F29 - Shut Down the Corporations Day of Action
Guest: David Osborn
On January 1, 2012, Occupy Portland put forward a bold call to action to shut down corporations on leap day, Wednesday, February 29, 2012. Occupy Portland is “leaping into action” for a not-to-miss day of civil disobedience to alert the world that the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) must stop existing and that we as a society can reclaim our power over government!
Over 50 US cities are joining Portland and even Mexico City is uniting to end ALEC.
Through ALEC, Global Corporations Are Scheming to Rewrite YOUR Rights and Boost THEIR Revenue, global corporations and state politicians vote behind closed doors to try to rewrite state laws that govern your rights. These so-called "model bills" reach into almost every area of American life and often directly benefit huge corporations. In ALEC's own words, corporations have "a VOICE and a VOTE" on specific changes to the law that are then proposed in your state. The Center for Media and Democracy on July 13, 2011 issued a report based on documentation received from a whistleblower about the hundreds of bills written of, by and for corporations that have been introduced by legislators who have joined and met with ALEC, out of view of the public.
David Osborn is an instructor at Portland State University where he teaches courses on culture, narrative and social movements. He was been deeply involved in the Occupy Movement and is also active in the Climate Justice Movement with Rising Tide North America.