Occupy Bangor

[herbertwest]

Stephen and Tabitha King released the following statement to the Occupy Bangor Media Working Group:

“It’s time for the wealthy to pay their fair share before the middle class becomes the forgotten class. And it’s time for the banks to give back what they were given. There are those in politics, particularly those on the conservative side, who can’t get enough of telling people that the wealthy one per cent must not be taxed because doing so kills jobs. The real job-killers are corporate greed and political expediency. It’s time for working people in Maine and all across the country to take back the American dream.”



http://occupybangor.org/announcements/stephen-king-says-its-time-to-take-back-the-american-dream

[Merlin1958]

Stephen and Tabitha King released the following statement to the Occupy Bangor Media Working Group:

“It’s time for the wealthy to pay their fair share before the middle class becomes the forgotten class. And it’s time for the banks to give back what they were given. There are those in politics, particularly those on the conservative side, who can’t get enough of telling people that the wealthy one per cent must not be taxed because doing so kills jobs. The real job-killers are corporate greed and political expediency. It’s time for working people in Maine and all across the country to take back the American dream.”



http://occupybangor.org/announcements/stephen-king-says-its-time-to-take-back-the-american-dream

Oh, Please!!!!!


LOL LOL LOL

[mae]

On a somewhat related note:

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-31749_162-57321395-10391698/stephen-king-lends-a-hand-to-maine-residents/

Just in time for winter, author Stephen King is stepping in to help struggling Maine residents buy heating oil.

The state is facing deep cuts to a federal heating oil assistance program.

The Maine native announced this week that his organization, The Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation, will team up with the three radio stations he owns in the Bangor area to raise $140,000 to buy heating oil for low-income residents.

King is asking listeners to donate $70,000, and the foundation will double it.

He tells the Bangor Daily News there is a "great need" for heating oil assistance as the price goes up and federal funding goes down.

"The cost goes up, the need goes up and the assistance goes down," he said. "That's the bottom line. That's what is happening."

The federal government told the Maine State Housing Authority that it should expect to receive $23 million in heating oil assistance this winter, down from $55.6 million last winter.

King just released a new novel, "11/22/63," about the events surrounding the assassination of John F. Kennedy.

According to Variety, a big screen adaptation of King's 1995 fantasy novel "Rose Madder" is in the works.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/11/10/us-stephenking-idUSTRE7A90E820111110

Suspense author Stephen King is scaring up money to help low-income residents in his home state of Maine after federal funding cuts for heating programs serving residents who are poor, disabled or elderly.

The Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation is working with the three Bangor, Maine, radio stations the writer also owns to try to raise at least $140,000 in coming weeks.

King, a part-time resident of the region, hopes that citizens will put up half of the amount, while the other half will be a matched donation coming from the foundation, he told a local newspaper on Tuesday.

"This economy is terrible and Tabitha and I both worry so much about Bangor because it truly is a working-class town," King told the Bangor Daily News. "We are always looking for ways to help, and right now this is a great need."

His effort comes after the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said it would provide Maine with $23 million in heating program funds this winter, less than half last year's aid of $55.6 million.

Poor, disabled or elderly people are those most affected by cuts to the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.

"Stephen and Tabitha are very dedicated to this," Anne Gabbianelli, news director at Bangor's WZON "The Pulse" Radio, said on Wednesday. "Our job now is to raise $70,000 so that they can match it."

WZON morning DJ Pat LaMarche said that, starting November 21, she will spend about a week living in a wooden shed outside the station to call attention to its "Help keep ME warm this winter" campaign.

She said the station in the last 24 hours had received many calls from people wanting to donate.

[Merlin1958]

The rich are great at pointing out impropieties, but not so good at alleviating them. If he is so damned concerned then he could easliy kick in the difference. Steve, we love ya, but STFU unless you're ready to "pony up".

[pathoftheturtle]

King is asking listeners to donate $70,000, and the foundation will double it.

The middle class is disappearing and, regardless of conservative talking points, the real job-killers in this country are corporate greed and political expediency. I couldn't agree more.

[mae]

http://bangordailynews.com/2011/12/15/energy/stephen-kings-radio-station-raises-an-extra-100000-in-home-heating-funds-shattering-goal/

An anonymous Californian has donated $50,000 to help heat the homes of Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program participants, with the condition that author Stephen King do the same.

King agreed, pushing his radio station’s fundraising goal for the program more than $100,000 over its goal, according to The Pulse “Morning Show” host Pat LaMarche.

Zone Radio, owned by Stephen and Tabitha King, has raised $241,820 for the Help Keep ME Warm This Winter campaign, shattering the original goal of $140,000.

“Tabby and I are grateful to everybody who worked to provide heat to people in our area who have come up short,” King said Thursday. “Hopefully next year there will be less need and more help from the state and local governments.”

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services notified MaineHousing that it should expect to receive $23 million in LIHEAP funds this winter, down from $55.6 million last year. Gov. Paul LePage said in November he would ask the Legislature for funds to bridge the gap. Congress was poised to restore some LIHEAP funding late Thursday, but U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, said it was not enough.

The radio station decided to contribute as well. As part of the fundraising effort, LaMarche spent a week living in a Hobbit Hole outside the studio in November to raise awareness.

In early December, the Lerner Foundation gave $46,000 toward the cause. That amount combined with the $24,000 that King’s radio stations raised from listeners. King had agreed to match up to $70,000 in donations.

With the match, the goal of $140,000 was met, and that was supposed to be the end of the fundraising, LaMarche said. That changed when the agent of the anonymous donor from California called.

LaMarche told the agent that the goal had already been reached.

“The donor’s rep responded that I should get ahold of my boss and ask him if he’d put up another [$50,000],” LaMarche said. King agreed, and the donor matched that amount.

In all, the King Foundation has contributed $120,000 to supplement LIHEAP funds.

Zone Radio General Manager Bobby Russell noted that the $24,000 in community support received a significant boost from larger donors.

“It’s been so nice to see folks of great means, first the Lerner Foundation and now this anonymous donor, kick in to make the generosity of the little guy go that much further,” Russell said Thursday.

[Brice]

:thumbsup:

[BROWNINGS CHILDE]

I am part of that forgotten middle class. I am going to wind up paying almost 50K in income tax this year. I know, that must seem like I make alot of money, but before you say that, you have to realize that I pay 1500 a month on my student loans that I had to take. Yep, no scholarships or free rides for me, despite my 4.0 GPA. Then throw in the 1000 a month in child care, of course my kids dont qualify for any breaks. Oh yeah, about 400 a month for health insurance, no chance of any assistance on that front.

Know what the greatest insult is? My stepdaughter doesn't even qualify for stafford student loans because of my income, so we have to take out private loans with about triple the interest rate.

So yeah, even though I make about 170K a year, we live paycheck to paycheck like everyone else, sometimes I think I would have been better off not going to school at all. I hate to say it, but sometimes I think it would be easier and less stressfull being poor.

Bottem line....the lower class AND the Upper class both want the middle class to foot the bill.

[OchrisO]

I'm pretty sure the lower class wants the upper class corporate elite (the greater than $250k guys) to foot the bill, but can't convince middle class republicans that it is a good idea. :)

Also, if you make greater than $157,000 a year, you are in the top 5% of income in the nation, making you a (albeit struggling), upper class citizen by most standards of class division for the United States. It would be like the upper class equivalent of lower middle class, though I have never heard it termed that. Upper middle class generally doesn't exceed 100k by much.

[BROWNINGS CHILDE]

I live in a 135K $ house, I am not upper class by any stretch of the imagination. The top 1% of this nation makes more than the entire 99% below them combined, and yet they pay an average of 5% income tax. I pay 33% income tax, this is the deciding factor for class division IMO.

[jhanic]

This thread seems to be getting more and more political in tone. I don't think this is the right forum for this discussion.

John

[BROWNINGS CHILDE]

Well, if you think it is off topic, thats cool, but then I might suggest you reread King's statement in the opening post.

[mtdman]

I am part of that forgotten middle class. I am going to wind up paying almost 50K in income tax this year. I know, that must seem like I make alot of money, but before you say that, you have to realize that I pay 1500 a month on my student loans that I had to take. Yep, no scholarships or free rides for me, despite my 4.0 GPA. Then throw in the 1000 a month in child care, of course my kids dont qualify for any breaks. Oh yeah, about 400 a month for health insurance, no chance of any assistance on that front.

Know what the greatest insult is? My stepdaughter doesn't even qualify for stafford student loans because of my income, so we have to take out private loans with about triple the interest rate.

So yeah, even though I make about 170K a year, we live paycheck to paycheck like everyone else, sometimes I think I would have been better off not going to school at all. I hate to say it, but sometimes I think it would be easier and less stressfull being poor.

Bottem line....the lower class AND the Upper class both want the middle class to foot the bill.


This doesn't add up. If you're paying $50k in taxes you're making a lot more than middle class income or you're not doing your taxes right.