Queena Kim

Michael Spanier gives this reporter a free ride to the Port of Oakland. "I'm not going to be part of the commercial activity in Oakland today.”

“Um, are you going to reset the meter?” I asked.

“I’m not charging today,” Spainer said. “I’m doing the work but I’m doing it for free all day. I’m not going to be part of the commercial activity in Oakland today.”

Spainer has walked through the Occupy Oakland encampment but he wouldn’t call himself an Occupier. He hasn’t been to the general assemblies, he hasn’t camped out and except for a few conversations he had on visits, Spainer doesn’t know anybody at the camp. And he doesn’t particularly want to be at the General Strike.

But since finding out about the Occupy movement, Spainer has decided to take his money out of the big banks and put it in credit unions. And he changed his voting registration from Democrat to Independent. 

More from Spanier on his decision to adandon the Democratic party:

I came from a working class family back in Eastern Pennsylvania, in the city of Redding, you’ll see it on the Monopoly board. I was a Democrat because I grew up being taught that the Democrats represented working families. 

But the Democratic party is telling us they can’t do anything because of the Congress and the Republicans are saying they can’t do their job because of the president. 

Americans are learning it’s time for this to stop and that we need to learn how to walk like the Egyptians.