GlamGori

bluntlyblue:

howtosharpenpencils:

This is a long post but it’s about something pretty interesting so I hope you’ll indulge …

Like many folks, Occupy Wall Street has been some doing good work in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, helping people on the ground.

Now OWS is launching theROLLING JUBILEE, a program that has been in development for months. OWS is going to start buying distressed debt (medical bills, student loans, etc.) in order to forgive it.As a test run, we spent $500, which bought $14,000 of distressed debt. We then ERASED THAT DEBT.(If you’re a debt broker, once you own someone’s debt you can do whatever you want with it — traditionally, you hound debtors to their grave trying to collect. We’re playing a different game. A MORE AWESOME GAME.)

This is a simple, powerful way to help folks in need —to free them from heavy debt loads so they can focus on being productive, happy and healthy.As you can see from our test run, the return on investment approaches30:1. That’s a crazy bargain!

Now, after many consultations with attorneys, the IRS, and our moles in the debt-brokerage world,we are ready to take the Rolling Jubilee program LIVE and NATIONWIDE, buying debt in communities that have been struggling during the recession.

We’re kicking things off with a show calledTHE PEOPLE’S BAILOUTat Le Poisson Rouge on Thursday, November 15. It will alsostream online, like a good ol’-fashioned telethon!

Friends, the line-up is insane. Performers include:

- JEFF MANGUM(Neutral Milk Hotel)

- JANEANE GAROFALO

- GUY PICCIOTTO(Fugazi)

- LIZZ WINSTEAD

- HARI KONDABOLU

- TUNDE ADEBIMPEandKYP MALONE(TV on the Radio)

- members ofDAS RACIST

and other great talents including a group of radical nuns!I’ll be playing the role of JERRY LEWIS, emceeing in my tuxedo from MEN’S WEARHOUSE.

This will be a joyful, positive night about people banding together and subverting a predatory financial system in order to help each other. BOOM! That’s a movie pitch right there, goddamn why am I not a Hollywood mogul?!

Anyway,HERE IS THE INFORMATIONaboutTHE PEOPLE’S BAILOUT:

- TheLIVE SHOWis at Le Poisson Rouge on THURSDAY 11/15, 8 - 11 PM.Tickets are $25(each ticket buys $500 of distressed debt).

- TheLIVE STREAMwill be athttp://rollingjubilee.org(you’ll be able to donate online)

- Here’s theFACEBOOK PAGE

- TheHASHTAGis #peoplesbailout

HOW YOU CAN HELP:

-Spread the word!Share this info with your friends, family, and followers
-Donate moneyviahttp://rollingjubilee.org

$25 abolishes an estimated $500 worth of debt
$50 abolishes an estimated $1000 worth of debt
$100 abolishes an estimated $2000 worth of debt
$250 abolishes an estimated $5000 worth of debt

-Host a live-stream party!Get together with folks in your town and watch the show online and donate money and maybe even drink a beer if you’re feeling crazy.

-If you are Jerry Seinfeld or Bill Cosby:Call me about doing a set at the live show! We’ll fit you in.

Okay, that was a really long tumblr post. I feel very vulnerable right now. Thanks for reading.

Bye!
—David Rees

I still want to side-eye OWS, but this is actually pretty fucking awesome.

This is a great idea, but I just can’t believe that it’s that easy.