Pay no attention to that corporation behind the flag.

[Last of Fallen]

        When: Thursday February 5th, 5:30 PM

        Where: Nearest Bank of America

        What: Shout "I want my money back!" three times

        Why: On October 17th 2008 Bank of America, after receiving $25 billion in tax payer money as part of the bail out, called a conference with a representative of AIG ($122 billion in bail out money so far) and several corporate activists, to try and quash the nascent EFCA (Employee Free Choice Act) which would make it easier for workers to unionize. The co-founder of Home Depot, Bernie Marcus, was one of the organizers of the conference--he called an act which would make it easier for workers to unionize 'the demise of a civilization.'

        So far bail out money given to corporations has been used by AIG to finance an executive party at the St. Regis spa, costing an exceptional $440K. Enough to keep on a blue collar worker making $40K a year for eleven years. Not to be outdone by AIG, John Thaine spent $1.22 million dollars to redecorate his office in the middle of leaving thousands unemployed. That is over 30 years of that same blue collar worker's wage.

        Corporations and banks have so heinously mismanaged their businesses that 70K jobs were lost last Monday alone. The executives of these same companies have so far used tax payer money to throw parties, redecorate offices, and fight labor unionization. Congress has given these executives who fight against the right of the average working citizen, the same working citizen who's money went to keep their businesses afloat, over $700 billion dollars in bailout money alone, not to mention extended credit so that these businesses can take out even more loans and push themselves further into debt.

        I want my money back.

Articles -

AIG Party

Bernie Marcus/EFCA

John Thain

Who Got Bail Out Money

How Bailout Money Becomes Bonuses

Verging on Corrupt Tax Extensions Built Into Bailout

Obama Admin. On Bailout Regulation

[Rob]

I really agree with this sort of organized shenanigans. I can't endorse any kind of protest or action simply because I don't want anyone pointing at me if they get fired/arrested/manhandled or whatever for participating in some protest activity. I am not your leader, you are not my sheep.

That said, I think I'm going to participate in this.

I have a minor surgical procedure on Wenesday but if everything is cool by the next day I'm going to go out and yell at a bank. It probably won't do much of anything but maybe I'll feel a little better.  :P

[vark]

no fan of the bailout, but "quash the nascent EFCA (Employee Free Choice Act) which would make it easier for workers to unionize" - is that the one that takes away the secret ballot for union elections?
When I was a teamster, I was in a local that had been dominated by the mob. You want to be able to have free elections to help deal with that kind of thing. Currently I'm a civil rights lawyer who works on election cases. Not that I'm very good at it. Also a webtoonist, not that I'm very good at it.
Oh, and in my spare time I fight crime....
Saw your QC strip and link, read the comic, went back and read the blog, went back and registered for the forum, probably won't be here much.
Oh, and, sure, go yell at banks. Political flash mob fun is fun.
- arbitrary aardvark

[Rob]

Thanks for stopping by man. If you have a minute please link your comic, I'd love to return the favor. As for your job, I think I'm a worse Immigration Paralegal (been laid off since last April). At least the Civil Rights stuff has a wonderful reputation fighting the good fight for the little guy. Immigration has a reputation of destroying lives, stealing jobs and allowing terrorists into the country.

I'm not sure about the union thing. I've never been part of one. Unions have never been real big in CT.

The economic thing really is bad. I had several credit cards that I had payed off completely and I was saving them for emergencies and the banks I had them with sent me these lovely letters telling me what a favor they did for me by just closing those pesky accounts that must have just been bugging me since I wasn't using them. Then the one card I do have a balance on tried to double my interest rate and when I refused they opted me out and once my account period is up they will close the account and I will have to pay off the entire balance.

I'm 38 and I have a decent credit rating. At the end of this year I won't have a single credit card to my name. This time last year I had five. It's pretty crazy.