Occupy Vancouver U.S.A. survives first birthday

Happy anniversary, Occupy Vancouver U.S.A..
Today marks the one-year anniversary of when the local manifestation of Occupy Wall Street stunned local authorities and reporters’ expectations with a 700-person march Oct. 15, 2011 in downtown Vancouver, as part of the worldwide march against corporate money in politics.
The group briefly considered disbanding last month, as it lacked focus and commitment from many members. But Occupy members voted Sept. 20 to persist with their movement. The group still doesn’t have a focus for change. It’s still looking for one.
Meanwhile, the reporters at The Columbian are busy writing election stories for the Nov. 6 vote. Part of our coverage includes reporting how much each candidate has raised for their campaign.
One contention of the Occupy movement has been that politicians are beholden to those who donate to their campaigns and as result, cannot, or do not, always represent and vote in the interests of ordinary constituents.
Some of the local legislative candidates we’re writing about have raised nearly six digits in money for their campaigns. What about getting the money out of local politics? Could Clark County be a microcosm of what the Occupy movement would like to see nationwide?
In the meantime, Occupy Vancouver has reduced its regular general assembly meetings from monthly to quarterly. The next meeting is in January. Date, time and place are to be determined.
To join the group or join in on their online forum, sign up on Facebook or check for updates on the group’s website.