[GPSCC-chat] Occupy San Jose City Council Meetings Tuesdays, 1:30 & Thursdays, 7 PM

[Spencer Graves]

Hello, All:


	  I've estimated that I can read roughly 2 words per second without 
rushing, provided I prepare and rehearse.  I just timed myself twice 
reading the following 107 words in 50 seconds:


		    *** From 1947 to 1970, the US averaged 2.2 percent per year growth 
in average annual income, broadly shared.  Since then, we've averaged 
1.8 percent annual growth, while giving most of the benefits of that 
growth to the wealthy and manufacturing armies of homeless, unemployed 
and imprisoned unprecedented since the 1930s.  The US today produces 
double the goods and services per person as we did in 1970 and four 
times what we did in 1940.  People who say that we cannot afford to 
provide quality education for the poor and free college for the 
unemployed are saying we want lower economic growth and greater inequity 
in our society.


	  This is too big for a Tweet but fine to be read during an Open Forum 
at a City Council meeting.  Betsy and I may not make the City Council 
meeting today, but I plan to take this to the Occupy SJ General Assembly 
in the evening.  I think it would be great to have several different 
people read something like this for the Open Forum during every SJ City 
Council meeting.


	  The following is another, shorter commentary with less information 
but a sharper bite:


		    *** In 1932, the “Bonus Army” of unemployed World War I veterans 
peaceably assembled in what they called a Hooverville outside 
Washington, DC, requesting government assistance.  President Hoover 
first sent the Washington police, who killed a couple of them.  Then he 
sent the US Army under General Douglas MacArthur with Major George 
Patton using his tanks to flatten their shantytown, sending many to the 
hospital with serious injuries.  Incumbent politicians were rewarded for 
their callous insensitivity with a massive defeat in the 1932 elections.


84 words


	  Comments?


	  Best Wishes,
	  Spencer


##################################
       There were more arrests at Occupy San Jose last night.


       If you can find the time, please come to the San Jose City 
Council Meeting any Tuesday, 1:30 PM and Thursday, 7 PM;  check the 
agenda at "www.sanjoseca.gov/clerk/agenda.asp" to make sure the meeting 
is not cancelled.  (It seems to have a full agenda for tomorrow, Oct. 25.)


       Meetings generally include an Open Forum where people who give 
their name to the clerk before the meeting "usually" get 2 minutes to 
speak on whatever they want.  Occupy City Council tomorrow & Thursday. 
The rules say you can bring a sign 2' x 3' but no sticks, etc.


       Betsy and I plan to be there tomorrow at 1:30 but may have to 
leave before the meeting is over.


       Spencer Graves


-- 
Spencer Graves, PE, PhD
President and Chief Technology Officer
Structure Inspection and Monitoring, Inc.
751 Emerson Ct.
San José, CA 95126
ph:  408-655-4567
web:  www.structuremonitoring.com