Editorial:

A year ago it was our belief that all we had to do was survive until the second half of 2011 and we would start to see the economy turn for the better. We thought that if we survived until now, we would have made it: business would start to pick up, the dramatic cuts to services and education would stop, and there would be more jobs for all. We couldn’t have been more wrong!

   From our perspective nothing has changed. In fact it has gotten worse. The outlook is collectively depressing. The unemployment numbers haven’t changed, home values continue to drop, education and social service cuts continue with more on the horizon, and every day we say goodbye to another business closing.

   At the same time the cost for staples continue to rise. Gasoline hit $100 a barrel this week which means gas at the pump is up, the cost of gas and electricity, water all going up. Meanwhile our paychecks have either stayed the same over the years for the lucky ones, for the rest we are taking home less money as we pay more for our benefits.

   So what has all this brought about? It has brought about Occupy America where middle class America, with very few outlets to express outrage, have taken to camping out at city hall, Wall Street, or Silicone Valley to vent their frustration. It has manifested itself into student protest at the Regents meeting this week, or on campus as once again their tuition was raised by 9%. San Diego City Schools may go bankrupt when the state slashes their budget, AGAIN! So middle class America has had it and wants something done and the only way they have vent their frustration is by occupying America.

   How do the politicians handle the Occupy movement?  Well, at first they tolerated it but now two months later they have decided it is time to move the Occupy people off the steps of City Hall in paramilitary like style, early in the morning with overwhelming police force.

   These actions by local authorities deny the protestors their First Amendment rights of free speech and the right to peaceful assembly. In America these rights cannot be denied, these are the founding principles of this country and to deny these rights is un-Constitutional.

   Occupy America lawyers across the country have already filed lawsuits challenging the police actions and we are anxious to see how the courts interpret the law of free speech versus the police stated unsanitary situation which called for police action.

   Occupy American may not have a defined goal, with the exception of having the top 1% pay their fair share, but they do represent a broad sense of helplessness by a growing majority of the people.  If the politicians don’t tap into this sentiment soon and call for change, this Occupy Movement will only grow to the point that there could be some serious protesting across the country as more and more hard lines begin to get physical – like the recent police actions.

   No, this is not how we saw the second half the year play out at all…