Thoughts on the Occupy movement

The "Occupy Wall Street" movement has been going for two months now and there has been plenty of media coverage of the movement as it has spend across the country and as protesters have clashed with police. So, I thought I would offer my thoughts:

I find myself sympathetic to the original members of the movement. As it has grown the message has been lost and blurred. Hopefully the core can regroup and work to present a coherent message.

There is a definite problem with out economy when corporate executives collect "bonuses" even when the company loses money. The "bonuses" are guaranteed so the company has to pay them. If the "bonuses" are guaranteed then they aren't bonuses - they are salary. I don't know how guaranteed bonuses came to be, but that is patently ridiculous. Those of us at the low end don't get a bonus if the company doesn't do well, so why should the people at the top, who have more ability to affect company profits, get a bonus regardless of company performance. Corporate America would have us believe that this is necessary to attract the best talent. If you have the best talent, why did your company fail? There is also plenty of good young talent down near the bottom of the ladder. We understand that bonuses must be tied to performance. When we work hard and performance is better, we deserve to be paid well. When performance goes down we understand bonuses will be lower; we know raises will be small, but cuts should start at the top - not end there. We know the economy goes through ups and downs and we believe that everyone, especially the top should be willing to make sacrifices. However, when we (the 99%) are living paycheck to paycheck or maybe slightly better, we don't have much to sacrifice. The 1% with their 3 yachts on two coasts, 3-4 homes across the country, 5-6 cars, a private jet, and other high-priced goods have a lot more room to sacrifice.

The minimum wage today is not a living wage. An average adult today cannot survive on $7.25/hr. We need a minimum wage that is a real living wage. That way we can actually pay back our student loans, pay our bills, save for retirement, save for a house, start a family, and maybe have some left over for a little fun each month. Last I checked, this was a big part of the American dream. For most of us in our 20's and 30's it's going to be a very long road before we achieve the American dream.

I understand why police have stepped in as reports of violence have increased. However, if the movement is able to peaceably state their grievances and ask for redress of said grievances, then they should not have to worry about police coming to arrest them as peaceable assembly to ask for redress of grievances is a basic right protected by the constitution.

Anyway, I know my thoughts ramble a bit, but I sincerely hope that the Occupy movement continues to grow, gain some better organization, and coalesce into something that can fundamentally change the way we do business.