thephilter: “Over a week of Occupy Wall Street protests have not been insubstantial up to this point, and they’re growing every day. But today… oh today is the day when up to an estimated 20,000 union workers are expected to start joining the protest over the coming month. “It’s really simple. These young people on Wall Street are giving voice to many of the problems that working people in America have been confronting over the last several years,” Larry Hanley, international president of the Amalgamated Transit Union, which has 20,000 member in the New York area, told CNN.“These young people are speaking for the vast majority of Americans who are frustrated by the bankers and brokers who have profited on the backs of hard-working people,” Hanley added in a statement. “While we battle it out day after day, month after month, the millionaires and billionaires on Wall Street sit by — untouched — and lecture us on the level of our sacrifice.” Transport Workers Union Local 100 spokesman Jim Gannon said the Occupy Wall Street movement, which denounces social inequities in the financial system and draws inspiration from the Arab Spring revolutions in Africa and the Middle East, has advanced issues that unions typically support.“Their goals are our goals,” Gannon said. “They brought a spotlight on issues that we’ve believed in for quite some time now…. Wall Street caused the implosion in the first place and is getting away Scot-free while workers, transit workers, everybody, is forced to pay for their excesses. “These young folks have brought a pretty bright spotlight,” Gannon added. “It’s kind of a natural alliance.” I admire the protestors going out there railing against a fucked system, but I’m not sure what the end goal is. Who is expected to take action, and what action? Yes, people are pissed off, but to what end? I don’t think I’ve seen a clear statement of any expected final outcome. The initial demand was to form a presidential panel to separate money from politics, but I’m not even entirely sure what that means or how such a thing is supposed to be accomplished realistically. But who is the target? The president? The Federal Reserve? Who is supposed to enact this sweeping change? I’m not asking to be an asshole, but eventually, something like this needs focus or it will fizzle apart and everyone will go back to their business and forget all about it. Via”

thephilter:

“Over a week of Occupy Wall Street protests have not been insubstantial up to this point, and they’re growing every day. But today… oh today is the day when up to an estimated 20,000 union workers are expected to start joining the protest over the coming month.

“It’s really simple. These young people on Wall Street are giving voice to many of the problems that working people in America have been confronting over the last several years,” Larry Hanley, international president of the Amalgamated Transit Union, which has 20,000 member in the New York area, told CNN.

“These young people are speaking for the vast majority of Americans who are frustrated by the bankers and brokers who have profited on the backs of hard-working people,” Hanley added in a statement. “While we battle it out day after day, month after month, the millionaires and billionaires on Wall Street sit by — untouched — and lecture us on the level of our sacrifice.” 

Transport Workers Union Local 100 spokesman Jim Gannon said the Occupy Wall Street movement, which denounces social inequities in the financial system and draws inspiration from the Arab Spring revolutions in Africa and the Middle East, has advanced issues that unions typically support.

“Their goals are our goals,” Gannon said. “They brought a spotlight on issues that we’ve believed in for quite some time now…. Wall Street caused the implosion in the first place and is getting away Scot-free while workers, transit workers, everybody, is forced to pay for their excesses. “These young folks have brought a pretty bright spotlight,” Gannon added. “It’s kind of a natural alliance.”

I admire the protestors going out there railing against a fucked system, but I’m not sure what the end goal is. Who is expected to take action, and what action? Yes, people are pissed off, but to what end? I don’t think I’ve seen a clear statement of any expected final outcome. The initial demand was to form a presidential panel to separate money from politics, but I’m not even entirely sure what that means or how such a thing is supposed to be accomplished realistically. But who is the target? The president? The Federal Reserve? Who is supposed to enact this sweeping change? I’m not asking to be an asshole, but eventually, something like this needs focus or it will fizzle apart and everyone will go back to their business and forget all about it.

Via”