No, not the stupid teabagger protests, where people who never cared about George Bush spending like a drunken sailor are suddenly “fiscally responsible,” and want to hold hands and blame black people for taking out subprime loans.

That’s the best single-sentence description of the teabagging movement I’ve read.

Nancy Skinner will be joining the boycott and closing two Chase accounts of her own.

will do. i just got amn e-mail from terry mccauliffe. ahven’t been anywhere near VA since college.

Jane ,
I’ll join you if you join me targeting your local defense contractor on April’s fools day 4/ 15, when our tax payments are converted into other people’s death.
We’ve got the mother lode of bloodsuckers here in a Lockheed/Martin facility. And they all drive those fancy cars to and from work with no blood splatters or body parts to be seen. Nice work if you can stomach it.

Jesus Sunday coming up, he got really pissed at the money changers and whooped their ass’. I’m sure the republicans can point out some other Jesus stories where he beat the sick, dispossessed or some other group the republicans have no trouble beating down? A Man ahead of his time.

To the streets.

Only 80 people at Chris Dodd’s office? It would help if we had more. Maybe we should all bring catfood cans.

I’m in. Wow, I’m number 46 attending the protest in little Gainesville.

Sorry, don’t have a Chase account. What about Citibank? I’m thinking of canceling my credit card with them.

I can’t tell you how much I *loathe* my Citibank.

on March 31 there were 112 signed up for San Diego. Too bad it will be at the Embarcadero. *G* I’ll take pics.

The Citibank bastards are no different than the Chase bastards.

You can tell me, I’m a Doctor ! – Dr. Rumack

For those of you who haven’t spent much time in Washington since your junior high school trip, or had too many meetings or kids to attend to, Lafayette Park is across the street from the White House, between Pennsylvania Avenue and H Street at 16th Street. An excellent venue for public assembly. Bring sun block and your smile, because you’ll be on candid camera, lots of ‘em.

Ha!

—-
As an aside. Maybe some people from lower Mass can help us fill out the ranks. I am very sick of protests in CT consisting of two people, a beer can and someone’s cut pet terrior. Citizens of steady Habits, get yer butts out!

Good post and project. I signed up in Marcy’s diary on Daily Kos.

I just want to tell you how much I enjoy your blog, Jane. An excellent alternative to the traditional blog at Daily Kos.

EW, Jane, Mike and Progress MI,

Thank you. Well done effort to mobilize. Looking forward to it.

Did you read the link here? They make the argument, although indirectly, that it would be in their best interest to restructure for Chrysler.

This must be a good thing. How do i know? Malkin doesn’t approve.
“Left wants in on Tea Party action.”
http://michellemalkin.com/2009…..ty-action/

I’ve been in discussions with activists here in St Pete and can generate zero interest in joining the demonstrations. Royally pissed off would be an understatement.

Namaste SD !

Contact the Colleges/Universities nearby and see what their plans are.

Namaste, Petro

They’ve got nothing planned. There were almost 300 USF students at Amy’s talk Monday night at the Marshall Center on the main campus but they don’t seem to be politically active. Blows my mind.

YES! Glad you’re taking the lead (again). Will be in SF.

I fully support this protest. I don’t have a Chase card, but as a small business person who is at the mercy of banks and credit card companies (fees, fees, fees!), I’d love to see pressure put on these behemoths to change their business models. I’m even more disgusted with the financial industry having read 2/3 of Frank Partnoy’s “F.I.A.S.C.O. – Blood in the Water on Wall Street.” Written in the mid-1990s about the emerging derivatives industry and just re-released in paperback, it paints a disgusting picture of a culture of self-interested, bonus-chasing, sociopathic-leaning a**hole traders and salesmen who would do anything for money – including casually undermining our entire financial system to reap personal financial gain. These institutions, now even more incestuous than they were in the ’90s (thanks, Wendy, Phil, Larry, and yes, you too, Tim) do not deserve our financial support or our protection. They deserve the bright light of authentic investigation – and prosecution of anyone who has broken the law.

Glad you mentioned Partnoy and F.I.A.S.C.O. – thanks!

I suggested he would make a great book salon guest last week.

If you don’t mind me asking, at your business what percentage of the purchase price gets siphoned off by the credit card people at the time of purchase? Here in St Pete the average is 3 – 3.5%. Do you offer a discount for folks who pay cash or by check/debit card?

We need to convince Congress and the Obama Administration to stop bailing out these criminal organizations (”banks”) and start over with some nice federally-funded not-for-profit banks and credit unions.

Ever so slightly O/T: Let me get this straight: The mighty imperial USofA can criminally and illegally occupy two whole countries in the Middle East for years and years and yet a US-flagged cargo ship can’t stop a Somali speedboat with four prates from taking over their vessel on the high seas? What is wrong with this picture? Can’t US-flagged cargo ships carry a few weapons onboard and just simply blow-up approaching pirate vessels in the open seas? What, are we suddenly concerned about the “rules of the seas?” So much so, that we are just open to any local pirates and criminals anywhere anytime? Get the USofA out of Afghanistan and Iraq now. Arm cargo vessels against pirate attacks now.

This just pisses me off…

NEW YORK – ‘The Fox network is making a reality show out of the troubled economy. An upcoming series titled, “Someone’s Gotta Go,” lets employees of a small business decide which one of their colleagues will be laid off.

Fox says it has no air date yet for the series, which is being developed by the company behind “Big Brother” and “Deal or No Deal.” Each week, a different company lays off an employee.’

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/200…..ayoff_show

So, realistically speaking, do you think that any protest involving banks has any practical chance of accomplishing anything? Really? The people who protest or even boycott a bank might feel good but will it make the bank change?
I say no. Congress, both dem and rethug are owned by the corporations thru the system of legal bribery-also known as “campaign contributions”-that congress set up. So congress will do nothing because we the people, the voters, are mostly ignored by said congresspersons until they need our vote. And because the vast majority of people-sheeple- in this country have the attention span of fleas, they will not remember any of this when voting comes up in 2010. The rethugs are being hysterical and the MSM, as usual, gives them all the press they want.
Want to bet that you get less MSM coverage than the “tea baggers” did?
The MSM cares less and less about fulfilling their role as the constitution states than they are in filling their pockets and shouting lies, which the MSM reprints without checking. You are fighting a losing battle. I wish you luck, but doubt that you will even get 30 sec on the evening news. We don’t need the govt to censor the MSM, they do it themselves and have for many years.

I’m going to try to make it to the Detroit protest — 121 people signed up when I last checked it.

And they, power brokers, all count on this kind of thinking. The, “Do you really think you’ll make a difference? I don’t think you will,” kind of thinking.

So, you stay home and do nothing. That’s fine with those of us who will take up a voice.

If “No,” was your answer in the first place, why did you even care to post a comment?

Obama Receives Hostile Reception from Troops in Iraq
BT’s up

So, realistically speaking, do you think that any protest involving banks has any practical chance of accomplishing anything? Really? The people who protest or even boycott a bank might feel good but will it make the bank change?

I don’t think anyone has stated that protests or boycotts of the banks will force them to change. Protests and boycotts are organized primarily to make others aware of a particular issue. There have been times when companies have changed their behaviour, e.g., CIW boycotts of fast food chains to get a penny a pound more for tomatoes. Many of the protests this weekend and next will get media attention, particularly locally. I don’t know of any activist who has been in the streets as long as I have who believes protests/boycotts in of themselves will result in change. Those protests/boycotts are, however, a step in the community forcing change in the long term. Protests/boycotts may not get a lot of media attention but you can be sure the objects of those protests/boycotts are well aware of them.

It averages 3%, although they always hook merchants with a promise of 1.5% going in. The CC processing companies have a way of classifying transactions based on “risk” and they generally up the percentage on anything that isn’t a direct swipe. Since I do a lot of business over the phone I really get dinged.

Thank you. With so much business done over the phone and intertoobz the CC companies have merchants by the short hairs. Gotta be a way…

Back to the cesspool.

Namaste

With regard to congress being bought and paid for, I agree. However, I read last night in The Nation that Dick Durbin is introducing legislation to reform campaign funding, which I think is desperately needed. One of the reasons our congress critters are beholden to the lobbying of corporate America is that they need the money to win re-election. I don’t see how we can possibly reform our multiple broken systems, from the financial industry to the health insurance dilemma, without putting power back in the hands of voters. I’m sure this legislation has flaws, but I want to learn more about it. Here’s a link to some information: http://www.fairelectionsnow.or…..ick-durbin

Here’s how I see the problem. The demonstrations aren’t large enough and they are not all over the place. I’d go to a demonstration in Bridgeport, CT., but Hartford’s too long a drive. I need a convenient protest.

OK so you say why don’t I organize a protest in Bridgeport, CT? My answer is it wouldn’t be large enough. Even if I got some friends, which I doubt as they are not into demonstrating, it wouldn’t be large. We need an internet presence in Bridgeport and in communities all over. How about a web site devoted to local public expenditures, i.e. put Bridgeport’s check book on line and Fairfield’s too for that matter. Then some of the technology used here at FDL could be used to organize local demonstrations etc. Linking the sites is another, much larger problem. For now is there anyone here who knows how to create a decent web site with room for everything (checkbooks, chat, voting) including organizing demonstrations? If so drop me a line at ekunin AT optonline DOT net

I expect the fees to go even higher. With increasing credit card default levels and decreasing credit card use (down 9% in February), these companies are going to stick it to merchants even more. I don’t mind paying for a service, but I resent having to carry the losses of Visa, MC, and AmEx just because they got greedy and planned badly.
I suppose it could be worse. At least it’s not as expensive as my employee health insurance premium, set to go up 26% on June 1. That is a very big bite.

LooHoo, it’s now over 188 in San Diego,CA; see you there(if I can figure out who you are *G*).

Thanks Jane for joining in the effort; and YES, everyone else, move your money out of the ‘too big to fail’ banks and put it into credit unions who are NOT exposed to the FDIC’s take of ‘we have the money because we say we have the money’ in regards to supporting Summer’s/Geithner’s PPIP.

VERY cool! I’m visiting D.C. Friday and Saturday!

You’ll know me by Louisiana drawl and the “Obama Rama” air freshner I scored last year in Olympia, Wash.

Let’s have a big turnout, folks!

There are problems with the White Rose stream for Nancy’s show. Try http://www.ktlk.com. That one’s working fine.

Damn! I’m busy then, Jane. But I hope to join you for the next one.