meeting house.  The training is for 350.org but others are welcome.  $10 suggested donation.

There will be a GA in Mid April check back for the exact date.

Proposal

To offer Kathryn $40 as reimbursement for the website for the last 6 months.  Sonny asked if we knew how long Kathryn had been paying for the website, and if she needed to be reimbursed for more than the past 6 months.  Jerry suggested that we offer the reimbursement but give Kathryn the opportunity to donate the cost if she wants.

There was consensus to this proposal.

Note: Krysia said that her son (who is actually in San Francisco) would be willing to manage the website.

Discussion

Jerry brought up a topic of currency and its connection to (or disconnection from) morality and spirituality.

Sonny encouraged everyone to pay attention to what is happening at the State legislature.  He noted several issues that will impact Asheville and expressed concern about how these issues might result in loss of funds for valuable city services.

Update on Civil Liberties Resolution Meeting

From Cecil Bothwell:

Due to three reasons, I'm bumping the Civil Liberties resolution another month.

Chief Anderson has expressed a wish to talk to me about it in the context of the Citizens/Police Advisory Committee first.
Councilmember Gordon Smith is out of town due to a death in his family.
And the agenda for Monday is jammed with other routine stuff.

So we'll do it April 29.

Civil Liberties resolution meeting 3/25/13

THIS HAS BEEN PUSHED BACK TO THE APRIL AGENDA, due to several factors per Cecil Bothwell.

Heads up to those interested:  this is next Monday, March 25.  The newest draft of the resolution is below.

Message from Cecil Bothwell:

I will bring the Civil Liberties resolution forward at the 3/25/13 meeting of the Public Safety Committee. It would be great if you or any of your friends, followers, legions, minions, multitudes, hangers-on or unindicted co-conspirators can join us.

3:30 p.m. Upstairs in the downtown Fire Department/Police Station.

-c

 CITY OF ASHEVILLE
CIVIL LIBERTIES RESOLUTION
 
WHEREAS:  The City of Asheville has long aspired to protect civil liberties and provide equal protection under the law to all persons in the city which includes a diverse population of many races, religions, national and ethnic origin, including immigrants, tourists and students—whose contributions to the community’s economy, culture and civic character are vast and important, and affirms its strong support for the fundamental constitutional rights of every person and recognizes that the preservation of civil liberties is essential to the well-being of a democratic society; and
 
WHEREAS:  The Chief of Police of the City of Asheville has implemented new community policing practices that seek to reframe and improve the relationship between law enforcement officers and the public; and

WHEREAS:  The City of Asheville opposes measures that single out individuals within our diverse population for legal scrutiny or enforcement activity based on race, skin color, national or ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation, mental or physical disability, religious or political opinion or activity,  immigration status; or homed or homeless status, and

WHEREAS:  The City of Asheville opposes any efforts to transfer federal immigration responsibility to state and local officials, since these proposals tax our already overburdened police department and damage relationships with immigrant communities; and
 
WHEREAS:  The City of Asheville believes that there is no inherent conflict between national security and the preservation of liberty but that Americans can be both safe and free; and
 
WHEREAS:  The City of Asheville wishes to play a leading role in the protection of civil liberties and to consistently promote tolerance and respect for all persons, and recognizes that a number of other jurisdictions in North Carolina and in the United States have enacted policies or laws to make clear their protection of the civil liberties of a diverse population.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY OF ASHEVILLE that:
 
Section 1.  The City of Asheville upholds the constitutional rights and civil liberties of any and all persons and it remains the policy of the City of Asheville to protect against discrimination on the basis of race, skin color, national or ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation, mental or physical disability,  immigration status, religious or political opinion or activity, or homed or homeless status.
 
Section 2. City of Asheville officers and employees reject profiling of any group within our diverse population as a factor in selecting individuals, setting up check points or selecting areas of town to subject to investigatory activities.

Section 3.  City of Asheville officers shall not arrest persons or impound vehicles solely for failure to produce a driver's license in the course of motor vehicle stops in which the initiating infraction would not otherwise result in arrest, unless there is other evidence of criminal activity.

Section 4. The City of Asheville does not and will not maintain electronic, photographic or paper files on any person not under investigation for criminal activity.
 
Section 5.  City of Asheville officers and employees do not and shall not collect, maintain or disseminate information about the political, religious or social views, associations or activities of any individual, association, organization, corporation, business or partnership unless said information is directly related to an investigation of criminal conduct that is based on reasonable suspicion.
 
Section 6.  In the absence of interstate or international criminal or national security investigations, City of Asheville officers and employees shall refrain from participating in the enforcement of federal immigration laws or initiatives such as the Terrorism Information and Prevention System (TIPS), that encourage members of the general public to spy on their neighbors, colleagues and customers, or programs run by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), that drive a wedge between the immigrant community and the local police who need to protect the welfare of all our residents; no department, agency, commission, officer or employee of the City of Asheville shall use City funds or resources to assist in the enforcement of Federal Immigration Law, or to gather, use or disseminate the immigration status information of individuals in the City of Asheville.

BE IT ALSO RESOLVED that the provisions of this Resolution are not intended to protect criminal activity on the part of any person but are intended to encourage trust in the Asheville Police Department and to encourage reporting of criminal activity to that department by all members of the community.
 
BE IT ALSO RESOLVED that the provisions of this Resolution shall be severable, and if any provision of this Resolution is declared unconstitutional by a court of competent jurisdiction, the validity of the remainder shall not be affected.
 
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this Resolution shall be forwarded to all City of Asheville law enforcement agencies and to every department, agency, commission, officer and employee of the City and to our local, state and federal legislative delegations on behalf of the residents of the City of Asheville.
 

Bothwell's Civil Liberties Resolution

Cecil Bothwell, Asheville City Councilman, says the resolution he's proposing will be introduced to the Safety Committee meeting on March 25th at 3:30 pm, in the room above the downtown fire dept.  

He says it will help to have folks show up and speak in favor of it.  Alternately, your opinion can be read if you send letters to Cecil, Jan Davis, and Gordon Smith.  But, letters should be sent a little closer time to the meeting.


We are posting it here because Occupy Asheville is considering writing a letter of support for this resolution. Please leave a comment if you have any thoughts on this course of action.

++++++++++

CITY OF ASHEVILLE
CIVIL LIBERTIES RESOLUTION

WHEREAS:  The City of Asheville has long aspired to protect civil liberties and provide equal protection under the law to all persons in a city which includes a diverse population of many races, religions, and national and ethnic origins, including immigrants, tourists and students, whose contributions to the community’s economy, culture and civic character are vast and important, and affirms its strong support for the fundamental constitutional rights of every person and recognizes that the preservation of civil liberties is essential to the well-being of a democratic society; and

WHEREAS:  The Chief of Police of the City of Asheville has implemented new community policing practices that seek to reframe and improve the relationship between law enforcement officers and the public; and

WHEREAS:  The City of Asheville opposes measures that single out individuals within our diverse population for legal scrutiny or enforcement activity based on race, skin color, national or ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation, mental or physical disability, religious or political opinion or activity, or immigration status; and

WHEREAS:  The City of Asheville opposes any efforts to transfer federal immigration responsibility to state and local officials, since these proposals tax our already overburdened police department and damage relationships with immigrant communities; and

WHEREAS:  The City of Asheville believes that there is no inherent conflict between national security and the preservation of liberty but that Americans can be both safe and free; and

WHEREAS:  The City of Asheville wishes to play a leading role in the protection of civil liberties and to consistently promote tolerance and respect for all persons, and recognizes that a number of other jurisdictions in North Carolina and in the United States have enacted policies or laws to make clear their protection of the civil liberties of a diverse population.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY OF ASHEVILLE that:

Section 1.  The City of Asheville upholds the constitutional rights and civil liberties of any and all persons and it remains the policy of the City of Asheville to protect against discrimination on the basis of race, skin color, national or ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation, mental or physical disability, religious or political opinion or activity, or immigration status.

Section 2. City of Asheville officers and employees will reject profiling of any group within our diverse population as a factor in selecting individuals, setting up check points or selecting areas of town to subject to investigatory activities.

Section 3.  City of Asheville officers shall not arrest persons or impound vehicles solely for failure to produce a driver's license in the course of motor vehicle stops in which the initiating infraction would not otherwise result in arrest, unless there is other evidence of criminal activity.

Section 4. The City of Asheville does not and will not maintain electronic, photographic or paper files on any person not under investigation for criminal activity.

Section 5.  City of Asheville officers and employees do not and shall not collect, maintain or dissemintate information about the political, religious or social views, associations or activities of any individual, association, organization, corporation, business or partnership unless said information is directly related to an investigation of criminal conduct that is based on reasonable suspicion.

Section 6.  In the absence of interstate or international criminal investigations, City of Asheville officers and employees shall refrain from participating in the enforcement of federal immigration laws or initiatives such as the Terrorism Information and Prevention System (TIPS), that encourage members of the general public to spy on their neighbors, colleagues and customers, or programs run by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), that drive a wedge between the immigrant community and the local police who need to protect the welfare of all our residents; no department, agency, commission, officer or employee of the City of Asheville shall use City funds or resources to assist in the enforcement of Federal Immigration Law, or to gather, use or disseminate the immigration status information of individuals in the City of Asheville.

BE IT ALSO RESOLVED that the provisions of this Resolution are not intended to protect criminal activity on the part of any person but are intended to encourage trust in the Asheville Police Department and to encourage reporting of criminal activity to that department by all members of the community.

BE IT ALSO RESOLVED that the provisions of this Resolution shall be severable, and if any provision of this Resolution is declared unconstitutional by a court of competent jurisdiction, the validity of the remainder shall not be affected.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this Resolution shall be forwarded to all City of Asheville law enforcement agencies and to every department, agency, commission, officer and employee of the City and to our local, state and federal legislative delegations on behalf of the residents of the City of Asheville.

General Assembly Notes March 2 2013

General Assembly notes March 2, 2013

Jonathan facilitated, Meggen took notes

[Read Occupy Asheville General Agreements]

Reminder:  Meetings on Mondays are on hiatus until further notice
    (NVDAT is still meeting Tuesdays at 5PM at Battery Park Book Exchange)


Finance:
OA still has several hundred in the account--what should we do with it?
Suggestion to think this over and try to make a decision at April or May GA.
Possibilities:

•     divide among existing working groups
•     hold onto for legal defense
•     donate to charities (such as Beloved House)
•     AHN and VFP are good candidates since they are stand-alone organizations
•     VFP could hold onto it and keep it for legal defense
•     give more to Ben Scales

[Discussion about Tuesday’s protest at Buncombe County building re: energy rate hikes.  Consensus to make treasury funds available for arrestees who meet criteria.  Sorry these notes were not posted until after this event.]


Cecil Bothwell’s Civil Liberties Resolution
    Cecil has been getting feedback from various folks including Occupy members
    March 25th public safety meeting will be next public discussion
        -he is expecting support from Hunt and Pelly, maybe Smith
    He would like a letter of endorsement from Occupy Asheville and for OA folks to     submit public comments to City Council
    NVDAT will work on drafting a letter, and OA can do consensus process online     (post on blog, email chains, etc.)

    Question raised about the value of OA’s endorsement, especially given our small numbers these days
    Comment:  we should give Cecil our support if he’s asking for it

Consensus:  support NVDAT in drafting letter, put it on blog/email for discussion
    if not blocks/dissent after a reasonable amount of time, OA will endorse

About the upcoming Public Safety Meeting

There has been discussion of Cecil Bothwell's resolution concerning civil liberties at Occupy Asheville meetings on Monday evenings. Exact wording of the resolution has not been shared. Some members have promoted the idea of people coming to the Public Safety Meeting to support this, which was rumored to be introduced in the January meeting and again in the February meeting. This is not going to happen in the February meeting, and the latest word is that the resolution will be introduced in the March meeting of the Public Safety committee. However, I would check an make sure that this will actually happen, if you are interested in this issue.

Suspension of Monday evening meetings

At tonight's meeting, we decided to suspend Monday evenings meetings of Occupy Asheville. We will resume if there is a new project to work on, or if there is interest.

We will still hold monthly General Assembly at 2 PM at Pritchard Park on the first Saturday of the month.

Monday Meeting Notes Feb 4 2013

from Kathryn:

Present: John, James,Susan, Bev, Sonny, Richard and Kathryn (taking notes)

Richard brought a great deal of material which can be made available to others about the foreclosure situation in Buncombe County and the Metro area.  Although housing prices have held up in Asheville better than many other communities there was still at 12% decline in prices between first quarters of '09 and '12 in the four county region. In 2011 there were 1877 homeowners 90 days overdue and 2700 in foreclosure compared to 250 before the crash.  On 9/12 1.6% of prime loans were 90 days over and 2% were in foreclosure.  Although Asheville only has 2.3% of owner occupied subprime loans, 16% of this market is either in foreclosure or 90 days overdue.  Richard has spent time in the registrar of deeds office and found that looking for errors in the paperwork is tedious and not very rewarding.

 

Loan modification is done by the "servicer" of the loan, not the lender.  The programs for this have not been effective.  They can be contested by challenging filing inaccuracy.  Modifications are still available through 2013.  OnTrack can help with this.  However, sometimes it is not to the advantage of the servicer to modify (they get less interest, etc.) and it might be helpful to bring public attention to the situation.

 

Bev had talked with Bill Whelan at Pisgah Legal.  He or someone else from the organization would be willing to talk with us about what they know of the legal aspects.  Bev will get back with him and ask for someone to come speak with us. He did think it would be helpful to bring more public attention to the continuing difficulties ("tell the world of the injustice") and link people to resources.  However, there are mortgage relief scams everywhere and we must be careful not to get confused with them.

 

Kathryn agreed to rewrite John's letter to make it fit the criteria for possible publication as a letter to the editor.

 

Susan talked about the FOIA.  Each person has to do apply individually.  NVDA will discuss if they want to do it.  Sonny said that Naomi Wolf's book has information on how to do it.

February GA minutes

Occupy Asheville General Assembly

February 2, 2013

Jonathan Facilitated

John S. and Jonathan took notes

GA:  Jonathan, Susan, Beverly, John S., Kasha, James and, Sonny.  A few others joined as the meeting continued.

General agreements read by Jonathan. 

Vision statement handed out by James L.  Started at National Gathering in Phila.  James suggested that people look over statement and get back to him for revision and thoughts. James wants to create an Asheville part to the national vision.  Drone warfare may need to be placed in the document. Coleman has interest in this. Discussion ensued.  Kasha wishes to see good flow of information. We decided to read the paragraph starting “No change will be long-lasting…” and talk about it. Kasha read the beginning of vision statement.   Sonny brought up the problems of holding a Constitutional Convention which could erase those parts of Constitution which are good.  Kasha pointed out that the Right is so well organized that they could take over a constitutional convention.  Sonny also raised a question about whether it made sense to propose elimination of the Senate.  Several people talked about the work by Move to Amend to address the issue of ‘money as speech’ and ‘corporate personhood.’  It was suggested that OA could support Move to Amend in this effort, but also that these issues are not the only or primary issues that OA is focused on. James responded we need to trust people and the democratic process and that the Senate is not at all representational.  Jonathan suggested (as facilitator) that if James’s goal is to develop a document that all of OA could endorse that we might use this time simply to identify parts of the document about which there was general agreement and parts that either needed more conversation or needed to be revised/dropped.

 

Proposal to give $100  to Western North Carolina Alliance to help subsidize transportation costs to Washington, DC for the Feb 17^th “Forward on Climate” action.  WNCA is organizing a bus and this money would be to make help pay for some people’s seats on the bus.  (There are already cheaper seats available for students, but we’d like cheaper seats to be available to more people.)   Jim B is involved in organizing this bus. We are in agreement for $100.00

 

Jonathan noted that it is unclear what process we are working under.  (Several people at the GA mentioned items originating at the Coordinating Council (CC) and needing to go out to working groups (WGs) for approval.)  We have the historic Coordinating Council process where WGs, affinity groups, caucuses, etc bring proposals to the CC and then those proposals are discussed by the groups and brought back to the CC.  On the other hand at the Nov. GA those who were gathered there came to agreement that decisions could be made by two consecutive meetings of OA, that is something could be approved at the GA and then again at a weekly Occupy meeting,  or at two weekly Occupy meetings or what have you.  But as far as he knew this new process was never adopted.  Susan said that the CC wanted GA to make a decision about the money for the F17 action.  Jonathan clarified that under either process the GA had agreed to the disbursement of $100 to WNCA for the F17 Climate Action.

Kasha proposes working group for doing an event to keep Occupy visible and utilize some of the resources (financial and otherwise) to keep momentum going.  New group formed with Kasha point woman.  Jonathan, as facilitator, pointed out that anyone of us can form a new group, and that doing so does not require approval from the GA.  Kasha asked just for a show of support and several people gave up twinkles. 

 

John reported that Donny F. (who was involved in OA in Fall of 2011) raised starting a tent city at the Federal Bldg.  In a go round several people expressed concern that another tent city would be counterproductive.  Bill expressed a concern that 24 hr 365 day presence would be unsustainable and that the media would inevitably dwell on decreasing numbers. Jonathan stated that publicly NOT supporting an encampment does not make sense, and in fact would go against our general agreements.  We don’t get to say what others do or don’t do.  In fact, if the encampment turned out to be wildly successful we would probably all feel pretty silly if we had dismissed it.  However, to figure out how we might get involved with it and support it, we would need those interested in starting an encampment to be part of our conversation.  The reality is we have resources (financial) that are out of line with our current level of activity, and it might really make sense for us to support an encampment, but folks interesting in starting and encampment would need to come talk with us.  Susan said, at this time it doesn’t seem like something we could get involved with.  John stated that Occupy is a verb not a noun and that resurrection of a tent city could be a powerful tactic.  James L. suggests that at some point maybe it would make sense, but that we would need to deal with the homelessness issue.  Bev raised the concern that if the encampment is called Occupy Asheville, then it concerns us.  Kasha reported that from inter-occupy calls she has learned that “occupation” has been a powerful tactic as part of anti-foreclosure campaigns.  Jonathan suggested that John call Donny and inform him that at the GA there was some concern about whether or not another encampment would make sense, but felt like if Occupy Asheville was going to get involved with or support an encampment those wanting to start the encampment would need be in conversation with OA, we would welcome them to come to a GA or Occupy Weekly Meeting.

 

                Foreclosure issues.  Bev spoke to Pisgah Legal about issue. They feel should make sure we really understand the issue before putting out a general call for people with foreclosure issues to get in contact with us, we might be overwhelmed with contact from people we weren’t prepared to help.  He suggest that we should start a website that could be a clearing house for information about foreclosures and as a place for people to tell their stories.   James and Kasha reported that they’ve been participating in inter-occupy calls about foreclosure defense.  James got email advice from someone with inter-Occupy which he’ll share.  Kasha said that many people on the call reported that putting public pressure on banks before foreclosure proceedings begin is a successful tactic.  She said that folks haven’t been able to forestall foreclosure for years just by forcing banks to come forward with proper documentation.   She also said she’d gotten mixed information about legal assistance.  John reported that through Asheville Homeless Network, he made contact with someone facing foreclosure but that her case is really messy.  He commented on how hard it is to find a “clean case” that is a case that is not complicated with other issues.  He also talked with a women with a law firm that specializes in foreclousers.  He asked the group for their approval for him to contact her.  Kasha pointed out that the “CC” has already decided to make foreclosures a big focus on OA, but that it would be good to have the GA weigh in.  Jonathan said that he thought a lot of people facing foreclosures feel isolated and that it would be nice to bring people together in such away that they could build solidarity with each other.  He also mentioned that in the past Rich had had ideas of some kinds of direct support that we might be able to offer and that holding an event where we offered direct support might be a good way to build some initial relationships. Jonathan said that he felt OK about John calling the lawyer as a form of research or relationship building, but not to offer up OA resources in service of a particular law firm’s strategy (note I say this because we might end up having differing views about strategy and goals than what someone pursing a legal approach might have.) Sonny recommended that John go with another person from OA to talk to this lawyer; Bev agreed to be that other person.  John reminded us that he had written a press release and that we have not sent it out yet.  Jonathan (as facilitator) asked if we could agree as the GA that foreclousers should be a major focus of OA.  There was not complete consensus on this, but there were no stand asides or blocks.  There was also general agreement that John could contact this law firm for more information.

 

Other reports and Announcements:

Last month we held an event to appreciate Ben Scales.  We raised additional money there and it was great to see each other and celebrate.

February 15^th is the Anniversary of the historic mobilization against the War in Iraq.  The largest anti-war mobilization ever.

Jonathan had miss-reported that Rain Forest Action was doing a training about BoA and MTR at Sage Coffee House on Thur.  This is actually happening at Sage Café at Warren Wilson and is for the Warren Wilson community.  (Still ripe opportunities for making the connections between BoA’s mortgage policies and MTR.)

Minutes from Monday Jan 28th meeting

From Kathryn:

 

Present:  Weasel, Coleman, Sonny, Bev, James, Kasha, Jim Brown, Susan and Kathryn (taking notes and trying to facilitate)

 

Susan announced that Feb 16 in the 10th anniversary of the "day the world marched" against the war in Iraq. 

 

Jim announced that there will be a major march in Washington on Feb 17 to protest the Tar Sands project.  There will be buses going from Asheville and they will cost $80 for adults and $51 for students.  Susan recommended that we offer scholarships which led to a half hour conversation about whether to spend our money this way.  There were suggestions of figuring out how to use our money to support local projects instead.  Finally, there was agreement that 5 scholarships of $20 each will be offered to be disbursed by Susan and Jim if the next Monday evening meeting agrees.

 

Coleman announced that Ms. Zevon is coming to town tomorrow and will be filming interviews with Occupy folk at 3pm at City County Plaza and 4:30 at the Vance Monument along with the VFP Vigil.  Everyone is invited to participate.  If you know of other Occupiers who might be interested in being interviewed in other cities, please contact Coleman.

 

The suggested agenda for GA:  Feb 17 action in Washington; forming an Action Planning Group; reminding people of the foreclosure focus; discussing the vision.

 

Kathryn read the revised statement re: foreclosures.  Coleman suggested that we should link up with the NC Coalition against Corporate Power which has been working on this issue.  He also thought we should have a coordinated media campaign including announcements in churches, PSAs, etc.  Kasha suggested that we add a sentence recognizing the pain and humiliation of people experiencing foreclosure.  Bev has tried to contact a lawyer.  It was suggested that we look at the documents in the courthouse and see what lawyers have been working with the people who are being foreclosed on.  Kasha suggested that a working group be formed to address the foreclosure issue separate from the Monday night meetings as these meetings should be available to address other issues.  Sonny suggested that we prepare questions to ask prospective people to support and have criteria to choose whom to support.

 

Coleman shared that some Occupy groups have obtained FOIA documents indicating that there was undercover surveillance of Occupy last year and perhaps Occupy Asheville should request information about what was done here.

 

James reviewed his updated Vision statement and the group expressed their approval and appreciation.  He will bring it up again as part of the GA on Saturday.  Coleman recommended some revisions, particularly re: the impact of this nation on the Native Americans who were here originally.

 

Susan mentioned the Blog.  Kasha offered information on the NVC course she has been taking on-line and suggested that we should learn more about this way of communicating.

Notes from Monday Jan 21st Meeting

From Kathryn:

Present: John, Lindsey, Susan, Beve, James and Kathryn (taking minutes)
Discussion of foreclosures.  Kathryn agreed to talk to Richard Genz and ask him to come to a meeting and get in touch with someone in the Atlanta Occupy Our Homes to learn how they have done it.
We agreed to get legal advice or at least have a lawyer available.  Bev is trying to reach Richard Meda who assisted her brother.  We can also contact Pisgah Legal.  Bev told us her brother's sad story where his property was taken even while he had a buyer.  The bank apparently makes a good deal of money by foreclosing and then selling the property itself.
John provided us with a draft of a possible press release which was intended to attract someone who wants our assistance.  James objected and we agreed to read the document over the week and make suggestions.

We agreed to donate $100 to the Homeless Network and BeLoved House if there are no objections next Monday.

We agreed to change the time of the GA to 2 pm so that homeless people who are trying to get space in a shelter can participate.

We propose that the statement James has crafted for our vision of Occupy be accepted with accuracy and grammatical corrections to be presented next Monday.

Occupy Asheville Vision Statement

From James:
Discussion will continue on the OA vision statement this Monday, 6:30 at UC Church.  Newest draft is below:


OCCUPY ASHEVILLE: VISION FOR A NEW AMERICAN SOCIETY

When the American colonists declared their independence from Britain, it was a decision recognized by all men and women  the right to cast off that tyranny imposed by a foreign state.

Now, we face a new tyranny from within: a tyranny imposed by our own wealthy citizens, who through the power of their wealth, aided by the misappropriation of power by our Suprreme Court, have degraded and  rendered null the freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States.

Framers of the Constitution, propetied citizens of their time, were  wary of the propertyless, and established the mere semblance of democracy, with institutions that appeared to give power to the people, but which were in fact hedged about with features borrowed from oligarchy and republicanism. All states, regardless of size and population were afforded the same number of Senators. The President was to be elected by an Electoral College, members of which could reverse the decision of the populace. 



We have occupied various public spaces and nstitutions of our society, We have endured pepperspray and teargas, The police have been turned against us. We have suffered the indignity of arrest. All without violent response


To build a movement sufficient to overturn this inner tyranny, we have established liaison--an Interoccupy network--with other aggrieved citizens across the country, and held a National Gathering at Philadelphia on July the fourth in the year 2012. One purpose of the National Gathering was to take the first steps towards the clear statement of a vision for a new America. Accordingly, the components of the vision enunciated at Philadelphia were  sent to all the Occupy cities and were used as a starting point for discussion.

Occupy Asheville has considered the vision enunciated at Philadelphia. After lengthy discussion, with full consideration of the principles of the Occupy movement, we submit the following Vision for all to ponder and modify in accordance with the spirit of democracy, embracing a solidarity with the people of this country, the world, and with the earth itself.      

We call for a world where the WATER , AIR, AND FOOD ARE CLEANSED OF ALL TOXIC POLLUTANTS so that both our planet and its people may be healthy, and where ACCESS TO FOOD IS TREATED AS A RIGHT. We call for prohibition  of genetically-modified foods, for development of renewable sources of energy for the future,  and a “smart grid” to use fossil fuels more efficiently in the present. We also call for local food production, community gardens, and agriculture using sustainable methods.

Pure food, air, and water are but the first steps towards a healthy population. To sustain any gains in this area, UNIVERSAL ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE must be treated as a right and available to all. The people should establish medical schools and hospitals, if necessary, to insure the health of all, without resort to a means test. The best health care should be available to all.

Our vision also includes ECONOMIC EQUALITY so that all have sufficient materlal resources for their needs, free from exploitation by others. This equality includes the RIGHT TO A JOB. This society has too long tolerated the degradation and humiliation of those unable to find a job. There is no longer any reason to tolerate the inability of capitalism to insure full employment for our society. The universal right to a job is consistent with the notion of land as something owned in common with all others.  

We further call for a world where, in the interest of all, EDUCATION IS PROVIDED WITHOUT CHARGE. This may take the form of tuition-free schools and universities, vouchers, online classes, or entirely new methods. Self-education also requires public airwaves which are not to be sold to monied interests, an internet that is not monetized, and an end to government secrecy.

A SUSTAINABLE HUMAN SOCIETY is part of the vision and can only be established when people are respected, valued and encouraged, when self-sufficient communities are founded, where foreclosure on homes is prevented, where land is owned in common, where debts are mitigated by a policy of forgiveness  or ‘jubilee.”

A WORLD WITHOUT WAR must begin in this country, the world’s pre-eminent warmaking power. This calls for measures beyond the usual platitudinous statements. The military-industrial complex must be dismantled by whaever means necessary.  The military itself must be shrunk so that it is sufficient in size for legitimate defense purposes, but not sufficient for global aspirations. Naval ships should carry only carry enough fuel to venture 200 miles from the shore. Planes should be similarly restricted. Foreign military bases must be closed. Military contracts should be removed from the control of the pentagon and awarded by citizen’s commission appointed for that purpose.

No change will be long-lasting--or worth any effort to maintain it--unless there is a CULTURE OF DIRECT DEMOCRACY where all citizens have an equal voice in the making of societal decisions. To make a fresh start in establishing a true democracy where equal rights are taken as given,and where the Constitutional Amendment process need not be endlessly repeated so as to eliminate the inequalities of a propertied culture, a CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION should be called and the issues that have arisen since the 18th century addressed: gun control, money and speech, marriage, the rights of women and minorities, religious feedom and the separation of church and state.  Such a Convention should aim at removing the power of money from the political system, which includes the elimination of paid lobbyists, elimination of the Electoral College, and the establishment of a unicameral legislature based on proportional representation. Political lines should be drawn by a non-partisan commission or by the Party out of power, access of third (and other) parties to the ballot should be guaranteed by means to be worked out, and an attempt made to establish a consensus-based democracy so as to avoid the tyranny of majorities, the party system of governance and other dysfunctions of the representational democracy which we at present endure. .

And our vision includes FREEDOM for all, above and beyond the tired reiteration of political slogans that characterize the present. This includes an end to government secrecy and surveillance, the de-militarization of American society, and a citizen’s police force operated in similar fashion to the military draft.   


  

Notice

This is just to point out that the time of the General Assembly has been changed to 2 PM, to allow folks who have to go somewhere early to come.  It is still on the first Saturday of the month, and still at Pritchard Park.

Ben Scales Fundraiser at Rosetta's Kitchen

Clare has a great write up and some more great photos of the event at this link.

Minutes for the 1/7/13 meeting of Occupy Asheville

 

Present: John, James, Bev, Kathryn, Lindsey

 

Discussion about the event at Rosetta's.  Lindsey will post on Facebook, contact Steve Norris to be the MC, ask Ben if he wants to play some music.  It will be vegetarian. We will use this opportunity to share about our intent to focus on foreclosure. 

 

Foreclosures:  We need to do research to find potential homeowners who would like assistance.  We need to develop relationship.  What we have to offer is the attention/power that can come from exposure/numbers.  For legal help, people would still need to go to Pisgah Legal.  James has been to the registrar of deeds and knows how to access information on people being threatened with foreclosure.  We decided to contact David Forbes to ask if he would do a story in Mtn X that might attract someone to us asking for assistance.  Lindsey knows an artist in Candler fighting eviction and Sonny knows someone in Madison Co.  Kathryn agreed to contact Sonny for details and Lindsey will contact the artist.  John will write a news release detailing our plans.  Next steps at the meeting on Monday the 21st.

 

Proposal:  Donate $100 to each BeLoved House and the Homeless Network.  Put this out to the community.  Decision on Jan. 21st.

 

Vision:  James has condensed the information into a page and a half and would like us to view it and discuss.

 

We will meet for the MLK rally at 11 am on Jan 21 at the church on MLK drive so we can walk together and wear identifying tags.

General Assembly notes Jan 5, 2013

Facilitator:  Kathryn
Notes:  Meggen

14 people present.  Welcomed 7 newcomers.  Great way to start out the new year!


Discussion:

Read General Agreements, made introductions, talked about what has brought us to Occupy and what we want to see happen.  Some things mentioned:  direct democracy, acting directly to effect change vs. “asking” government entities to do it, putting pressure on local politicians, working locally for socio-economic justice including dealing with local racism and segregation, supporting a new candidate for city council, forming a Saul Alinsky study group.  (Reading and discussing Alinsky's Rules for Radicals.)

Talked a bit about local Occupy victories--city buses now run on 6 of 8 holidays, as opposed to 0.  Petition from Seniors and Friends had hundreds of signatures.  Also, a lot of people have moved their money from banks to credit unions over the past year.  Further discussion of OA plans to work on helping local victims of unfair foreclosures.  So far, biggest hurdle is identifying potential families who would want our help.  More about this over the coming Monday meetings...

Announcements / Events:

Potluck dinner in honor of Ben Scales @ Rosetta’s on Sunday, Jan 20 at 5PM.  Rosetta will host, but Occupy will bring the food.  Ben was OA’s pro bono attorney for several of the arrestees last year.  Come down to say thanks and bring a dish to share!

MLK parade Monday Jan 21st.  We will meet, distribute OA badges to wear & walk in solidarity.  Details TBA. 

Public Safety meeting regarding Cecil Bothwell’s civil liberties resolution Monday Jan 28th at 3PM @ Asheville Fire Station (2nd floor.)  This resolution states that Asheville police will not comply with federal statutes regarding targeting and arrest of undocumented workers.  We need to pack the room to make it happen.

Occupy Asheville Weekly Meeting 12-17-12

There were four of us at this meeting, including a newcomer to town.  Finance committee reported that we got $100 back as a refund from bail bond.  The “We Pay” account on the website has some money in it, but John and Lindsey are not sure how to access these funds. 

We discussed the blog in two respects.  Everyone at this meeting felt that articles and notes about anything other than Occupy Asheville should not go on the blog, but should instead be posted to the Facebook group.  We also discussed the working groups listed in the side bar.  As far as we know, the Socialists group and the Social Justice Caucus are not meeting at this time.  The finance committee still exists, but does not have a set day and time for public meetings.  We also discussed the webpage, which is rather out of date.  Susan will ask Megan to update the webpage and fix the following:  Asheville City Council meetings are on the wrong dates in January; Meet-Talk-Act group, Socialist group, Social Justice group and Anarchist Film group is no longer meeting at all; there are meetings listed for the Occupy Asheville Monday meetings on 12-24-12 and 12-31-12 (we have already decided not to meet on those days); and the wrong time is listed for the General Assembly on 1-5-13.  The events on 1-20-13 and 1-21-13 are not on the calendar.

John talked about the Asheville Homeless Network and Susan updated us on the Veterans for Peace group. There was some discussion on working on gun control issues. John felt that Occupy Asheville and the Occupy movement could lead on this issue. The rest of us felt that we should support other local and national initiatives in this area.  We also briefly discussed foreclosure issues.  Recently, people in Occupy Asheville have said that they want to work on this issue, but we have not heard anything recently.  Susan and Lindsay said that they did not feel inspired to work on foreclosures. 

We also discussed the money that we have in Occupy Asheville and felt that we should give away some money.  We discussed giving some to BeLoved House or other groups helping the homeless in our area.  No decision was made on this, and we will discuss it further at the General Assembly in January. We felt a decision should be made by a larger group.

There are two events in January – a potluck/party/fundraiser at Rosetta’s Kitchen on 1-20-13 for Occupy Asheville and our lawyer and the MLK rally and march on 1-21-13.  Occupy Asheville will participate in the march.

No more Occupy Asheville meetings for December 2012.

Happy Holidays!!