By Susan Frick Carlman
Naperville (IL) Times, November 14, 2011
Occupy Naperville has settled in.
Now a month old, the Saturday morning demonstration against economic inequality that operates under the credo “we are the 99 percent” continues to attract several dozen participants to its weekly walk from Ogden Avenue into the retail core and back.
About 55 people came to last weekend’s protest, a slightly smaller group than the 70 who had taken part in each of the previous two weeks. The demonstrators again processed to the amphitheater on the Riverwalk to share ideas.
By group vote during each week’s general assembly, the participants are building a platform. They agreed at an early gathering to support the effort to reinstitute a limit on corporate campaign donations. Last time they adopted support for a single-payer health care system, making that another tenet of the local movement.
“Another way to say that is improved Medicare for all,” said Warrenville resident Steve Alesch, 56, a software engineer and founding member of the Occupy Wall Street movement’s Naperville arm. “There’s no political will in the current makeup of the Congress and the White House … they’re not representing the 99 percent on that.”
Addressing the group Saturday for a second consecutive week was Winfield resident Dirk Enger, who serves on the DuPage County Board. He said he doesn’t agree with all of the protesters’ issues, but he supports the movement itself and encourages citizens to speak out.
“When you really look at it, all they’re asking for is (for) people that they elect to keep their word, and they’re not getting that,” said Enger, 50. “A Congress that comes to work 125 days a year is a disgrace. They’re absolutely right. I also stand strongly against the bailout of Wall Street.”
The marchers also agreed during their general assembly to seek a waiver that would let them use a bullhorn earlier than the noon start time stipulated in the city code, and they made plans to host a food drive in support of local hunger relief.
“There was talk of moving the time due to the (bullhorn) permit restrictions, but the GA voted to try and work with the city instead,” said Evelyn Thompson, 22, a Naperville resident and another of the local organizers. “Future locations were discussed for winter contingency plans — members will collect various ideas and present them to a vote at next Saturday’s GA.”
Alesch acknowledged that as the weather turns colder, it will make sense to have an indoor option for the general assembly. Discourse goes on continuously at the group’s website, www.occupynaperville.org, which has a link to its Facebook group, but all of the voting takes place at the weekly gatherings.
“I would certainly support marching rain or shine,” Alesch said. “I think it’s important to continue having a presence in the community every week.”
Eventually the local group will devise a set of core positions to be shared with candidates in next year’s elections.
“I think we’re going to have a positive impact on the elections in 2012,” Alesch said of the nationwide movement, which has triggered protests in more than 100 U.S. cities. “I would think it’s going to change the presidential election. It needs to.”