Occupy Jackson Hole addresses the Teton County Democrats

Small business owner, veteran and Occupy Jackson Hole activist Pete Muldoon gave a speech recently to the Teton County Democrats. It eloquently sums up the motives and beliefs of many of us in the Occupy movement. I was tempted to print the entire speech or provide excerpts, but it's best to read it all in context on the Occupy Jackson Hole blog.

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A few photos from the filming of Democratic Party video at Cheyenne's Atlas Theatre

The band warms up the audience (and vice versa) for the 3/11 filming of a Democratic Party video filmed at the Historic Atlas Theatre in downtown Cheyenne. The video, filmed and produced by filmmaker Alan O'Hashi, will be out later this month. Stay tuned... Photos by Marguerite Herman.

Obama for America hosts training session Feb. 22 at Laramie County Library in Cheyenne

Invitation from Bob Vernon-Kubichek, Wyoming State Director of Obama for America:

I wanted to cue you all in about a training event we will be holding Wednesday, February 22. It will start at 6:15 p.m. at the Laramie County Library in the Cottonwood room. The event is going to be an introductory training on building a strong neighborhood team in Cheyenne, and how to use some of the new campaign tools to support your work reaching out to new supporters. We had a very successful house meeting last Wednesday that Lori Brand was kind enough to host. It was a fantastic event and everyone who attended brought some serious passion and enthusiasm to the meeting.

If you are interested in helping get out of word for this event by making some phone calls, let me know and I will set you up an account and get you into the system. Its pretty straightforward and I will be happy to walk anyone through the process who needs help.

Thank you so much for everything each of you has done to help build a stronger progressive movement in Wyoming. It’s a slow uphill fight, and I know how discouraging it can be some days. But there are people counting on us to protect their pensions, support their access to healthcare that isn’t limited to the rich, and continue to rebuild the economy.  This election is going to be close. I do not enjoy that reality, but it is the simple truth. We cannot afford to sit on the sidelines as the Republicans mount their assault on the poor, the weak and the marginalized in this county.

So I ask you to join me in this fight against what I believe is worse than a fundamentally flawed ideology. It is a set of ideas that represents the very worst of human nature. This election, let us send a clear message to all Republicans that the American people will not accept their “values”.

We are on the right side of history.

Thanks everyone, and I hope to see you at our event.

Here is the event link, RSVP if you are interested in joining: https://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/training/gppwc5

Planet Jackson Hole: "Wyoming picker causes raucous caucus" in Iowa

Ten Sleep musician Jalan Crossland busted by police during protests against Republican candidates during Iowa caucus. Go to Wyoming picker causes raucous caucus. I reported this first on Dec. 31. Go to http://hummingbirdminds.blogspot.com/2011/12/who-is-mystery-man-from-ten-sleep.html

Who is the mystery man from Ten Sleep arrested at Occupy the (Iowa) Caucuses?

Rachel Maddow muses in this MSNBC clip about the Occupy the (Iowa) Caucuses protester arrested at Mitt Romney HQ and whose hometown is listed as Ten Sleep, Wyoming. Since musicians were featured at the occupation, and one of them looked suspiciously like Jalan "This Banjo Kills Facists" Crossland of Ten Sleep, we think that this mystery man is indeed the man who gave us "Don't Taze Me, Bro'" What say you, dear readers?

First Occupy Cheyenne GA of the new year Jan. 5 at Paramount Cafe

We got the nod from Leah Z that we can hold the next Occupy Cheyenne General Assembly at the Paramount Cafe, 1607 Capitol Ave., on Thursday, Jan. 5, 5:30-7 p.m. Bring some dough to buy an idea-enhancing coffee. Agenda items include plans for January actions, a protest at the Capitol when the Legislature convenes in February, and ideas about participating in the regional Occupy GA in Boulder, Colo., Feb. 18-19. Agenda will be up and running in a few days on the Occupy Cheyenne Facebook page for additions and subtractions. Happy New Year, Occupiers! Looking for full equality in The Equality State in 2012!

My vote for 2011's best radio show in WY -- Cognitive Dissonance on KOCA-FM every Friday night

Meg and Cameron counted down the year's top 25 songs the past two weeks on Meg Lanker-Simons' Friday night Cognitive Dissonance radio show on KOCA-FM out of Laramie. In case you live out of broadcast range (as I do), read the lists at the Cognitive Dissonance Tumblr site and go find the tunes in other places. Listen to the show every Friday night, 10 p.m.-1 a.m. at 93.5 on your radio dial if you can. Friends who live west of Cheyenne's F.E. Warren AFB and east of the summit say they can get it. Maybe I just need to get in my car every Friday night and drive Happy Jack Road until it appears on my Ford Fusion's radio. The show offers a great mix of progressive music and politics. I've even been on the show. I'm not in the groove, music-wise, but I am progressive, politics-wise. Happy New Year, Meg! Keep the talk and the music coming!

The SEIU marches for jobs for the 99%

My national union hits the streets to support the 99%. Proud to be a member  -- my local is WPEA, the Wyoming Public Employees Union. The Wyoming State Legislature will be attacking our jobs, our pay and our benefits when the session begins in February. We also will be out on the streets. Meanwhile, tell Congress that you stand with the 99% at www.seiu.org

Wyoming Rep. Cynthia Lummis: "She is the 1%! She is the 1%!"

Wyoming Republican Rep. Cynthia Lummis speaks as Rep. Eric Cantor looks on (from Rep. Lummis's Facebook page)

Depending in which year's Congressional financial disclosure you use, Wyoming Republican Rep. Cynthia Lummis is either the 25th-richest or 29th-richest member of the U.S. Congress. This, in itself, is not bad. But this status as a member in good standing of the 1% does help explain her voting patterns in support of big corporations, tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans (the 1%), cuts in federal programs for the 99%, drill-baby-drill, weakening of environmental regulations, anti-worker legislation, corporate personhood and all the rest. Read Greg Nickerson's excellent WyoFile article at http://wyofile.com/2011/12/wyoming-delegation-rep-cynthia-lummis-among-richest-members-of-congress/

New web resources for Occupy Wyoming and Occupy Cheyenne

Occupy Wall Street/Wyoming, USA, is a new "resource aggregation" blog. It's carrying some handy statewide news about the Occupy movement. Go to its post featuring links at http://occupywyoming.wordpress.com/occupy-groups/.

The fact that comments are hidden on the new site is a good thing. Right-wing trolls are beginning to pop up on the Occupy Cheyenne Facebook page and photo posts by members. Trolls are not impossible to banish but those who don't understand their insidious little games let them hitchhike on their status updates.

It's tough to keep calm in the face of stupid. But I try.

On the other hand, Occupiers can't be too defensive. One intriguing aspect of Occupy is that you never know who's going to show up for gatherings. A young guy at the open mic Saturday said he didn't agree with most of what had been said but he did agree that a dangerous alliance had developed between big money and elected government. I don't have a photo of his sign but the header was "I am" and then there were three checkboxes below that: Democrat, Republican, Pissed Off. There was a checkmark in the "Pissed Off" box. A life-long Dem, I am more likely these days to check off that same box.

I've been snarky with those who blast Occupy Cheyenne. A better strategy is to nod and smile and move on. I'll try to keep that in mind.

Note that there's also a new web site for Occupy Cheyenne. Check it out. It just got started so we're trying to keep up. Keep posted...

Beautiful day for "We are the 99%" rally in Cheyenne

Union members at Occupy Cheyenne

Railroaders, electricians, state employees, teachers, construction workers, students, artists, a contingent from Occupy Fort Collins, retirees and at least one minister gathered together for the "We are the 99%" rally today in Cheyenne. That minister, Rodger McDaniel, delivered a heartfelt speech in which he urged us all to get much more involved in the political process. He was especially tough on his fellow Baby Boomers, asking us to to get back into the public arena so we don't leave a wasteland for our children and grandchildren.

Rev. Rodger McDaniel addresses Occupy Cheyenne rally

Kim Floyd was there, representing the 18,000 AFL-CIO members in Wyoming. He was adamant that we need to work together to oust the 24 Tea Party legislators that found their way into the Wyoming State Legislature during the 2010 elections. They will be back for the 2012 session, and we need to make sure that this is their last legislative outing, said Floyd.

Occupy Cheyenne protesters with Chief Washakie statue in the background

Local artist Forrest King read the newly-minted proclamation drafted by Occupy Cheyenne over the course of painstaking GA gatherings during the past month. A number of attendees spoke truth to power, telling their own stories about their involvement in Occupy Cheyenne. Erin Madson was one of them.

Occupy Cheyenne family photo on the steps of the Wyoming State Capitol

Following the Capitol steps gathering, we walked down Capitol Ave. to the Depot Plaza. We sang songs and carried signs. Activist and physician Jason Bloomberg led the procession, bearing one of Cheyenne's biggest American flags. There were 50 of us by the time we got to the Depot Plaza (rampaging wolves claimed several of our number). We did call-and-response chants across 16th Street, urging motorists to "honk if you're the 99%." Much honking ensued. Becky Orr from the Wyoming Tribune-Eagle interviewed several of us. We have fun when we gather together. We ended the day with a walk along Central Avenue back to the State Capitol steps.

Taking it to the streets at Occupy Cheyenne

It was a beautiful day filled with beautiful people.

Keep posted. You will be hearing a lot more from Occupy Cheyenne.

Defying the odds, Occupy movements take to the streets in Red State Wyoming

Indie  journalist Arun Gupta has been traveling the country with videographer Michele Fawcett interviewing Occupy protesters and attending rallies. He interviewed eight Occupy Cheyenne members on Nov. 28. I was one of them. I’m included in the following story from Salon. Let me just pause here to say that the Occupy Cheyenne members I’ve met are a brave and dedicated bunch.  They care for the cause and they care for each other. They have spent countless hours demonstrating peacefully in freezing temps. They sing songs and carry signs, as the song says, and many say hurray for our side – the 99%. They have spent many hours drafting a declaration that you can read it here. I also salute those Occupy Laramie folks interviewed for this story. I know some of them, notably Nancy Sindelar, a military veteran who’s been on that same downtown street corner for a decade protesting needless wars.

Read the following story and think about where you’d like to be on Saturday, Dec. 10. I’ll be at the State Capitol at noon. Which side are you on? The 99%? Or the 1%?

We are the 99%!

Here’s the Wyoming segment of “Fear and Occupation in Red State America” on Salon:

Occupy Cheyenne supporters say fierce winds and bitter cold have prevented them from camping outside so we caught up with eight of them on a weekday at the sleek new Laramie County Public Library. Beth Buczynski, a rapid-talking freelance editor and writer, said the Occupy movement made her “hopeful for the first time in a long time” because now “there are millions of people … all speaking together.” 

In addition to standing on street corners protesting wealth and power inequalities, the group has twice presented a workshop called “how the 1 percent crashed the economy.” Buczynski said one advantage of the workshop is that “people can hear things and talk about things without having to take a public stand.” 

Leah Zegan, a coffee-shop manager who is active in a local Unitarian Universalist Church, said education was important because of the various responses to their demonstrations. 

“People would come up and talk to us about it but they knew nothing about it,” she said. “Or if they knew about the Occupy movement they had no idea something like this was happening in Cheyenne.” Or they were unsure if “it would be safe for them to come because of the way that Wyoming is.” 

Mike Shay, a father of two college-age children and anti-Vietnam War protester as a youth, takes the hostility in stride. “I’m a veteran of enough protests to realize you’re going to get flipped off. You’re going to get yelled at. We all know how to handle that as nonviolent protesters.” 

What did surprise Shay is “how much interest there has been,” plus the fact that the movement is “nonviolent, is thoughtful, and comes from an organic place. When Occupy Cheyenne appeared it was sort of out of the ground. I said … ‘This is great, now who are these people?’” 

About 100 people attended the first protest on Oct. 15, which everyone said “was a lot for Cheyenne.” As elsewhere, the economy is a core concern as the country’s economic crisis has arrived on many people’s doorsteps. 

Robert Crawford, an unemployed 44-year-old photographer, says healthcare is a big issue because “I’m a diabetic, my 7-year-old son has already had back surgery, and he has multiple health issues.” Erin Madson says she can’t find a job despite having a master’s in biology, and both she and her sister are disabled and unable to receive proper healthcare. Ed Waddell said while people in Cheyenne are “fed up and upset” about the suffering, the problem is “they don’t understand what’s happening. They don’t know what’s being done to them.” 

Blame that on the media, say occupiers. Zegan says, “People just don’t know what’s going on or they just hear about it from Fox News.” 

Larry Struempf grew up on his parents’ cattle ranch near Laramie, which is infamous as the site of the murder of gay college student Matthew Shepard in 1998. The 41-year-old Struempf describes his parents as “extreme GOP members.” Of his six siblings, he says, those “who went to college became liberal. The ones who didn’t remained conservative.” He says “many, many people in the community are extremely against the Occupy Movement.” The press, especially Fox News and Rush Limbaugh, portrays occupiers “as all unemployed, people who want to mooch off society, that are trying to just have the wealthy people give the poor people their money.” 

In Laramie, Struempf explains, “It’s so much easier, even if you do support [the Occupy movement], to just be quiet.” He adds, “It’s scary.  Times are hard, even though Wyoming is doing well. If you lose your job, you lose your house, you go live on the streets, and it’s not a forgiving environment.” 

A 12-year resident of Laramie, Lindy Murphy was laid off recently from the U.S. Postal Service. She says her co-workers would bad-mouth the union. 

“Nobody seemed to understand that the union was what gave them these great jobs,” she said. “They played Rush Limbaugh over the radio at the post office when we were sorting mail. When you got into the mail vehicle the radio was tuned to Rush Limbaugh. It was very much part of the culture.” 

Murphy, who owned a bar and restaurant in Texas for 18 years prior to being a mail carrier, says the post office let her go after a three-year stint as a “transitional employee” rather than make her a union member as required. 

Despite being unemployed for 10 months at the age of 56, Murphy said, “The Occupy movement is the most amazing thing that has ever happened in my lifetime and I would never believe it would happen. I have some disdain for Americans … We’re the ones who just go plunder other countries so we can have more.  And it’s like, oh, people have been paying attention!  People do know what’s going on!” She adds that she is “disappointed that more people aren’t standing up” in Laramie, but she is excited by the broader movements, including the Arab Spring. 

While Laramie’s Facebook page has just 68 members and eight occupiers joined the Christmas parade with signs encouraging people to “buy local, pay cash,” it does provide a sense of community to people who previously felt isolated. Mandi Leigh, who is earning a master’s in natural science education at the University of Wyoming, says, “It’s easier to stand up and get over your fear when you have that support and when you have community.” 

The fear is real. Nancy Sindelar, who served 21 years in the Wyoming National Guard and has been conducting a weekly peace vigil in Laramie for more than 10 years, says of the last person who tried to attack her, “I don’t want to brag, but I was still holding my flag and my sign in one hand and he was on the pavement.” A member of Veterans for Peace, Sindelar says that before the first Occupy event, held at the Laramie Peace House, she told a reporter for the Laramie Boomerang, “Absolutely do not put the address of the Peace House in the paper.” She says there have been many “vicious” comments on articles about the Occupy movement. 

The occupations in Wyoming benefit from a spillover effect from other occupations. Leigh says after participating in an Occupy Denver march of some 3,000 people, “I was really inspired, so I got involved with these guys,” in Laramie. 

Sindelar says the first Occupy event she attended with a few other people was in Casper, Wyo. “The next week it was in Cheyenne and I said, we’re Laramie, we gotta do something, so we called one here, and had it in the plaza.” 

Beth Buczynski says she happened to be in Austin, Texas, on the day the occupation began and “just completely felt that something I was waiting for was happening, so when I got back here and found an Occupy Cheyenne page I was thrilled and surprised and decided to meet these folks and do whatever I could to help out.”

Occupy Cheyenne finishes declaration and plans for Dec. 10 "We are the 99%" rally

Occupy Cheyenne finished drafting its declaration today. Much work went into it -- and lots of coffee and homemade goodies. Read it at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1liMX2YbBypA86KKV5utf6DZe9k00Xg3egmIFMz1vDNc/edit. Puts a lie to the MSM's constant whining about the Occupy Movement's fuzzy focus and lack of purpose.

Join your friends and neighbors, union members and teachers, state employees and students, for the "We are the 99%" rally on Saturday, Dec. 10, noon-3 p.m. We'll start in front of the State Capitol Building on 24th Street. We'll talk a bit, hear details about the declaration, and then walk down to the Depot Plaza for a bit of sign-waving and hot chocolate.

If you're looking for some artistic assistance with your sign, drop by the Cheyenne Unitarian Universalist Church, 3005 Thomas Ave., before the march, 10 a.m.-11:45 a.m. I'm a good word guy but inept when it comes to drawing. But some local artists will be on hand to help us transform our stories and gripes and insights into pleasing placards.

For more info about the Dec. 10 events or about Occupy Cheyenne, contact Leah Zegan, 307-631-3742, or Forrest King, 307-631-6795. Also visit Occupy Cheyenne on Facebook. Reply to the invitation at http://www.facebook.com/events/263765093672372/

"We are the 99%" rally Dec. 10 in Cheyenne

Occupy Cheyenne General Assembly Dec. 4, 2 p.m.

Occupy Cheyenne General Assembly on Sunday, Dec. 4, 2-5 p.m., at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 3005 Thomes Ave., Cheyenne. Planning for Dec. 10 "We are the 99%" rally at the State Capitol. View Map/Get Directions. 

Occupy Cheyenne activists interviewed during OWS cross-country odyssey

Occupy Wyoming!

Arun Gupta and Michelle Fawcett blew into Cheyenne today to interview some of us involved with Occupy Cheyenne.

We kidded them about the wind. Nary a breeze today but they should have been here last night or maybe last week. Those were real wide-open-spaces windy Wyoming days and nights! Wind sculpts us and we speak of it often.

A mighty wind is blowing (to borrow a movie phrase) and it's called the Occupy Movement or more specifically OWS. Arun and Michelle are traveling the U.S. talking to those involved in local Occupy entities. They were in Denver and Boulder yesterday. Albuquerque and Santa Fe before that. Later this afternoon is Laramie, and then on to the Wasatch Front and Boise. They will be on the West Coast by the weekend.

Arun is an indie media reporter based in New York City. He traces his activist roots to The Battle in Seattle, the now-famous anti-globalization protests that rocked Seattle for three days in 1999. He covers social movements for The Indypendent, an actual "physical newspaper" in NYC. It has a web site but hits the street regularly just like in olden times when we all read print. He covered the first three weeks at Occupy Wall Street and considers it "an historic event."

Michelle runs the camera and audio. She's a media professional and teaches as an adjunct prof at NYU. She organized NYC's first citywide indie media conference.

From edenpictures on Fliker via occupyusatoday.com

Eight OC people were able to get off of work and school and other obligations today to meet with Arun and Michelle. We range in age from 25 to 62 and no, I wasn't the oldest one. I only knew one of the people in the room before OC. Nobody but me professed an affiliation with the Democratic Party. An independent-minded group (Independent, too). I have no real desire to recruit for the Dems, as this alleged member of the two-party system is ineffectual in Wyoming. It wasn't always to case, but it is now.

Arun asked about our motives for being involved with OC. We each have our own particular reasons. All of us are angry at the rampant inequality caused by the unholy alliance of our political and financial systems. The fix is in, and we're none too happy about it and want to change it.

You can find out more about Occupy Cheyenne on its Facebook page.

Arun and Michelle will be posting audios, videos and written narratives in The Indypendent and on Salon, The Progressive, In These Times, and The Guardian.

Read the chronicles of their journey at occupyusatoday.com.

Join Occupy Cheyenne as it creates its declaration

http://www.facebook.com/events/220563101350368/

Occupy Cheyenne 11/21 General Assembly: Cold toes, warm hearts

Cool hand-crafted signs from Oct. 15 Occupy Cheyenne

I attended the second General Assembly for Occupy Cheyenne last night. We met outside in the parking lot of a city park. Temp hovered around freezing but thankfully the wind was not blowing. By the light of of city lamps and T's flashlight, we spoke about next steps. The next march will be held on Saturday, Dec. 10, noon-3 p.m. We'll assemble at the Wyoming State Capitol Building (we'll get a state permit!). There will be speakers and then we will follow the sidewalks down to Depot Plaza. There we will wave signs, shout catchy slogans and urge passing holiday shoppers to consider their roles in the 99%.

Those at last night's GA were of many ages and backgrounds. College students, state workers, a retired Air Force pilot, an economist, a welder, a graphic designer, an attorney, a social worker, an unemployed young person, etc. We were all out there in the cold to plan future events and to craft our message. Everyone seems to want a focused message from the Occupy Movement. At least that's what TV talking heads seem to want. Republican Presidential candidate Newt Gingrich wants us to take baths (baths? -- he must be living in one of his historical novels). Not sure what Newt's obsession with cleanliness is -- probably a metaphor for his need to cleanse his filthy soul.

To craft that message, we are meeting at noon on Saturday, Nov. 26, at the UU Church. We'll be working from the document drafted by Occupy DC. Needs to be Wyo-customized, as we have many issues within our state that need to be addressed. At the same time, we'll be customizing a Powerpoint presentation that was made during the recent teach-ins at the library and the UU Church. I joke about having a coherent message (see above). However, it is important. One of the first questions we all get is something along these lines: "What is Occupy (or the 99%) anyway?" A very good questions, and we hope to bring some clarity to that on Saturday.

More info will be forthcoming. Join is for the next Occupy Cheyenne march on Dec. 10. The Wyoming AFL/CIO has agreed to take part. We especially urge teachers to attend, as they no doubt will be under attack again in the upcoming legislature. Bring your signs. Bring your friends. I am inviting my fellow workers, whether they be part of the Wyoming Public Employees Association or not. I am inviting all of my fellow writers. Come on down! And shop locally while you're downtown.

In the meantime, go to the Occupy Cheyenne Facebook page and join in the conversation.

GA for Occupy Cheyenne Nov. 21 in Mylar Park

I can walk to this one... I'll bring a traveler of coffee to share.