The Occupy Oakland TAC, Media Committee and LBL (Local Business Liaison) Committee propose a boycott of corporate shopping and credit card use, and a show of solidarity with local, independent businesses. Money that is spent locally, especially when using cash, check, or Oakland Gift Card, keeps more money in our own community and out of the hands of corporate elite.
Most local indie business owners are the 99%, our proven allies. Many of them support the goals of Occupy Oakland. Some are active supporters, donating food, infrastructure, services, and space to Occupy Oakland. These businesses have risked alienating other customers or losing business because of their solidarity with Occupy Oakland. They need and deserve our support.
We invite other Occupations to endorse this action, and call upon their local communities to do the same.
Yes. This is a great idea. Two suggestions (1) in the resolution lay off the caps button most people don’t read or material in ALL CAPS. It’s akin to virtual yelling. (2) Hold a friendly occupy event at local farmers markets.
i wish, for proposals like this, we would do a straw poll right away to see if the general assembly is ready to vote to approve without lengthy discussion. this should be our policy. we should be first asking for those who may consider voting against this to show their hands, so we know whether the process needs to play out as normal, or go straight to vote. we waste alot of time discussing things, and also allowing for unrelated questions, etc.
I think this proposal deserves our support simply because these businesses are sticking their necks out on this. I am not even hearing the “small capitalist = mega-capitalist” argument. You ever see those stickers on a businesses door for the police dept benevolent association? You know,the shakedown sticker? This is the opposite of that. Any business that is willing to side with us, how dare we look that horse in the mouth.
I am probably in the minority on this, but I wish that some of these proposals did not use such nice flowery language to articulate their goal. I think we should use slightly more forceful and frankly, confrontational language.
EG: Anonymous
They don’t say, hey Sony please dont be dicks. Hey BART we wish you would not fuck with Cell service. They say hey sony do this or reap the whirlwind. Hey BART, middle finger.
Of course we should not endorse anything illegal, or that could be misconstrued as “terrorist” (whatever that means). We would not want to intentionally provoke our way into a corner.
This looks like a good proposal. Many are already doing this and encouraging others to join in as a good idea.
If you want more ways to keep more money in your local economy, please check out this link regarding justifiable debt restructuring. http://occupynews.blogspot.com/2011/11/justifiable-debt-restructure-would.html