First and foremost, we would like to thank you for the use of Pugnetti Park, which has proved invaluable for our exercise of free speech and the spreading of our message about the unfair impact of money and income inequality on our political process and on our daily lives. We have always tried our best to take good care of the park, and to treat it with the proper respect. A great deal of people living through wind, rain, snow, and ice can only do so much to avoid damaging the grounds. We anticipated this some months ago, and have made arrangements and set aside funds to make certain that the park is restored and resodded. It has always been our intention to ultimately respect this public land and to leave it better than we came to it. We hope that you will appreciate the goodwill that we are extending to you, the park, and the public for whom the park exists.
The park, which we have affectionately renamed Occupation Park, has been a base camp, workplace, and home to many since our occupation began on October 15th. Since beginning our 24-hour vigil, we have had a lot of positive community feedback, including from police officers who have noticed a decrease in crime in the area since we have taken up residence. The park is central to our ability to meet and plan actions, and to continue to effectively carry out our mission and exercise our First Amendment rights to draw attention to inequality, especially income inequality and the ability of the ultra-rich to purchase legislation.
The mission statement of Occupy Tacoma is as follows:
“In solidarity with Occupy Wall Street and countless other Occupy movements across the world, Occupy Tacoma is part of a peaceful and nonviolent movement after the tradition of great activists of our past, fighting to end the corporate abuse of Democracy.
Our mission is to identify and implement solutions to rebuild a healthy and thriving community for everyone. We are here to combat both the silence and the propaganda of corporate-backed media. We aim to bring attention to the disastrous impacts of unregulated corporate activity on political, economic and environmental systems by exercising our Constitutional rights of free speech and peaceable assembly.”>/p
During their visit on the 31st of this month, your representatives asked us how long we intend to be there. All of us living in the Occupation have dealt with this question on a daily basis, coming from all sorts of different people. The answer is that we will be here for as long as it takes to accomplish our mission, for as long as we can continue to exercise our First Amendment rights in order to draw attention to the traditionally underreported problems of income inequality and the corporate buyout of our government. These are important issues that need to be addressed, and the support that we have felt not only from Tacoma but also from cities across the country and the world, demonstrates that we are not the only people who think so.
It is incredibly important for us to remain in the park, so that we can continue to accomplish our goal of helping to educate the public at large about the impact of things such as the Citizen’s United decision on their daily lives. We want to continue raising awareness and fighting for what we believe in from Occupation Park. We have already been in the park for more than a hundred days–it’s all downhill now. We have established an infrastructure to support our organization in the park. A visit from the health department only confirmed the conscientious nature of how we have set up our the occupation of this park. A park that we have all grown quite accustomed and attached to.
-Occupy Tacoma General Assembly
This says it is a product of the Occupy Tacoma General Assembly on February 1, 2012, and it is. I was there and was proud to vote to approve it.
However, Hope Speaker did the original draft, and she crafted most of the wording. I want to thank her publicly here and now for this beautiful statement.
Regards,
Alan OldStudent
Thank you.
Well said, I wasn’t at the meeting, but agree with it wholeheartedly.
Thanks Hope and the GA,
Scott McElhiney
Yea! Thank you committee!
Thank you so much!!
Thank you, Hope
I appreciate the shout-out, Alan. I believe even the DOT representatives who visited the park this morning know I was the writer.
Glad they’re taking us seriously.
i’m confused… Why are most of our signs anti-war and directing people to websites that are not related to the mission. How can we stay until the ‘mission is accomplished’ when we can’t define it? When we send confusing and conflicting messages in just the handful of signs on our fence?
Unless we are willing to look unto ourselves first and clearly define who WE are, then we have left it those who oppose us to define us.
This may seem harsh, but now is not the time for hard decisions.
This is a copy of the e-mail I received from Wsdot upon my inquiry about the fate of OT.
Thanks for contacting us about the surplus WSDOT property at the corner of 21st and Pacific in Tacoma.
The campers do not have our permission to be living on the property and are creating legal liability for taxpayers.
We are working with the people on the property, area businesses, neighbors, the City of Tacoma, faith-based organizations, social service providers, and other partners to identify solutions.
We will provide notice to those involved before any actions are taken.
Lisa Copeland
WSDOTacronymGreen_icon
Region Communication Manager
City of Tacoma Citizen Review Panel Letter of Support for Occupy Tacoma and Occupation Park
on: February 7, 2012, 09:08
On 06 Feb 2012, at the monthly meeting of the City of Tacoma Citizen’s Review Panel
link: http://www.cityoftacoma.org/Page.aspx?hid=7043
the Bill of Rights Defense Committee-Tacoma requested, and the panel unanimously agreed,
to send a letter to the Mayor of Tacoma and the Tacoma City Manager communicating the CRP’s
concern that any removal of Occupy Tacoma from Occupation Park by any authority be done
through negotitation and with non-violence.
I’ll post a copy of the letter when finalized.
The Citizen Review Panel is a policy-focused board that will help to ensure transparency and accountability in the way that the City of Tacoma Police Department operates.
The panel is charged with:
-Reviewing police policy at the request of the City Council or City Manager.
-Receiving and reviewing policy complaints by the members of the public.
-Providing advice to the City Council, the City Manager and the Chief of Police on Police policy.
The Board also provides community outreach and education through public hearings and board efforts.
Additional opportunites exist to address the city council during the 14 February council meeting
at Citizen’s Forum.
It’s only a memo; the CRP has no legal authority. None. Just like OT has no legal right to camp in the park.
Thank you all so much for your effort and your courteous, polite and civil exit of the park, and thank the tacoma Police Dept and the DOT for their polite and civil way of handeling it. The Occupy movement may be the last hope for a society that is in the fifteenth round of a vast struggle between the elite class and the liberal class. For thirty one years we have been pounded and beaten into a pulp by the Corporate elite, the old adage (money talks and bulls–t walks), has come true. The ultra Right and 35,000 lobbyists have taken over our government. and thousands more are taking over our state governments. The liberal class including the Democrats, no longer are fighting to protect our democracy but are giving in to the corporates money. We have no buffer against corporate power. They have schreaded the Bill Of Rights, habeus corpus is a thing of the past and the nation stands by and does nothing. I will support Occupy because I see it as the last best hope to incite Americans to come out from under the deep sleep they heav fallen into. At last we have a voice. We must stop all the injustices, forclosures, and a supreme court that only acts for the good of corporations. I hope it is not too late.
Now that the Occupy Tacoma movement has vacated Don Pugnetti Park, one would think that it would once again become the peaceful respite that had been for years. One would be wrong. It is fenced and chained and posted with No Trespassing” signs.
In response to my inquiry to the WSDoT as to when it would be re-opened, I was informed that the “surplus parcel” will remain closed until it is sold, most likely this spring. So, no more park in this part of Tacoma. This cannot be considered a good outcome, and I am extremely disappointed in the DoT for making such a reactionary move. Can anything be done to save this little gem of a park?