Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (April 11, 2012)
W Çortlanh (ßbseruer A p r il 11.2012 Opinion articles do not necessarily represent the views of the Portland Observer. We welcome reader essays, photos and story ideas. Submit to news@portlandobserver.com. Cofle¡e Spotlight s p e c ia l Page 11 e d it io n O pinion NE N A T I O N , IN D IV ISIB L E $ New Prices Effective May 1,2010 Martin Cleaning Service « Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning Residential & Commercial Services Minimum Service CHG $45.00 A sm all d istan ce/trav el charge m ay be applied CARPET CLEANING 2 Cleaning Areas or more $30.00 Each Area Pre-Spray Traffic Areas (Includes: 1 sm all H allw ay) 1 Cleaning Area (only) $40.00 Includes Pre-Spray Traffic Area (Hallway Extra) Stairs (1 2 -1 6 sta irs - With O th e r S ervices): Pushing Back Against Extreme Inequality The people aren’t powerless C huck C ollins In th e c o m in g w eek s, m illio n s o f A m ericans w ill take to the streets as part o f the "99 p e rc en t spring," echoing last year's "A rab Spring." A t the root o f this d iscontent are the extrem e inequali ties o f incom e, w ealth, and opportu nity that have em erged ov er the last four decades. T h e ric h e st o n e p e rc en t now ow ns over 36 percent o f all the wealth in the U nited States. T hat's m ore than the net w orth o f the bottom 95 percent com bined. T his 1 percent has pocketed alm ost all o f the w ealth gains o f the last decade. In 2010, the one percent earned 21 percent o f all incom e, up from only eight percent in m id -1970s. The 40 0 w ealthiest individuals on the Forbes 4 0 0 list have m ore w ealth than the b ottom 150 m illion A m eri can s. T hese trends am ong the one p er cent are bad for the rest o f us. C o n c e n tra te d w e alth tra n sla te s in to political clout — the p ow er to use by cam paign contributions to rent poli tician s and tilt the ru les o f the eco n o m y in their favor. W ebsites d ram atizin g the "W e are the 99 percent" m ovem ent are full o f personal stories o f you n g people w ho are saddled w ith debt and n o futures, and m iddle class fam ilies that have seen the A m erican D ream c o l lapse around them , losing jo b s, hom es, and hopes fo r the fu T he "99 to 1" d ichotom y m ay strike som e folks as polarizing and inaccurate. Y et it's a pow erful lens fo r u n derstanding w hat's happened to o u r society and econom y over the last several decades. T he rules guiding o u r eco n o m y have been skew ed to benefit the one percent at the ex pen se o f the 99 percent. T hese rules include tax policies, global trade agreem ents, and gov ern m en t a c tions that b enefit asset ow ners at There's a small segment within the one percent — the "rule riggers" — who use their power and wealth to influence the political game so that they and their corporations get more power and wealth. ture. "I used to dream about becom ing the first w om an p resid en t," one w om an w rote. "N ow I dream about getting a jo b w ith health in su ran ce." R eading these stories, I'm struck that the underlying conditions that have squeezed m illions o f A m eri cans aren ’t going aw ay. T h e current political system , cap tu red by large co rp o ratio n s and the w ealthy, is incapable o f resp o n d in g to their n eed s. the ex p en se o f w age earners. W ho is the "one percent"? P ri m arily it consists o f households with annual incom es that top $500,000 and wealth exceeding $5 million. The one percent isn't a m onolithic inter est group. Plenty o f people w ithin this gro u p have d ev o ted th eir lives to building a healthy eco n o m y that w orks fo r everyone. B ut there's a sm all segm ent w ithin the one p er cen t — the "rule riggers" — w ho use their p o w er and w ealth to influ ence the political gam e so that they an d th eir c o rp o ra tio n s g et m ore p o w er and w ealth. Just as individuals in the one percent are div erse actors, the one percent o f corp o ratio n s is also not unified. T here are several thousand m ultinational corp o ratio n s — the W all Street inequality m achine — that are the d rivers o f rule changes. B ut they are the m inority. T h ere are m illions o f o th er b u ilt-to-last co rp o rations and M ain Street businesses that strengthen our com m unities and have a stake in an eco n o m y that w orks fo r everyone. W e m ust d efen d ou rselv es from the bad actors — the built-to-loot co m p an ies w hose business m odel is focused on shifting costs onto society, shedding jo b s, and e x tra ct ing w ealth from o u r co m m u n ities and the healthy econom y. T his spring, w atch for m illions o f people in motion, participating in pro tests at banks, outside law m akers' offices, and in the streets. They'll be pressing for an econom y that w orks for the 100 percent, not ju st the one percent. This is a healthy sign for our nation because it dram atizes that the people aren't pow erless in the face o f extrem e inequality. Chuck Collins, a senior scholar at the Institute fo r Policy Studies. $25.00 Area/Oriental Rugs: $25.00 Minimum Area/Oriental Rugs (Wool): $40.00 Minimum Heavily Soiled Area: Additional $10.00 each area (Requiring Extensive Pre-Spraying) UPHOLSTERY CLEANING Sofa: $69.00 Loveseat: $49.00 Sectional: $ 109 - $ 139 Chair or Recliner: $25 - $49 Throw Pillows (With Other Services): $5.00 % ADDITIONAL SERVICES • Area & Oriental Rug Cleaning • Auto/Boat/RV Cleaning • Deodorizing & Pet Odor Treatment • Spot & Stain Removal Service • Scotchguard Protection • Minor Water Damage Services SEE CURRENT FLYER FOR ADDITIONAL PRICES & SERVICES Call for Appointment (503) 281-3949
