Video Suggests Another Approach to Occupying Wall Street – Send Them Garbage
EmailArtie Moffa wanted to occupy Wall Street, but his day job was getting in the way. Instead, the San Franciscan poet and SAT tutor devised a way he could keep Wall Street occupied from the comfort of his home and office.
All that’s required is a little junk mail.
“I kept getting all of these credit card mailers,” Moffa told ABCNews.com. “It struck me as tone deaf that banks would continue hawking their wares in the midst of all of this.”
But Moffa took an old idea and applied it to the Occupy movements, teaching viewers of his YouTube video how they could use prepaid envelopes intended for credit card applications to send a message to the banks.
Moffa doesn’t just want viewers to include just a letter, though.
He suggested bulking the envelope up with other papers and objects, such as a piece of wood that would make the envelope rigid and heavier, costing the banks more.
But running up the postage is not the primary purpose, just a secondary bonus.
“When they get a few dozen roofing shingles, a few hundred wood shims and a few thousand empty envelopes, they’re probably going to have a meeting about it,” he said in the video. “This is an opportunity for a dialogue.”
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Brilliant!!!
Posted by: H S Johnson | October 28, 2011, 7:17 pm 7:17 pm
Wonderful!! I also used to use those mailers to send them back puppymill information.
Posted by: Debra | October 28, 2011, 7:27 pm 7:27 pm
Also a way to help the post office!
Posted by: leopardlover31 | October 28, 2011, 7:42 pm 7:42 pm
I have about 200 small rigid letter sized lead plates I’m going to use with this lol. message included?
Y U MAD BRO? #OWS
Those in the mailroom, we salute you #ows
Posted by: edenscancer | October 28, 2011, 8:03 pm 8:03 pm
Nice. Great to see ingenious methods of sending a peaceful but powerful and personal message to the collective credit cronies. I hope everyone sends in at least one!
Posted by: @wesome | October 28, 2011, 8:49 pm 8:49 pm
I used to do something that I got the idea for from George Carlin. Now I’m thinking I should do it again.
If you get junk mail with return envelopes from five different companies, send them to each other.
Company A’s ad goes in the envelope for company B, whose ad goes to company C, whose ad goes to D, and so on until you’ve cleared out your junk.
And it makes you feel better!
Posted by: Wayne R | October 28, 2011, 10:07 pm 10:07 pm
“Artie Moffa wanted to occupy Wall Street, but his day job was getting in the way” – LoL. You job is getting in the way?!?! Quit those evil jobs then!!! Oh yeah, they might repo your car.
Posted by: DanielC | October 28, 2011, 10:41 pm 10:41 pm
Haha… I’ve done the same for years, but I send their ads back after they’ve gone through my shredder.
Posted by: Bob | October 29, 2011, 1:14 am 1:14 am
Well just because he has a job doesn’t nean he can’t support the movement. Working for a Mon and Pop store isn’t supporting one of the 1% ers. Don’t lose track of what this is about. useing the prepaid envelopes where available and stuff them with all those flyers and other junk mail of the right size.
Posted by: D Mayeda | October 29, 2011, 1:27 am 1:27 am
I’ve been doing this for YEARS!
Next step is to FLOOD ALL the ATM machines and continually and very slowly just do transactions like check your balances and deplete all the paper from the machines. Yes it’s non Green, but neither is War.
Also………a group of 10-200 people could Occupy ATM machines all day just in order to disrupt the service for other patrons. Try it!
Posted by: MOE | October 29, 2011, 1:32 am 1:32 am
Funny how when they send this stuff to us it’s bulk mail and advertising but when we send it back to them it becomes ‘garbage?’ Maybe I’ll put back some change to tape into the envelopes when I send it back as a tip the 99%ers who are stuck in the mailroom at the processing center.
Posted by: heatherh | October 29, 2011, 2:28 am 2:28 am
I love this!!! I get junk mail almost every day from two companies that are in competition with each other. This would be perfect.
Posted by: howdymo1 | October 29, 2011, 8:46 am 8:46 am
Wonderful idea – this is epic… Just think when the billing for the mail arrives and the “targeted” companies have to pay this bill. Wish I could see the looks on their faces when they figure out how to pay it. Oh yeah – don’t they just pass expenses down to the consumers by raising “fees”? So – in the end the consumer pays (again) and corporations get a nice right-off. Magnificent idea – this will help increase corporate profits and raise the costs of doing business for consumers. I can’t wait to contribute to this movement – you guys are truly thinking ahead on this one. I am now a “100% bona fide” (read “bonehead) OWS supporter – where do I sign up?
Posted by: JustWondering | October 29, 2011, 11:35 am 11:35 am
Along with morons who boycott Walmart and other huge corporations. What exactly are you trying to accomplish? Do you think the CEO’s or the Bank presidents are going to take a pay cut to compensate for the costs that you are giving them?? Never! You obviously think they are heartless people, and you may be right… You will never hurt them. They will just raise fees… Lay off workers, or make other cuts…. You are hurting no one except yourselves… But, hey… if it makes you feel good that you are “sticking it to them”, go right ahead. Hopefully no one you know gets laid off or fired because you are stupid.
Posted by: Steve | October 29, 2011, 10:15 pm 10:15 pm
“Do you think the CEO’s or the Bank presidents are going to take a pay cut to compensate for the costs that you are giving them??” More then likely they’ll never even see them, as the post office can and probably does simply dispose of those bulk mail rate items that don’t conform with the intent of the bulk mailing permit per USPS mailing requirements. As to the poster who planned to send rigid metal plates, does he or she REALLY think that will get past the post-9/11 screening?
Posted by: Publius | October 30, 2011, 2:45 am 2:45 am
I have been doing this for years- not only w banks. I wonder if dept of homeland insecurity can do anything if you put a little talcum powder in the envelope?
Posted by: Karl G | October 30, 2011, 12:29 pm 12:29 pm
Forget the talcum powder:
“In recent months, approximately 40 individuals have been charged with anthrax hoaxes and threats with penalties ranging from a maximum of 5 years imprisonment and up to $250,000 fine. FBI Director Robert S. Mueller warned that the FBI has and will continue to vigorously investigate and arrest those individuals who commit these crimes. Mueller said “we will not tolerate these serious violations of federal law. These investigations place a severe strain on law enforcement and public health resources and violators will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Posted by: Floretta | October 30, 2011, 12:51 pm 12:51 pm
Sounds like a nice idea, but sadly, the cost will only be passed to us. I would figure if they are like my company, we deduct the cost of the postage as advertising expenses. As a previous poster said.. do you think the President is going to take a cut in pay?? Probably lay off one of the tellers.
Posted by: anotherday | October 30, 2011, 8:15 pm 8:15 pm
Yes! lets All Do It, don’t Worry About Who the cost Will Be Passed On or not, LETS JUST DO IT.
Posted by: charity0316 | October 30, 2011, 10:43 pm 10:43 pm
Just a simple slip of paper with the same hand written message over and over is the best approach. Also more likely to be delivered and opened.
Posted by: Moby49 | October 31, 2011, 9:15 am 9:15 am
You people in favor of this can’t really believe the company foots the bill for this, can you? All of the costs of doing business are paid by the consumer. So these postage bills are going to be paid by you or your friend or your neighbor in the form of higher fees. Of course, sometimes an expense is offset by layoffs. I have to admit that the idea is appealling in a knee-jerk sort of way, though.
Posted by: roberto | October 31, 2011, 9:34 am 9:34 am
What stupidity? I have read several replys to this stupid story, and have come to one very obvious fact, and that is there are some very dumb people out there. Do something more constructive with your time rather the some juvenile stupidity.
Posted by: Clarence | October 31, 2011, 12:04 pm 12:04 pm
use prepaid envelopes intended for credit card applications to send a message to the banks.
>>> FYI This is agains the law.
>>> Oh yea, muching up the post office to punish Wall Street.. Sooooo, productive. Just go home and beat your dog….makes as much sense.
Posted by: frank | October 31, 2011, 12:46 pm 12:46 pm
You can tell which posters are neocons.What they say is untrue.They are posting on behalf of banks and neocon bussiness
Posted by: Maurice | October 31, 2011, 1:58 pm 1:58 pm
Quite a novel notion! Also, one may consider sending them stuff striaght from the garbage dump itself. It will be nice to mail malodorous and mangled insect corpses (cockroach may be an idea) in the pre-paid envelops.
Posted by: Marat | October 31, 2011, 2:29 pm 2:29 pm
I know this sounds like a good idea……and it is up until you said put other stuff in the envelope besides paper. You will cause all kinds of problems for the post office machines, and many will not make it to the intended people. I don’t know about you but I have no beef with the folks at the USPS.
Posted by: Mark | October 31, 2011, 2:37 pm 2:37 pm
“You can tell which posters are neocons.What they say is untrue.” Such as…?
Posted by: Publius | October 31, 2011, 3:28 pm 3:28 pm
This is stupid. First of all, sending objects back like that could get the police involved; thinking you’re sending something harmful back to the company. Not to mention problems with the post office and their equipment. Secondly, if you don’t like junk mail, call the company to opt out of marketing. It’s pretty simple. Any extra costs they incur are going to be passed right back to the consumer. Some people just don’t think about what they’re doing. Dumbest idea ever.
Posted by: Ziggy | November 1, 2011, 1:59 pm 1:59 pm
I loved this idea when Andy Rooney of 60 minutes proposed it years ago. It’s still brilliant and it gets the trash out of my house. For all you nay-sayers out there, yes, the CEOs never see it. Yes, the cost to the company is minimal. Yes, it is sophomoric. But it was right when Andy Rooney, then in his 80s, proposed it but now it is wrong because it’s associated with OWS? Get a grip and a clue.
Posted by: KD | December 20, 2011, 2:17 pm 2:17 pm