New Day for Monona

November 18 was a new day for Monona. 

The crowd was not as large as we wanted-yet a few citizens did come to voice their displeasure. The powers-that-be in Monona (“the man”) and the Monona Grove School Board should not rest easy as the 99% has awaken from our slumber.

Our city officials and school board members, past policies of supporting the 1% with free hand-outs,  while we try and lower our water usage to win a money price is laughable.  OccupyNicloas has put them all on notice-your time is drawing nigh.

Occupynichlas will remain vigilant.

WE WILL BE ASKING elected candidates:

• What about TIF?
• Why are businesses in this getting free money?
• Are you really progressive or do you just talk and write that way to get elected and then run and hide when the going gets tough?
• What are you going to do for me and my neighbosr to hold up land values besides sell our long-held trusted assets?

The message for all is: Fight the man. Be Honest. Have a Great Day.

We will be back stronger and hardier.





Thanks for your support.

OCCUPY NICHOLS TODAY AT NOON

Come down and show your support for the 99%!!!

Don't let the 1% control our community.

Show up at NOON! Let your voice be heard. Whether you can show up for 15 minutes, 1 hour or 5 hours, your presence is a voice to our local politicians that the PEOPLE are what matter. Not corporations. Not big donors. THE PEOPLE.

Join us at NOON!

OCCUPY NICHOLS TODAY!!!!

OCCUPY NICHOLS TOMORROW!!!!

Friday Nov. 18 is OCCUPY NICHOLS DAY.

We, the 99%, will make ourselves be heard.

Please come down to Nichols School at the corner of Nichols and Monona Drive.

We will gather at noon in the front of the building.

Let yourself be heard. Don't let the 1% take our community assets.

See you at noon!!!!

What can you do?

What can you do this Friday for Occupy Nichols?

Be there! Show up and show your support. Whether for an hour or a day, your presence is the MOST important thing you can do.

Make signs! Make your own sign supporting the 99%! Make a bunch and share them.

Play in the Citizens Band! Join others to provide entertainment and support by playing in the band. Just show up, bring your musical instrument and some enthusiasm. Everyone is welcome.

Speak! Sign up to speak in support of Occupy Nichols at 12:30 on Friday.

Provide support! Bring something to share. Hot coffee. Baked goods. It doesn't matter. Anything that might help keep people out.


Honk! When you drive by, honk to show your support.

Remember, this is a leaderless movement. The PEOPLE are the leadership. Not a corporate stooge. Don't let the politicians and corporations take away our rights.

That's The Truth!

Notes for this Friday's Occupy Nichols!

Some important notes for this Friday's occupation Nichols.

• We are a non-violent movement. If you are coming to cause trouble, stay away.
• Everyone is welcome. You do not have to live in Monona or our school district.
• Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult if they are going to sleep overnight.
• There are no public restrooms/showers at Nichols. We are working with sympathetic citizens in the are as options. Please respect the local establishments, and if you use their facilities, please be polite and leave things clean.
• Fires are not allowed. 
• There is no electricity (that we know of) available.
• You are responsible for your trash.
• Bring your signs!
• If you want to be in the Citizens Band, just bring along your instrument.
• As this is school district property (at least for now), do not bring firearms or weapons of any type. Also, alcohol and drugs are not allowed.
• You do not have to stay overnight to participate. Come down for a day or an hour. Whatever you can spare. Just let your voice be heard!

Share this website with your friends and neighbors! Send them to http://www.occupynichols.blogspot.com

Remember Saving Nichols School is not the cause. Stopping the transfer of wealth from us, the 99%, to the 1% is the issue in this town. Nichols School is a symptom of our leader’s current and past actions that we are trying to highlight. They are addicted to the 1% and the power it brings them and if you don’t believe it ask yourself why did 40 people give up the rights of 16,000?

That's The Truth!

Occupy Nichols - Opening Day Schedule of Events

Occupy Nichols

November 18, 2011

12:00 p.m. - Meeting of the General Assembly. 

This is the People’s Assembly and if you choose to participate in our movement you are already a member. There is no need to raise money or have fancy fundraising parties when you are part of a citizens movement.

The rules for the General Assembly are as follows:

1. General Assemblies will start by asking for a volunteer to serve as the moderator. 

2. The moderator is an impartial arbitrator of the assembly. If the moderator wishes to speak, they must step down. At that time a new moderator will be chosen.

3. Once the moderator has been selected he/she collect names of those wishing to speak. 

12:30 - Community Participation

Be heard!

Submit your name and the topic you will speak about to the moderator and get on the agenda. 

We encourage all who wish to speak to do so. Share your feelings. Now is the time to stand up to the corporations.

Depending on the number of speakers, the moderator may institute time limits. This is to make sure that all those who wish to participate get the chance.

3:00 - March on City Hall

Let the local politicians know your voice will not be bought by corporate dollars. Participate in a march from Nichols to city hall.

4:00 - Citizens Band

Enjoy music from the Citizens Band. If you wish to be part of the Citizens Band, just bring your musical instrument. 

Please note that the Citizen Band will be active throughout the day, playing between sessions as well as on the march on city hall. 

Watch for more details of how you can participate in the Citizens Band.

Please remember that we are a leaderless non-violent movement fully committed to the 99% in words and ACTIONS.

The Truth

Here's how it works:

1. Businesses identify a valuable piece of property owned by the public.
2. The businesses convince local politicians and officials that the place is 'under utilized'.
3. Businesses let local officials know value of property. This will usually be lower than reality as the businesses cite things like 'tough economic times' and 'weak markets' and so forth. This sets the bar low for what the property will bring.
4. The businesses advise local officials how to get the wheels going so they can sell the property with as little interference as possible.
5. Local officials agree to sell land, often times to the businesses that advised them to sell it, and for what price. Let's price this piece of land at $1 million.
6. Because of 'weak markets' the city agrees to help finance, through TIF money, whatever business is going into the place they have agreed to sell.
7. $1 million of taxpayer money is used to build something. If it fails, the city (and taxpayers) are out $1 million.
8. City gets excited that they have sold big block of land for $1 million - enough for 4-5 public toilets. Yipee!
9. A school and playground are bulldozed over.
10. A Dollar General and a McDonald's open at the corner of Nichols and Monona Drive. They provide 10 full time jobs and a couple of dozen minimum wage, part time gigs.
11. Profits go the corporations that own the stores. 
12. Thank God we sold our valuable city asset. Our city is saved. Yippee.

That's THE TRUTH.

Stop it!

Saving Nichols School is not the cause.  Stopping the transfer of wealth from us to the 1% is the issue in this town.  Nichols School is a symptom of our leaders current and past actions that we are trying to highlight.

Over the last 10 years the city of Monona has given around $8.5 million to businesses in Monona.

This $8.5 million has come in form of grants, loans, property accusations and TIF districts.  The city has used the $8.5 million to buy-out broken businesses and spur growth of businesses they deem as suitable.  What about the rest of us who are working two jobs to maintain our homes?  What about the family whose house down the street is in foreclosure?

Think about it: we have given $8.5 million to Monona businesses over 10 years.  This equates to around $2,500 per household.

What did the 1% get out of that $8.5 million?

Is Nichols the next one on the list?

We are asking our leaders to spend money on and for the 1% when it comes to Nichols and not another developer.

What are your ideas for Nichols School that assists the 1%?

Occupy Nichols on November 18.

Announcing Occupy Nichols!

Occupy Nichols is a leaderless resistance movement with people of many colors, genders and political persuasions. The one thing we all have in common is that We Are The 99% that will no longer tolerate the greed and corruption of the 1%. We are using the revolutionary Arab Spring tactic to achieve our ends and encourage the use of nonviolence to maximize the safety of all participants.

Fact.  Nichols School has stood at the current location since 1869.  The facility and grounds have been used by the community for education for 142 years.  The current building was constructed in 1935.

Fact.  In October at the annual meeting of the Monona Grove School district approximately 40 citizens voted to allow the school board sell Nichols Schools.

Fact.  This means that .01% gave your rights away to the school board with little or no knowledge or information about the type of deal the district will get from the 1% for the property.   These 40 citizens were in large part politicians and administrators from Monona and the Monona Grove School Board.

Once again, wealth will be transferred from the 99% to the 1% - all in the name of progress and additional property taxes.  This leaderless movement is asking why not a senior center, a recreation center and youth center?  We want the building and grounds to be utilized for something that furthers US and not THEM.

Does this community NEED another drugstore, department store or condominium complex that is all financed with bonds from another TID?  Who pays for failed TID? The 99% who assume the risk - while the 1% assume the profits. What will the 99% receive from the selling of Nichols? A large candy bar at Halloween for our children?  We want more and ask our leaders to STOP the transfer of wealth.

Occupy Nichols will occur on 11/18/2011 at noon!

Please bring camping gear and equipment for at least a 5 day occupation.

Print your own 'Occupy Nichols' banner to place in your window, home, telephone   or wherever you can place it to spread the word.

Click on the image to print the full sized image.