As #Occupy Wall Street hits its' second week of demonstrators protesting policies, tax laws dividing America's super wealthy and what they call the other 99 percent, a group of organizers in Michigan are in preparations to take dissents to Lansing with a #Occupy Michigan event.
Calling for actions at the state capitol building grounds in Lansing and a to-be-determined location in Downtown Detroit, planning is under way via the groups’ Occupy Michigan in Detroit and Lansing Facebook page, demanding peaceful rallies to change Michigan economic climate.
Republicans gained legislative powers in the Michigan House of Representatives, Senate and Governor's office after the November 3, 2010 election. After becoming officially sworn into office, Governor Rick Snyder (R), along with GOP super-majorities in the House and Senate have passed series of highly-charged laws, deeply dividing state residents and, leadership on Democratic and Republican political party’s aisles.
What some describe as a "mission" to widen economic gaps between wealthy Michiganders versus middle and working poor classes, state GOP leaders’ legislative actions has led to rising political tensions in the state.
Measures, to date, drawing deepest partisan conflicts included Michigan's Public Act#4, P.A. #98, a change in the 1994 public school "rainy day funding" in the state Constitutional Amendment Proposal A in 1994, a named "Right to Teach" law HB 4929, a $1.8 Billion dollar tax break to C & S corporations while increasing taxes on Michigan's middle, working and lower classes.
Similar to Ohio and Wisconsin, protests took place at Michigan Lansing Capital building in February, March, Apriland May gathering tens of thousands state residents angered by state political leadership who failed to express political intentions, prior to being elected into office.
"I voted Republican in the last election", one of Occupy Michigan organizers Autumn Smith of Grand Blanc stated during Sunday, September 25th Reach Out Job Search Radio program.
"They (Republicans) didn't campaign on dismaying systems to assist our state residents ability to maintain income, shutter our school systems and gut programs to help our poorest citizens. It appears their agenda is not in line with the electorate and defines a nationwide mission funded by resources outside of our state," she stated.
Smith was successful in her campaign recall clarity language approved earlier this month, against Michigan Speaker of House Jase Bolger (R-Marshall). Going forward, Smith seeks assistance from state residents in Bolger's 63th state district to obtain 10,000 registered voters signatures by October 25th to place recall election vote on the ballot against the Michigan House Speaker.
"I worked hard against a powerful law firm Bolger hired to try and keep the petition language approved", Smith stated.
"Ironically, two days after calling my five month worth of efforts to balloting against the odds to a close, the (Calhoun) County Election Commission approved the recall language. Now to keep the effort going forward, it needs citizens that will place boots on the ground to assist with gathering signatures."
A Facebook group organized named Recall MI Speaker ofthe House Jase Bolger has been set as a communication point for efforts to place a recall vote against the state House Speaker on Michigan’s February 2012 Republican primary ballot.
Occupy Michigan set date for the Lansing Capital is Saturday, October 15, 2011 starting at 10:00 AM EST. Organizers are calling volunteers for speeches, music artists, legal assistance teams, medical personnel and donations for the event via their Facebook page.