GA Minutes: 12.28.11

Oakland General Assembly

12/28/11

Approximate Start Time: 6:45 pm

Approximate Head Count: 110

WELCOME

PROPOSALS AND OVERVIEW

 

F: We are going to do something different tonight.  We’re going to start with proposals.  There is an emergency proposal, followed by a proposal to support the January 20^th day of action. (Reviews handsignals)

 

1. Emergency Proposal for OWS:  We have a statement that we would like to read for $30,000 reimbursement for funds spent on the West Coast Port Shut Down.  Today, December 28^th, OO’s GA hereby requests funds for the reimbursement of the West Coast Port Shut Down in the amount of $18,000.  It is also requesting funding for continued port actions called for Occupy Longview in the quantity of $12,000.  The total budget will be sent to the OO Finance Committee, which will account for and disburse funds to other West Cost occupies.  The receipts have been and will continue to be available to OWS in a continued process of accountability and transparency.

Clarifying Questions:

• Why was it not communicated to the GA that money was asked for before the Port Action two days before the action?   I will clarify.  Someone just asked “what did I mean?”  I looked on the livetweets of OWS and there was talk of someone from OO asking for $4,500 for the five cities involved in the WCPS.  I want to know why that was not communicated to the GA. –A  When the proposal for the WCPS passed, it created a working group that created a budget and did report back to the GA.  It tried to get money from OWS, but those attempts were not successful the first or second time around.  This attempt is being brought forth by a member of OWS.
• Why do we need to beg for OO to give us money? I know we need money, but why do we need to beg?  I think OWS thinks that they are a larger entity that might be above us.  They should give it out to us without having to make a video.  My question is: Why should we have to make a video? –A There has been a concern that OWS has many more funds than the rest of us.  We are in a movement that believes in an equal distribution of resources – why isn’t that happening in the movement?  We are not begging, we are asking for equal distribution in a specific way.  OWS are the ones who wants this video tape.  To be clear, there are people in NY who want to show solidarity and support us financially.  This is a bureaucratic request from the Finance Working Group at OWS.
• How was OWS able to get $30,000 in a such a short amount of time? What is the major source of their money?- (No answer given)

F: We are going to move forward to pros and cons.

 Point of Process: I thought that there were no pros/cons for finance proposals?

Response: This is not a finance proposal because it does not concern our FWG.

 

Twinkles:

• OWS has a lot of visibility, thus, they have a lot of money.  They are willing to extend their hand toward OO.  Let’s let them be in solidarity with us.
• I’m in favor of this proposal, but we can learn something from them – we should raise our own money also, like OWS.

Concerns

• We should only ask for money that we spent, not money for Occupy Longview. OWS has its own process for dealing with other occupations that need money.  We should respect that process.  I have a pro for asking for the money, but it should be reduced to what we actually spent.

Response

• We budgeted money for other occupies after we made the original proposal– that’s why we should have more money for them. This proposal involves other occupies because it allows OWS to streamline the proposal, and since we have been doing the finances in that network, they don’t have to create massive infrastructure to get money up and down the coast.
• The reason they have so much money is because OWS’s name is emblematic of the larger movement.  When people want to donate somewhere, they don’t think of distributing it all around the country, they just go to OWS.

Vote Results:

100%: THIS PROPOSAL HAS PASSED.

YES: 109

ABSTAINED: 7

NO: 0

2. Support for the January 20^th action: We propose that we  support OSF for its day of action (mass occupation of the Financial District) January 20^th.  We propose that OO form working groups that will meet before the action, and show up at 7am to hold an action.

Point of Process: There was a question back here that was not answered after the passing of the proposal.  Does the $18,000 go to the OO (General Fund) or does it only go to the Port Shut Down Committee?

 Response: It goes to OO.  That’s the answer.

 F: Are there other questions about this proposal?

Clarifying Questions:

• Why 7am?  It seems to me that a street party can tie up the cops, since most of the banks do not open till 8am.  Might it be better to start a little later? A– OSF is putting out a 6am call out.  We thought 7am was more reasonable than this.  We’ll be ready by 7:30 as people gather.
• When will we know about the convergence point? – A – We’ll meet after this if you’d like more details.  It’s a sensitive location that we want to discuss in the working group.  We will make sure to report back at GAs.

Twinkles:

• It gives us another big event like the General Strike.
• It’s important to be early at about 7am.  The goal is not just to block customers to banks, but employees, so they cannot operate at all.
• Many of will be going to SF that day.  It will be nice to have a place to meet up and move together in the streets.
• We should think about having this move toward a full day of work stoppage.

Concerns

• We should think about the bank employees.  They are exploited, and do not receive health benefits.  We should also have literature and be campaigning for them to have union rights.  They are a part of our movement also.

Vote Results:

100%: THIS PROPOSAL HAS PASSED

YES: 96

ABSTAINED: 1

NO: 0

The next meeting for this action is this Saturday at 12 noon in the north plaza.  We’d love to get as many people as possible.  You can also meet us after GA tonight.

Point of Information: This proposal (asking for $30,000) in NY hasn’t passed yet, it’s coming up tomorrow.  Give a call out to your friends.

COMMITTEE REPORTS:

 

• Anti repression/Free Khali: We need to mobilize against repression.  We meet Tuesdays at noon at the Brown Couch Café.  Contact: antirepression@occupyoakland.org
• Courts: We are a new committee – a part of a larger movement called Occupy The Courts .  We meet at Wednesday at 3pm.  We will start here in Oakland at 14^th and Clay on January 20^th.  Then at 11am we will join with OSF.  Contact us: oacklandmta@gmail.com.
• Facilitation:  We need help!  Please come to our meetings.  Our meetings are at noon on the days we have GA.  The next meeting is Monday, next week at 12 noon.  This is our last GA of the year!!
• Interfaith: Contact us: interfaithtent@gmail.com ;  Join us at the tent and support the vigil!  All are welcome – we don’t preach to you, only lend support.
• Labor Committee: We are planning tomorrow how to help Occupy Longview and the ILWU struggle.  We are also going to identify other labor struggles to get involved in.  We meet Thursday at 6pm, 1440 Bway.  Contact:  occupyoaklandlaborsolidarity@gmail.com
• Media: We meet every Sat. at 4pm.  If you want to make blogsites, if you want to stream, meet with us!
• OG Gazzette: We have been around since the first week.  We need more people to join!  Meeyings: 5:30 Wed. at the Brown Couch Café.  gazette@oscargrantplazagazzette.com
• Vigil: thank you for showing up to hold space and donate food.

FORUM: Discuss what you would like – for 15 minutes!  We’d like to call people up for report  backs about your discussions.

• Dorothy wants us to continue to support to support the original occupation at the plaza – through bulk purchases or donations.
• We talked about why we are here and why we keep coming back.  We talked about how to get more people involved across the nation.
• We talked about how positive it has been meeting each other through the movement.  We talked about the pros and cons of consensus (in our GA).

ACTION AND GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

 

• Noise Demo: 9pm, march from the plaza to the jail.  At Glen Dyer on New Year’s Eve – in solidarity with those who are inside but cannot party like us…afterward, we will march to the plaza for a dance party and fun for support.
• I want to remind you about the January 1^st march and rally in honor of Oscar Grant.  The Oakland GA is one of the sponsors of this march.  It’s on the webpage of OO.  We are very excited about it, and I think it will be a memorable occasion.  Please tell everyone you know about it.
• Our GA is waning.  Let me remind you that in three mere months, we shook up America.  Some of our less mature members may think that the GA is their personal toy.  They have grown tired of it.  Know this: the GA is the foundation of what is left of our occupation.  Do not take it lightly.  We need to rebuild our GA and keep it going.  Without the GA, there is no more OO.
• Occupy the Rose Parade: Jan. 1^st!  We’ll have four human floats – the constitution, a top hatted man representing the 1%, and an octopus representing the Fed, and more!
• Protest at the railroad stations in memory of the birth of the corporations – this is an informational action. (not sure of the day, but it’s in January)
• Large strike coming up in February!
• Occupy Education; March 1^st!  March from East Bay to Sacrament, along with a convergence at the state capitol.

CLOSING

8:15 pm