Join with Occupy Oxford Hills

To the Editor:

A few weeks ago corporations and those known as the 1 percent paid $5,000 up to $30,000 to have dinner with the President in Portland. How many of us, if we had $5,000, would spend it on a single dinner? So why did they?

I am sure there were those who felt passionately about re-electing President Obama. But I am willing to bet that most corporate representatives and individuals were there to get something for themselves and/or their companies. It didn't matter who the candidate was or what party they belonged to. They wanted access to Government, and they wanted to have influence.

Those who make up the 1 percent pay it because it works. Politicians and Government do listen to them. If you were running for office and someone gave you a few hundred thousand toward your election and someone else could only gave you five dollars, who would you listen to?

Who would you feel beholden to, indebted to? The 1 percent of the population who are the super-rich and large corporations buy influence and the ear of the Government. So how do the rest of us, the 99 percent, get heard? We don't have money and we don't have access.

Many of us have given up. "My vote doesn't make a difference" and sadly they are right. But we do have numbers. There are 99 percent of us not being listened to. That is what the Occupy movement is trying to get us to realize.

If enough of us get together and say that this election financing system is crazy and unfair to the majority of the people no matter what the party, they will listen. If enough of us stand up and agree to say with one voice: enough.stop.get big money out politics, they will listen.

Those few who stand across from the Library in Norway every Saturday morning are with Occupy Oxford Hills and are there for those of us with no voice. Join us from 10 to 11 a.m. We meet on the second and fourth Thursday evenings at 7 p.m. at the Norway Town Office.

Our influence and power is in our numbers and our willingness to come together. Join us. It won't cost a thing.

Karen Turino

Otisfield

Occupy Oxford Hills