BoA blinked and debit card fees have been stared down by Occupy (Did YOU expect a full retreat from the BOA constrictor):
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/02/business/bank-of-america-drops-plan-for-debit-card-fee.html?_r=1
Now as to BIG, national, potential goals for the rapidly multiplying Occupy movement:
Occupy’s goal needs to be broad. It needs to be inclusive. It cannot be a goal owned by either the Democratic Party OR the Republican Party to be attractive to Occupy.
So, how about overturning the “Dred Scott” case abomination of our time – Citizens United overturned through the passion, and the mass movement of Occupy, through grass roots activity aimed at amending the constitution??
THIS effort needs to be national, non-partisan, and truly passionate grass roots, involve vast numbers of people, and is critical to saving government of, by and for the people. Such a drive to amend the 14th Amendment to clarify that “corporations” are not entitled to the same rights as the people in “government of, by and for the people” is not a “Democratic Party” issue or a “Republican Party issue” – it is truly non-partisan, good government, and needed to preserve democracy.
In our own state, how about a grass roots, non-partisan citizens petition for legislation that mandates open votes whenever more than $50,000 in taxpayer money is involved, and places all of Beacon Hill and all “quasi public” agencies within the same Open Meeting and FOIA laws that apply to cities, towns, counties (and Christopher, how about YOU write the amendment to those laws, since you have expertise in the problems with them) as a goal for our instate occupies that is as necessary to cleaning up and protecting/reclaiming democracy in Massachusetts as the vote is to Occupy DC, or honest public transportation is to Occupy Detroit?? Who is interested? I am out there pitching these things, or course you have heard much of this from me, before.
It may be possible – did you notice – Occupy already made Bank of America blink?
And what happens in Oakland, California and California tomorrow, 11/2/11, is worth watching – I won’t be able to pay the close attention much of the time I would like to pay – I have an oral argument first thing in the morning in Boston on 2010-P-1856, and a trial session in Lowell at 2:00 PM, but maybe there will be a bit of wiggle room in between. And, of course, “smart phones.” That all being said, I am not yet as smart as my phone. So stay tuned, and I would love to hear what you all think.
