Please JOIN: FINAL Rose Parade Action Preparation Meeting (Updated 2)

[Fire Walk With Me]

Last edited Sat Jan 5, 2013, 01:51 AM - Edit history (5)

This event will be streamed by:

Patti Beers
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/pmbeers

&

Carlos Perez
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/cperez777

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OccupyFightsForeclos ‏@OFF_LA

Please JOIN: FINAL Rose Parade Action Preparation Meeting on 12/30/2012 2PM at Denny's 530 Ramirez St, LA, CA 90012 http://www.occupyfightsforeclosures.org/?recruiter_id=1201 …

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Note that last year with Occupy the Rose Parade, all networks switched off their coverage before Occupy began to march. Also, that Wells Fargo were the sponsor of the parade that year...them and their foreclosure fraud and massive investment in private, for-profit prison companies.

And of course, now with the news that

Big Banks and FBI worked together vs Occupy

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022095056

understanding is perfect. Love me some Occupy Fights Foreclosures!

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
MEDIA RELEASE
2013: Occupy our homes
it’s not all roses for the banksters' VICTIMS

WHO: Occupy Fights Foreclosures Activists, Southern California Homeowners
WHEN: Tuesday, January 1st, 2013
WHERE: 2013 Rose Parade, Pasadena, CA., Occupiers and Participants will be meeting at Singer Park 250 West California Blvd. Pasadena, CA. starting at 6am
WHY: To shed light on the continuing abuses by major banks who fraudulently foreclose on thousands of homes, breaking up families and destroying the economy.
WHAT: Occupy Fights Foreclosures will be presenting an unofficial float: “Occupy Our Homes, It’s Not All Roses For the Banksters Victims.” Homeowners will march the parade route with large banners, umbrellas, Fraudclosure Wagon (float) and 10' Monopoli Banker
Contact: Carlos Marroquin [phone]

“Occupy FIGHTS FORECLOSURES” marches in the 2013 rose parade to send a loud message to the big banks who bankroll this parade

LOS ANGELES –December 31, 2012 -- Wells Fargo and many other big banks sponsoring the Rose Parade are guilty of grossly inflating the value of homes, originating fraudulent loans, illegally foreclosing on homes, and falsifying IRS tax forms. Bank of America and Wells Fargo are among the largest Mortgage Lenders in the country and thousands, if not tens of thousands, have fallen victim to its mortgage practices and those of other banks who, in sponsoring this parade, hope to come out “smelling like a rose.”

"We at Occupy Fights Foreclosures have chosen to take a stand against the illegal practices of these lenders -- instead we stand with homeowners fighting to keep their homes. It has been estimated that approximately 4 million foreclosures are slated for 2013.
As we step into a new year, we also welcome the new Homeowner’s Bill of Rights-a new tool in helping homeowners fight back against the fraud. Occupy Fights Foreclosures was on hand to help in getting that bill to pass, and we will be on hand to help with the implementation to help the thousands of families who have been left alone without representation in this foreclosure fiasco.

“Occupy Fights Foreclosures” will be there among all the floats sponsored by the Banking Communities outlining themselves as an indispensible part of the community. Their unofficial float in the Rose Parade will serve as a reminder to the thousands of homeowners who are holding on to their homes that they are not alone, and it will serve as a reminder to the banks of the thousands of homeless families that they have removed from their homes leaving them displaced. They’re fed up with these banks stealing the American Dream.

Occupy Fights Foreclosures, is dedicated to end the bank abuse against homeowners, the families, and the communities in which they live. "I have worked closely with dozens of home owners. I have seen widespread abuse by financial institutions that continue their financial terrorism against working families," says Carlos Marroquin, "Unless we resist, abuses will continue."

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Occupy Fights Foreclosures denounces the OCC’s handling of Independent Foreclosure Review Program

OCCUPY FIGHTS FORECLOSURES DEMANDS THE OCC EXTEND ITS APPLICATION DEADLINE FOR INDEPENDENT FORECLOSURE REVIEW

LOS ANGELES - December 30, 2012 —The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has failed those who have been financially devastated due to wrongful foreclosures by mortgage lenders and servicers.

The Independent Foreclosure Review process announced in April, 2011 grew out of an OCC enforcement action against the abusive mortgage lending and foreclosure practices of the 14 largest banks and servicers. In order to be considered for financial compensation following the loss of their home, applicants were to complete a report with details about how the bank handled their foreclosure process.

With the December 31st deadline looming, Occupy Fights Foreclosures argues the OCC did not properly notify the public and advertise the program. Many homeowners had no idea that the review process was available to them even though these homeowners were desperately working with government agencies, law firms, and community advocacy groups to recover some of their losses. Why hadn’t the OCC properly publicized the program to reach people who had lost their homes?

The review process is also inherently discriminatory. The applicant must print out the form from an internet website, which makes access to the review impossible for those who lack the resources for computer access.

Given the OCC’s mishandling of the Independent Foreclosure Review program, Occupy Fights Foreclosures requests that the application deadline be extended and that the OCC address the other problems of access explained above.

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"There will be an increased law enforcement presence, including federal agents..."

Mike Millard ‏@RobinHood1776

RT @latimes Occupy float to follow Rose Parade
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-occupy-rose-parade-20130101,0,7679289.story … @buell003 #Occupy #RoseParade #liberty #HumanRights #news
Retweeted by Michael Buell

The Occupy movement will be making a repeat appearance at the 2013 Tournament of Roses Parade, organizers and police said Monday.

A 15-foot-high float, with "Mr. Monopoly" riding a red wagon, will wheel its way down the 5.5-mile route at the conclusion of the parade, organizers said. The board game character, intended to represent bankers, will have strings attached to participants who are on the verge of losing their homes or have lost their homes to foreclosure.

"It symbolizes the grip the banks have on individual homeowners," said Carlos Marroquin, an organizer with Occupy Fights Foreclosures. "We're protesting the foreclosure practices that continue to hurt millions of families."

[Scuba]

1. As a fan of (unranked) Wisconsin, feel free to disrupt the game this year too.

[JDPriestly]

5. Occupy did not "disrupt the game" last year.

There was a calm march at the end of the Rose Bowl parade followed by some talks and music. Then everyone calmly dispersed.

The police seemed nervous. Everyone else held signs reminding the crowds that all is not well in corporate America -- and then everyone went home.

Good time was had by all.

No problem. The officers who stood at the ready just in case were smiling and friendly just like everyone else.

You must have missed it because if you had been there, I wouldn't need to respond to your comment and set the record straight.

At least in LA, the Occupy movement has been utterly and absolutely non-violent and respectful. A lot of frustrated middle-class people are supporting Occupy in their hearts if not with their bodies.

The excesses of the corporate and banking cartels are hurting a lot of people. It isn't right. And that is what Occupy is protesting. I would venture to guess that, if they knew the facts and understood Occupy, most people would support the movement -- even football fans.

[Scuba]

9. Sorry, I did not mean to imply the game was disrupted last year. Poor word choice on my part.

I'm aware that the Occupy folks were at the end of the parade and very respectful.

As Wisconsin stands to get whipped (again) I was trying to inject a little humor. Fail on my part.

[Lady Freedom Returns]

2. Sounds like there something interesting brewing.

Should I watch the TV closely on Jan. 1?

[pinboy3niner]

3. Probably not something disruptive, more like last year

Last year, Occupy L.A. did 'Occupy the Rose Parade.' It was a protest march that was intended not to be disruptive--it followed the march after the completion of the Rose Parade, and was followed by a protest rally at Pasadena City Hall.

DUer U4ikLefty marched in the protest, and I joined him afterward at City Hall. I posted the photos in one of the early Occupy Group threads, I think.

Usually I get invites to these events, but nothing on this so far. If I hear more I'll post an OP here and PM you.

[Lady Freedom Returns]

4. Yes, I remember hearing something about that.

A lot were try to make sound like Occupy was trying to mess up the parade. They were quit disappointed that it was peaceful. Those that wanted something bad are the ones that love to bad mouth the movement.

And please let me know. I do love to point out this stuff to those that bad mouth and say the movement is dead.

[JDPriestly]

6. From my experiences visiting a couple of Occupy sites, the groups are cooperative and peaceful.

I think they did a lot of good for the country over all.

They were not nearly as discourteous or disruptive as the Teabaggers, not nearly.

They were not even as angry as the Teabaggers that yelled at Congressmembers in 2010.

The only reason that people have negative feelings about Occupy is that it became a very large movement, perhaps larger than its originators thought likely (I don't know), and it was not controlled or "sponsored" by any corporations.

In our naively fascist country, that is incomprehensible and confusing.

I say "naively" fascist because fascism exists when corporations and government are virtually the same. That is the situation in the US today. No matter which party is in power, the money that put it in power is derived primarily from corporations indirectly or directly.

It is almost impossible to put enough money together to run a campaign unless you sell yourself to some special interest group -- or maybe several special interest groups, say, oil, in Texas. You can call them "constituencies" if you like, but they control the legislator not the other way round.

What is naive about our fascism is that we all think it means well and some of the corporations really do mean well. They sponsor charitable and community efforts that benefit schools, hospitals, parks, etc.

The problem is that these corporations dominate the news media, all of our information sources and our lives. Even public radio and TV, with few exceptions, could broadcast without corporate sponsorships. And with those sponsorships come if not restrictions certain preferences regarding programming.

And so we eat corporate cereal in the morning, watch or listen to to the corporate news, read the corporate news, even attend corporate-sponsored schools and churches and think corporate night and day. It's not criminal, but we don't have any means to break away from the corporate, profit-chasing mentality. We can't distance ourselves enough from the corporate propaganda to make up our own, individual minds about much of anything. We are raised to memorize and repeat the corporate slogans. We can't find that quiet place inside ourselves that is the product of our own, individual minds and hearts.

This naive fascism really shows in our lives and especially showed in the last economic crisis. People have actually been persuaded that the problem with our economy was the irresponsibility of little guys who took out loans they could not repay.

No. It is the responsibility of the corporate bankers to supervise lending so that their investors' money is protected and only those who can repay loans are given credit. Ordinary borrowers do not have the mathematical ability or the information to judge whether, for example, housing prices are more likely to rise or fall. The bankers are supposed to have that. They are supposed to have the expertise to scrutinize loan applications for signs that the borrower may default.

So that is why I support the Occupy movement in my quiet way. They were a voice of reason amid the corporate folly. A relatively small and quite voice compared to the cacophony of the corporate news media. And I am not saying that the people in the corporate world are bad. I am saying that it is good for us to keep things in balance. We need to be able to hear ourselves think and not just hear the corporate whisper all of our lives.

Occupy was telling us to think for ourselves. I am so grateful for that. It isn't a matter of judging this or that as evil although corporations can be evil as can be the whispers of the individual who does not consult his or her own conscience.

[Lady Freedom Returns]

12. That is why I love the movement.

Peaceful and organized. The 1% can't stand it.

[pinboy3niner]

7. I'll alert you if I hear something

I've met a half dozen fellow and sister DUers in Occupy L.A actions, and I'd love to add you to the list.

I hope things are going well for you now. Are you still in the L.A. area? If you are, there's a good chance that we'll meet up in one of the L.A. actions. I'm up in Lancaster, but I travel "down below" (as they say up here) for Occupy events.

Somehow our "dead" movement just keeps on keepin' on...

[Lady Freedom Returns]

10. Tucson AZ

I like to keep up with as much as I can from around the country.

[pinboy3niner]

8. Latest update:

Please join Occupy Fights Foreclosures as we unveil our Rose Parade float to the world. This entry will dramatize the plight of hundreds of thousands of families who are being forced out of their homes by rapacious transnational banks.

We need volunteers to join with us in Pasadena to help out with this effort.

More details to be announced

http://www.occupyfightsforeclosures.org/

[Lady Freedom Returns]

11. A float in the parade?

I love it! Great Idea!

[pinboy3niner]

13. Kick

[Lady Freedom Returns]

14. Reading some of the replies to Big Banks and FBI worked together vs Occupy

makes me wonder about people.
They really can't see what is happening in their own back yards. They seem willing to believe what the status que feeds them.

[Fire Walk With Me]

15. That, and some who can understand it are understandably in fear.

The police state is here. People don't know what to do or where to do it. Voting didn't stop the problems. This is why grass-roots activism is important; people need to know others share their concerns, and that it's possible to gather to discuss them and also to find appropriate targets and to march upon them.

All of those things are pretty new to me and I had to show up and become a part of things. We're not taught how to do it so it's vital to spread that it's possible and it's happening everywhere. Otherwise, TPTB win.

[Fire Walk With Me]

16. Added LATimes article with an interesting quote to end of OP.