Beginning on August 10th, the Strike Debt Bay Area Economics Book Group began discussing Banking on the People: Democratizing Money in the Digital Age. We tackled the introduction and first chapter, available through the ‘Look Inside’ feature on Amazon, for the August 10th meeting.

For our September 7th meeting, we will be discussing the rest of the first section, Chapters 2-6.

For our October 12th meeting, we will be discussing Chapters 7-9, the first part of the second section.

For our November 16th meeting, we will be discussing Chapters 10 – 13.

For our December 14th meeting, we will be discussing Chapters 14 and through to the end.

All are welcome!

The Economics Book Group began with Doughnut Economics and continued with Take Back the Economy.  We read a few chapters every month.

“Today most of our money is created, not by governments, but by banks when they make loans. This book takes the reader step by step through the sausage factory of modern money creation, explores improvements made possible by advances in digital technology, and proposes upgrades that could transform our outmoded nineteenth century system into one that is democratic, sustainable, and serves the needs of the twenty-first century.”

“In Banking on the People, attorney Ellen Brown provides a much-needed roadmap for reforming monetary and credit systems and the central banks now strangling our common human future. More lucidly that any other expert I know, she shows how we can break the grip of predatory financialization now extracting value from real peoples’ productive activities all over the world. Her in-depth research and systemic overview of the global and local politics of money-creation and credit allocation include all the viable proposals of global experts and reformers. She reviews many of these reforms: from financial transaction taxes, to a universal basic income to provide purchasing power for the cornucopia of goods and services now produced, to expanding the public banks she so ably promotes via the Public Banking Institute, to returning the Fed and all banks to serving the public utility functions that economies require. This book is a must read for citizens in all societies who see the promising future as we seek to widen democracies and transform to a cleaner, greener, shared prosperity, based on the renewable abundance of free daily energy from our sun.” – Hazel Henderson, CEO of Ethical Markets Media and author of Mapping the Global Transition to the Solar Age and other books.

Enjoy live readings from a new anthology of poetry, prose and art by 100 Bay Area writers and artists of color and allies celebrating the rich diversity that truly makes America great.

Civil liberties matter to everyone—not just those who are targeted now. Those who keep silent may be next. Although we are 60% of the Bay Area’s population, people of color remain under represented and under published. Democracy can’t be taken for granted. We must stand up and be counted. We must reach within ourselves and reach out to others, so we can move forward together towards a just and inclusive society.

Readers: Avotcja, Ravi Chandra, Carole Chinn-Morales, Keh-Ming Lin, Tureeda Mikell, Grace Morizawa, Roji Oyama, Susana Praver-Perez, Shizue Seigel, R. Sridevi, and Kimi Sugioka.

Visual artists: Cris Matos, Joan Osato, Choppy Oshiro, Pancho Pescador, Edsel Rivera, Shizue Seigel, Leon Sun, Mel Waters, and Jess X. Wong.

Co-presented by Oakland Asian Cultural Center and Eastwind Books of Berkeley

Can we rise up like Hong Kong? Fill Mission Street from 5th to 8th Streets. Needs at least 880 people. Bring your charged phone to hold up.

When you think of the upcoming Global Climate Strike (Sept. 20-27), who is leading the demonstrations? Young people, right? They’re increasingly taking the lead for climate related actions through organizations such as Sunrise. “The dark hour in America cannot last,” proclaims this new youth-centered activist group.

But marching beside the young people is spirit if not always in body will be revered elders in the ecology movement such as Joanna Macy, the author of 13 books and a veteran of six decades of political activism.

In fact, Macy and Sunrise people will literally be standing side by side at an upcoming event “Rising to the Climate Emergency: What Can we Count On?” at the Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists on September 8.

“The climate emergency is really serious,” says Macy, “but we don’t want people to feel paralyzed by the enormity of the challenge. We must help everyone find resources within themselves to realize they can make a difference.”

Macy is most noted for “The Work that Reconnects,” workshops that inspired thousands to experience their connections with each other and gain motivation to play their part in creating a sustainable civilization.

Macy’s spiritual descendants in the Sunrise Movement are definitely eager to play their part. They’re building a mass movement to stop the climate crisis and create millions of good-paying jobs in the process.

Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists is one of the epicenters of progressive political action in Berkeley, through its own actions and the many activist groups that meet there. All who are concerned about the climate crisis are invited to join Joanna Macy and Sunrise at 10:30 AM September 8. Free potluck and lively conversation will follow.

Free to the public.

Hosted by North Oakland Restorative Justice Council

We invite you to our next edition of our 45th St Brunches & Brooms, a neighborhood cleanup, community meal, and hygiene/winter gear kit distribution centering at the highway underpass off of 45th Street and MLK. In partnership with our neighbors who live there, we would like to gather to share some food and help with cleaning up the dumping under the 45th overpass.

Donate at
Facebook Giving: https://www.facebook.com/donate/361009014828047/
GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/45th-st-community-cleanup-meal-care-kit

Help us assembles hot meals and care kits for 250 unhoused neighbors, that will be delivered to surrounding encampments during the days We are $1,000 to make the distribution happen in completion.

We need:
-$ – donate above
-Tents/Tarps/Rain Gear
-Gift card to costoco/target
-new socks, underwear
-dog food (for unhoused neighbors with pets)
-new tooth brush/toothpaste
-deodorant, small soaps, etc
-water (1 gallon or larger please)
-granola bars
-canned with pop top ready to eat stuff (tuna, sardines, jams, etc)
-Food for the brunch (high quality eggs, maple syrup (real), meats, etc)
-barber

***
Many hands make for light work and we hope you can join us at some point during the early afternoon.

This event is brought to you by the Longfellow Community Association, the North Oakland Restorative Justice Council, Self Help Hunger Program, Phat Beets Produce, Oakland Communities United for Equity & Justice (OCUEJ) PLACE for Sustainable Living, RJOY, and the residents of the underpass. Special thanks to the Akonadi Foundation for their support of this event

Feel free to email Northoaklandrestorativejustice@gmail.com with questions

Save the date for the next Plant Sale fundraiser! The official Ambassador Greeters, Lulu and Deuce, will be there to gladly accept your lovin’.

Free Oakland UP 

An alternative retail space focused on the economy, the environment and building community by offering FREE art and everyday items.

One free item per person per day. For a fair monetary donation you may choose more. More treasures!! 

Gallery:offering monthly solo or group exhibitions featuring experimental, interactive projects focused on alternative economies, cultivating socially activated art, sustainability and building community through art and active participation. 

Gift/Thrift Shop: Everything is FREE – one item per person per day OR for a monetary gift to help pay the rent you may choose more!

Artist Residencies: Offering free alternative art supplies and emphasizing sustainable art practices. Everyone of all ages and abilities is invited to apply for the AIR program

This month’s all-member meeting will be focused on the role of socialists in the labor movement. We’ll talk about the history of labor movement, how members are engaging with their unions, and how DSA can support and strengthen union activity.

We need volunteers! From setup to sign-in to mic-running, volunteering for our meetings is easy and low-commitment. Volunteer here: https://forms.gle/NzYMzXKQYVy1mFUC8 . Use this form, too, if you have child supervision or accessibility needs, including the need for an ASL interpreter.

Our next voting General Meeting will be in October. Member-submitted resolutions will be accepted on a rolling basis—please email them to resolutions@eastbaydsa.org. The submission deadline for each meeting is three weeks in advance of the meeting itself.

Accessibility Information: The Omni Commons ballroom is wheelchair-accessible via a lift and has wheelchair-accessible restrooms, and we provide child supervision and wireless microphones with runners. It is also accessible by BART (1/2 mile walk from MacArthur Station) and by AC Transit bus lines 18, 88, and 12.

Diablo Rising Tide is excited to host friends from the Civil Liberties Defense Center for a two-part training – specifically geared towards people doing climate justice organizing. The training will be held at The Warehouse (955 7th St) in West Oakland Oakland, beginning at 3pm. The space is ADA accessible, and just a 10-minute walk from West Oakland BART station. There is limited street parking. If you require translation or other assistance – please let us know in advance!

• Part 1: Know Your Rights – 3:00 – 5:00
  • Tips for understanding your First Amendment Rights, dealing with police, and other legal issues related to demonstrations, protests, non-violence direct action and civil disobedience. Learn how corporations and the government are attempting to undercut your activism and what you can do to better protect you and your community.

• Part 2: Digital Security for Activists – 5:30 – 7:00
  • Between government surveillance, private companies infiltrating movements, and public doxing – learn how you can better safeguard your information, communicate more securely, and protect yourself digitally. Feel free to bring your laptop or phone – and you can start to implement some of these tips on the spot.

We will have a 30 minute break between the sessions, and you can attend either training or both.

RSVP only, please sign up on this form to attend.

———————————————

The Civil Liberties Defense Center supports movements that seek to dismantle the political and economic structures at the root of social inequality and environmental destruction. We provide litigation, education, legal and strategic resources to strengthen and embolden their success.

Diablo Rising Tide is the Bay Area chapter of the Rising Tide North America network. Rising Tide is an all-volunteer climate network in Canada, the U.S., and Mexico who confront the root causes of climate change with protests and grassroots organizing.The larger Rising Tide network spans four continents and works with activists in North and South America, Europe, and Australia.

NOTE: During the Plague Year of 2020 GA will be held every week or two on Zoom. To find out the exact time a date get on the Occupy Oakland email list my sending an email to:

occupyoakland-subscribe@lists.riseup.net

The Occupy Oakland General Assembly meets every Sunday at 4 PM at Oscar Grant Plaza amphitheater at 14th Street & Broadway near the steps of City Hall. If for some reason the amphitheater is being used otherwise and/or OGP itself is inaccessible, we will meet at Kaiser Park, right next to the statues, on 19th St. between San Pablo and Telegraph. If it is raining (as in RAINING, not just misting) at 4:00 PM we meet in the basement of the Omni Collective, 4799 Shattuck Ave., Oakland. (Note: we tend to meet at 3:00 PM during the cooler months from November to early March after Daylights Savings Time.)

On every ‘last Sunday’ we meet a little earlier at 3 PM to have a community potluck to which all are welcome.

OO General Assembly has met on a continuous basis for over six years, since October 2011! Our General Assembly is a participatory gathering of Oakland community members and beyond, where everyone who shows up is treated equally. Our Assembly and the process we have collectively cultivated strives to reach agreement while building community.

At the GA committees, caucuses, and loosely associated groups whose representatives come voluntarily report on past and future actions, with discussion. We encourage everyone participating in the Occupy Oakland GA to be part of at least one associated group, but it is by no means a requirement. If you like, just come and hear all the organizing being done! Occupy Oakland encourages political activity that is decentralized and welcomes diverse voices and actions into the movement.

General Assembly Standard Agenda

Welcome & Introductions
Reports from Committees, Caucuses, & Independent Organizations
Announcements
(Optional) Discussion Topic

Occupy Oakland activities and contact info for some Bay Area Groups with past or present Occupy Oakland members.

Occupy Oakland Web Committee: (web@occupyoakland.org)
Strike Debt Bay Area : strikedebtbayarea.tumblr.com
Berkeley Post Office Defenders:http://berkeleypostofficedefenders.wordpress.com/
Alan Blueford Center 4 Justice:https://www.facebook.com/ABC4JUSTICE
Oakland Privacy Working Group:https://oaklandprivacy.wordpress.com
Prisoner Hunger Strike Solidarity: prisonerhungerstrikesolidarity.wordpress.com/
Bay Area AntiRepression: antirepression@occupyoakland.org
Biblioteca Popular: http://tinyurl.com/mdlzshy
Interfaith Tent: www.facebook.com/InterfaithTent
Port Truckers Solidarity: oaklandporttruckers.wordpress.com
Bay Area Intifada: bayareaintifada.wordpress.com
Transport Workers Solidarity: www.transportworkers.org
Fresh Juice Party (aka Chalkupy) freshjuiceparty.com/chalkupy-gallery
Sudo Room: https://sudoroom.org
Omni Collective: https://omnicommons.org/
First They Came for the Homeless: https://www.facebook.com/pages/First-they-came-for-the-homeless/253882908111999
Sunflower Alliance: http://www.sunflower-alliance.org/
Bay Area Public School: http://thepublicschool.org/bay-area

San Francisco based groups:
Occupy Bay Area United: www.obau.org
Occupy Forum: (see OBAU above)
San Francisco Projection Department: http://tinyurl.com/kpvb3rv

Global recession is underway. Manufacturing is contracting worldwide. Trade is no longer growing. Germany and Europe are on the brink, Japan is stagnating, and China is slowing. On the financial side of the global economy, stock markets are becoming unstable, bonds and gold are in a bubble, oil, commodities and currencies are deflating, financial crises are erupting in Argentina, South America, and India, and German and Italian banks are becoming fragile. In the USA business investment and construction are contracting and manufacturing has stalled. Meanwhile, corporate, household and government debt are at dangerous levels. Will the US join the global economy slide into recession? If so, how soon? And will it be like 2008-09 or worse? Or not?

The presentation will show what role Trump’s policies have played in the scenario. It will include analyses of Trump’s trade wars, his $4.5 trillion business-investor tax cuts, his escalating War/Defense spending, and the trillion dollar annual budget deficits that tax cuts and war spending have spawned for another decade. What’s really behind the Trump tariff war with China? Why Trump is attacking the Federal Reserve chairman, Powell. Why wages and jobs are not really rising as Trump claims. And why Trump policies are leading to a political and constitutional crisis in the U.S.

The presentation will conclude with a political analysis why corporate-friendly Democrat Party leadership has not been able to stop Trump nor deal with the political movement (and money) behind him. And why their current strategy may lead to another Trump victory in 2020.

As part of the presentation, Dr. Rasmus will share some of the quantitative data and analyses from his forthcoming book, “The Scourge of Neoliberalism: US Policy from Reagan to Trump”,Clarity Press, October 1, 2019, which raises the theme: Neoliberalism entered a crisis after 2008-09 and Trump represents a desperate effort to restore it in a new aggressive, virulent form which requires a fundamental restriction of civil liberties and restructuring of the American democratic system.

Dr. Jack Rasmus is the author of the forthcoming book, “The Scourge of Neoliberalism: US Policy from Reagan to Trump”, Clarity Press, October 1, 2019. Dr Rasmus currently teaches economics at St. Marys College in Moraga, California, and publishes on subjects of US economic policy, US political change, global financial instability, financial business cycles, history of economic thought, American Labor and unions, and US Economic History. He is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley (BA Economics) and University of Toronto, Canada (MA, PH.D Political Economy).

Prior to his academic career and publishing, Dr. Rasmus was formerly an Economist, Vice-President, and strategic market analyst for various global tech, market research, and silicon valley technology start-up companies for twenty years. Before that for more than a decade he was a local union president, vice-president, contract negotiator, strike coordinator, and organizer for various unions, including the National Writers Union/UAW, Communication Workers of America, and Hotel & Restaurant and Service Employees International Unions.

Dr. Rasmus is also author of several prior books on the USA and global economy, including, Alexander Hamilton and the Origins of the Fed, Lexington Books, March 2019; Central Bankers at the End of Their Ropes, Clarity Press, August 2017; Looting Greece, Clarity Press, September 2016; Systemic Fragility in the Global Economy, Clarity Press, January 2016; Epic Recession: Prelude to Global Depression, Pluto Books, 2010; Obama’s Economy: Recovery for the Few, Pluto Books, 2012; and The War At Home: The Corporate Offensive From Reagan to George W. Bush, Kylos Books, 2006.

Dr. Rasmus blogs at jackrasmus.com and his website http://kyklosproductions.com, where his articles and radio and TV interviews are available for download. His twitter handle is @drjackrasmus. He also hosts the weekly radio show, Alternative Visions, on the Progressive Radio Network  podcasts available at http://alternativevisions.podbean.com). He may be contacted at:  drjackrasmus@gmail.com or jjr2@stmarys-ca.edu.

Green Sundays are a series of free public programs & discussions on topics “du jour” sponsored by the Green Party of Alameda County and held on the 2nd Sunday of each month. Snacks are potluck. Vegetarian and vegan snacks are always welcome, but we appreciate whatever you can bring! The monthly business meeting of the County Council of the Green Party follows, at 6:45 pm. Council meetings are open to anyone who is interested.

Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/now-what-the-state-of-immigration-under-trump-tickets-70589357669

Border walls. Travel bans. ICE raids. Separation of families. Deaths of migrant children
at the border.

These immigration issues have been consistently pushed to the forefront since Trump took office. In the United States, immigration has been an integral part of our history.

But why has it become such a contested topic today? What is actually happening at the U.S Mexico border? How are Trump’s policies affecting migrant communities? And most importantly, what can we do to make a difference?

At this panel, we will hear from community advocates who will help us process these questions and inspire us into action.

Moderator: Miriam Warren, Yelp (Vice President of Engagement, Diversity, and Belonging)

Panelists:

–Niloufar Khonsari and Rosario Rosales, Pangea Legal
–Alan Pelaez Lopez, Black LGBTQIA + Migrant Project
–Bianca Sierra Wolff, California Change Lawyers
–Iliana G. Perez, Immigrants Rising

Schedule:

5:30PM Doors Open
6:00PM Panel Starts
6:45PM Lobby Closes (please call event organizer after this time to get inside)
7:00PM Networking
8:00PM Event Ends
Food and drinks will be provided.

9/9: Will be discussing issues related to this Crackdown and our strategy for the next 3 to 6 months.

9/16: We have many, many issues to discuss, including the forthcoming visit of Donald Trump and Ben Carson.

OTU’s Mission

The Oakland Tenants Union is an organization of housing activists dedicated to protecting tenant rights and interests. OTU does this by working directly with tenants in their struggle with landlords, impacting legislation and public policy about housing, community education, and working with other organizations committed to furthering renters’ rights. The Oakland Tenants Union is open to anyone who shares our core values and who believes that tenants themselves have the primary responsibility to work on their own behalf.

Monthly Meetings

The Oakland Tenants Union meets regularly at 7:00 pm on the second Monday evening of each month. Our monthly meetings are held in the Community Room of the Madison Park Apartments, 100 – 9th Street (at Oak Street, across from the Lake Merritt BART Station). To enter, gently knock on the window of the room to the right of the main entrance to the building. At the meetings, first we focus on general issues affecting renters city-wide and then second we offer advice to renters regarding their individual concerns.

If you have an issue, a question, or need advice about a tenant/landlord issue, please call us at (510) 704-5276. Leave a message with your name and phone number and someone will get back to you.

 The Oscar Grant Committee Against Police Brutality & State Repression (OGC) is a grassroots democratic organization that was formed as a conscious united front for justice against police brutality. The OGC is involved in the struggle for police accountability and is committed to stopping police brutality.

In alliance with the International Longshore & Warehouse Union (ILWU) we organized the October 23, 2010 labor and community rally for Justice for Oscar Grant. On that day the ILWU shut down the Bay Area ports in solidarity. Our mission is to educate, organize and mobilize people against police and state repression. Sisters and brothers! The Oscar Grant Committee invites you to join us in this vital struggle.

We meet on the 1^st Monday of each month
You can join our discussion list by sending a blank (doesn’t even need a subject) email to

oscargrantcommittee-subscribe@lists.riseup.net

A community of approximately 40 to 50 unhoused Berkeley residents, who have been living for months in encampments on the verge of the I- 80 interchange at University Avenue, learned last week that they are about to be evicted in a coordinated enforcement action planned by the City of Berkeley, California Highway Patrol (CHP), Berkeley Police Department (BPD), and Caltrans.

The plan is that beginning on Wednesday, Sept. 11, Caltrans, with the assistance of the CHP, will evict people and their belongings from their state properties. Immediately following, when these same unhoused individuals move on to City of Berkeley adjacent alleys and sidewalks, BPD will evict them again with threats of arrest and property confiscation. Many of them, who are now sheltering between the on ramps and off ramps of the freeway, were driven out of Berkeley when police began enforcing the new sidewalk ordinance that prohibits people from having a shelter and belongings that take up more than 3 square feet.

The question they keep asking is: If you don’t want us here and we can’t go any further west without landing in the water, “Where do we go?” In an attempt to get an answer to that question, a coalition of Berkeley advocates, activists, and unhoused residents plan to converge on the City Council and pose that question directly to our elected officials and city  administrators.

HEADSUP! Support needed 8am Wed, 81st & San Leandro St
City is demolishing ppls shelters
Bring coffee, water, bkfst, bags, and be ready to document n copwatch

— Anti Police-Terror (@APTPaction) September 9, 2019