Via Occupy Wall St., via Occupy Our Homes. Be sure to check out their website for more information on how you can support on-going occupations to save homes from foreclosure, including active campaigns like this one to save the home of cancer patient Jacqueline Barber in Atlanta, the Hernandez family currently being harassed by LAPD in Los Angeles, and many more!

Four years after an economic meltdown precipitated by Wall Street greed, fraud, and recklessness in the housing market, Americans continue to face an epidemic of unjust foreclosures. While homeowners and renters seek help to keep their homes, banks have rushed to foreclose and evict, and in too many communities, homes remain vacant while neighbors sleep on the street.

But homeowners, housing justice activists, homeless advocates, and occupiers have come together to fight back under the banner of the Occupy Our Homes movement. Community organizations and occupy groups came together last December to challenge the housing crisis and confront the crooks at the banks who are stealing our homes. On December 6, 2011, scores of groups around the country participated in a day of action for housing justice, launching the Occupy Our Homes movement.

Homeowners, renters, and the homeless joined forces to fight the banks and reclaim our communities. All over the country, activists declared housing a human right. We came together, occupying our homes to prevent eviction, disrupting foreclosure auctions, restoring vacant homes to community use, and protesting the banks that caused this mess in the first place.

And we showed time and again that when people fought for their homes, they could win.

But the fight is far from over. Despite dozens of victories for homeowners around the country, banks are still choosing to foreclose instead of taking payments. Banks are still refusing to negotiate with families who seek only a fair solution that keeps them in their home. Banks are still using fraudulent tactics like robo-signing to speed through illegal foreclosures—months after a weak settlement meant to stop this practice. Bank-owned houses continue to sit empty and untended, destroying property values and pushing more and more families underwater.

A year since the start of the Occupy Our Homes movement, we are recommitting to reclaiming our homes and our futures. On Thursday December 6th 2012, we call on communities to turn the spotlight on the crisis that continues to hold our neighborhoods and our economy hostage.

We will take action together:

- Eviction defenses/home occupations
- Reclaiming vacant homes for the homeless
- Establishing foreclosure and eviction-free zones
- Foreclosure auction sit-ins
- Marches on the banks

Occupy Our Homes started with a simple idea: bring the bold, creative energy of the Occupy movement into hard-hit communities and build power through victories for the 99%. We've won homes, churches, community landmarks, and stopped evictions while relieving debt and reclaiming land along the way.

On Thursday December 6th, 2012, we’ll re-invest in this movement to defend our homes, hold Wall Street accountable, and affirm the human right to housing. Join us in solidarity with homeowners, tenants and the homeless to build a just housing system—for the 99%.

If you as an individual or any Occupy group or community-based organization are interested in participating in the D6 actions, please complete this form and someone from Occupy Our Homes will be in touch.

Two of the U.S. largest banks, JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo, reported big quarterly profits on Friday—with JPMorgan Chase having a third-quarter profit of $5.7 billion, up 34 percent from last year. The economy is adding jobs, the housing market is recovering, and the federal reserve provides money for free. Which means it is a great time to be a bank. Earnings at Wells Fargo were up 22 percent for the third quarter, or $4.9 billion profit. Chase’s profits come in the aftermath of the “London whale” trading debacle.

Economic Hitmen from Hans Fleischer on Vimeo.

"We can't have Homeland Security until we realize that the whole planet is our homeland." -- John Perkins

President Barack Obama sat down to chat with David Letterman on Tuesday, and while they discussed more than just politics, it seemed that his response to the leaked Romney fundraiser video was on everyone's mind. The video had over 2 million views on Monday alone.

Taking Mitt Romney to task, Obama said that "There are not a lot of people out there who think they are victims," and that voters want to make sure that their president is "not writing off big chunks of the country."

The secretly taped video showed the Republican presidential nominee describing "47 percent of the people" as Obama supporters who depend on government and believe they are victims. Romney said it is not his job "to worry about those people," referring to what he called Obama's locked-in supporters who believe they are "entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you name it."

"My expectation is that if you want to be president, you have to work for everyone, not just for some," Obama said during Letterman's "Late Show."

Romney has since said he made his point "inelegantly" in trying to describe differing visions for the nation.

Obama said people understand that the presidential candidates will make mistakes on the campaign trail. He said that includes one he regrets from 2008, when audio from one of his own private fundraisers had him saying that some residents of depressed rural areas get bitter and "cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them."

Having said that, Obama added, "One thing I've learned as president is that you represent the entire country."

The president and Letterman also chatted about lighter topics, with Obama joking about the Florida pizza restaurant owner who lifted him off the ground in a bear hug last week. `'I think he fixed something in my back," Obama said.

The two also exchanged compliments on their appearances:

"You look good," Obama said.

"You haven't seen me naked," Letterman said.

Obama replied: "We're going to keep it that way."

The US' housing bubble burst nearly six years ago, but the worst may be yet to come. After a landmark settlement, the major banks have lifted a freeze on foreclosures and government relief has been too small to make a difference.

[Via]

Via: We Are The 99 Percent:

I’m on an internship for school. I’m not getting paid for it. I’m in a strange city. I don’t know anyone here. I have applied at almost every fast-food restaurant, retail store, gas station, and whatever else I can think of, but have heard nothing back. My bank account is almost completely empty. I’m writing this on the laptop I can’t sell because I need it for school, and while I write, I eat the last of my groceries. My car is almost out of gas. I don’t even have enough money to pay rent on the first of the month. I don’t have a lot of personal possessions that I can sell, and the ones that I can, I probably won’t get much for. I don’t have health insurance, and I dread getting sick or having an accident that leaves me in the hospital. If I give up now and go home, I won’t graduate. I’m already several thousand dollars in student loan debt, I hope to at least have something to show for it. But how long can I last at my internship when I have to choose between putting gas in my car and doing laundry? My life is a ticking time-bomb, and the last few seconds are counting down before my eyes.

I am the 99 percent. And I am out of ideas.

CBS Atlanta 46

Tocco Collins knew there were problems with the Atlanta home she rented for herself and her children, but the company that she paid her rent to, the Real Estate Connection, promised that they would take care of everything.

Via:

The single mother of 12 said she waited seven months, but nothing was repaired. Collins said shortly thereafter, disaster struck.

"My biggest nightmare came of August 2011 when my light box caught on fire. Georgia Power disconnected my service because it was too dangerous," Collins said.

Collins and her family have been using a generator for the last 10 months. She said she stopped paying rent when her supposed landlord refused to make repairs. They took Collins to court in an attempt to get her evicted and that is when she said she discovered the shocking truth.

"No one could provide the deed to the house. The people renting me the house don't own it," Collins said.

Now the "fake" landlords have disappeared, Collins has no place to live and she said the state is trying to take her children.

Occupy Atlanta is now working with the family, and the group hopes that with the public's help, they can purchase a home for them. Volunteer plumbers, electricians, and carpenters will do renovations. Occupy Atlanta already has a good deal of experience working within their community, and helping families in need. I'll keep you posted on any updates.

Spot 1 99% Get Money Out from sandrine on Vimeo.

The 99% Get Money Out campaign echoes two of the strongest messages emanating from the Occupy Movement: a vast majority of us know many things in this country need to change, and those changes can only happen once our elected leaders represent our needs. It’s time to get corporate money and interests out of politics.

The campaign features real people of all ages, professions and political ideologies who were asked to voice their concerns and discuss solutions to the nation’s most pressing issues: the economy, jobs, housing, education and preserving our constitutional rights. The campaign was developed by executive producer Mike Fleiss ("The Bachelor"), producer Anke Thommen (Outkast’s "Hey Ya") and director Sandrine Orabona (Michael Jackson’s "This Is It"). It was filmed by cinematographer Russell Carpenter ("Titanic," "Charlie's Angels") and had the support of the National Nurses Union and many other industry professionals.

I am the 99% and so are you!

Continue reading »

Minneapolis - Around 6:30am Thursday morning a large balloon banner reading "Evictions Stop Here" was deployed above the embattled home of the Cruz family as 15 supporters of the Cruz family began an occupation of the rooftop in protest of the family's unjust foreclosure. By 8:30am two were cut out of a lockbox device with an electric saw, handcuffed, taken down a ladder and arrested for trespassing. The action kicks off a national day of action in 18 cities demanding PNC Bank negotiate with the family to allow them to return to their home.

Alejandra and David Cruz went to the bank's headquarters in Pittsburgh around 1pm with over 40,000 petition signatures and their loan modification documents demanding a meeting with CEO Jim Rohr to renegotiate their mortgage.

The Cruzes' battle against an unjust foreclosure has become a focal point for the Occupy movement and garnered media attention from around the country. In the past month, 24 community supporters with Occupy Homes MN have been arrested defending the south Minneapolis home. The campaign has become a sticky political situation for local elected officials, PNC Bank, and Freddie Mac, the current owner of the property.

Although PNC has acknowledged the foreclosure was due to a bank error, executives have repeatedly said they are working "behind the scenes" to fix the situation, and Executive Vice President Dan Taylor said that he would look into the Cruzes' case, the bank has not offered a negotiation. "We feel like PNC and Freddie Mac have forgotten us," said David Cruz. "So we're going to remind them."

On their way to Pittsburgh, the Cruzes stopped in Chicago to visit Freddie Mac, the current owner of the home, at their regional office, where 40 supporters rallied with the Cruzes' battered front door. Supporters then marched to a local PNC branch where they were denied entrance by Chicago police officers and the branch refused to accept the Cruzes' loan documents.

Thursday evening in Minneapolis, community members and neighbors rallied to sending a clear message to PNC Bank that if a negotiation has not been offered, supporters will continue to return to the home even if it means risking arrest. "This home belongs to the Cruz family," said Occupy Homes MN organizer Nick Espinosa. "We won't rest until they're back in it."

Via "The We Party," as far as I can tell, this seems pretty accurate. The point of this graphic is to highlight the fact that minimum wage is not enough for a person to live on in this country, let alone a single-parent or a married couple with only one spouse working.