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Jennifer Flynn, Health GAP, jflynn@healthgap.org

Health  GAP  is…  

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•  An  interna5onal  AIDS  ac5vist  organiza5on  dedicated  to  elimina5ng  the  barriers  to  lifesaving  HIV  treatment  for  everyone.  

•  A  strong  believer  in  direct  ac5on  organizing  and  strategic  policy  making.  

•  The  sponsor  of  the  Student  Global  AIDS  Campaign  •  Began  with  a  series  of  beau5fully  choreographed  direct  ac5ons  targe5ng  then  VP  and  Pres.  Candidate  Al  Gore  for  his  role  in  preven5ng  South  Africa  from  impor5ng  generic,  affordable  medica5ons.  

•  NPA  is  •  NNU  is  •  Over  150  endorsers  

The  Solu5on  We  Can  All  Work  on  Together  

Gorillas,  LGBT  community,  People  living  with  AIDS,  Homeless,  Unemployed,  Unions,  etc.  

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What  is  the  Robin  Hood  Tax?  •  Taxing  financial  instruments  such  as:    Stocks,  Bonds,  Foreign  Exchange,  Deriva5ves:  Futures,  Swaps,  Op5ons  

•  Average  rate:    0.05%  would  generate:      up  to  $400b  worldwide  

•  Rate  of  .5%  would  generate  up  to  $350  billion  in  the  U.S.  alone  

•  In  Europe,  campaign  calls  for  50%  domes5c;  50%  interna5onal:      –  Jobs+Development/health  +  climate  change  

•  In  U.S.  campaign  is  asking  for  higher  percentage  point  to  add  addi5onal  demands:    create  jobs,  provide  educa5on,  full  healthcare.  

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History  of  FTTs    

•  Tobin  taxes:  Originally  refer  to  James  Tobin,  currently  used  by  the  media  to  mean  all  financial  transac5on  tax.  

•  1970s:  Tobin’s  original  idea  was  about  taxing  currency/forex    

–  1%  in  order  to  REGULATE  not  generate  revenue  

–  Would  drama5cally  cut  down  on  transac5ons…  which  Tobin  wanted  

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Legisla5on  and  Support  So  Far:    •  The  Currency  Tax  Levy  is  a  subset  of  this  larger  tax.    Just  on  

currency.    Would  raise  $30  billion  if  there  was  a  .005%  tax  on  4  most  traded  currencies.  

•  Congressmember  Pete  Starks  introduced  legisla5on  to  create  a  currency  transac5on  levy  that  would  specifically  fund  the  fight  against  global  AIDS  and  climate  change  (DeFazio-­‐Harkin  bill  would  fund  domes5c  jobs)  

•  Congressmember  Ellison  Bill,  HR  6411  with  a  great  rate  of  .5%  and  talks  about  AIDS  in  the  findings.  

•  Gates,  the  Pope,  Sachs,  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  Chris  Mar5n,  Anna  Wintour,  Mark  Ruffalo,  to  name  drop  a  few,  have  come  out  in  favor    

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How  Does  It  Work:  

Seller  asks  

broker  to  sell  

security  

Buyer  wants  to  buy  that  security  

Nego5ate  on  an  

exchange  or  through  soiware  on  price  

Clearinghouse  holds  the  security,  confirms  

the  sale  

Both  par5es  agree  to  the  terms  

Buyer  sends  money  to  the  clearinghouse    

Clearinghouse  releases  the  security  to  the  

buyer  

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Myth  Bus5ng…  

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It  Needs  to  Happen  Everywhere…  •  FTTs  –  commonplace:  over  25  years    introduced  permanently  or  temporarily  on  stocks,  corporate/government  bonds,  futures,  general  computerised  financial  transfers  

•  Argen5na,  Australia,  Austria,  Belgium,  Brazil,  Chile,  China,  Colombia,  Denmark,  Ecuador,  Finland,  France,  Germany,  Hong  Kong,  India,  Indonesia,  Italy,  Japan,  Malaysia,  Morocco,  Netherlands,  Pakistan,  Peru,  Philippines,  Portugal,  Russia,  Singapore,  South  Africa,  South  Korea,  Sweden,  Switzerland,  Taiwan,  UK  and  US    

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Will  it  Hurt  the  Financial  Sector?  

•  Profit  to  Financial  Sector:  •  Bonuses:  global  pot  for  2011  $600  billion  and  a  $1,000  

billion  (one  trillion  dollars);    R1.1  billion  from  must  ABSA  in  South  Africa  

•  banking  was  the  most  profitable  industry  in  the  world,  26  5mes  more  profitable  than  the  average  industry    

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It  WILL  Hurt  the  Financial  Market…  

•  Volume  of  financial  transac5ons:  70x  the  size  of  “real  economy”    

•  Tradebots  in  the  US  who  hold  a  stock  on  average  for  just  11  seconds.    

•  Financial  experts  agree-­‐this  is  the  danger  zone  of  trading.  

•  RHT  will  kill  about  50%  of  (robo)  trading  •  Our  revenue  es5mates  take  this  loss  into  account  

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We  Can’t  do  it!  

•  Syringe  Exchange  •  Inclusion  of  women  in  clinical  trials  •  Ryan  White  CARE  Act  •  Housing  for  people  with  AIDS  •  US  Global  AIDS  Plan  and  subsequent  expansion  to  $48  billion  •  AIDS  drugs  drop  from  $15,000  to  $89/year  due  to  generic  compe55on  •  Ac5vists  campaigned  for  the  crea5on  of  the  Global  Fund  to  Fight  AIDS,  TB,  

and  Malaria-­‐new  way  to  do  development  •  Americans  with  Disabili5es  Act  •  Bank  Regula5on  •  End  of  Child  labor  •  Etc,  etc.  

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Grassroots  Ac5on  Thus  Far…  

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Health  GAP  and  VOCAL-­‐NY  

Mobilizing  Occupy  Wall  Street  

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VOCAL-­‐NY  on  World  AIDS  Day  

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AIDS  Ac5vists  have  been  Occupying  Wall  Street  for  25  Years…  

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UPCOMING  OPPORTUNITIES…  •  Jack  Lew  hearing  today  •  Metro  Commioees!  •  DRESSING  LIKE  ROBIN  HOOD  IS  NEVER  A  BAD  THING  •  GOING  NAKED  IS  NEVER  A  BAD  THING  •  Organize  a  rally  outside  your  Member  of  Congress’  office  or  

invite  them  to  a  town  hall  on  global  AIDS.    Now  is  the  5me  for  Congress  to  keep  their  promises  on  AIDS.  

•  Meet  with  your  congressmember-­‐very  few  people  actually  do  this!  

•  Ellison  bill  to  be  re-­‐introduced,  press  conference,  day  of  ac5ons  in  early  March  

•  MOBILIZE  FOR  APRIL  20TH  (NO,  NOT  THAT  4.20)  IN  DC  (G8/G20  FINANCE  MINISTERS  AND  GOVERNORS)  

•  FTT  messaging  at  Occupy  Everywhere  •  Do  any  Robin  Hood  Ac5on!  2/25/13   20  

Contact  Info  

Jennifer  Flynn  Managing  Director  

Health  GAP  jflynn@healthgap.org  Cell  +  1  917  517-­‐5202  

Skype:    jenniferaliceflynn  Headquarters:    +1  212  537-­‐0575  x  3  

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