We endorse Occupy Wall Street movement

At their monthly meeting on October 26th, the Santa Cruz County Democratic Central Committee unanimously endorsed a resolution in support of the Occupy Wall Street movement, which has spread across the nation.

Members agreed that OWS protesters are drawing attention to the same problems that Democrats are also struggling to resolve, like income inequality, lack of jobs, skyrocketing health insurance costs, and corruption of the democratic process resulting from the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision which allows corporations to make unlimited donations to political candidates. The full text of the resolution is below:

Resolution in support of Occupy Wall Street movement

Whereas, peaceful protests are a respectable and constitutionally protected way of demonstrating opinion and mobilizing political momentum in the United States, and

Whereas, people are protesting on Wall Street and throughout the world over income inequality, which has reached levels not seen since before the Great Depression of the 1930s, and

Whereas, greed in the corporate and banking sectors has led to an unprecedented and prolonged economic recession; and despite record breaking corporate profits companies have been slow to hire new employees; and there is a lack of opportunity and jobs, especially for disadvantaged groups including young people, older workers and certain minority groups, and  

Whereas, health care costs have skyrocketed and health care insurance has become unaffordable or unattainable for many people,  

Whereas, the Supreme Court decision Citizens United v. FEC allowing corporations to contribute unlimited sums to political candidates has corrupted the democratic process, and 

Whereas, Republicans in Congress block all attempts by President Obama to try to remedy these problems, resulting in financial distress and ruin for many responsible citizens and residents,

Therefore be it resolved that the Santa Cruz County Democratic Party supports the Occupy Wall Street movement and the constructive efforts of its participants to draw attention to these problems.

October 26, 2011 