As the rain stopped and the sunlight broke out from the clouds, seven islanders stood in Waterfront Park with cardboard signs calling for peace, change, support of the Occupy Wall Street Movement, and also the removal of Ed DeMarco.
“We want someone that will do his job,” said Organizer Sharon Abreu. “Homeowners are struggling to make ends meet. Helping them means saving their homes, stabilizing the market, and helping to get the economy back on track for everyone.”
This gathering is one of 200 “Save Our Home” rallies for MoveOn.org’s campaign asking President Obama to remove DeMarco as head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, and make Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, government-controlled mortgage lenders, change their policy to provide relief to the ten million Americans struggling with mortgage debt.
DeMarco, who was appointed by former President George W. Bush, won’t adjust mortgages to reflect declining home values, according to MoveOn.org, the nonprofit aimed at giving Americans a voice in a political process dominated by big money and armies of lobbyists. The organization said adjusting mortgage rates would give people more money to spend, thus sparking the economy.
Abreu said that MoveOn.org is a democratic organization, but this is not a bipartisan issue.
“I am here as simply a concerned citizen,” she said.
Morgan Meadows held a sign reading “Imagine ‘We the People’ in Action.” She was demonstrating because she almost lost her home a year ago.
“It took me ten months to retrieve it,” said Meadows. “The community held a benefit to help, that’s why I am standing up for the Occupy [Wall Street] Movement and for today’s theme.”
Meadows is also an organizer of the rally through the group called “Occupy Together,” which alerts and brings together locals for events that pertain to the Occupy Wall Street Movement.
“Having your home – it’s a human right and being protected from losing your home shouldn’t be so hard,” she said.
She hopes that the rally will show that they care about people and that they want people to be able to keep their homes, whether it be on the island or anywhere else in the country.
Abreu also said that although she lives on an island, she feels connected to people struggling with foreclosure across the nation.
“They bail out banks, but people loose their homes, it’s crazy,” Abreu said. “We need to be fair, sane and compassionate. As a country this is unacceptable. We want to raise awareness. We can’t just accept what is happening.”
In honor of the rally, Abreu wrote a song and the demonstrators merrily lent their voices to the tune.
“Make the CEO’s sell their 3rd and 4th homes … Split up the banks and big think tanks, give the people back their homes,” Abreu sang while strumming her guitar. “It’s up to us, time to make a fuss.”
And when one woman walked past the rally and said “I just don’t know anything about this issue,” Abreu and the other islanders held their signs higher and said, “Now you do.”
MoveOn.org plans to give a 60,000 signature petition to the White House calling for DeMarco’s removal. To get involved visit www.moveon.org.
To see San Juan Count “Trustees’ Sales,” or what Abreu said are foreclosures now up for auction visit http://www.co.san-juan.wa.us/auditor/recordsearch.aspx, click on “all types,” from the drop down menu, then choose “Trustee’s Sale” and hit the “enter” key.
To see Abreu and the demonstrators singing visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9GE7q-jXiw.
