OK, I'll come down there with Impeach Obama and no class warfare signs.

I read this twice and I'm having a hard time trying to figure out what your point is. Are you saying that you have so much that you want to redistribute YOUR wealth.
Speak only for yourself, I want to keep whatever I work for and I think anyone else no matter how rich they are should keep whatever they work for. No one deserves something for nothing. The "occupy" people want to collect their allowances but don't want to do their chores.

Most of the occupy crowd seems to be very misguided ---- at best. A drive by the Baltimore group suggest to me that they are an odd collection of interest groups and individuals ---- homeless and clueless, labor movement types, students with drugs, but without jobs, and some that are being duped again by political leaders that want to take advantage of them and divide the nation in an effort to cling to power. Most are clearly unhappy with where they stand or sit today, but have a hard time voicing a solution. That could well be because so many know deep down that to find a helping hand they need to look first at the end of their own arm.

This is an Obama ploy to get himself re-elected. He can't run on achievements, so now he is dividing the public on class warfare. Stop whining and look for a job people! Its time that the 50% that don't pay taxes get taxed. I'm sick and tired of paying more than my share for lazy people.

All,
Thanks for coming by and for your comments, and I definitely agree that my point (if any) was pretty muddled. What it comes down to is this:
What individual protesters may want is, to me, fairly irrelevant. The systemic problems that led to both the Occupy protests and the Tea Party need to be addressed; public policy that reduces our currently lowered mobility ("opportunity") and the worst abuses of income inequality are important in a capitalist society, and are far from "wealth redistribution." A good article here: http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Columns/2011/10/25/Income-Inequality-Is-Hobbling-the-Middle-Class.aspx#page1

And Elizabeth, I think it's important to remember that the 47% of people you're referring to pay state and local taxes, and would pay the proposed gas tax. They don't pay federal income tax because the credits and deductions that primarily benefit the middle class (mortgage interest, child credits) also benefit those who make so little their income tax equals less than those benefits. Getting rid of those deductions and credits- which would be necessary to ensure those households making less than about $50,000 a year pay taxes- would mean all of us would be paying more in federal income tax.

Good exchange of ideas. A couple additional comments for you to consider. First, nearly every household should pay some level of federal income taxes. When almost half don't pay any federal income taxes we have a serious disconnect --- with people that have no reason to object to out of control federal spending and deficits. They benefit at the expense of other citizens that must pay the bills. For example, nearly every household should help pay for national defense. Secondly, to get at the enormous income differences we need to examine how much people are paid and why (wages / salaries). You cannot correct the disparity by way of federal taxes. Just look at the amounts that our corporations pay singers, actors, athletes, etc Oprah alone has more money that the combined wealth of everyone in some countries. Most people would agee that the compensation practices are outrageous. On the other end, most people would agree that wages for both skilled and unskilled labor has declined over the years. In part, because of international trade agreements and a continuos stream of cheap labor flowing into our country. These cause social and economic problems that become very evident during a recession. Lots to think about.

T.J - one phrase you wrote sums up the basis of the Occupy and Tea Party protests...."mistrust in the government." The two groups are just looking at the same problem from different angles. They should join together and have an Occupy Tea Party on the White House lawn.

The attitude of the nouveau riche and/or the deviant rich and ultra-rich which screams, "Back, you fools, it's mine, all mine", like some heat-crazed, greed-stricken, gold-miner--never ceases to amaze me; and I have seen such people with such attitudes all my life. Thank the Lord there are polar-opposite, wealthy individuals (such as Warren Buffett) who periodically restore my faith in human nature by being decent and honest people of character, who gladly wish to contribute their fair share to the governance of the country, and who are benevolent and charitable donors to worthy causes, to boot.

To the crazed bunch who have the paranoid delusion that everyone is after their gold, and who feel that they most certainly are being undermined by those less fortunate, do you know Jesus' words in Matthew 25:40, which (basically) say that, "whatever you do for the least of my brothers and sisters, you do for me"; or in Matthew 25-45, that, "whatever you fail to do for the least of my brothers and sisters, you fail to do for me"?
____________

Regarding the question asked: I doubt any group from any area is totally insulated from recession, depending on its depth. And regarding the occupy protests: people in the streets in 200 American cities, and thousands of cities worldwide, is a movement that cannot be ignored. Let's watch and listen, and if we feel no need to participate, let's stifle our baser instincts to whine about our personal inconvenience as it unfolds.

Wow, a look at these comments shows exactly why this nation is in trouble. Somehow, many of these people leaving comments seem to miss the fact that their fortunes were made on the backs of somebody else! It's pretty sad & immensely selfish. People are protesting the lack of jobs, not asking for a "handout"! People want to work; they simply wonder why the wealthy should receive all the benefits of their labor. I wonder how many handouts those people leaving comments are getting via corporate tax breaks, employer freebies, government subsidies on their mortgage -- not available to renters...enough already! This entitlement attitude of "I got mine, you get yours" is just disgusting. It's so unlikely that these people calling protesters druggies, didn't receive multiple handouts along their way -- a favor from a teacher or a mentor, a legacy situation helping them get into school, a friend in the right place helping them get out of a scrape, a job from an acquaintance, being raised middle class, having a home to go to... Wake up and realize that the "workers" in this country are what make the wealth possible. I hope that these comments don't represent the bulk of Ellicott City! If these people want to keep "every penny" I wonder who will fund their schools, roads, parks, or police!

Ms Williams, you have it wrong. The entitlement attitude is "you got yours, now you need to give me some of it" We have no idea how the "rich" became that way. Perhaps it was through hard work or maybe going into hock to start a business that did well.

I left a comment and I can tell you that I have never had anything handed to me nor do I EVER want a handout from the government. My husband and I worked and saved to buy our first house (no FHA, VA or any other government subsidized loan). We had our children late because WE wanted to support them (no WIC or other welfare help). My daughter is in college, she works two jobs and goes to college at night. She does not have a student loan, it has all come out of HER pocket, not mine or YOURS. She will be going to nursing school next year and that is going to be paid for by a non government backed loan.

If you rent your home instead of own, thats your fault, if you didn't have a home to go to or weren't raised middle class, that your parents fault. People are sick of having to support themselves and everybody else. The people protesting disgust me. No one on is "entitled" to anything they didn't work for. That is what this country was founded on. I could go on and on picking apart your comments, but people with your mind set don't listen to reason, they are too busy whining.

"People are sick of having to support themselves and everybody else". What a twisted generalization to support a glaring lack of understanding and compassion.
"The people protesting disgust me", is more lack of understanding from someone who appears totally devoid of human feeling for those less fortunate than yourself. You appear to have no clue of what's going on around you and/or why people are in the streets. You're waving your "America, love it or leave it" flag, the same as the clueless did during the '60s and '70s when similar demonstrators were in the streets protesting the Vietnam War, racial inequality, nuclear power, womens' rights, and various other inequities--and guess what? They didn't leave America, and they never stopped loving it! They protested their grievances in the streets, as the "Occupy Wall St. group (and extensions of it) are doing now, and as the First Amendment to the Constitution guarantees every American the right to do--and they changed the world!

People are in the streets for a hundred diverse and legitimate reasons, not the least of which is the collusion of government and special interests. Corporate lobbyists transfer millions of dollars to legislators who'll enact legislation to support their special interests, regardless of the fact that those special interests are in direct conflict with the interests of the majority of their own constituents who elected them to public office to represent THEIR needs and concerns.

P.S. And it's obvious that the Founding Fathers' original intent of, "Government by the People and for the People", has become, "Government by special interests and for special interests", and many average, working and taxpaying citizens whose interests and needs now receive NO representation, feel hopeless enough to take to the streets to protest such malfeasance and to try to find a solution to their mutual dilemma by engaging others similarly affected.

I attended an "Occupy Annapolis" rally yesterday evening, and I'm remiss to say that it was the first "occupy" event I've ever intended. Only time constraints kept me away in the past. And may I enlighten the woman who wrote, "The people protesting disgust me", by saying that those in attendance were average people with legitimate grievances, and the origin of most of their grievances were issues stemming from government malfeasance. Further, I was invited by a friend who is a business owner in Annapolis--my point being, that he, and all others I spoke with, had jobs. So before we all ignorantly take sides for or against the "occupy" movement (and I say "ignorantly", because if you haven't been to such a rally, how can you pretend to know who is there and what is being discussed), let's have the human dignity not to judge others, lest we ourselves be judged.

"Congress shall make no law...abridging the right of the People peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

Our Howard County Resilience Circle met last night (10/28) and spent quite a bit of time off our scheduled agenda but on topic discussing this article, the Occupy Movement locally and nationally, and where Howard County is. THANKS to Patch acknowledging many of the issues we care about and opening the topic for conversation! See our reflections on this article and the broader topics on our webpage: http://sites.google.com/site/ccihoco/links-articles/resilencecirclesresources10-11

Although this really isn't a suburbs vs city side-of-the-fence split, this reminds me just a bit of the idea of DC taxing commuters, who come in daily and use the resources and then leave at night, their tax dollars going to support their suburban residential schools, police, transportation, infrastructure. Just saying...

Part 1 to: caw21227,
Whoa, whoa, whoa… let me stop you when you speak about “what this country was built on”. Perhaps the distorted history book that you have cherished is partly responsible for your ignorance of this great country’s sordid past. You say our country was founded on no one being entitled to anything they didn’t work for? If I were to bust into your beautiful home and call it my own, slaughter you and most of your family, and run your relatives off to a strange land after infecting them with smallpox, then you could compare me to Christopher Columbus (who has been honored with a holiday)! This country was built on the blood, sweat, and tears of those forcibly and violently brought over from Africa. I am not speaking of the so called “African-American History”, I am speaking of American History! No one is looking for a hand out, but how dare you down-play or overlook what this country was BUILT on!
If someone wasn’t raised middle class it was their parents fault? What if their grandparents or great-grandparent would have been hanged, shot, or burned for attempting to pick up a book? Do you think that was a recent reality in this country? Get you head out of the sand! I have worked hard all of my life, and I was blessed to come from a hardworking middle class family.

part 2
I have two vocations, and I am an unemployed union construction worker. Further, I am a single mother of two, and a student completing my BA in Occupational Safety and Health. Until the last three years, I had no employment concerns. There was always work with overtime, and before one project finished I was headed to the next project. Union wages made the hard work worthwhile. Pouring concrete or running a 95lb jackhammer on a 100 degree sunny day, when the heat is amplified by 10+ degrees due to the concrete, asphalt, lack of shade, heavy machinery, protective clothing, and traffic was an everyday normalcy. In the winter wearing 20lbs of layered clothing, steel toes, and working all day in freezing weather, not to mention disrobing all in a much undesired port-a-jon, was still normalcy. Drinking water to keep from dying of a heatstroke, and being ever aware of the dangers I have been trained and educated to recognize, prevent, correct, and avoid was also an exasperating constant in each and every potentially dangerous and/or deadly day at work. Construction work is hard, and the hours and days can be very long in light of the pressure to complete deadlines and in preparing for other scheduled phases of the job. Nevertheless, we push on, thinking of the money that we work so hard to earn, and how all of the physical and mental sacrifice is worth being able to provide for our families. I am struggling and I don’t get a tax break...

"Keepin' It Real" - you rock! Great posts!

A lot of people here have been quick to condemn those that don't agree with and are against these "Occupy" protests. I happen to be one of those people.

Don't forget that this is a DEMOCRACY, and those that don't agree with these protests have just as much right to speak as the protesters. I am personally not interested in seeing a push toward socialism, so I will be speaking out against these protesters at every opportunity. I don't think that most of these protesters know what they are doing out there anyway.

Why don't you define the "...push toward socialism.." you see in an American citizen exercising his/her First Amendment rights in peaceful assembly?

And while you're at it, why not define, "...they will also have to deal with the citizens who don't agree with their views as well", which sounds like some sort of veiled threat toward those who would exercise their First Amendment rights.

Those of us who wish to revisit our high school U.S. History classes remember that three delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787 refused to sign the Constitution. So dear were individual rights and liberties to those delegates that they refused to sign the Constitution until it was amended to spell out the individual rights of all Americans (even though it was understood that this would occur when the First Congress convened). Two years later, in 1789, the First Congress accepted 10 of the 12 Amendments proposed (upon which the government could not infringe)--our Bill of Rights.

The First Amendment spells out our freedoms of religion, of speech, of the press, of assembly, and freedom to petition. It guarantees the right of people to dress up funny, with tea bags hanging from their hats, and to draw Hitler moustaches on pictures of our President, and it even guarantees people the right to burn the American flag--as well as the right of people to peacefully assemble without fear of intimidation or repressesion by the Government.

How ironic that those who claim to want Government interference removed from their lives--and have exactly that under our Bill of Rights, where Government cannot infringe upon our individual freedoms--are the first who wish to interfere with those who exercise the most innocuous of our Constitutional rights--the right to peaceably assemble and petition the Government for redress of their grievances.

test

"What those in opposition of the movement DO say is that those who oppose the views of this movement have just as much right to have their views heard as these protesters."

*******My post: Protest the protestors, then--you have every right. Let us know where and when you'll be doing this; I, for one, would love to come watch. Talk is cheap, particularly the convoluted posts and veiled threats you've been making toward those who are exercising their Constitutional rights. The people on the streets are doing something--get out there and oppose them instead of reiterating your same nonsensical remarks.

"This movement does not have the right to force their vision on America to the detriment of other citizens who oppose that vision."

*******My post: Oh, yes, it does. Who do you perceive yourself to be, the king of the world? Do you believe hundreds of thousands of protestors across the nation and millions throughout the world need to check with you, first, to see if you agree with their protest, or whether it's convenient for YOU??

You appear to be some egotistical maniac who believes you can establish the rules for every human's right to assemble.

And your right-wing, nutcase threat of impending "socialism" and a fear of "wealth distribution" are paranoid/delusional.

If you really believe those pesky liberals are coming after your money, why don't you return to Gooberville and hide it in your cousin Cletus' hen house? They won't look there.

P.S. My apologies to the rest of the readers of this great article who might have posted their views had it not been dominated by the back-and-forth of me and the King of the World--even other members of Goober-nation, who started out so strongly in the beginning, and who I hope are not deterred by truth and reason.

I believe the author of the article wished to get a head-count of opinion, pro, or con, and I hope you'll continue.

It's my last post, as I've responded to the question of how I feel about the "occupy" movement.

Here's to a better and fairer America and a better world, aided by those who have put their lives on the line--worldwide--to achieve it.

Marylandmojo, I think you need to get a life! You have way too much time on your hands and way too much anger about this subject. In fact, I wonder, with all your enthusiasm for the "occupy movement" why you are not out there with them. They could use another person who thinks he knows what he's talking about.