Remember Occupy Raleigh? The group has decided to focus its activism on local government. I commend them for that; local officials have incredible power and influence over daily life and their work often escapes the scrutiny given to state and federal issues/officials. That’s why the Locke Foundation is committed to covering local government and analyzing the many key policies and decisions made. So, with all the local issues and policies Occupy Raleigh could sink its teeth into — zoning, public safety, spending priorities, property taxes, annexation, just to name a few — here are Occupy Raleigh’s plans:
A May Day rally organized by several liberal and progressive groups, including Occupy Raleigh, is the next planned event. Another ongoing campaign aims to get a Wells Fargo ATM in City Hall removed.
“People have jobs, families, so the occupation couldn’t last forever,” Pickering said. “It’s different now, but we’re still here, still working to make Raleigh better.”
Protesting against an ATM will make Raleigh better? If Occupy Raleigh wants to address crony capitalism, a good first step would be to read Jon Sanders’ report. It’s an eye-opener.
Cronyism is an umbrella term covering a host of government activities by which an industry or even a single firm or speculator is given favors and support that they could not attain in market competition. Such activities include, for example, regulations that help favored businesses, harm their competitors, or both; laws that restrict new competitors from entering a market or that raise the cost of remaining in the market; government-sponsored cartels and monopolies; wasteful and unnecessary spending programs; direct subsidies and loan guarantees to favored businesses; mandates requiring consumers to buy favored products; and high nominal corporate income tax rates with tax breaks, reimbursements, or other incentives targeted to specific businesses.
