The Occupy Chicago Collective

[OccupyChiMusicJunkie]

Proposal: The OccupyChicagoCollective

 

Purpose: To establish a circuit or “occupation” of venues in specific areas of the city to create interest and revenue for the movement every day.

 

Goals: Trying to reach and exceed the combined total of the fine cost of everyone who got arrested on Saturday night, and potentially once again the next time around.

 

Needs:

 

OccupyChicagoBooking Agents –

 

            We will undoubtedly need those who are good at speaking with venue and business owners to work out agreements that work in favor of the movement. The ideal conditions for this would be that

1. There is no cover charge


2. We get a percentage of the bar for fundraising profit.


3. We can book very frequently

 

OccupyChicagoPromoters –

 

Once these events are created, we need people to spread the awareness of the events to the general public and get them in participation. This will usually entail fliers, people to speak with radio personalities to air our advertisements, and getting us in local magazines and newspapers like the reader.

 

OccupyChicagoArtists –

 

            Let’s not forget the artists, and this can be artists of all kinds, but specifically for the purpose of setting up venues, we need musicians and bands. This way, once the show is booked, we can bring in people that are interested in the visual arts to showcase their work in a mini – gallery format. Anyone interested in the visual arts may also help greatly by creating backdrops, or using projector screens and lighting to create a visual element to the music. There has also been much talk of film festivals, and poetry readings. There really is no limit to our creative expression here. Everything is welcome.

 

OccupyChicagoFinanciers –

 

            In order to hit our goal of freeing the arrested of their debt, we will need an efficient budget strategy, and crunch the numbers to find out just exactly:

 

How many venues we need

How many bands we need

How many patrons we need

What percentage of profit we need from the bar (within reason)

 

In order to create an effective business model out of this. We do not want the talents of the people to go wasted, if we are making money we can see the concrete results of what we can do for the movement.

 

I personally have marked out a turf for the potential Collective home, onLincolnnearLincoln Park, Parkview, and OldTown. There are a lot of bars and venues here that have felt the recession as we have. I say that we petition them with the idea that they are also the 99%, and if they show solidarity with us then we will fill their bars every night with people.

What this will do is give the protesters and opportunity to have a recreational outlet that is both personal and inspiring, give them a goal to work towards, and not to mention, the money we spend getting tipsy goes right back into our pockets. This means that even people who are not there for Occupy Chicago are donating by being merry with us.

 

If this area does not work, we will scout and search for new areas. I say that we organize a team of booking agents or, people that are willing to go out to venues personally and represent the 99%. I believe it will look more professional if we do not simply have one person go out but have multiple people working on this.

If we have to rent the space ourselves, then we may need to look into committee members that can look for that as well.

[Billy]

     So we need to set up a business plan and get a revenue stream going so that we can pay the cops to take away our first amendment rights? Somehow that just isn't making any sense to me.

 

     If the cops are making money by locking us up will someone please explain what good sending 240 people to Grant park to get arrested is?

[OccupyChiMusicJunkie]

First off:

 

The "Cops" did not make a dime off of our arrests. It costs more to process the people arrested and pay the staff involved in that process than the total amount of the fines.

Secondly,

 

I am sorry that you do not feel for the 240 people that are now slapped with a 120 dollar fine that I will gladly help them pay instead of making each person bear that burden by themselves. I don't really give a damn whether the state made money or not, these are our brothers and sisters, and I stand by them.

 

Third,

this revenue does not necessarily have to go toward the fines, we can allocate it to many different places. The important thing to focus on here is that we can generate money at little to no cost to us.

[NoGvmnt]

People weren't slapped with a $120.00 fine, the $120.00 was what they would have paid had they not been I-bonded out (The bond would have been $1,200.00 and 10% of the $1,200.00 would have been $120.00).

 

The Maximum fine on this charge is $500.00, but from what I've heard the prosecutor is offering a plea deal of 15 hours community service at a non-profit.    Although I believe nobody should take this "deal" considering we were exercising our Constitutional Rights and should not be punished for doing so, However, the decision is up to each individual.

 

MusicJunkie, you really need to get your facts straight before posting.

 

Jim

[myanswer]

Can the community service be to our non-profit OccupyChi.org? I am willing to facilitate that if possible through a 501.(c)(3) organization. Please reply to s6kei@gmail.com or call 630.450.4154

[nonlinear]

Yeah damn. Having a non-profit set up for occupychi would really be a big middle finger on that one, wouldn't it? lol