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Friday, December 2, 2011

Occupy / Olympia Occupiers Take Capitol Rotunda!

Posted by Goldy on Fri, Dec 2, 2011 at 4:50 PM

Bold protesters defiantly set up a tent inside Capitol rotunda.

Goldy | The Stranger
Defiant protesters boldly set up a tent inside Capitol rotunda.

It was "Family Friendly Friday" in Olympia today, with the Children's Alliance holding their "Have a Heart for Kids Day" rally on the Capitol steps. Several hundred parents, kids, and children's advocates showed up to make their case for preserving funding for children's services. Five legislators (out of 147) also showed their faces in support, including Rep. Ruth Kagi (D-32), who spoke briefly to the crowd.

Parents, kids, and children advocates rally on Capitol steps.

Goldy | The Stranger
Parents, kids, and children advocates rally on Capitol steps.

Of course, we all know about the billions dollars of cuts already made to both K-12 and higher education, and that hurts all our kids, throughout the state. But as the legislature looks to slice an additional $2 billion from an already butchered budget, some of our youngest and most vulnerable Washingtonians are in line to shoulder a disproportionate share of the cuts. After the rally, the Children's Alliance brought supporters of all ages into the Capitol to lobby legislators to preserve crucial programs like Apple Health for Kids, state food assistance, and child care assistance for thousands of working families. To pay for these programs the Children's Alliance is also advocating for new revenue.

Legislators who oppose new revenue for any reason (i.e., Republicans), will tell you that the state simply cannot afford such services anymore in an era of perpetually lower state revenues... you know, what the Seattle Times editorial board likes to call "a new economic normal." But without these programs, the Children's Alliance argues, nearly 15,000 kids would go hungry, thousands would lose access to affordable health care, and many working parents would be forced to quit their jobs for want of affordable childcare.

After the rally, children gathered to sign a proclamation demanding that lawmakers do their job to protect them. "When grownups do their jobs for kids," explained one of the children, "everyone is better off." Watch:

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Comments (23) RSS

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This is Children's Alliance, not Occupy. In news of actual Occupy activites, King 5 is reporting that the Thurston County judge ruled Seattle Central can kick out the campers if they want. Right to protest, hell yes, said the judge; right to camp, hell no.
http://www.king5.com/news/cities/seattle…

Posted by gloomy gus on December 2, 2011 at 5:07 PM

FYI- your dreadlocks are not helping the cause.

Posted by killjoy on December 2, 2011 at 5:11 PM

@1: Both humorless and gloomy.

Posted by Goldy on December 2, 2011 at 5:23 PM

So, in other words, they can protest, they just can't sleep.

Sounds like Cain's paradise - yes, massa, we won's sleep while's we's workin' dem fields!

Posted by Will in Seattle

on December 2, 2011 at 5:24 PM

White dreadlocks = total failure of message. White people with dreadlocks shouldn't be allowed in public buildings.

Posted by Fnarf

on December 2, 2011 at 5:25 PM

Isn't the rotunda open to the public until 5:30 p.m.? Is this slog post a premonition or meant to be read as a pipe dream?

Posted by riot gorl on December 2, 2011 at 5:29 PM

Dora the Explorer is a member of the 99%.

Posted by Ian Awesome

on December 2, 2011 at 5:33 PM

@7

are you kidding me? dora makes millions off of merchandising every year.

"The show and its licensed goods—paper plates, wallets, miniature moonbounces—have brought in an estimated $1 billion since Dora premiered in August of 2000."

she's totally part of the 1%.

Posted by zeebleoop on December 2, 2011 at 5:50 PM

@3, yeah, sorry, but I thought it good to make sure you weren't trying to give Occupy credit for the hard work Children's Alliance does in Olympia, not just in rallies like today's, but year in and year out.

Posted by gloomy gus on December 2, 2011 at 6:00 PM

If those children were serious about their futures they'd be working: paper routes, foundry work, janitorial services. The days in America of a free ride is over. Isn't there a tunnel to dig?
Obviously the poorest made very bad prenatal choices about who to be born to, and most continue to remain with them, despite their failings.

Posted by bedipped on December 2, 2011 at 6:25 PM

Shit, fnarf, you're agreeing with the troll.

Please submit a list of Protest-Appropriate Hairstyles so we don't have this little faux pas in future. TY

face palm

Posted by merry on December 2, 2011 at 6:42 PM

That's not a tent, it's an advertisement for the product of a media corporation.

Posted by seandr on December 2, 2011 at 9:48 PM

Thank you Gus for calling attention that only PART of what is mentioned in this article is Occupy related. And those mothers were pretty darn peaceful. The Children's Alliance works hard day in and day out to protect children and families. They don't deserve to be clumped in with defiant protesters.

Posted by McClearyMama on December 2, 2011 at 11:34 PM

14 Comment Pulled (Spam) Comment Policy

I always thought that having a sense of humor was a sign of intelligence. People with senses of humor understand that the juxtaposition of incongruous, but superficially similar elements can be funny. You know like a little kid's tent in the capitol right after demonstrations in the capitol featuring occupy movements protesting the disgusting elements of capitalism.

So it is your choice
A. Humor
B. Concreteness

Choosing B is bad. Choosing A is ahahahaha.

And 13, sometimes it takes being defiant to get the point across. Obviously being compliant automatons have helped no one, including children.

Posted by lauramae on December 3, 2011 at 8:46 AM

Ok, per Fnarf and the troll, The only acceptable hairdos for protesting are a crewcut (for men) and a bouffant or flip (for ladies)

Both genders need to have eyewear, whether it's needed or not, because it makes people look smarter.

Skirts and dresses for the ladies, please. Men, dark business suits with white shirts. And no gay neckwear and no facial hair.

Leave the piercings at home, except for the ladies, and then only one per ear, no bigger than a nickel in circumference.

Posted by Catalina Vel-DuRay

on December 3, 2011 at 8:50 AM

Thanks for covering kids and family issues Slog! I work at Children's Alliance and I am proud of the parents and kids who came to the Capitol yesterday to speak up for what their kids and communities need. I'm also proud that we were there at at time when so many people, through the Occupy movement and others are laying claim to democracy, and demanding a government that meets the needs of the 99%. - Siobhan Ring, Mobilization Director, Children's Alliance.

Posted by SiobhanRing on December 3, 2011 at 9:21 AM

We all know the rich kids at Slog won't support an asset tax so why bother.

Posted by Supreme Ruler Of The Universe

on December 3, 2011 at 12:27 PM

"Siobhan Ring?"

Posted by John Smith on December 3, 2011 at 1:37 PM

As I look through the writings in here I am saddened by what I see, although I also see that some of you are for our children. To those of you that think you have all the answers, like kids should have a job, and living with a poor family, I pray for you. For the rest of us that work hard to protect our children and fight for the lower income society,HATS OFF....We are the few, but we are the best....And I want to thank all the people that were and are, involved with childrens alliance.

Posted by stryker on December 3, 2011 at 6:02 PM

#20

It's kind of crummy that Democrats are willing to use children as props so they can feast on more tax dollars stolen from the real poor and middle class who already pay an egregiously high sales tax.

Meanwhile, if a republican such as myself offers a reasonable asset tax solution, it gets mocked. Why? Because the people running things don't give a shit about "children", they only want to keep their party going...day after day...

Posted by Supreme Ruler Of The Universe

on December 3, 2011 at 6:42 PM

Ok, wait, someone finally got it:

McDermott tries again to rewrite estate tax

McDermott's bill is backed by Bill Gates Sr. and other advocates for taxing the rich. Still, it faces almost no chance of passing the Republican-controlled House.

You want to fight for something?

Fight for this!

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/lo…

Posted by Supreme Ruler Of The Universe

on December 3, 2011 at 7:19 PM

#21
We are not using children as props.....We are trying to cut our senate to NOT cut the education programs....has nothing to do with taxes..we all agree on more taxes for the rich, however, taxes are not the answer to the problem....we, as a nation need to get people back to work with jobs that support there families, and then, and only then, is the economy going to straighten out....
Revenue is the only answer...not cuts, and not more taxes to middle and lower income people.

Posted by stryker on December 4, 2011 at 8:44 AM