Where have you been, Mr. President?

By Luz Calvo

Photo by Kevin Tivon Gregory

Welcome to Oakland, Mr. President. Our people are suffering. We have a huge foreclosure crisis. Please take a tour of deep East Oakland and see our problems first hand. Our schools are being closed. Our children are hungry. Our youth have no future. Most of us are underwater on our mortgage, if we have not already lost our homes. 

Meanwhile, on July 31 our city will pay 2 million to Goldman Sachs on an interest rate swap that is unfair and unjust. 

Where have you been, Mr. President, in the midst of all of our suffering and despair? Side with us, not Goldman Sachs.

Our Time Has Come: Let's End The Swap with Goldman Sachs NOW

What: A very IMPORTANT council meeting will take place that will signal the beginning of the erosion of greedy capitalist forces in Oakland.  Council will decide how to proceed with ending the toxic interest-rate swap with Goldman Sachs that has drained Oakland of $32 million dollars.  This drain will continue until 2021 unless we put a stop to it NOW.

Where: Oakland City Hall

When: Tuesday, July 3, 2012, 5:30 pm

Why: We need to light a fire under council and let Goldman Sachs know that we are not going to let them continue to rob us!

How:

1. Bring bold signs.  
2. Ask one other person to come with you.  
3. Fill out a speaker card. Cede your time to a coalition speaker if you don't want to speak.
4. Even if you cannot be there:  contact the following council members from now until Tuesday afternoon to let them know that they need to stand up for Oakland and stop doing business with Goldman Sachs, if Goldman Sachs doesn't end the swap penalty-free:

• Nancy Nadel: 510-238-7003; nnadel@oakland.net
• Larry Reid: 510-238-7007; lreid@oakland.net
• Pat Kernighan: 510-238-7002; pkernighan@oaklandnet.com
• Libby Schaff: 510-238-7004; lschaff@oakland.net

Web: http://stopgoldmansachs.blogspot.com/

Email: stopgoldmansachs@gmail.com

Phone: 510-250-7222

Twitter: stpgoldmansachs