AMERICAN POLITICS:

BANKER GUILTY AS CHARGED:

The following item is from the AFL-CIO Blog. It describes a recent action in the city of Madison Wisconsin where a mock trial of JP Morgan Chase executive Jamie Dimon. The action was part of an extended campaign to put pressure on American financial institutions to create jobs.

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JPMorgan Chase Greed Brings ‘Guilty’ Verdict

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon was found guilty yesterday of conspiracy to wreck the economy, destroy jobs and the immoral use of taxpayer bank bailout money for millions in Wall Street bonuses.

The courtroom was on a Madison Wis., street in front a JPMorgan Chase bank branch and the jury included dozens of union and community activists. The street theater was part of the AFL-CIO union movement’s two weeks of action across the country to Make Wall Street pay to create jobs and fix they economy they ravaged.

Jim Cavanaugh, president of the South Central Federation of Labor, which organized the curbside drama, says:

We bailed out Wall Street now its time for Wall Street to bail out Main Street.

More than 200 “Good Jobs Now, Make Wall Street Pay” actions are planned through March 25. The rallies and marches will demand that the Big Six Wall Street banks–Bank of America, Citibank, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley and Wachovia-Wells Fargo–take the following actions:
**Pay their fair share to restore the jobs their actions destroyed.
**Stop their multi-million dollar lobbying blitz to kill financial reform.
**Start lending to communities, small businesses and others starved for credit.

Also yesterday, union members distributed leaflets in front of JPMorgan Chase branch in Baton Rouge, La., and rallied at a Bank of America office in Charleston, S.C. Today union activists in Butte, Mont., will march in the town’s St. Patrick’s Day parade carrying “Make Wall Street Pay” signs and banners. This afternoon, the West Virginia AFL-CIO, along with community allies, staged a rally in front a Wells Fargo/Wachovia Bank in Charleston.

Find out about events in your area here. If you take part in an event, be sure to send us your photo or video here.

You also can tell Wall Street executives to pony up and create good jobs by sending a letter urging them to do the right thing. Just click here.

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The Letter

I have to admit that I have my doubts about this one. Petitioning bankers to go against their self interest is something like petitioning the Devil to cease being the High Lord of Hell. Still, for what it is worth you can go to this link to send the following letter to assorted lords of finance.

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Dear [ Wall Street Banker ],
I am part of the fight to create the 11 million good jobs America needs--and I call on you and all the big Wall Street banks to:

1. Pay your fair share to restore the jobs you destroyed.

2. Stop fighting financial reform.

3. Start lending to communities, to small business and to others starved for credit so they can create jobs.
Sincerely,

[Your name]

[Your address]