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99 Percent Declaration
Website logo
CreatedOctober 7, 2011
Locationthe-99-declaration.org
Author(s)Occupy Wall Street New York City General Assembly 99% Declaration Working Group

The 99 Percent Declaration or 99% Declaration is a document that originated from a working group of the New York City General Assembly of the Occupy Wall Street (OWS) movement in Zuccotti Park on October 15, 2011. Neither the working group nor the document is considered to be an official expression of Occupy Wall Street sentiment, and the group is believed to be one of many similar groups that have formed to work on different demands. The document calls for a new Continental Congress based on the First Continental Congress of 1774 dubbed Continental Congress 2.0" to be held beginning the week of July 4, 2012 in Philadelphia.[1][2][3] The Declaration includes demands for an immediate ban on all monetary and gift contributions to all politicians,[4] implementing a public financing system for political campaigns, and the reversal of the Citizens United case by the Supreme Court.[5][6][7]

Background

The Occupy Wall Street movement began as an advertised demonstration which posed the question "What is our one Demand?" This has led different individuals and groups to propose various demands including the 99 Percent Declaration.[8] According to Canadian analyst Chris MacDonald, the document includes provisions encouraging persons to "buy American" as part of an effort to "appease the political right."[9]

The Document

The 99% Declaration calls for a new Continental Congress to represent the 435 congressional districts, including Washington D.C., Puerto Rico and the four US territories to gather beginning on July 2, 2012 in Philadelphia, for the purpose of compiling a list of grievances and solutions.[5] According to the plan, delegates are to be selected by direct vote so that two delegates -- one man and one woman -- will represent each congressional district including DC and Puerto Rico. The election rules may be viewed at http://www.the99declaration.org/delegate_requirements.

The elected delegates will be asked to vote on a list of about 100 grievances after three days of debate and deliberation at the convention in Philadelphia. Organizers anticipate that the final number of grievances in the final petition for redress will be about ten. The 99% Declaration contains the following suggested "grievances and solutions" among many others:

Elimination of the Corporate State and an end to corporate personhood.

Overturning the “Citizens United” Case and any law equating the payment of money with constitutional protected speech.

Elimination of All Private Benefits to Public Servants and tough new anti-corruption laws.

Banking and Securities Reform with an emphasis on reinstituting the Glass-Steagall Act.

100% public financing of all federal political campaigns and sweeping election reforms.

After the three days of debate among the delegates and speeches from invited guests, a final vote will be taken to determine what grievances will be in the final petition for redress. The petition will then be signed by the delegates on July 4th before being served on the the three branches of the federal government prior to the November 2012 general election. The 99% Declaration also calls for a possible federal lawsuit to enforce the petition under the general welfare clause of the constitution and for violations of the public trust doctrine. Should the government still fail to provide redress, the delegates will run independent candidates for congress in 2014 and concurrently pressure state governments to demand an Article V constitutional convention to remedy the grievances in the petition ratified on July 4, 2012.

Relationship with Occupy Wall Street

The general assemblies of Occupy Wall Street and Occupy Philadelphia have not officially endorsed the 99% Declaration. The Occupy Philadelphia General Assembly stated that “We do not support the 99% Declaration, its group, its website, its National GA and anything else associated with it.”[10] The seven member Steering Committee of the 99% Working Group issued a press release representing Michael Pollok as one of the group's co-founders and publicizing its plans. Pollok expressed his understanding that the NY General Assembly "fears 'co-opting' by Occupy spin-off groups like ours", but also indicated his belief that "occupations and protests will not end the corporate state" and that a petition for redress of grievances is one way to bring attention to the cause of "dismantling corporate control of our country". This stance against corporate control of the political system has resulted in the corporate-owned main stream media virtually ignoring the election of the 800+ delegates to Continental Congress 2.0.

The online election of delegates will be conducted by Votenet Solutions, Inc. with more than 3,000,000 online ballots being sent out to voters on June 1, 2012 with the election results being announced on June 7, 2012. See http://news.yahoo.com/99-declaration-selects-votenet-conduct-delegate-elections-constitutional-100455476.html [11]

See also

 

Notes

References

  1. ^ Tyler Kingkade (October 18, 2011). "Occupy Wall Street Protesters Propose A National Convention, Release Potential Demands". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2012-01-23.
  2. ^ Alesh Houdek (Nov 16 2011). "Has a Harvard Professor Mapped Out the Next Step for Occupy Wall Street? Lawrence Lessig's call for state-based activism on behalf of a Constitutional Convention could provide the uprooted movement with a political project for winter". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2012-01-23. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  3. ^ Quan Nguyen (October 19, 2011). "'Occupy Philadelphia' keeps growing as move looms". Philly.com. Retrieved 2012-01-23.
  4. ^ Ed Feulner and and Billie Tucker (Ed Feulner and and Billie Tucker). "FEULNER & TUCKER: Tea Party vs. Occupy Wall Street Contrary to Obama's assertions, movements are poles apart". Washington Times. Retrieved 2012-01-23. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  5. ^ a b Walsh, J. (October 20, 2011) "Do we know what OWS wants yet?" Salon
  6. ^ Mike Dunn, (City Hall Bureau Chief) KYW Newsradio (October 19, 2011). "'Occupy' May Hold National Assembly In Philadelphia". CBS Philly. Retrieved 2012-01-23.
  7. ^ 99% Declaration site
  8. ^ Andrew G. Biggs and Jason Richwine (November 16, 2011). "Column: Public school teachers aren't underpaid". USA Today. Retrieved 2012-01-24.
  9. ^ Chris MacDonald (October 25, 2011). "Should Americans buy American?". Canada.com. Retrieved 2012-01-23.
  10. ^ LaIntelligencia "99% Declaration Receives a Vote of “No Support” from OP GA" Occupy Philly Media, 15 December 2011
  11. ^ "Former Occupiers, The 99% Working Group, Release New Details About Independence Day Convention in Philadelphia" (Press release). The 99% Working Group, Ltd. March 5, 2012. Retrieved April 20, 2012.

Further reading

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