Thursday October 11, 2012, 8:28 am
30,000 Tell Eric Schneiderman: We Need a Real Wall St Investigation
(DETAILS DEVELOPING – WILL HAVE MORE THROUGHOUT THE WEEK – YOU CAN SIGN OUR LETTER TO ERIC SCHNEIDERMAN HERE – PLEASE SEND ANY INQUIRIES TO INFO@OTHER98.COM)

Over 30,000 Americans have signed our letter to Financial Fraud Task Force chair Eric Schneiderman over the last month, urging him to bring forth serious, federal criminal indictments of major US banks for fraud before time runs out. That still hasn’t happened. That’s why we just gave him 30,000 letters from our members in response.

Tuesday morning, two activists with The Other 98%, Samantha Corbin and Nicole Carty, arrived at Attorney General Schneiderman’s office to let him know that over 30,000 people have urged him to bring forth serious criminal indictments of the Wall Street fraud that wrecked the global economy, before the five-year statute of limitations on mortgage fraud runs out. We also personally delivered to the taskforce your testimonials of how the economic collapse has affected your life and the justice that you want to see.

Just last week, when we first delivered our letter, it had 18,000 signatures – the outcry just keeps getting louder. Here’s the key text of the open letter we sent him:

“It’s time to indict Wall Street for mortgage fraud or resign from the Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force – the statutes of limitations are running out on some of the worst crimes from the financial crisis, and we need you to take action on the biggest banks and worst offenders now, or step down in protest as you tell us why not.”

This issue isn’t going away. In just one week our petition jumped over 10,000 signatures. Clearly, this is an issue that the people care about, personally and deeply. The people want real justice for Wall Street’s financial recklessness; for 30,000 of you, that means bringing federal, criminal charges.

We asked our members why they need an investigation – and included excerpts from their stories in our package to NY AG Schneiderman. You can find them throughout this page.

It has become painfully clear that moneyed interests have brought us a two-tiered legal system and, instead of being a country of laws, we have now become mostly a country of men; a few of whom can behave as they please with few, if any, negative consequences. This is not the system I inherited from my parents, but unless good men start to do something, it will be what my children inherit.
- Melissa Peters; Henrico, VA

I volunteer doing back office clerical support at a small local non-profit trying to relieve poverty by distributing second hand goods including clothing and household goods, and helping clients with certain bills, mostly for winter heat, and year-round electric bills. The mess those banksters made of the economy has dumped a whole lot more work on Windham Area Interfaith Ministry since there are more poor people needing more help than ever. And that mess also makes fund-raising more difficult since those who usually donate are less able to do so now, since their incomes are down also.
Grace Adams; Willimantic, CT

We at the Other 98% aren’t going to let Eric Schneiderman forget that the people are expecting real justice. We will keep going back so that Schneiderman knows that we won’t let Wall Street get away with this, that we know his taskforce can deliver real justice, and that all of us watching to make sure it does just that.

Mr. Schneiderman, don’t go down in history as one of the good ol’ boys who did the wrong thing…Special interest money and government corruption have reached new heights in our country and people are not going to tolerate it anymore.
- Deborah DeVane; Gainesville, VA

Schneiderman is the people’s lawyer—he needs to bring The People’s Justice.

If you haven’t already, make sure you sign the petition. Share your story and let task force chair Eric Schneiderman know what Justice looks like to you. We’ll make sure he gets the message.

I am much distressed by the ever increasing gap in our justice system between the consequences to those that have money, power and influence, and the rest of us. When Richard Nixon was not held to account for his crimes when I was a young man, I thought it outrageous that the dignity of an ordinary citizen was valued less than that of a powerful man; that the citizen would go to jail for his crime, while the affront to the Nixon’s dignity was seen as punishment enough. This insidious trend only escalated in the decades since, and the the corresponding sense of entitlement now seems to know no bounds. Of course this is wrong, and correcting it is of now small importance to getting the justice system back on track.
- Carl Schwensohn; Minneapolis, MI

I am a lawyer and solo practitioner, as is my husband. So our children would not incur huge debts in student loans, we refinanced our home several times, to help them get through college. When Wall Street crashed, we were unable to make mortgage payments because our clientele was out of work and unable to afford attorneys.

We were in that home for 30 years. We raised our children in that house. We are in our 60′s. We lost that home because we could not afford the mortgage payments and, ultimately, because of the economy, had to file bankruptcy — a humiliating experience at our age, to say the least.

More “Occupiers” have gone to prison then the Wall Street financiers who caused the crash and the resultant “great recession.” When will someone from Wall Street go to prison for the underhanded, fraudulent conduct which wrecked our economy and so many lives? Put the real criminals in prison, not the people who protest their criminal conduct.
- Eleanor Miller; Phoenix, AZ

For anyone who knew about the robo-signing and illegal foreclosures, jail time certainly seems to be in order. And without question, fines with real teeth with the money going to those who lost their homes or are in or near foreclosure proceedings should be meted out.
- Joe Magrid; Ithaca, NY

I know you don’t want to bite the hand that feeds you. Do it because it is right.
- Russell Vacanti; Willow Spring, NC

Thursday October 11, 2012, 8:51 am
"No Banker is too Big to Jail" America needs answers and Action!

Thursday October 11, 2012, 8:59 am

I signed this in my personal emails. I just don't think our Congress has done any investigations that are meaningful in many years. Each they do has a very partisan take, that is not how we gain insight, facts or truth. Very disappointing.

Thursday October 11, 2012, 9:54 am
You cannot currently send a star to Kit because you have done so within the last week.
You cannot currently send a star to Sue because you have done so within the last week.

Saturday October 13, 2012, 4:09 am
And we keep electing them over and over. Term limits anyone?

Saturday October 13, 2012, 4:54 am
Liked on FB.

Saturday October 13, 2012, 5:07 am
Can't sign as not a US citizen. Wish you luck.

Saturday October 13, 2012, 7:05 am
Thanks Alexandra!

Saturday October 13, 2012, 12:34 pm
Democratic politicians talk about bringing banksters to justice. Tell me any mortgage banks that have been held to account for this major fraud? Only individuals have been prosecuted like Madoff.

But these same DA's wouldn't hesitate to give a black or hispanic youth major time for having a little pot. Our hero Bill Clinton jailed more blacks during his years than any other president. I shudder for this country if there is a god and he brings justice to our country.

Saturday October 13, 2012, 1:08 pm
Nothing stops Obama from issuing an executive order establishing a moratorium on foreclosures. This moratorium would be very stimulative to the economy. Hillary Clinton promised this when she ran.

Instead, this president easily unilaterally bombs Libya, use drones to kill American citizens without a jury trail, conviction, or a sentence. He signs executive orders to jail Americans who he accuse of being terrorist. Then there his kill list.

But when it comes to something fundamental as keeping American families in their homes; he sides with the banks. Here is someone who occupies public housing at the pleasure of American taxes being so uncaring when it comes to the suffering of homeowners.

Saturday October 13, 2012, 2:22 pm
Thanks for joining the cause!
Washington, and I mean both Parties have sold us down the drain. None of this should of been allowed to happen.

Saturday October 13, 2012, 2:23 pm
You cannot currently send a star to Dandelion because you have done so within the last week.

Saturday October 13, 2012, 9:53 pm
Noted & thanks, J.L. I think I signed this, but wasn't sure, so I signed. All we can do is keep applying pressure to our Congress critters and the Pres. to bring these criminals to justice. We must be as relentless as they are greedy. And, of course we should inform others every chance we get.

Saturday October 13, 2012, 10:09 pm
You cannot currently send a star to Lois because you have done so within the last week. Good ideas Lois!

Sunday October 14, 2012, 7:27 am

Signed

Sunday October 14, 2012, 8:37 am
You cannot currently send a star to paul because you have done so within the last week.

Sunday October 14, 2012, 9:45 am
Signed & Twittered
For those of you in Canada like me who want to sign try 99999 or 77777. That usually works.

Sunday October 14, 2012, 9:50 am
You cannot currently send a star to Michael because you have done so within the last week. Thanks for helping others who aren't US residents have a way to engage if they so choose!

Sunday October 14, 2012, 11:39 am
Signed and liked and shared on facebook.

Sunday October 14, 2012, 2:35 pm
We are a patient 'lot',
but come on, now, this is 2012, not 1912.

Do you think we will forget and/or become to old to care?

Sunday October 14, 2012, 2:40 pm
You cannot currently send a star to Charlene because you have done so within the last week.