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Two California divisions of the Occupy Wall Street movement â€" Occupy LA and Occupy Santa Cruz â€" are beginning to focus their efforts on halting foreclosures.
[IMAGE]Mario Brito, leader of Occupy LA, announced a plan this week to pressure both banks and government officials to impose a foreclosure moratorium, according to the Associated Press.
Brito's goal is not just a local foreclosure moratorium, but a national one. First, Occupy LA will focus its efforts on establishing a moratorium in Los Angeles. However, Brito is already discussing a national moratorium with Occupy Wall Street movements in other cities.
Also this week, Occupy Santa Cruz sent a letter to its county board of supervisors calling on the board to invoke a foreclosure moratorium and set up a task force to study foreclosure practices.
[COLUMN_BREAK]The proposed task force would include members of Occupy Santa Cruz, ""another activist group like Freedom Forum, the DA's office, a representative from the District Court, someone from the Bar Association and the real estate industry and the Sheriff,"" according to the letter.
The letter cites unclear titles as one reason for a foreclosure moratorium.
Occupy Santa Cruz members also take issue with the fact that California is a non-judicial state, and as such, ""[t]he financially strapped and stressed out homeowner, unable to afford a lawyer, does not have the benefit of a hearing, and is unable to present their case to a judge.""
In addition to a foreclosure moratorium and investigatory task force, the activists request county supervisors pressure California Attorney General Kamala Harris regarding the settlement between the state attorneys general and the nation's largest banks.
Harris left settlement negotiations this fall, terming the settlement proposal at the time ""inadequate"" for California homeowners. However, she has since received some pressure to return to the table.
Occupy Santa Cruz advocates pressuring Harris to ""reject any deal that lacks significant principal reduction for distressed homeowners.""
""We are asking that the County Board of Supervisors take action to protect its citizens from the fraud committed by these Banks,"" state the Occupy Santa Cruz members.
""We strongly urge you to take actions to protect the citizens that elected you,"" they write.
