Photo credit: Jim Arnold aka technomonk

November 25, 2011 – 1% of our nation controls all the wealth, and then there are the 99% of us.

Who am I? I am a citizen, a mom, an entrepreneur, and I’m part of the 99%.

We need answers…we need help…we need solutions!

The recent Bank Transfer Day on November 4, 2011 urged people to transfer their money out of banks and move it to credit unions. This was in protest of the banks who are now charging fees for simply using your ATM card.

The countrywide #Occupy movement is history making, groundbreaking, ground swelling evidence that we need change.

The poor are paying too much in taxes…the rich are paying no taxes…that’s messed up! Gas prices are too high. Banks are charging more and more fees.

Where do we start? How about taxes – I understand that write-offs are important and help a lot of people. I understand that our taxes help run our country and are needed. So what is the solution?

No one making under $50k a year should be paying taxes. People making over 5 million should be paying a higher percentage…but still have write offs. Generally we pay 33% in taxes. That’s 1/3 of our income. Over a certain tax bracket they should pay 40% or 50% and still be allowed write-offs to balance it out.

The president needs to regulate gas prices. We need green sustainable energy solutions. I know personally that I used to drive to San Francisco one to three times a week a couple of years ago, but now, with the price of gas, I rarely go at all. It takes me over $54 to fill up my tank, which I do once a week as it is.

That has to be dramatically affecting our economy. I know if it made this change in my lifestyle, that it is happening to others. If people can’t afford to go places, they aren’t spending money and traveling, and that is hurting businesses large and small in the long run. They’re not spending money in those places they might have gone.

Also that top 1% needs to realize that they could do so much good for our country with the money that they have.

I challenge them to take 33% of it and invest in our country’s future.

Use 1/4 for after school enrichment programs for our children. Our overall education scores are lagging way behind other countries. We aren’t number one here people. Our math and science scores are near the bottom, with more and more technical jobs opening up in the future that we won’t have the qualified applicants to fill. We need to fix this.

Use 1/4 for college scholarships for students with a 3.5 or higher GPA. We need those smart dedicated students to run our country. College prices are rising higher and more and more worthy students just can’t afford it.

Take the last half and invest in new business ventures -venture capitalist style. Help our economy by helping the entrepreneurs – creating jobs – and you may just make more money than you started with.

I’m not an economist, or a politician and I realized this may be a simplistic plan, which is far-fetched and could only work if the 1% took up my challenge.

This economy is on my mind, and probably on yours, and we have to think about this, we have to discuss it, we have to find a solution to help this economy and our nation, our children, and yes, the 99%.

Please share your thoughts and comment below!

March 6, 2009 – Burp! A BIG thank you to the dazzling Tara Hunt for putting on the Beer Redistribution Party (also known as #BRP or B*RP)! It was held to celebrate the grand re-opening of Citizen Space (@citizenspace) at it’s new location-downstairs from the old location and in a much larger space! It was a fun way to *celebrate* the crappy economy! Citizen Space is a coworking space in San Francisco located at 425 Second St on the first floor.

The Beer Redistribution Party mission:

We’ve heard the accusations of the new administration wanting to ‘spread the wealth’. We’ve been scared by the calls of socialism and communism on what we are about to receive. Let’s test this out on a micro-level and see what this wealth redistribution is all about through a re-enactment with our beer.

Here was the social contract:

1 – you MUST bring beer

2 – the type of beer you bring has to be in accordance with your financial standing:

a. $50,000 – $80,000/yr – you can bring whatever brand you would like. 6 – 12 pack.
b. $80,000 – $120,000 – you have the choice of bringing a discount brand (but bring 18-24) or a microbrew (bring a 12 pack).
c. > $120,000 – you have the choice of bringing a microbrew (24), a high end international beer (18+ or if it’s a big bottle like Chimay, 4 of those).
d. <$50,000/yr – you can come empty handed and just try the other beer.

I know people don’t like to talk about what they make as a living, so we can do this on the honor system. Bring your contributions in a re-usable bag* and one person at a time will be let into the beer area to deposit their beer tax.

3 – As for what you ‘take’. Everyone can help themselves to the pool afterwards, because, as with our public system, it’s freely available.

Beer was everywhere!  Lots of it!  I didn’t bring any as that’s where I fall in accordance to my *financial standing*, but I have a feeling that a few people brought beer regardless.  I was very tempted to, but I was trying to play along with the experiment! I think that seriously there is enough leftover for another party without anyone bringing anything!

I’m not really a beer drinker.  I did try some Red Nectar beer, was okay.  I drank half of it and called it a night with the beer drinking.

I had a great time and had fun catching up with Tara (aka @missrogue, author of the upcoming book The Whuffie Factor), Jen Myronuk (@jenmyronuk), Kristie Wells and Chris Heuer of Social Media Club, John Yamasaki (Yama!), Bessie, (@infodiva), Roderick Chow (@fogfish), Derek Overbey (@doverbey), Thomas Knoll (@thomasknoll), Cathy Brooks (@cathybrooks), Matt Klein (@matt_klein aka tim_stein (j/k)…lol to Cathy Brooks!), Ginger (@gingerw) and Ridley (@Ridley).

It was great to meet Stephanie Quilao (@skinnyjeans), Seg (John “Seg” Seggerson, @theseg) (I still like to think I’M responsible for getting Amanda Palmer (@amandapalmer) on Twitter! LOL!), Ruth Kalinka (ruthkalinka.com), and KyNam Doan (kynamdoan.com, @kynamdoan), magician Safire (http://www.MagicSafire.com) and a few others-who didn’t give me their cards and whose names are escaping me!

I’m voting for a wine redistribution party next time!

If you’ve read this far…please comment and say “Hi!” so I know that you were here! Thanks!

For more pics from the partay see my flickr photostream here!