The following is quoted from a message I just sent to the email address (99dsteeringcommittee@gmail.com) the steering committee gave in their message on Monday.
Greetings 99% Steering Committee,
I have been participating in the "proboards" forum at
99declaration.proboards.com/index.cgi and I have read the documents on Google docs that you have posted.
I understand that this is your preferred method of communicating with us, so here goes.
1. I am concerned with the voting method presented online. I have serious concerns about a voting method that would allow a few delegates that are perhaps too devoted to what IMHO is a sidebar (or even a fringe-type conspiracy theory) single-issue to group their votes on that one issue and perhaps defeat our main purpose!
2. That main purpose as I understand it is to address the economic and political injustice in America. There are some VERY single-minded delegates discussing their issue on the
www.99declaration.org site on the "A New Declaration" page and I have no doubt that this type of single-issue voting with the currently announced voting system will produce a totally skewed set of grievances and could turn our whole endeavor into an object of ridicule.
Read more:
99declaration.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=scquestions&action=display&thread=113#ixzz1yKzGjLea3. The list of 100 seems to be more a list of desired solutions than a list of grievances. Several delegates have begun to put the "grievances" from the list of 100 into a more usable form! I also started that same kind of procedure and found that the list of 100 can be grouped into a list (of ~ 20 grievances) that is much more manageable. I suggest that we try to reformulate the whole list into a template like that demonstrated below David in DC. Perhaps the delegates could all work on our favorites? Then either put them all together and send to the SC by email or send our own individually in that form...BUT it must be submitted to 99dsteeringcommittee@gmail.com before 72 hours is up from the date of their announcement on Monday, June 18.
The following was Posted by David in DC:
Whereas, the United States of America has fallen victim to corruption, inequality and the malign influence of too few people with too much wealth bending the institutions of government to their twisted will, and
Whereas, the United States Constitution guarantees citizens to peaceably assemble to petition their government for the redress of grievances, and
Whereas, concerned citizens from across America have met, in congress assembled as Continental Congress 2.0, in Philadelphia, the cradle of our liberty, over the days of July 2nd through 4th, 2012, to discuss and debate the best way to address the corruption and iniquity that has invaded every corner of American life, and
Whereas, said citizens having discussed, debated, and voted upon numerous solutions to the myriad afflictions facing 21st century America,
Therefore, be it resolved, this 4th Day of July, 2012, Independence Day on the 216th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, that on behalf of the 99% of America who are being dominated by a remaining 1% who hold an overly vast proportion of this nation's wealth and wherewithal, we petition our government and demand redress of the following injustices:
I. Political gerrymandering after each decennial census has obliterated the possibility of truly democratic elections for Congress by creating "safe seats" for most incumbents.
To redress this failing, we demand that the redistricting that follows each decennial census be taken entirely out of the hands of partisan interests and entrusted to panels in each of the fifty states made up of neutral experts, including, but not limited to, demographers, statisticians, political geographers, and other qualified professionals, vetted and chosen by the National Academy of Science.
We further demand that the U.S. Congress take any and all actions necessary, up to and including proposing, adopting and championing among the several states a constitutional amendment to implement this remedy.
II. The corrupting influence of wealth has thoroughly undermined the American ideal of a government responsive to the needs of its citizens, in favor of a government responsive to only the demands of its moneyed classes.
To redress this failing, we demand legislation requiring that:
(A) Elected officials of the U.S. Government, Officers and Ambassadors of the U.S. who must be confirmed by the Senate, all members of the federal judiciary, and everyone employed by the executive, legislative or judicial branches of the U.S. government be forbidden from accepting anything of value from any person or entity in exchange for any action taken in furtherance of the donor's interest(s). Violation of this principle shall be punishable as a criminal offense.
(B) After leaving government service, no person forbidden to receive anything of value in Paragraph A shall be permitted, for a period of five years, to work in any capacity to influence the actions of the federal government, with the sole exception of exercising their own personal First Amendment right to speak and publish.
We further demand that the U.S. Congress take any and all actions necessary, up to and including proposing, adopting and championing among the several states a constitutional amendment to implement this remedy.
III. RINSE, LATHER, REPEAT.
At the risk of speaking for the others, I believe that the delegates would be grateful for your input and response to our postings. Thanks for your ongoing efforts!
Sincerely,
KJ Lowry
delegate from TX-12