I Met Rep. Dennis Kucinich Last Night In Seattle

[rsmith6621]

My Occupy group is involved with several other social change groups in our area and we are very active in our local politics. In fact when our group members are out shopping and one of the community leaders are in the store generally there will be an exchange of respect. We are an Occupy group that has channeled our energy in to engaging our local political leaders and are working on solutions to our community's challenges. We have not spent one night in a tent or have put our self in potential legal jeopardy, we believe that will not help anyone.

Anyhow we were asked to assist with a Scrap The Cap Social Security Forum last night where Rep. Dennis Kucinich was the key note speaker. At the end our group was able to engage Kucinich into the goals and ethics in which he said THANK YOU for understanding that you will get more done and keep the conversation going with responsible behavior. It was a night that will be remembered for a long time.

Anyhow here are some images I was able to take. Hope you enjoy them.

[Aristus]

1. Great man; but I tune in for pics of Mrs. Kucinich.

Where are they?...

[chervilant]

21. Bleh...

Hasn't anyone told you that women just aren't impressed by such slavish and salacious comments?

[Aristus]

22. When I want to impress a woman,

I just use other slavish and salacious comments...

[chervilant]

23. oic

Well, I hope that works for you...

[Egalitarian Thug]

2. DU doesn't like Dennis? n/t

[Fumesucker]

4. A certain portion despises him.. n/t

[Egalitarian Thug]

5. Let me guess. There are about a dozen of them? And they always seem to pop up in the same

diaries supporting each other?

I think I'm seeing a pattern here.

[Fumesucker]

8. The ringleader is a poster (in)famous for OPs consisting of only a title..

There was a considerable amount of high-fiving going on when he lost recently..

[krawhitham]

17. There is a lot more than a dozon of us

[2ndAmForComputers]

30. Why, yes, that's exactly the case!

(Insert title of movie in which there was a famous plot twist involving a certain Kaiser Soze)

[FarPoint]

6. Thats not true.

Don't start flame-baiting the board please.

[Fumesucker]

9. Why the celebrations when Kucinich lost recently then?

I don't tell you what to post, perhaps you could return the courtesy.

[FarPoint]

33. I wasn't replying to you ...

What are you? A Bouncer?

[Egalitarian Thug]

10. Hey, I'm learning my way around here and to be honest, there's some pretty freaky shit so far.

At least freaky from the standpoint of a Democratic board.

It's like watching children at a newly integrated upper class all white school. There are a bunch of bullies that go around punching the new kids while the teachers look the other way.

[Fumesucker]

14. This place has changed a lot since 2008..

As evidence here's a post I put up on Jan 21, 2009, the day after Obama was inaugurated..

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=280x49419

Read the thread and you'll see I was very hopeful..

Today, not so much..

[jsmirman]

25. I'm a big fan of Dennis

we're out here.

Muted comment on the other stuff. It's for meta - look to the left for the help & meta link - but for me, I'm just tired of (at least that part of) the fighting.

Yes, though, there's some dishonesty in debate, unnecessary rudeness, and game playing around here. Most of us are, at least occasionally, guilty of the second, but some hit all three and regularly.

[FarPoint]

34. You apparently are attracted to similar threads,

thus only see a fraction of the quality of posting here at DU. Becoming a Star member can open up discussion opportunities, many variety of forums. I'll just suggest exploring in more detail.

[TroubleMan]

18. He's my current favorite

Most of DU likes him a lot. There's just a few dissenters who happen to post in volumes.

[inna]

29. there is more to that than just happening to post in volumes -

they are a very small but a very vocal AND obnoxious group of posters, who are also preferentially treated.

(but hey, not as if DU is a democracy... neither is the US, technically)

[fascisthunter]

20. the Corporate Moles don't

oh.... and their investor class who benefit from all the corruption.

[Arctic Dave]

3. K&R

[midnight]

7. I'm looking for a link for cap social security? Not sure what the details of this are.. But it does

possibly sound like a Paul Ryan endeavor.

[rsmith6621]

11. Here is the link

http://www.justscrapthecap.com/about.html



and watch the video.

[Cleita]

12. Thanks. I was able to meet him when he came to our town during the last

Democratic Presidential Primary. I hope he will be able to continue his political career. We need leaders like Dennis.

[proud2BlibKansan]

13. He's an awesome speaker. I'm jealous.

Lucky you.

Great pictures.

[Zorra]

15. 1% Republicans deliberately redistricted DK out of office because they could not vote him out

and were desperate to get rid of him because he is the most genuine, honest, accurate, and outspoken Democrat in Congress.

Many free trade Blue Dog Third Way conservative Democrats despised him for his progressive ideas, and are just as thrilled as the republicans are, (maybe even more so) to get his progressive voice out of their hair.

That's pretty impressive, and gives Dennis ultimate honors and cred as a genuine Democrat.


Seriously - The 1% and their Republican flying monkeys feared and hated him so much they rearranged his district in order to get him out of office.

That's, like, the highest compliment they could ever pay to a Democrat.

Dennis rocks.

Thanks for the info, and the photos!

[2ndAmForComputers]

32. "Democrats" celebrating that Democrats got one seat less in the House.

[april]

16. Great Guy..

I lived in a suburb of Cleveland when he was mayor . I think that he was the youngest mayor on record.. he is a great man and has come so far

[joanbarnes]

19. Love Dennis

[emilyg]

24. Hope you told him how

much I love him.

[eridani]

26. Des Moines does have a 981 zip code, so it's "Seattle" in a sense

Granted, the GD crowd probably mostly doesn't have a clue that there is such a place as Des Moines, WA. You might have met me also--I was the one selling the Scrap the Cap buttons. Dennis was scheduled for 12 minutes, but went on a lot longer. The audience didn't mind in the least! I did see Occupy folks there--mainly Occupy Federal Way, presumably?

Here are a couple of articles, one with video clips.

http://waliberals.org/dennis-kucinich-in-des-moines-on-social-security-taxation-war-trade-and-justice/2012/04/12/

Dennis Kucinich appeared in Des Moines, WA on April 14, 2012 at a forum on “The Threat to Social Security: An Issue for All Generations.” Video excerpts are below.

The main call to action was to contact our federal lawmakers and ask them to pledge to Scrap the Cap — eliminate the $110,100 limit on income subject to the Social Security tax. This action alone would greatly extent and strengthen Social Security. In fact, the Social Security Trust Fund will be able to pay 100% of benefits through 2036 even with no changes. There is no need at all to weaken benefits or postpone retirement age.

Millions of Americans, especially women, depend on Social Security for a substantial part of the retirement and disability income.

“It’s not broke. It’s so good we can make it better” by (1) scrapping the cap, (2) raising benefits for low income earners, (3) recognizing same sex couples, and (4) reinstating college benefits.


http://www.federalwaymirror.com/news/147341085.html

Social Security Works Washington, a new statewide coalition of labor and retiree groups, is hammering home the idea of "scrapping the cap."

That cap is the Social Security collection limit on incomes above $106,800 per year (that number becomes $110,100 in 2012). All citizens earning incomes at that level and below are taxed 6.2 percent.

An April 12 forum at Highline Community College promoted the lifting or outright removal of this cap. Doing so, proponents say, will increase benefits and strengthen Social Security by trillions of dollars.

Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich delivered a fiery pitch for Social Security reform at Thursday's forum.

Kucinich, a Democrat, opposes the privatization Social Security. He also opposes a later retirement age or any cuts to benefits. He says lifting the cap is a simple solution that will make Social Security solvent.

[rsmith6621]

27. I was the guy with the camera gear that was storing it under the sign in table.

...and I gave a buck for my Scrap The Cap button which now resides next to my 99% button.

[eridani]

28. Well, now I know

Your photos are really good.

[inna]

31. .

wow, i got such a kick out of your post!

thank you for continuing making DU worthwhile; there are very few people who still do it (at least, for me)

[MrMickeysMom]

37. Thanks for the links. Kucinich's ideas on this are THE MOST SOUND AND SANE IDEAS

Can't we finally get on board with what has been going on through Congress with the SS trust fund, which was illegal, IMO? Can they not understand how that money was sent it to Wall Street, who privatized it, and further created more money out of nothing, for which their debt was socialized? What of the irony with THAT one?

Kucinich was one of the clearest presenters of this information!

And to anyone who ever gloated over Kucinich's loss, which was crafted by those who were most threatened, they can stick it up their entire mis-informed R-sez.

[eridani]

35. Email commentary from a friend

The Threat to Social Security: An issue for all generations-

Main points:
•We have to vote for the whole liberal package not just Social Security. Healthcare as a human right, tax equity, cut the military, campaign finance reform, limit the Supreme Court, invest in green energy/infrastructure, eco-consciousness, regulate financers/wall st, affordable education ????
•Americans deserve full employment-government sponsored jobs programs
•Americans deserve tax equity
•Scrap the cap-high earners don’t pay taxes after a cap of $110,100. Thus lower earners pay a higher percentage
•Support groups and communities that support the right to organize
•Threats to Social Security are just the tip of the iceberg
•High healthcare costs are caused by for profit health insurance companies—90 billion in yearly profit!
•Non-profit health insurance (single payer) will preserve not only Medicare but Social Security too
•Without pensions the tax payer will pick up the slack
•Stand up for the post office, oppose privatization
•this nation or any nation of the corporations, by corporations, for the corporations shall not perish from the earth?
•Stop money to the pentagon for unnecessary wars
•Privatizing Social Security will result in trillions for Wall St profit, CEO’s salaries and bonuses
•Call to action-communicate with state and federal legislators and legislation for a commitment to scrap the cap.
•Other presenters talked about how crucial Social Security is to Latinos and women


Sponsors include:
Social Security Works—Washington at www.ssworkswa.org
Why Social Security is important?
1.1 in 4 today’s 20 year old will be disabled before reaching 67 (retirement age)
2.50% of the workforce has no private pension: 31% have no retirement savings
3.Without Social Security, half of American women 65 and older would live in poverty
4.“Scrapping the Cap” would protect and preserve Social Security for future generations

Health Care For All-Washington www.healthcareforallwa.org
Puget Sound Alliance for Retired Americans www.psara.org

Summary
It pleased me greatly to see a lot young people there as well as many organizers for other groups . I was, as usual, inspired by Kucinich and found that after the forum was an excellent time to network. I was late arriving and missed the time before the forum to smooze. In future forums I plan to arrive early and leave late. The main point I got was how important it is to discuss these issues with everybody in my life to organize and communicate with legislators and support legislation that commits to “Scrap the Cap”. Also it is important to participate in and support financially activist groups that promote removing the cap on social security and preserving it for future generations. It seems to me that all these different activist groups and liberals need to wake up to the danger ahead and organize a voting block to push these powermongers out of the government or we will lose in November. Ron Ragan Jr hit it on the head when he said at ast years 1090am Progressive talk forum, “If we lose this go around-we will never get it back”

Power to the people --Robert M.

[Meiko]

36. Well done

Good for you and congrat's

[KamaAina]

38. DK in Seattle? Didn't he once say he might run for Congress from WA?

After the repukes gerrymandered him into Kaptur's district?

Ved-dy in-ta-restink...

[countryjake]

39. He was seriously considering relocating here...

but eventually decided to stick it out in Ohio.

Many of us would welcome him with open arms, here in wa!