[OccupyCU] Minutes of 12/10/12 OccupyCU meeting

[Stuart Levy]

(Note that there'll be another meeting tonight, Monday 12/17,
   at *6pm* for planning/practice for caroling & canvassing later this week,
   at *7pm* for our regular meeting,
in the usual spot: SDAS room in the basement of the IMC, 202 S. Broadway.
Climb down the small stairs from the Elm St (north) side.)

OccupyCU meeting of 12/10/2012

Dada, Dave J, Stuart, Eleanor, Colan.  Stuart took notes.

Dada reported on the Activism Training session from last Monday, run by 
Hanna Saltzman of Food & Water Watch.
Well-attended - 25 people - and useful.

Event: Fri 12/14, 2:30pm Channing-Murray:
     Jobs with Justice will have a press conference/community forum on 
social security & medicare.

Went through a long list of issues, some of which we've considered in 
the past -- more about some below --
     * Mahomet aquifer put at risk by the proposed Clinton toxic-waste dump,
       and City of Champaign's application to USEPA for 
sole-source-aquifer designation,
       inviting letters from citizens [details below];
     * the Homer coal mine, and the water it would use;
     * Stand Up to Coal's demonstration on campus;
     * some communities' attempts to re-claim their privatized water systems
     * austerity - potential huge cuts to Social Security, Medicare, 
Medicaid, as part of 'fiscal cliff' negotiations
     National Committee to Preserve Social Security & Medicare 
http://ncpssm.org
     * gays vs Salvation Army, and, how welcoming various local churches 
are of LGBT people
     * proposed county jail & status of opposition to it


Upshot: given Susan P's advice re taking fewer issues and sticking with 
them,
    and looking at the issues above, two seem especially good for us to 
pursue now:

   * protecting the Mahomet aquifer, as a local issue --
     who would want to see their children's water tainted,
     for the sake of a distant company's profit?

   * austerity, as a national issue --
     the entitlements our predecessors have won, being thrown over
     "Win, lose, or draw, this issue won't be over.
       Whether we'll be trying to preserve what we've got, or to get it 
back later, we have a fight on our hands"


Talked a bit about caroling! / canvassing / talking about issues....
    Who would do caroling?
     - Dada!  Will bring his guitar.
     - Stuart
     - Eleanor - if she has the energy
        She can also supply Mahomet Aquifer flyers so carolers will have 
them.



Talked more about reviving People's Potluck.
     Maybe starting in January.   At IMC?  Channing-Murray, maybe?
     A chance for people to get together, eat & talk,
       maybe hear some presentations while eating / have an open mic.
     Other groups (CUCPJ?) may be interested too.  Have tables.

     If we sort it out in time, we could even mention first one while we 
go caroling...

     Dada: re Madison conference on Economic Democracy -
       maybe we could do something about that here at some point -
       could bring people from DC who are involved in it.
       Common theme: "we want to get back our rights"


Colan: Pat S and Germaine have said they've missed the People's Potlucks
    What would it take to make it happen?

    Could we get donations of food too?   Red Herring?   Golden Harbor?


======  more detail about the above =====

Aquifer
   petition (from City of Champaign, and others?) is about to to go
     USEPA for sole source designation of Mahomet Aquifer.
   city of champaign is taking letters - they'll send them to DC
    ci.champaign.il.us/aquifer
     Letter to support the petition
    angela adams   403-4780

    both Durbin, and Chapin Rose, are supportive of [some form of 
opposition to approval of the toxic dump in Clinton]

Homer coal mine -
    IDNR is going over permanent application for the coal mine.

    Sandra had gone to a couple of coal mine public meetings.

    Dada - last friday, the student group Stand Up To Coal
     had a demonstration on campus, and someone from Homer came to speak

        And, the University is invested in coal.

    Coal mine would use huge amount of water.

Dave J - three Indiana counties are trying to use eminent domain to take 
back their local water,
     and being threatened by Indiana-American Water -- "we'll bankrupt 
your county".

     Some Chicago suburbs, like Naperville, are trying to use eminent 
domain likewise to take back local control of their water,



** Water issue is one that should draw us together, regardless of 
political stripe.

     Have there been meetings about this?
     Yes, at Beckman

     Prairie Rivers is doing the most work on this.
     and, Faith in Place (led by Brian Souder, at University YMCA), is 
active in Illinois.
     they taught us how to lobby!

     Eleanor can let us know...
     if there are other upcoming meetings
     if a lobbying session will be happening
     if there are other things we can do


Preservation of Medicare/Medicaid/Social Security, as an issue --
     Dave J talked about, and urged us to join, the ...
     National Committee to Preserve Social Security & Medicare
     http://ncpssm.org/

     Think - even a few years ago - what politician would have dared cut 
Social Security/Medicare?
     Indicative of how pervasive corporate money has become!

     "Win, lose, or draw, this issue won't be over.  whether we'll be 
trying to preserve what we've got, or to get it back later"


Colan: Pat S and Germaine have said they've missed the People's Potlucks
    What would it take to make it happen?

    Could we get donations of food?   Red Herring?   Golden Harbor?

    Presentations?
    Open mic, while everyone's eating...