Here’s a pretty flattering pic of my speech at the opening night of Stop the Machine in DC, part of the Occupy movement:

Disgruntled residents of the town with some of the highest property values in the United States are taking to the streets this Saturday. That’s right: Occupy the Hamptons is about to begin.

Or, more accurately, to the Wharf. In Sag Harbor. 4 pm Saturday. Bring clever signs and a sunny disposition.

This is being touted as a solidarity action with Occupy Wall Street. Indeed, many of the biggest Wall Street criminals sunk some of their ill-gotten loot into vacation homes on the East End of Long Island: Jim Chanos, Ron Perelman, Carl Icahn, Phil Facone, the infamous Koch Brothers. May I live long enough to see them and their ilk behind bars.

Beyond the link to big stolen money, the Hamptons have plenty of their own unique local issues and concerns to start a revolution over.

It might sound absurd to those who have cruised the streets lined with high-end luxury stores and layed on the beautiful beaches to think that Hamptonians have anything to be pissed off about. Scratch the surface of the summer playground for Manhattan’s boldface names, however, and you’ll find a lot of reasons for locals to want to overthrow the system.

The local political system is riddled with corruption. The Hamptons are, first and foremost, a beach resort—yet beachgoers are drowning because the town and villages say they can’t afford to pay some kid $10 an hour to work as a lifeguard. In a place with $20 million homes, there are no dedicated bike trails and few sidewalks. The East Hampton dump recently eliminated its housing goods exchange–which allowed the well-off to share furniture and other items with the less fortunate–was recently eliminated by budget cuts. Speaking of the dump, it’s closed on Wednesdays now. Did I mention that East Hampton claims it can’t afford to pick up residents’ trash?

Last fall, corrupt Republican pols even eliminated the pick-up of leaves. What are people supposed to do with their leaves? Shove ’em.

Meanwhile, Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids are raising havoc.

Poverty is no stranger to the “rich” Hamptons: 12.2% of the population and 10.3% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 20.5% of those under the age of 18 and 4.2% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

This isn’t Detroit or West Virginia. How can a region with a huge tax base be so poorly served?

One big reason is its status as a summer playground. Many of the high-end corporate-owned stores that dominate the village main drags (Hermes, for example, sells scarves that begin at $900 each) are only open three or four months out of the year. They’re there to make money from vacationers, with no commitment whatsoever to the community. They shut down over the winter, turning the strips into ghost towns, which deprives local-owned businesses from the chance to attract business. Even during the summer, many don’t bother to hire locals.

The result is that there is basically no work in the Hamptons. The Hamptons didn’t turn into a Third World economy by accident–it’s the result of intentional economic exploitation by corporations, in cooperation with corrupt and short-sighted local politicians and bureaucrats. The Hamptons needs commercial rent control. It should ban leases that aren’t year-round. All hiring should be of local residents. Taxes should be eliminated for the poor and middle-class and shifted to the rich assholes who let their nasty dogs shit all over the beaches during the summer.

Occupy the Hamptons!!!

Earlier this year I received a phone call that led to one of the more interesting cartooning assignments of my career. The set designer for the upcoming George Clooney-directed film “The Ides of March” was looking for background ephemera—newspaper clippings, photos, political cartoons—that might be taped, say, to the back of a seat in a campaign bus.

The movie takes place in Cincinnati, during a pivotal Ohio presidential primary. Philip Seymour Hoffman plays Paul Zara, a veteran political advisor to a John Edwards-like liberal Democrat played by George Clooney.

After a number of conversations, we decided that I would draw six political cartoons for the movie. They would be printed on newsprint and placed on the set as described above.

I read the script and tried to imagine what criticisms a political cartoonist might have about the two rival candidates (Morris vs. Pullman) in the race as well as other facets of the Ohio primary that might be of interest. Of course, these candidates were imaginary. It was weird, and very fun.

I was a little worried my cartoons would wind up, like many fine performances by actors, on the cutting-room floor. So I didn’t tell anyone about it. But I was lucky. Two of them are right there, in the second scene (and later on in the film as well). You can even read them if you see them in a theater with a sharply focused screen.

The best thing about drawing cartoons about imaginary politicians is that no one gets angry at you.

Here are all of the cartoons in full color, the way God intended them to be seen. Hope you enjoy them as much as I did creating them.

Last week’s eBay cartoon auction finished a few minutes ago. Final price was $113.00.

A new auction has just gone up.

Last week’s chosen topic, which is now online, was: “Democrats and Republicans agree: Obama has got to go!”

I have just posted a new cartoon auction on eBay. Starting bid is 99 cents; the Buy It Now price is $500.

Winner gets to pick the topic of the cartoon. She or he also may reprint it or donate the reprint rights. They also get the original cartoon artwork.

I also may syndicate the cartoons that result from this. So far all of them have been syndicated.

Of course, this is also a great way to support my work. Thanks for bidding!

I got quoted in
this piece on Russia Today:

Guest Blogger Susan here.

I don’t know what Ted’s policy is on criticizing other cartoonists, but I just had to respond to this one:

http://blog.cagle.com/2011/10/steve-jobs-capitalist-pig-2/

Yes, Steve Jobs was a capitalist pig, but unlike certain other capitalist pigs, Jobs never demanded nor received a no-strings-attached taxpayer-funded government bailout. Nor did he ever threaten to tank the economy if he didn’t receive this big, monstrous trillion dollar welfare check.

Some perspective please, Mr. Allie.

Despite reports to the contrary, the police have issued a four-month permit for us to remain. It is already assuming the character of an encampment.

Matt Bors brought Obama’s latest outrage to my attention.

Obama’s “Art Works for America” contest asks graphic designers to come up with a poster advocating the passage of his American Jobs Bill (never mind that it would not create any jobs). But I wouldn’t call it “Art Works.” “Work” implies pay. Here’s how much Obama is offering artists, who have been savaged by the Depression even worse than other workers:

Nothing.

Obama for America is seeking poster submissions from artists across the country illustrating why we support President Obama’s plan to create jobs now, and why we’ll re-elect him to continue fighting for jobs for the next four years.

Your poster can address the broader themes of the President’s plan or pinpoint a specific aspect, from supporting small businesses to rebuilding roads and bridges for the 21st century. For more on the desired specs, read the creative brief.

We’ll pick the 12 best submissions received by November 4th, 2011, then put the finalists to a vote. Three winners will receive a framed print of their poster signed by President Obama and a limited edition of their poster will be sold in the
campaign store.

The winner doesn’t even get to retain his or her own copyright.

This is the sort of vile “contest” you expect from a witch like Arianna Huffington, who doesn’t have a “model” that pays her bloggers and artists. I admit: I knew Obama was evil, but wow.

If you are an artist or know one, please pass this on. This is exactly the kind of disgusting “contest” that is killing the ability of talented artists to earn a living in the United States.

Obama plans to raise $1 billion for his 2012 campaign. Surely he can spare the standard rate for something like this: at least $50,000 (yes, really). Or something. Anything.

In the 1930s the federal government hired cartoonists and other artists. Now they’re wading into the private marketplace to destroy that.

It makes me wonder what kind of jobs Obama, who endorses slave labor for artists, wants for other Americans. What’s the point of a job that doesn’t pay? Exposure doesn’t pay rent.

He has a $1 billion budget.

Please pass it on.

Or at least licensed.

The National Parks Service license for the Occupation of Freedom Plaza (also known as the October 2011 Stop the Machine protest) officially expired at 2 pm. Just before, protest organizers sat down with the cops, who offered them a four-month extension (!). This was greeted with enthusiasm at the General Assembly. So the encampment is safe from arrests, at least until things get seriously cold in Washington.

No one asked me—I wasn’t in the inner circle of planners—but I would never have applied for a permit in the first place, and I certainly wouldn’t have entered private discussions with the Parks Police (even though they do have those cute Smokey the Bear hats) which led to an offer we would have looked churlish to refuse.

The authorities were brilliant; they look calm and reasonable and a militant occupation that sought confrontation with a despotic system has magically turned into a campground. Oh, well, make sure you take your garbage out when you leave.

If the 1O11STM is to move forward, grow and ultimately confront the system, it will need to find militancy and excitement in its offsite (not at Freedom Plaza) actions. Which, according to one principal organizer I talked to today, is what is intended.

We shall see.

Much has already changed; this was supposed to be about the Afghanistan War and nothing else, and now Afghanistan is scarcely mentioned specifically (though militarism is).

Now there are two occupations: Occupy DC in McPherson Park eight blocks away, and us. Occupy DC has the anarchists and the homeless and the young scruffy kids. They also have the energy. We have organization and experience from the Reagan and Clinton eras, but we are lacking the joyful spirit of the Occupy people. Obviously we need both, together. We should merge.

At this point there are hundreds of Occupys around the nation. It is clear that I am not needed here, that this occupation will be here for a while. DC is only a train ride away. Like the workers councils in Russia called the soviets, which became the basis of the Russian Revolution, this movement is local. Sooner rather than later, it will be time for me to join or start a local occupation closer to home.

This revolution is chaotic, sloppy, wanky and annoying. Aren’t they all?