Local media minimizes Occupy Dayton rally- while ignoring their role in the rally
In the same issue where they proudly show how much money is being spent with TV stations on Issue 5- they cut the number in half of the people in the protest:
Demonstrators allying themselves with protesters around the country who say they are fed up with corporate greed and perceived government indifference to Americans who aren’t wealthy and powerful, rallied Saturday on Courthouse Square in downtown Dayton.
At least 100 people, a few of whom wore Halloween-style masks, carried signs and chanted.
Not that 200+ people at a rally is a huge achievement, but considering this is growing from nothing to something exponentially in a few weeks, I still think we may be witnessing the start of the 2nd American Revolution– Arab spring style.
I was interviewed by David and Audra Sparks of “The Dayton Informer” and you can see why I don’t get elected- I’m not a good soundbite guy. I’ve got a lot of respect for what these two are trying to do- providing an alternative video news outlet for Dayton. Without access to fiber, the major problem in doing this type of site is upload speeds. Just another way the media barons keep the competition at bay. Here’s the interview:
You can see the size of the crowd toward the end of the video, and it numbers well over 100.
Please consider donating to the Dayton Informer via paypal to [email protected] to help them continue to bring this kind of reporting to our community.
While the media still wants to mock the people for wearing Guy Fawkes masks, or not having a message, it’s pretty clear that our governor knows exactly who he wants to spend our tax dollars on: the very same corporations that already aren’t paying their fair share of taxes (and stop with the corporations don’t pay taxes, they pass it through to the consumers BS- they also spend quite a bit lobbying- to further unbalance the playing field), again, from today’s Dayton Daily News:
As promised, Gov. John Kasich is pursuing job creation at every turn, but his biggest successes have involved offering packages of more than $240 million in grants, loans and tax breaks to convince a handful of Ohio companies to sit tight or move just a few miles rather than pack up and leave the state.
via Kasich approves more than $240M packages to retain jobs.
Corporate welfare isn’t going to be so popular for very much longer. What was sad is that Mr. Sparks asked protesters yesterday if they knew local elected officials (with the exception of Dayton School Board members, William Schooler, Yvonne Isaacs and Stacy Thompson) all voted to give GE over $15 million in tax abatement just a few months ago, and the protesters had no idea.
Even though protesters are ill-informed, they won’t stay that way for long. Once they start really digging into how things got the way they have, we may be able to finally get a few constitutional amendments passed:
- No more tax abatement at any level other than the national, unless broad policy is behind them (environmental protection).
- Completely eliminate any private donations to political campaigns.
If the “Occupy” movement could just get these two things onto the ballot, we’d have a springboard for changing everything else.
There is one old adage that the media should remember when reporting on things like this movement, confounding their standards of clarification as part of the news gathering process: Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups.
They have changed the world before, and it could be starting now. As to why they are stupid- the mass media can blame themselves. The story has been out there for years, they’ve just failed to report it.
Good interview David, including your mention of relevant local history, and relevant examples of why this revolt had to happen now. It’s amazing that just about a month ago, I asked you what it would take to get new channels of communication started for Daytonians, because I sensed discontent was about to boil over. Now that we have risen up we are creating the new channels. Thanks to the Dayton Informer for leading the way.
Esrati, You are a CEO arent you? And from what I have heard of your businesses practices, you should trash your sign and go home. Hiring kids out of art school, promising them jobs, letting them work for free, leading them on, then letting them go. Repeating this process over and over again so that you can have cheap ole labor from kids just looking to get started. Hows that for building yourself on the backs of the common man. Build up your “empire” while not paying a living wage, or offering any of the benefits you are supposedly fighting for.
@Michael Moore- I don’t know who you are, but the fact that you don’t sign your name says mountains.
I often give kids with crap portfolios, or little demonstrated talent the opportunity to come in and work in a real business environment, and spend a ton of my time trying to help them improve their books.
The last kid I had in, had been a musician in a band, who had crashed his HD- and had no portfolio. I gave him a shot at doing some tiny jobs for clients and it took him forever to create anything worthwhile.
His skill set wasn’t there.
He left – with a check- for the entire amount of what the client paid for his work.
I have 3.5 people working in this office every week. All of them paid.
Apparently you have an axe to grind- you claim to know me- I sign my name. Try the same.
{this comment deleted- “Michael Moore” pretending to be different people)
To “Michael Moore” – I was recently working at a job that was 3 months late on paying me and was headed nowhere. Esrati contacted me and offered me a full-time job at The Next Wave, and even paid me in advanced for the first week of work (which I desperately needed). I left my previous job and haven’t looked back. I went from having to borrow money from my brother and parents on a weekly basis to having a steady paycheck. I don’t plan on leaving here anytime soon, but no matter how things work out I was at least able to get put back on my feet because David was willing to take a risk and hire me in. As for leading people on – Esrati told me that he wanted to hire me almost a year ago, and now here I am. It seems like he’s pretty true to his word in my experience.
Dave Sparks is still covering this. I just saw him on Courthouse Square doing an interview….and yes, the Occupy Dayton folks are still out there, about 20-25 or so, I’d say.
Noticeably present at last Saturday’s rally was Judge A.J. Wagner, which was not mentioned in previous reports (we ran a photo of him there).
I used to work for David, 2007 to 2008, as his web developer and general geek. Money would get tight – clients refusing to pay, clients forgetting to pay, clients not being able to pay, um us occasionally forgetting to bill them (!), etc.. But you know, I have a very specific memory of David not having enough money for food, so he just ate a hot dog right out of the bag – just the hot dog – for lunch, because we were trying to keep the lights on. Let me know when one of your bosses does that.
In my time, David gave some people second chances for employment when no one would, and got our younger designers a lot of work for their portfolio. The shop was small, the pay was fair (but no one was going to get rich), but it was a hell of a lot of experience with many different types of clients – had I been some kid at Sinclair, working for Esrati would have been better than one of Dayton’s many boring advertising sweat shops (the kind that charges you thousands of dollars to barf up something in Flash that doesn’t make your business any money – ha!)
I can’t speak for every single person that’s ever worked for him and all possible financial and personal circumstances, but 99.9% of the time I had a paycheck when I was supposed to. Things weren’t perfect in-house (where is?), but characterizing him as manipulative in the manner MM does is completely false.
…and stop with the corporations don’t pay taxes, they pass it through to the consumers BS…(David Esrati)
…and that nonsense about the earth revolving around the sun. And all that crap about gravity…
…and that nonsense about the earth revolving around the sun. And all that crap about gravity… (Ice Bandit)
Too true amigo. A tax is a cost of doing business. A cost is a cost. The vast majority of businesses “pay” taxes. If a cost rises then to cover that cost they either need more revenue or they need to lower other costs.
It is true, that businesses “pass the cost” of tax onto consumers and employees. Employees “pass the cost” of tax onto corporations for which they work and from whom they buy. Everyone looks at what they end up with at the end of the day in remuneration for the effort they put in and adjust it to be worth the effort. Tax is a burden on the dealings of a free economy and EVERYONE is harmed by the fact that the effort they put in is seen as less valuable because of the associated taxes that must be paid.
…an American Revolution Arab-Spring style, dear David? Well then, which part of the Arab Spring should we emulate? The destruction of Christian churches? The establishment of a seething, anti-western and anti-semitic theocracy? Methinks after the Muslim Brotherhood assumes power and the last Coptic Church goes up in flame, there will be little talk of democracy. But the Old Bandito is just askin…
The Occupiers around these here states are getting bigger than the Tea Parties are; and finally, medicinal pot might reach Ohio! Talk about tax revenue …
Just a thought: The March of Dimes called me the other day – what a success this rally was when polio was rampant, in the 30’s or so … Why not use this same concept for America’s plight on jobs: If everyone would give even a nickle, we might be able to start-up some new factories or something to get this ball rolling again …
I recently moved to a new address in Montgomery County and tried to find my new voting location. I used my new address on the web site for the Board of Elections and it came back unable to find. I put my neighbors address and it showed a church on Spinning Rd with a Beavercreek adress. I checked the USPS web site and the BOE had the wrong city listed for their polling place. What do they do at the BOE other than work on election day. Looking at the pictures on their web site seems like they do more eating than working! How can they get something so basic so wrong? Do they want to surpress the vote to keep the gravy train rolling? Hmmmmmm………talk about a free lunch
I brought them some bulk coffee from Tim Hortons and donuts from Bills down here in Centerville (keeping it somewhat local) down to the Occupy folks last Friday night on my way out nightclubbing.
Then on Saturday I joined the motley crew, held up a sign saying “Power to the People” (other side said ‘Smash Kleptocracy”, but I didnt wave that side since no one would know what Kleptocracy means).
Then I joined them as they marched through downtown Dayton. Got some cheers from the folks in Lofts at St Clair. RTA riders at the hub got a kick out of us, too.
This was the first non-gay street activism that I’ve done since…heck…when? 30 or more years ago?
BTW, as of last week Foys in Fairborn has sold out of Guy Fawkes masks. I was looking for one for my Halloween costume. I was planning on going as Gay Fawkes. Maybe that was more a Masquerage costume, huh?
Anyway, greetings from the barricades. so to speak.
tschüß,
J Dziwulski.
(Oh, speaking of that OTHER Polish troublemaker, Lech Walesa is supporting “Occupy Wall Street”….he gets the “Solidarity” concept)
The Occupiers about the states are protesting about many issues, mostly for economic reasons at our failing economy … I hope it doesn’t start involving the gay rights bull crap or lead towards racisim against a Black president, but I won’t be surprised if it does turn into some of that, like the Tea Party was accused of, or like Michael Vick is saying …
There is no connection between Occupy Wall Street and the gay rights movement. None. Not even in the same book let alone the same page. The GLBT wants to WORK on Wall Street, wants to make some money on Wall Street, not occupy it. In other words the GLBT movement wants to participate in the economy on an equal footing and on a meritocratic basis, not reform or “smash” it.
The Guy Fawkes costume thing was just a topical costume for Halloween. Halloween is one of the Gay high holy days, occasion for parties, bar events, costume, street fairs. At least it was in California. Dont read too much into my wanting to do a riff on the concept for Halloween. I guess I need to spell this stuff out.
Oh, and by the way Gary, thanks for sharing yr opinion on gay rights being “crap”. Glad to know where you stand on the issue.
@ J, my point is, we are all one human race, why do Blacks and Gays have to think they are a separate group of individuals and exploit themselves saying they have no rights? I’m not against Blacks and Gays having equal human rights as all of us, even Mexicans, but give me a break pushing it down my throat like you are better than the rest of us, or inferior …. For example, Whites don’t have a White Entertainment Television network or a United White College!
Gary, when gay men and lesbians achieve marriage equality (and by that I mean the right to marry the consenting same sex adult of our choice, not the “equal” right to marry some random stranger of the opposite sex), then you’ll hear a lot less from queers wanting equal rights.
And speaking of “pushing it down [people’s] throat[s],” when are breeders going to shut up about their heterosexuality, and by that, I mean stop mentioning that they have husbands and wives and that they’re getting married and that they’re having kids (resulting from heterosexual sex)?
Oh, right, they’re never going to stop talking about those things because those things are part of their lives that they should be able to share, just as we queers should be able to talk about our families. That’s not “pushing it down [your] throat.”
Occupy this folks – down your throats, no pun intended, well … Anyway, God created Man and Woman to enjoy sex together and foster children … Then God created AIDES and HIV because he saw that his creation plan went afoul, need I say more!
Need you say more? LOL, I guess not, Gary!
@@@
I spent about 2 & half hours with the Occupiers this morning…early. Chatting and holding a sign in the “Cold Kentucky Rain”. Then later I brought the Occupiers some Arbys stuff for lunch.
Looking forward to that benefit @ Canal Street Tavern on Friday! Hope to see some of y’all there.
…as of last week Foys in Fairborn has sold out of Guy Fawkes masks. I was looking for one for my Halloween costume. I was planning on going as Gay Fawkes. (J. Dziwulski)
…don’t let Foy’s supply shortage disrupt your Halloween frivolity, dear J. D. You could bleach and spike your hair, don an apron and go as Gay Fieri of the Food Network. Or put on a helmet and vintage Gem’s jersey and go as Dayton hockey legend Gay Trottier…
Local News on TV has not said or shown anything lately that I’ve seen about the Occupiers downtown … I saw them and waved to them, they were at Main and 3rd if I recall correctly, or just down the way from there – they were very friendly!
All the darn News shows is fires and robberies, oh, and shootings, every day it seems, and car wrecks taboot! :-(
I wonder if they will ever get as much hype and influence as the Tea Parties did.