Occupy Wall Street

Over 50 Interview at Occupy Wall Street with young veteran

November 16, 2011

Nathan Lewis, of Trumansburg, N.Y., who served in the U.S. Army from 2001 to 2003 spoke to us at Occupy Wall Street on Nov. 2 when veterans marched in support of the protestors.

“I would like to see our country to be a shining example of tolerance and fairness.  Somewhere where people come to learn.  A strong, healthy culture, not what I see today,” Lewis said.

 

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Over 50 interview at Occupy Wall Street with Iraq vet

November 14, 2011

When we were at Zuccotti Park recently, we interviewed Eli Wright, who served as a U.S. Army combat medic in Iraq in 2003 and 2004.  Originally from Denver, he now resides in New York City.

“I hate to say it, but I honestly think that since I’ve come home from Iraq, or since I went to Iraq, the American Dream has become a nightmare,” Wright said. He worries about his infant daughter’s future, as well as the future for all veterans and many Americans.

Take a look at his video interview.

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Banking fees, Occupy Wall Street and one of our interviewees

November 9, 2011

Dorothy Carlos, whom we interviewed early in 2010, sent us an email this week.  She wrote about a fee she was charged by her bank, without any explanation.  She challenged the fee and was told it was $10.00 charge for a fax sent to another bank that requested information on her mortgage!

The imposition of this fee prompted Dorothy to write to us and express her support for the Occupy Wall Street movement:

“I am writing you to make a comment about the OWS and how very important it is and what just happened to me.  I received my statement for my Mtg [mortgage] and noticed a $10.00 amount listed which just said OTHER with no explanation for the charge.  I called Wells Fargo to inquire about this charge and was informed that this was due to the fact that another institution had made an inquiry as to my pay off and this charge paid for the fax that WELLS FARGO had sent. This is just another way these banks are ripping off borrowers  A Charge for a fax and then no explanation for it, just added on to your mortgage payment. I only wish I was able to leave this banking institution but I can at least let others know of their banking practices and hope borrowers stay away.”

As a result of protests sparked by the Occupy Wall Street movement, the Credit Union National Association estimates that 40,000 consumers opened accounts on November 5, “Bank Transfer Day,”  transferring $80 million in savings into credit unions across the country.  Between Sept. 29 and the first week of November, 650,000 consumers opened new credit union accounts with a total of $4.5 billion, said Patrick O’Keefe, communications spokesperson for the association.

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New Occupy Wall Street interview and a new resource

November 6, 2011

Last Wednesday, when we returned to Occupy Wall Street at Zuccotti Park, veterans marched around the park to show their support for the occupiers and protestors.   We interviewed George Weber, 63, a Vietnam veteran from Monroe, N.Y.

Also, the AARP recently began offering a one-year free membership for anyone who is over 50 and out of work.  You can check it out here.

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Over 50 Interview at Occupy Wall Street with former social studies teacher

November 4, 2011

This past Wednesday, we headed back to Occupy Wall Street at Zuccotti Park to conduct additional video interviews.

We talked with Warren Brodhead, 67, a former social studies teacher from Salt Lake City.  He was in New York to visit his brother, but also to visit Occupy Wall Street locations in the Northeast.

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Occupy Wall Street: Renewing American Democracy?

October 20, 2011

Last night, Stay Thirsty published a special report by Over 50 and Out of Work  on Occupy Wall Street:

On Thursday, October 13, Over 50 and Out of Work went to Zuccotti Park to interview protestors at Occupy Wall Street and to shoot footage of the nascent movement.

Occupiers, activists, drop-in protestors, hippies, commuters, passersby, tourists, construction workers, financial district employees, media, the police and the curious crowd Zuccotti Park and its surrounding sidewalks to participate in or pass through Occupy Wall Street. The small park has become a gathering place for speechmakers, debaters, mobilizers, hangers-on, drifters, artists, opportunists, pushcart vendors and performers.

It’s a remarkable scene and an amazing thing to see Americans exercising their rights to assemble and speak freely.

To read the rest of the article and to see the video interviews we conducted at Zuccotti Park, click here.

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OVER 50 INTERVIEW WITH HOME HEALTH WORKER AT OCCUPY WALL STREET

October 19, 2011

On Thursday, Oct. 13, we interviewed Rosina Grignetti, 52, at Occupy Wall Street.  Grignetti works as a home health aide in Lexington, Mass. on weekends.  She had traveled to Zuccotti Park midweek to join the occupiers and plans to return.

“Bring back the American Dream,” Grignetti said.

 

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Over 50 interview with former construction worker at Occupy Wall Street

October 17, 2011

Last Thursday at Occupy Wall Street in Zuccotti Park, we interviewed Rick DeVoe, 54.  DeVoe relocated to Easthampton, Mass. after he lost his union construction job two and one-half years ago in Las Vegas, Nev. when the development of the almost 17 million square foot CityCenter was completed.

Take a look at his video interview in which he explains why he is participating in Occupy Wall Street:

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Over 50 and Out of Work at Occupy Wall Street

October 14, 2011

Yesterday, we went to Zuccotti Park to interview protestors at Occupy Wall Street and to shoot footage of the nascent movement.

Signs held by protestors: “Tax me like a hedge fund manager” and  “The world should be owned by the people living in it.”

“I’ll believe corporations are people when Texas executes one!”

“Ban ‘naked’ credit default swaps.”

Occupiers, above, speaking from the wall surrounding the park.  Protestors and activists, as well as passersby,  tourists, media and financial district employees are all in the crowd.

Police, behind the speakers who are standing on the wall, outside the park on Liberty Street.

Construction workers, eating lunch, and police on the south side of the park.

“Finance job losses:  10K predicted.”

A street debate provoked by the “Finance job losses” sign and Occupy Wall Street protest.

Yesterday, occupiers were worried that they would be evicted from the park this morning so that the park could be cleaned.  Throughout the day, they were sweeping and scrubbing the granite slabs that pave the park, picking up trash and recycling cardboard.

As has been widely reported, the occupiers have organized sections of the park to accommodate different activities:  meetings, sleeping, arts and culture (dancing and drumming), a kitchen, a library, a distribution depot for donated clothes and bedding.

Occupy Wall Street information desk.

The occupiers’ kitchen.

Library.

“Today we clean up our community, tomorrow we clean up Wall Street.”

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