Payne: Wealthy Peters embraces Occupy Detroit ( The Michigan View 11.06.11)

Posted by hpayne on November 6, 2011

Grand Circus Park, Detroit – Michigan Congressman Gary Peters, D-Bloomfield Hills, a millionaire representative of Michigan’s richest city and a major benefactor of corporate campaign money, became the first major politician to embrace the anti-corporate Occupy Detroit movement as he joined the 99 Percenters for a rally at Grand Circus Park Sunday.

Democrats have been noticeably shy about Occupy movement’s extreme rhetoric and occasional violence – despite Barack Obama’s sympathy with the movement. Wearing a “We are the 99 Percent” button, Peters (net worth: $1.9 million) embrace is notable as he is a wealthy former financial manager for Merrill Lynch who has styled himself as a moderate while representing Michigan’s 9th District – home to Oakland, the 60th richest county in America.

Occupy Detroit has used its public park camp to march on the downtown offices of Bank of America and DTE Energy, major campaign contributors of Peters. Both companies are campaign donors to the congressman. Last election year, DTE Energy gave $13,750 to Peters campaign while the Oakland rep has raked in $5000 from BoA this year.

Nevertheless, Peters denounced the financial industry and said he has been an Occupy Wall Street supporter “since the get-go.”

“I can’t speak for others,” he said when asked by The Michigan View why his fellow Democrats were absent, “but (the Occupiers) speak for a broad segment of our population. This is something we need to support.”

Peters seemed unaware of Occupy Detroit’s broad-brush condemnation of all corporations, and defined the movement as anti-Wall Street bailout. “The autos were a victim of Wall Street,” he said, defending GM’s $50 billion own federal handout. “We had to give them the resources necessary to prevent collapse.”

Peters Occupy appearance is part of the congressman’s sharp move left since his election in 2010.

Facing stiff GOP opposition, PetersĀ distanced himself from President Obama’s $50 billion summer stimulus, saying that “the right way to spur immediate job growth is through supporting private sector growth and investment, not pumping more money into an already backlogged list of transportation projects. ” He also supported extending tax cuts for wealthy Americans.

Fast forward 12 months, and Peters is now a strong supporter of Obama’s $450 billion stimulus pouring money into the same infrastructure programs and “paying for it” with a tax hike on the rich.

With a president making class warfare his 2012 campaign theme, reps like Peters are embracing the party’s fringe activists and Big labor puppeteers that could alienate moderate voters. Indeed, Peters appearance Sunday seemed forced by the UAW which has rallied behind the 99 Percenters – even as union members have seenĀ larger income gains in recent years than average Michiganians.


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