99 Report for Awopradio Show January 8th, 2012: Occupying Foreclosures, Homelessness, VET Issues and #FreeUniversity Due to Student Debt....

As Awopradio moves to it's new Home on USTREAM and it's new format, 99 Report will be expanding in the next month to a full half hour at the beginning of the show. As the Occupy Movement really starts focusing Actions on Problem Solving and Increased Attention on Issues affecting the 99 % I am grateful to Kim the Host for allowing more Coverage. My goal is to cover Occupy Actions, WHY these actions are happening, but also the Data and Background of Different 99% Agonies that are not getting News Coverage and Should be. I also will always try to include What Help is Available to ease Situations and What Occupy Sites are working on Which Issues. I am also covering these 99 Issues, because the Media and the GOP Debates are not talking about them at all......

This Week's 99 Report is focusing on 3 Areas ::
Vet Issues related to Foreclosure & Homelessness& Jobless
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(1) VET Issues : Homelessness and Foreclosure Issues ( and Help that they need to know about and needs to be shared). Many of the Occupy Sites are focusing on Homelessness and the Foreclosure Crisis. Some of the Sites are also looking at the Questionable Tactics being used against Homeowners in the Foreclosure Process. I am bringing up an Added Insterest to share with Occupy Sites that needs Closer Scrutiny, including Our Military Members Serving overseas facing Foreclosure and coming home to Lost Homes. One of the first Occupy Cleveland people I met was a Vet who had lost his home while serving Overseas. So tonight I am presenting some data on this issue, as it needs closer Examination and News Coverage.

According to the Data and Articles located the stats vary widely,but 25,000 Serving Vets lost their homes due to Foreclosure in 2010,and of that Number 5,000 while serving, meaning they came home to NO HOME. The past five years 10-25,000 lost homes per year. That means during the last 5 years of Battles being fought in 2 war zones, that anywhere from 90-120,000 Vets lost Homes during the Foreclosure Crisis. I have included the Links at end of this post about the Congressmen that have launched an Investigation into this situation. And I think it is fine that Congress should be aware and working on this situation, but I am clueless why the DOJ and Holder are not working on it. I encourage folks to write to BOTH for the sake of our Military serving and VETS, and their families.

Homelessness ( since it is Wintertime and is part of the Foreclosure Crisis and Why Occupy is taking Care of Thousands of Homeless....)
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(2) Homelessness
This This Crooks and Liars Article will take your breath away, but is a Must read.... 3.5 Million Homeless and 18.5 Million Vacant Homes in the US. ( And if the Homeless Stats are correct, that also does mean that the 600,000 to 900,000 Vets Homeless on the Streets at night may indeed be accurate.) Do read the Crooks&Liars article by Diane Sweet, it is sobering....And if OCCUPY in in your town is working on Foreclosure Issues, or Occupying Banks etc, give them a hand. Or also give help to your local Homeless Shelters....and Soup Kitchens. As my neighbor said, " This is like the 30's only there should be Soup Kitchens."

(3) Crushing Student Loan Debt
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I have included links to articles below about the Crushing Student Loan Debt, and as we have Default and Student Loan folks coming on the show later in the month, I think it helps to start reading up on it now. On another note many of the Occupy Sites are focusing on this issue and have started giving Teach Ins about the Debt and what to do. They also have acknowledged that many are not able to go to college right now due to the Loans Situation and The Student Loan Situation ( as well as Cuts in PELL Grants). So Different Occupy Sites including Berkley,Phoenix, and Philly and Others are adding Occupy #FreeUniversity to their Schedules, we need to support this effort and spread the word, and hopefully as it gets more organized we can invite them on the show.
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MORE INFO AND RESOURCES:::
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(1) Help for VETS is availabled at this site, National Coalition for the Homeless VETS, the stats on this site are not accurate, but there is help listed there, as well as workshops, job fairs etc.
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(2) More than 8% of all Homessless are Vets, and the stats may even be higher as the VETS are not known for accessing services, from food to shelter, and PTSD also may be limiting who is getting services and care. This PDF does have some worrisome numbers though.National Homeless Org is trying to track their numbers.
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(3) More from Think Progress on Homeless VET, again more analysis of the growing numbers needs to be examined.
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As of Saturday Night...will be adding more stats/links/articles......
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IMP ADD::::
(1) It's been One Year since Tuscon and Gabby Giffords Shooting, and 12,000 more dead.....Please see this site about Fixing our Gun Laws, Do Write and Call DC......and Honor Gabby....
(2) Oakfosho is headed to NYC 1/13 and DC do keep pestering the Young Turks Show and Keith and Current about his West Coast Reporting of Occupy...and huge shout out to him for his reporting last nite as well. On another note he is going to DC after NYC to Occupy Congress on the 17th.
(3) Please keep supporting the Fuller Family in KY with cards, prayers, money and hope....thank you. The Fuller Family are an amazing family who are coping with more challenges for AJ and even just a little extra money goes a long way to help with medical expenses and more trips to the hospital for AJ as they have to drive to Tennessee for care.

99 Report AwopRadio Sunday December 11th : Foreclosure Stats

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(1) First I am going to highlight the Numbers from Last week Poverty Numbers and UnEmployment Numbers as combined with the FoodStamp Numbers they tell the story of America and the 99 Percent and why OWS is fighting for the 99 Percent. There are huge numbers of People Impacted. I watch these GOP debates and they talk of their God given rights and family values and I would just like to ask them, even one Why they think it is Acceptable for them to let their neighbors live like this ?

And if someone has lost their job, you can bet that they are either on Foodstamps or living in their car, or buying Catfood for dinner or having to send their Kids to School Hungry. And While Real Americans, Millions of them are facing these Living Conditions GOP is Gutting Medicaid, Medicare, Food Stamps, Planned Parenthood. And I have seen these Republican Candidates say well let them seek Charity and Churches for help. Well news to them, in many of the poorer Cities the Churches are even closing due to lack of funds. All of these folks are our Brothers and Sisters, they are Americans and they are the 99 Percent. So I say give what you can and Occupy The Vote and do what you can to help : Salvation Army and Feeding America do stellar work and do Support the Occupy Movement.

The Stats that Tell The Story of the 99 Percent
29 Million UnderEmployed and UnEmployed
46 Million Living in Poverty
49 Million as of this Month on Food Stamps and SNAP
22 Million ( or 12 Million depending on sources) Of our Elderly living in Poverty or eating catfood
On In Four Children going to bed hungry
22 Millon Children living in Poverty, this includes living in shelters,or hotels, and Hunger Issues
8 Million Foreclosed Homes 2008-2010, 4 Million More so far for 2011, and 2 Million facing foreclosure next 90 days
( Example for Cleveland that is 25,000 Empty Homes. Water Depts. have the Best Records on this)
Commercial buildings the Foreclosure Rate is even higher over 9 Percent ( which explains the empty buildings downtown)

****** THIS NPR MAP has imagery that shows the Economic Mapping, so you can examine your area and see UnEmployment and Foreclosure Issues Mapped.Really raises questions were the Banks Targeting Certain Neighborhoods and areas ?

*** Meanwhile here in Cleveland where there are 25,000 Empty Homes, The City Council Here passed an Emergency Resolution in support of the Occupy Movement, it is four pages long and beautifully written and describes the movement as related to the Economic Distress of our times, it was passed 18 to one. You can read more here, and see the Resolution.

(2) Occupy Is moving their focus to Homes and Empty Buildings, trying to save Homes from Eviction,
as well as reclaim homes for homeless families and also reclaim Empty Structures for use for shelters.
( Some folks would say that this is encouraging "Squatting", I would like to point out in parts of Europe Squatting is actually legal and that folks are allowed to squat as long as they keep structures clean, don't burn anything, or mis use fuel, and
they leave the Water on so that people can keep themselves and the structures clean).

(3) Residential Foreclosures 2008 to 2010 = Over 8 Million ( yet not all the numbers have been fully disclosed).This year 4 Million so far and another 2 Million are facing it in the upcoming 90 Days. Commercial Real Estate is over 9.1% which explains many of the empty urban regions.What I did start examining are Regional Maps ( from NPR) that I am including in the Post on Foreclosures that clearly show that only certain areas of larger cities had Foreclosure Issues, and the neighborhoods with certain middle class jobs and incomes were indeed targeted, and the JD should be investigating those banks that targeted those Hoods. ( IE. In Washington State Washington Mutual which sold their debts to Bank of America should be scrutinized). And another article also explained that the FDIC did know that 1: 200 Homes were starting to face Foreclosure in 2005. ( Some articles also pointed out that some of these homes were VA Loans and possibly related to change of employment due to war Serving). So even in 2005 the Foreclosure rate was rising to 250,000 per quarter, and it kept rising per year.

********Here are some of the Stats::: from the FDIC.

(4) The Occupy Stats are explained more here in the Thanksgiving 99 Report, and are great for explaining the 99 Movement to folks.

(5) The Post On Poverty and Children in America from last Sunday is a Must Read and has more information.

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To Folks who say " I Don't Understand the 99 Percent Issue, or the Occupy Movement" I say "Which Side Are You On?"
It's about Americans being being Attacked by the GOP under 8 Years of Bush and the Current Congress, So Do Occupy the VOTE, but also do talk to your Neighbors, Know your Neighbors. And to President Obama I say, you do need to Acknowledge the 99 Percent, many of us Voted and helped get you to the Whitehouse, and are now facing Homelessness, Hungry Kids and Joblessness, and yeah, Millions of Us VOTE.The Occupy Movement is truly about the Middles Class being destroyed, and the Republicans and Tea party continue to be hell bent on destroying working class jobs and also taking away any efforts to help the Economic recovery.

First 99 Report October 30th, From Cleveland Ohio

This is your 99 Report from on the Ground the 3rd Poorest City in the Country...Cleveland.....( It will be shared later tonight on the 99 @Awopradio too)

I have been canvassing for three weeks in Ohio on Issue 2....Kasich's UnionBusting Bill that attacks the lives and work of 350,000 workers here, I have been canvassing all kinds of neighborhoods, Rich, Poor and Middle Class and realizing that there is less and less that divides all of us...Every Hood is hurting and Damaged. and with 30,000 Empty Homes there are more than I can count, it makes no difference which hood I am in.....and this Friday I also went down to OccupyCleveland....and that gave me Another Perspective....It has been my Listening Tour....

And I hear alot of people saying "I don't know who the 99% is ? or "What THEY want? AND maybe they need to clarify 'their' demands" ( And I sit and listen and think there is NO "They" there is ONLY "Us")

And as I have been walking around , every day I was meeting and LISTENING and seeing What The 99% is...and Bearing Witness....

WHO IS THE 99% ?

(1) Is it the People who have Lost HOMES ? More than 8 Million ? what does that look like on the ground ? On the ground I go door to and and I keep notes of how many homes are Foreclosed, but the actual numbers reported on the News does not calculate the Homes where people have just walked away....Abandoned....And others on the Edge...ready to be added to the Stats...

I would walk around and we have been told in parts of Cleveland the Numbers are " 1:8 Homes" Another report said 8%, I don't know which is right. I do know this, that I would walk my canvassing routes and ALL Hoods are effected, not just poorer or middle class hoods, even the rich hoods. And the numbers were higher much higher. Like yesterday 210 homes, and more than 36 homes abandoned , foreclosed.....The Mail Taped Shut, the Water Shut off, the Windows empty forelorn, and I would walk around and look in...and sometimes there was still a Piano or garden statues in the back....and the Roses have gone wild and the Empty Bird Feeder sway in the breeze and the windchimes sing to no one now....and I look at the back door, and I see the Kitchen....a calendar hanging no longer marking Holidays and Happy Times and on the Kitchen Doorway to the Dining Room I can see the Marks on the Wall where some proud mama marked her Children Growing Up...And Hand Prints on the Panes in the kitchen Door...and the scratch marks on the door for the dog .....

THE 99% IS IT EMMA THE RETIRED TEACHER I MET WHO IS WATCHING HER NEIGHBORHOOD VANISH?

(2) One night I talked to a Retired Teacher at the end of the route ( full of empty houses), and I thanked her for coming to the door, and "Emma" said,
"Not many coming to the door anymore are they ? You know if you took photos of my hood and you put them in Black and White, it does look like the Depression. You want to know why they don't come to the door ? Because they are scared...can't you feel it ? Can't you hear it? The Silence ? There are the Foreclosed Houses, where folks are gone, but then there are the Houses where people are still fighting for their homes, but they are waiting for the Next Knock to bring News or take it all away. And then for the Ones that are now renting and have already lost their homes, they are scared, real scared, cause they are waiting for the NEXT SHOE to DROP, cause they still OWE people, so they know Something is Always Next....So they are too scared to come to the door. AND THE city....they shutting off water and power, and sometimes they even tidy the yards trying to fool folks and pretend it all looks good, but they our Water, Heat and Gas has gone way up because we paying for the folks that have Left- we are being punished for still being here. I taught History and I taught Math....There are folks in DC that don't know their History and aren't listening to the Math. Somebody better wake up....and Soon."



(3) PEOPLE SAY IT'S NOT THE RICH PEOPLE :::

Meet Irma and MARTY....I went canvassing in a Rich Hood,and it was not what people think.There were many empty houses, abandoned, some did not even have the Tell Tale Locks on them or the For sale signs, they were just Left Empty. And one house I went to one night, I arrived at their door it was cold and raining, and there were hardly any lights on....the door was clean and the Brass Knocker was polished bright....Suddenly an Elderly man came to the door, in tired Blue Sweat pants and an old sweater, and I could see his wife sitting in the Living room behind him, they had been playing checkers....And the walls were bear, you could see where paintings had hung, and there was very little furniture....And by the gleam in their eyes I could tell they were hungry for company, that folks don't visit anymore, she looks fuzzy, her eyes glisten like an 8 yr old...and I could tell that they were living in the 2 front rooms, they had a little heater and a cat, and they were trying to take care of each other...and Marty took me to the Kitchen and made tea....it was very bare....no more fine china....And he looked at me and he said " She doesn't know how bad it is...I am trying to take care of her...I had to sell alot." I nod....I tell him she looks happy, she looks cared for. He smiles...



(4) ABOUT VETS ARE THEY IN THE 99%....
And then Friday I ended up having a long talk with a VET ....As I walked away he wanted some more Soup...( I try to take Drinkable Soup...and I am supposed to be teaching First Aid on Fridays to the Occupy...but mostly I think it will just me Listening, I think as a Nurse, that is what I need to do right now...) And so I talked to "Joe" and I listened to him and he explained that if he knew his sister was losing his Mom's home he wished he could have come home sooner, if he knew how bad things were he wished he could have been here...and he has PTSD, is that is what is stopping him from getting a job ? Because he doesn't think so, he thinks there are not enough Jobs for any of the "returning." And he was upset about what happened to the Marine Scott Olsen in Oakland, "
That 's a Bad thing when a Marine who served two tours comes home had has a Cop Clunk him in the Head, That's Not American, It's Not, and it's Not what I was fighting for"

So These are Some of the 99%...
I could give you Numbers...
I could write to DC and Obama and tell them Numbers..would that work ?
235,000 VETS Home from Iraq and Afganistan...and out of work, thousands with Wounds and PTSD....
( does that include the 22% Employment rate I keep hearing ? And the 38,000 Wounded I hear-does that include the PTSD number? Cuz no one is really saying....)
29 Million UnEmployed and Underemployed....
49 Million on Food Stamps.....
50 Million UnInsured STILL with NO healthcare,
1:4 Children Hungry....
8 Milllion Homes Lost.....and who knows where those people are....And does that number include those I have seen sleeping in cars or Squatting ?
1:6 Living in Poverty....
There really is no Us ....Vs. Them....Because all of us are one paycheck away from being in any of these stats....

And I think Emma the Retired Teacher said it Best...."There are folks in DC that don't know their History and aren't listening to The Math. Somebody better wake up....and Soon."