99 Percent Declaration
Encyclopedia
The 99 Percent Declaration or 99% Declaration is a document associated with Occupy Wall Street
. It calls for a "National General Assembly" to convene on July 4, 2012 in Philadelphia. The attendees will be 876 delegates elected by direct vote. There will be a man and a woman from each of the 435 Congressional Districts and one delegate from each of the US territories. The delegates will vote on final Petition for a redress of grievances
. The 99% declaration puts forth 22 suggested grievances and solutions including an immediate ban on all monetary and gift contributions to all politicians, implementing a public financing system for political campaigns, and the reversal of the Citizens United
case by the Supreme Court.
is a movement, which began as an advertised demonstration asking "What is our one Demand". It has been notable, however, for not having any demands. This has led various individuals and groups to propose demands and try to get Occupy Wall Street support. None of these efforts has succeeded. The 99 Percent Declaration is one of these sets of demands. It has since gone on, however, to have it's own organization.
s and 6 US territories to gather on July 4, 2012, for the purpose of assembling a list of grievances and solutions. A National General Assembly idea comes from the Demands Working Group, a protester committee designated at one of the General Assembly meetings in Zuccotti Park
. The plan includes elections by direct vote
of two delegates (one man and one woman) from the Congressional Districts and one delegate from each territory. These delegates would vote on a list of grievances at an assembly in Philadelphia. After forming, the group launched a website and published a proposed list of grievances online. The subjects of the grievances/solutions are:
The declaration has not been backed by the OWS movement in New York or accepted nationally.
Occupy Wall Street
Occupy Wall Street is an ongoing series of demonstrations initiated by the Canadian activist group Adbusters which began September 17, 2011 in Zuccotti Park, located in New York City's Wall Street financial district...
. It calls for a "National General Assembly" to convene on July 4, 2012 in Philadelphia. The attendees will be 876 delegates elected by direct vote. There will be a man and a woman from each of the 435 Congressional Districts and one delegate from each of the US territories. The delegates will vote on final Petition for a redress of grievances
Right to petition in the United States
In the United States the right to petition is guaranteed by the First Amendment to the federal constitution, which specifically prohibits Congress from abridging "the right of the people...to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."...
. The 99% declaration puts forth 22 suggested grievances and solutions including an immediate ban on all monetary and gift contributions to all politicians, implementing a public financing system for political campaigns, and the reversal of the Citizens United
Citizens United
Citizens United is a conservative non-profit organization in the United States. Its president and chairman is David Bossie.-Overview:Citizens United describes its mission as being dedicated to restoring the United States government to "citizens' control" and to "assert American values of limited...
case by the Supreme Court.
Background
Occupy Wall StreetOccupy Wall Street
Occupy Wall Street is an ongoing series of demonstrations initiated by the Canadian activist group Adbusters which began September 17, 2011 in Zuccotti Park, located in New York City's Wall Street financial district...
is a movement, which began as an advertised demonstration asking "What is our one Demand". It has been notable, however, for not having any demands. This has led various individuals and groups to propose demands and try to get Occupy Wall Street support. None of these efforts has succeeded. The 99 Percent Declaration is one of these sets of demands. It has since gone on, however, to have it's own organization.
Document
The declaration calls for a national general assembly to represent the 435 congressional districtCongressional district
A congressional district is “a geographical division of a state from which one member of the House of Representatives is elected.”Congressional Districts are made up of three main components, a representative, constituents, and the specific land area that both the representative and the...
s and 6 US territories to gather on July 4, 2012, for the purpose of assembling a list of grievances and solutions. A National General Assembly idea comes from the Demands Working Group, a protester committee designated at one of the General Assembly meetings in Zuccotti Park
Zuccotti Park
Zuccotti Park, formerly called Liberty Plaza Park, is a publicly accessible park in Lower Manhattan, New York City. It is a controlled by Brookfield Properties. The park was created in 1968 by Pittsburgh-based United States Steel, after the property owners negotiated its creation with city...
. The plan includes elections by direct vote
Direct election
Direct election is a term describing a system of choosing political officeholders in which the voters directly cast ballots for the person, persons or political party that they desire to see elected. The method by which the winner or winners of a direct election are chosen depends upon the...
of two delegates (one man and one woman) from the Congressional Districts and one delegate from each territory. These delegates would vote on a list of grievances at an assembly in Philadelphia. After forming, the group launched a website and published a proposed list of grievances online. The subjects of the grievances/solutions are:
- Elimination of the Corporate State
- Abrogation of the "Citizens United" Case
- Elimination of All Private Benefits and "Perks" to Politicians
- Term Limits
- A Fair Tax Code
- Healthcare for All
- Protection of the Planet
- Debt Reduction
- Jobs for All Americans
- Student Loan Forgiveness
- Immigration Reform and Improved Border Security
- Ending of Perpetual War for Profit
- Reforming Public Education
- End Outsourcing
- End Currency Manipulation
- Banking and Securities Reform
- Foreclosure Moratorium
- Ending the Fed
- Abolish the Electoral College, Comprehensive Campaign Finance and Election Reform
- Ending the War in Afghanistan
- Repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act ("DOMA")
- No Censorship of the Internet
The declaration has not been backed by the OWS movement in New York or accepted nationally.
Conservative response
The 99 percent declaration has been cited conservative organizations to highlight the differences between their positions and the Occupy Wall Street movement.- According to Edwin FeulnerEdwin FeulnerEdwin John Feulner Jr. is President of the conservative think tank Heritage Foundation, a position he has held since 1977....
, president of the Heritage FoundationHeritage FoundationThe Heritage Foundation is a conservative American think tank based in Washington, D.C. Heritage's stated mission is to "formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong...
, the Tea PartyTea partyA tea party is a formal, ritualized gathering for afternoon tea.Formal tea parties are often characterized by the use of prestige utensils, such as bone china or silver. The table is made to look its prettiest, with cloth napkins and matching cups and plates. In addition to tea, larger parties may...
stands for freedom of expression whereas the 99 percent declaration calls for “a ban on political contributions by individuals and political speech by associations and groups, including companies and unions.” - The American Enterprise InstituteAmerican Enterprise InstituteThe American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research is a conservative think tank founded in 1943. Its stated mission is "to defend the principles and improve the institutions of American freedom and democratic capitalism—limited government, private enterprise, individual liberty and...
cites the 99 percent declaration as calling for "paying our teachers a competitive salary commensurate with the salaries of employees in the private sector with similar skills." They agree, but only in the sense that teachers are currently overpaid relative to the private sector in terms of their benefits and pension. They would like to see states and localities have greater freedom to make teacher compensation related to teacher performance.
Further reading
- Lefcourt, D. (October 21, 2011) "The Essence of the Occupy Movement, 'Redress of Grievances'" Op-ed news
- Benn, J. (October 2, 2011) "Occupy protestors make demands in The99Declaration" Rocky Mountain Collegian
- Moore, T. (October 25, 2011) "The Populist's Dilemma" Cornell Sun