Wisconsonizing Albany

Wisconsonizing Albany

by Spencer Hamilton on Sunday, April 3, 2011 at 7:20pm

Okay, so you saw the pics, and now you will see the note version of the account of events at the Capitol. I heard a lot about the budget cuts but I will tell you honestly: I had no idea the depth and extent of the cuts were until I went to Albany. I warn you: I think this is a pretty long note!

Background

I went to a rally interestingly enough called Wisconsinize Albany and said: Interesting--then I thought--WHAT?! Not in our state! I thought there was a threat to unions like the bills that passed in WI, OH and will soon pass in IN. Aw hecks naw! I thought, ready to find a brick and throw it through the next window I could find--but thinking and knowing that it wouldn't solve anything--I knew for a fact that there must be something I can do. So I went and at the rally I saw Bryan and when I got there they were just closing up shop. It started I believe at like 4:30 and by 5:10 when I arrived the crowd was clearing out and I saw the flyer for the event: Wisconsinize Albany. They told me that they're doing a sleepover in the Capitol to protest the budget cuts and would I go? I said: Well I don't have a job, it's free to me and I wanna know more about this so yes. We were to take off at 8. I set my alarm for 6 making sure that I would have enough time to get down there.

The Day Of

Okay, so I'm up, washed dressed and ready to see what this all is about. I have my orange duffel bag packed with my cover and pillow ready to be like a nice little camper (I did the same thing when we went to Albany on Feb 8th with MENY). So...it's 8am and we're not on the road to Albany...turns out, the guy was told 9 o clock. So we're starting out an hour behind the ball, not too bad.

So I go into the building it's on Main Street after the train station, it's 741 Washington--Citizen Action is the name of the organization they're not big in number as far as I saw. The gentleman I spoke with the day before was from Rhode Island and another gentleman was from Albany helping out until the trip. So, 9:15 comes around and some confusion reigns but we're on the bus and we have to pick up another smaller group on Grant St at a community center. Before we picked them up, I sat alone in my seat. The only thing I thought was: Don't let a complete idiot sit next to me, not another wet brain annoyance...Thankfully there was a young gentleman whom I talked with, his name slips my mind but we had many great conversations. First thing I noticed was his collection of short stories by Phillip K Dick, whose short story was the basis for Paycheck w/ Ben Affleck and The Adjustment Bureau w/ Matt Damon.

Announcement Time

Okay, so the time comes after the snacks have been handed out, mainly the staples of a road trip Granola bars, bagels with cream cheese, juices and bottles of water. I was satisfied!

So Chanel gets up and tells us: If you get arrested, you're on your own, we didn't come here to get arrested. You want to prove a point with that, that's your business. They're taking blankets and pillows so you bring them in at your own risk. Don't stockpile food because they could confiscate that. As far as they're concerned we could starve (kind of subjective but then again the point was well made) she further briefed us.

Afterward, a young man named Sergio read us some snippets from People's History of The United States (a book I will definitely take a look at sometime soon) about teachers and middle class individuals who became protesters though they were never involved formally as activists. About people who were outraged at way the HIV/AIDS epidemic was handled (the name of Ronald Reagan will always be blemished for his inactivity in the early days of the epidemic) and many other issues that brought their activism to the fore. Real people living real live having seen the real impact of different issues in their lives. They were brought to action because this wasn't just an 'issue' but they had seen the face and real lives of the issue. In the halls of numerous cities and suburbs things were happening that weren't spoken of in the halls of government. Mike a gentleman I was going to call Dreads if I didn't learn his name, gave us a free movie about fracking and from what I hear of it, it can't possibly be any good. I learned the next day that a man came in and literally LIT some drinking water from his town on fire and it burned while he spoke--THAT'S ON MY LIST OF THINGS TO PROTEST SO IF YOU KNOW OF ANY--IF I CAN GET THERE I WILL HELP PROTEST FRACKING AND DO WHATEVER I CAN TO GET OUR ELECTED LEADERS TO BAN IT IN OUR STATE! So now we pull up to downtown Albany where the fun begins...

Albany

We got to Albany and we are having to disperse things like signs which we put in manila envelopes and noisemakers. One woman had put uncooked beans in a Gatorade bottle--I never would have thought of that it's more inventive than a pot and a metal spoon. So...I took one and placed it in the main section of my bag with all the stuff in it. My small bag I carry is a baby bag and there's a space for bottles on both sides. I knew security would most likely take it if I had it in the designated bottle compartment--and it got through. Now...CHARGE! We were off to the hall that occupied the Governor's office. Along that same hallway I believe was the Senate. We were chanting so many things some of which are:

Hey Cuomo you're the worst/It's time to put the people first
Hey Cuomo get off it/New York is not for profit
Hey Cuomo let's face it/These budget cuts are racist
Come out, come out/tell the people you left them out
When they say cutback/We say fight back
When teachers and unions are under attack What do we do?/Stand up fight back
Protect our kids/not millionaires
Hey you millionaires/pay your fair share

A few I lead was:Come out come out/And face the people you left out
1 2 3 4 Stop your war on the poor/ 5 6 7 8 We will not go away!

Thank Grandma Kitty for We Will Not go away!

Another point...in the album there is a guy in a suit saying: tax cuts for us layoffs for you. I was ready to call the mob to lynch this guy until I realized that this was a protester making an ironic statement...Thank God for my brilliant deduction that saved this guy's life lol.

Press Conference

So...we're protesting and now comes the time for the press conference on the millionaire staircase. One gentleman said that his rent is too damn high so he move to Brooklyn I believe and he's in school as well. However, with a lot of the cuts he might have to choose between school and living off campus--which often saves students money. He remarked that former Mayor Giuliani said: if you can't afford to pay your rent move to Brooklyn. It was either that or Bronx. We also found anther student from CUNY who said that she's fed up with the fact that three foreign languages are being cut I believe she needs one of those to graduate. She wondered if she'll be able to graduate on time due to these cuts and that it will make it harder to get the necessary funds to continue her education. There were many other groups that stepped forward saying that this budget is hurting their organizations because of the simple fact that this takes more out of us instead of taking from those who have and are bleeding turnips of those who have given so much they're barely surviving while millionaires keep more money in their pockets--businesses made double digit growth and yet jobs are scarcer than ever! When does 'the recession' end for the people? A woman was evicted from her house because though she could make payments Fannie Mae won't take her payments because the house was in her husband's name but the bank won't transfer the house to her. Where was the Tea Party to say: Don't tread on the people?! So...after some times of milling around and speaking with some students, teachers, parents, etc. it's time for dinner!

Dinner...

So the organizations pool together to order pizza for us and around  6 10 we hear that the pizza has arrived. We're excited because my stomach is howling like a tornado, and it's pizza and I thought: I gotta blot that pizza and/or get the vegetable kind--less grease if no grease on my heart. So I'm down the hall toward the middle of it charging my phone when Irene, one of the older ladies said simply: You better get down there when it comes--typical Big Mama fashion. So I look around and say: When I see the people congregate I'll go on and get my food. I was sitting there and charging up my phone and another gentleman's phone was in the outlet on the other side of me. Now it's about 6 30 and an announcement is made: Security is trying to prevent the delivery personnel from giving us our food. I thought: They are giving us a hard time, it's a pissing contest right now they want to show us that if they REALLY want to, they could send them away. About 10 minutes after that the pizzas arrived without incident, but when I later looked at the pictures from Times Union--it's in the album--I found that they put the pizzas through the scanners too just to delay us or as a real safety procedure. I vouch for the former

...Is Now Served


When the pizzas came we first handed people their plates individually but that proved to be an exercise in futility as many got napkins and used those so we ended up putting a stack of plates on the top of the open pizza box as the boxes were lain out in a row on the floor so that many could access the food.

After Dinner

I ate two veggie slices and two pepperoni slices. I wanted to get more but I said: No, you don't wanna be greedy. So I put my plate in an empty pizza box stacked on top of others and sat for a little while, then the Assembly were to meet on the budget

Governor's Office--

We were gathered at the Governor's office and there were many who were speaking. I elected to speak and I said: When I voted for Governor Cuomo I was of the understanding that he understood that we were suffering and we needed relief. That he understood the will of the people while not unchecked by the Constitution, he is to be the voice of the people and stick up for us and our families. While millionaires are sitting up on the hill houses eating caviar, I'm staring at some black stuff on my plate wondering if it's calamari or something sinister. I'm struggling to pay my rent because businesses are making so much money but not giving out that money in the form of jobs, he's cutting our schools and our kids are suffering. He keeps cutting our schools and our state will be relegated to Mississippi which is comparable to third world countries. I don't want our state to sink financially and we can't have this! We have to let him know that we won't let that happen while we're still residents of New York State--now I didn't say all this word for word but it represents the spirit of my comments. It was in fact recorded and I was asked my name for the record. Also...a great thing was that people heard me which confirms that I'm loud enough and my voice carries--AS I'VE BEEN TOLD PLENTY OF TIMES LOL! Then we get word of the Assembly meeting at 7

Then To the Assembly Chambers!

So near the Assembly Chambers there is a lobby nearby and it said lobbyists only and I believe that it was placed there prior maybe to illuminate exclusivity and point out who the budget cuts AREN'T affecting. There were a few people who spoke there too Assembly members included. This is a point that got on my nerves--WHEN YOU HAVE AN ALLY YOU DON'T ATTACK THEM WHEN THEY'RE SUPPORTING YOUR CAUSE! That's what some of the people were doing with the Assembly members who addressed us. I often interrupted with: Let them speak and then said simply: They are our allies here! It makes no sense to attack them! Some people can't even run a house they have to run a state! I made sure to Thank them after they excused themselves and others in my general area said: Thank You Assemblywoman or Assemblyman!

Sleep Comes Easily When You're Tired

So now, after all the hype and vocalities I was drained a little bit. On the third floor there are limited outlets and they all were being used. So I had to plug mine in on the 4th floor--them stairs look like a maze in there so be careful to be mindful of what you've seen because you will still be on the same floor wondering if you've made it to your destination or not--well...not really but my feet hurt so much I thought so, every step seemed to just throb that much more...as if your toe is gonna bust out the shoe like that guy in I'm Gonna Git You Sucka and if you don't get the reference...look it up! My feet were throbbing and I was gonna chase sleep. Well...not until I read some of A Midsummer's Night's Dream. I have to read that over again and read a synopsis to understand the connections more but I'll get on top of it. So...I'm monopolizing an outlet charging while I'm listening to my music so it charges slower and this woman asks me--but her tone suggests a demand--for me to give up the outlet, which I do and then go to sleep. There was another outlet on the other side of it so I thought when the guy charges up his smartphone I'll have a crack at it. It took a while and off to dreamland I went, it looked more like a black screen in my head and I drifted...

Wake Up Sleepyhead!

So I'm waking up and hear a bunch of chanters, I stretch and the gentleman charging his phone asked me incredulously: You slept through that? I replied: Yeah. It's about 11 30 now, and I stumble around a bit and I ask how'd his phone go? 62% a rise of 4% in the last half hour. I look to the side I'd occupied and say: Okay, I'm gonna find an outlet, but first I have to pee. On the way to the bathroom I'd been told that the So I did and found an outlet, parked my butt and read the rest of A Midsummer Night's Dream. A few things happened before I went to sleep; I was informed that it was negotiated that we would sleep in the Main Concourse after the Legislature adjourned. The Main Concourse is in the lower portion of the building a basement of sorts. So, afterward I go to the bathroom and park there and read. I finished A Midsummer Night's Dream but I think that due to me killing time and waking up that I kinda didn't absorb it as much as I would've under other circumstances. So the time comes when we have to go to the Main Concourse

Voyage To The Main Concourse

So we stop off at a room where one of our leaders Jim, who is photographed  in one of the pics I'll re-post at the end of the note said that they want us to take the Main Concourse and they accepted. Some people wanted to stay in the room we stopped at--it was a halfway point--in protest. My whole thing is: we can make a point without being arrested! So off to the Main Concourse we go!

Room 4 of the Main Concourse

Okay, so Irene leads us to a place that we carved out for ourselves so we are all in one group. However, I wanted to be near an outlet to fully charge my phone but as I was roaming...I thought: Ain't nobody gon call me but my Mom and sister! So I decided to just go to sleep. I wake up a few hours later and go out into the hallway, it's probably about 2am at this point I look around for an outlet and camp near it, my phone plugged into the wall I fall asleep blissfully, with my coat on becuase it's a little chilly out in the hallway

A Sober Awakening

Remember when I said it was chilly in the hallway--when I got up I would've sworn I was in Siberia if I didn't know any better. I felt  coldness emanating from the floor and I wake up, aware, while this woman from the Islands tells someone else how cold it was. I hang around for a few hours talking to her and listen to her sing some Bob Marley--unfortunately all I know of him is Red Red Wine his UB40 collaboration and a chant: Get up, stand up, stand up for your rights. I can change that sometime but Idk about his whole catalog nonetheless, I should get to know it at least.

Breakfast

When breakfast came around 8 am I told myself: If I have to eat another bagel, I'm gonna go Bonkers! Yes, too much of a good thing can be bad! So what do I go and get? A Steak, Egg and Cheese BAGEL...DON"T YOU JUDGE ME--it was like rice when I was little--something a little different lol from what I'd been having all that time. Then for good measure because I knew we might not stop too many times--we stopped once on the way back I did grab a bagel a lot of cream cheese cups and an apple.

Time To Get The Flock Out Of Here

Well...there was a morning rally in front of the Governor's office and people were speaking about what the cuts were doing to them they were some of the organization heads of places like AQE--Americans for a Quality Education VOCAL and other organizations that I can't recall at this time. Teachers, students, two twins spoke, and as I was ready to speak again Julie said: it's time to get out of here. We all boarded the bus and were on the way back. We had to wait for a guy who arrived in a taxi and we had to make a space for a guy who came up with some grad students. Thankfully, he wasn't as*ed out! Now, on the way there my seat mate and I talked a lot about things like cloning: I'm against cloning people and animals--and other things, but one the way back I read some of King Lear and slept. The only thing I hated was due to how tall I am whenever I slept with my head out toward the aisle, Irene who patrolled the aisle sometimes would hit my head unintentionally and jar me awake. Speaking of Irene, I asked to take a picture of her and she asked: Do you want me to take my clothes off? I thought: You remind me of my Auntie Tricia! NO! My reply was: I prefer you keep your clothes on! and snapped the picture.

Rest Stop
Nothing much happens other than sleep and when we do pull up to a rest stop, it was uneventful. UNTIL: DID YOU STEP IN THE SH*T? became a tagline from Tiyah. Someone tracked it on the bus and I unaware backtracked off the bus and wiped my feet. That was the only real thing that stood out. Other than the observation that Tiyah was a bit rough around the edges and not the picture of professionalism. However, I noticed that many of them knew each other and they had a camraderie that didn't really warrant professionalism it was more of an observation than a complaint. Tiyah is an older woman around Irene's age. They said the worst thing they could do is put them on a bus together because there's never a dull moment with those two around--I vouch for that

Back In Buffalo
Now the round trip has concluded and there was so much more that I DIDN'T CHRONICLE, like Jeff who was a teacher at CUNY, I believe he was a professor (I wouldn't miss a class if he were my professor!) and he was helping protest the cuts there too. I met some great people who were awesome and hope to see again. I gave Citizen Action my telephone number so I'm sure I'll get a call from them sometime soon. I am glad I was a part of history and will continue to be. On another note, a bus was sent from NYC to Albany about 8am and another one about 1pm. Another woman said that if she has to she will stay there all day until June 15th when the Rent Control Laws will be discussed or voted on I forget which.

When I got back home, I did two things. Ate, and then I slept. I didn't care I didn't expect to do much of anything. Albany will call in May, if there is a call before then and it's free or of nominal cost I can definitely go and stick up for our children's education, teachers and the millions of New Yorkers being left out of a budget ironically called The Peoples' Budget...

Love You All Until The Pen Strikes Again

A little girl holding a poster saying that schools don't need to be cut

The guy I almost got lynched...lol

Love this one

Jim is the gentleman with the dreads, you may be able to see them, he's in a white shirt toward the left-middle