99reset — The Plan

Purpose: Make the top 1% politically and economically irrelevant within a generation—non-violently—by shifting ownership and bargaining power to workers and communities.

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Executive Summary

99reset is a coordinated, non-violent movement to reverse 40 years of upward wealth concentration by building parallel economic institutions that make billionaires and corporate extraction obsolete. We don't protest for change—we become the change through three phases:

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Why Now? Historical Context

The Debt Supercycle (1979-2025)

Since 1979, three structural shifts created our crisis:

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Theory of Change: Three Simultaneous Fronts

Traditional movements fail because they attack one lever: either protest (symbolic), electoral politics (slow), or mutual aid (small-scale). The Reset coordinates three fronts:

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1. Finance: Starving the Financial Extraction Machine

The Problem: Banks as Wealth Concentration Engines

Canada's Big 5 banks (RBC, TD, BMO, Scotiabank, CIBC) don't serve the economy—they extract from it:

Fossil Fuel Financing: $900 billion since 2016 (Rainforest Action Network)

• Loans to oil sands, LNG, pipelines → climate crisis + billionaire profits
• Example: RBC financed $268 billion; CEO Dave McKay earned $16M in 2024

Offshore Havens: $682 billion hidden (C4TF 2025)

• Thomson, Gilgan, Pattison use Bermuda/Cayman subsidiaries
• Lost tax revenue: $3.65 billion annually

Speculative Lending: $2.3 trillion in household debt

• Mortgages at 5-7% interest enrich shareholders while workers pay 40% of income to housing
• Big 5 profit: $56 billion in 2024 (record high)

Cantillon Effect: When central banks print money, banks get it first

• Banks lend to rich (assets appreciate); workers get inflation last
• Result: Asset bubbles (housing +350%) while wages stagnate (+40% since 1979)

The Solution: Credit Union Migration + Citizens' Wealth Fund

Phase 1: Bank Boycott (Years 1-4)

Move deposits to credit unions (member-owned, democratic, divested from fossil fuels):

Phase 2: Citizens' Wealth Fund (Years 4-8)

Once we've proven bank boycott power, legislate a public wealth fund:

Revenue Sources:

1. Wealth Tax: 1-2% annually on net worth >$10M

   • Canadian revenue: $5.6 billion/year (PBO 2025)
   • Targets: 61 billionaires with $324 billion

2. Speculation & Vacancy Tax: 3-5% on empty homes/commercial

   • BC model: $90 million/year from 1% tax
   • Scaled nationally: $2-3 billion/year

3. Financial Transaction Tax: 0.1% on stock/bond trades

   • Revenue: $5-8 billion/year (C4TF estimate)
   • Reduces high-frequency speculation

4. Offshore Crackdown: Close Bermuda/Cayman loopholes

   • Recovered revenue: $3.65 billion/year

Total Fund Growth: $10-20 billion annually by year 5

Governance (Alaska/Norway Model):

• Board: 7 members (3 public, 2 worker co-op reps, 2 economists)
• Management: Professional (not politicians—prevents corruption)
• Dividend Formula: 4-5% of fund value annually
• Distribution: Equal per-capita (prevents means-testing bureaucracy)

Dividend Timeline:

• Year 3: $50/person (fund at $30 billion)
• Year 5: $200/person (fund at $100 billion)
• Year 10: $500/person (fund at $250 billion)
• Year 20: $2,000/person (fund at $1 trillion)

Why This Works:

• Alaska Permanent Fund: $78 billion; pays $1,000-$2,000/year since 1982
• Norway Sovereign Wealth Fund: $1.6 trillion; funds pensions, infrastructure
• Reset Innovation: We fund it via wealth confiscation, not oil (moral + sustainable)

Advanced: Helicopter Money (Phase 3)

Once fund is established, bypass banks for stimulus:

The Problem: Central bank stimulus goes to banks first (Cantillon effect)

• 2020 COVID stimulus: $500 billion created → banks lent to rich → asset inflation
• Workers got crumbs; billionaires got $100 billion richer

The Fix: Direct deposits from Wealth Fund during recessions

• Example: 2008 crisis → $2,000/person × 40 million = $80 billion directly to consumers
• Stimulates demand (workers spend, not hoard like rich)
• Bypasses bank markup (no interest extraction)

Precedent: COVID CERB ($2,000/month) kept economy afloat; Reset makes it permanent + funded by billionaires.

Key Metrics

• Year 3: $10B moved to credit unions; $500M fund contributions
• Year 5: $50B moved; $2B fund contributions; $200/person dividend
• Year 10: $150B moved; $10B fund contributions; $500/person dividend
• Year 20: $1 trillion fund; $2,000/person dividend

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2. Ownership: From Extraction to Equity

The Problem: Ownership Apartheid

In Canada, ownership is the ultimate power—yet it's monopolized:

Worker Exclusion:

• Workers create 100% of value but own 0% of equity in most firms
• Owners/shareholders extract profits without contributing labour
• Example: Loblaws' Weston family net worth $10B; cashiers earn $16/hour with no ownership

Housing Financialization:

• Homes treated as speculative assets, not shelter
• BlackRock, Gilgan, Wilson own thousands of units; flip for profit
• Result: 350% price increase (1979-2024); homeownership rate fell from 69% to 66%

Generational Wealth Lock:

• Parents can't pass homes to kids at affordable prices (market resets to speculation)
• Co-ops/CLTs solve this: intergenerational affordability via resale caps

Democratic Deficit:

• Shareholders vote on company strategy; workers have zero voice
• Oligarchs (Thomson, Pattison) control media, construction, retail—accountable to no one

The Solution: Ownership Tsunami via Co-ops + CLTs

Worker Co-ops: Democracy at Work

A worker cooperative is a business owned and controlled by its employees. Proven model:

Québec Example:

• 10,000 co-ops; 200,000 worker-owners
• Survival rate: 62% vs. 35% for conventional startups
• Wage premium: 15-20% higher than non-union equivalents
• Profit-sharing: Average 20-30% of salary as annual dividend

Mondragon (Spain):

• 80,000 worker-owners; $12 billion revenue
• Wage ratio (CEO:lowest): 6:1 vs. 300:1 in corporations
• Zero layoffs during 2008 crisis (reduced hours democratically instead)

Reset Timeline:

Years 1-4: Incubation (300 co-ops)

1. Canadian Worker Co-op Federation (CWCF): Scale JEDDI grants from $50K to $500K/co-op
2. Sector Focus: Tech, care work, retail (high-exploitation, easy to organize)
3. Succession Co-ops: Target retiring small business owners (40% of businesses by 2030)
   • Example: Owner sells to employees at discount; gets tax break + legacy

Years 4-8: Growth (800 co-ops)

1. Wealth Fund Financing: $500M co-op development bank
   • Loans at 3-5% interest (vs. 7-10% commercial)
2. Provincial Incentives: Tax credits for worker equity (Colorado model: 2% annual equity mandate)
3. Union-to-Co-op Pipeline: Unionized shops transition to worker ownership
   • Example: United Steelworkers' "Union Co-op" model (30 conversions since 2012)

Years 8-20: Scale (2,000+ co-ops)

1. Mandatory Equity: Firms >50 employees must offer 20% worker ownership
2. CLT-Co-op Integration: Co-ops lease land from CLTs (affordable rent, community anchor)
3. Federations: Sector-specific co-op federations (like Mondragon) for shared services, capital

Community Land Trusts: Permanent Affordable Housing

A CLT is a nonprofit that owns land and leases it to residents, capping resale prices forever.

How It Works:

• CLT buys land ($300K) via grants/bonds
• Resident buys house only ($200K vs. $800K market)
• Lease fee to CLT: $50-$150/month (covers land taxes)
• Resale formula: Homeowner keeps 25% of appreciation
  • Example: House appreciates to $300K → Resale at $225K → Next buyer still gets affordability

Burlington VT Model (40 years proven):

• 565 CLT homes; zero foreclosures during 2008 crisis
• Homeowners build $20K-$40K equity over 10 years (enough for down payment on next home)
• Permanent affordability: Homes stay 40-50% below market in perpetuity

Reset Timeline:

Years 1-4: Pilot (5,000 units)

1. Municipal Land Donations: Vancouver, Toronto, Montréal donate surplus lots
2. Speculation Tax Revenue: BC's $90M/year → CLT land acquisition
3. Community Bonds: Crowdfund $100M from residents at 3-5% interest (vs. 0.5% savings account)

Years 4-8: Scale (20,000 units)

1. Federal Co-Investment: CMHC matches municipal/provincial CLT funding dollar-for-dollar
2. Vacancy Tax Seizures: 500% tax forces Fidani/Pattison to sell vacant lots to CLTs
3. Inclusionary Zoning: 20% of new developments must be CLT (Portland OR precedent)

Years 8-20: Institutionalization (50,000+ units)

1. Right of First Refusal: CLTs get first option to buy any property in designated zones
2. Land Value Tax: Replace property tax with tax on unimproved land → incentivizes development, funds CLTs
3. Agricultural CLTs: Secure farmland from speculation (food sovereignty + climate)

Key Metrics

• Year 3: 300 worker co-ops; 5,000 CLT units; 10,000 worker-owners
• Year 5: 800 co-ops; 20,000 CLT units; 30,000 worker-owners
• Year 10: 2,000 co-ops; 50,000 CLT units; 100,000 worker-owners
• Year 20: 5,000+ co-ops; 150,000 CLT units; 300,000 worker-owners

Impact: 40% of economy democratically owned; top 1% wealth share drops from 25% to 15%.

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3. Labour: Restoring Bargaining Power

The Problem: 40 Years of Wage Theft

Labour's GDP Share Collapse:

• 1979: Labour earned 56% of GDP
• 2024: Labour earns 49% of GDP (7-point drop)
• Translation: $200 billion annually shifted from wages to profits/capital

Where Did It Go?

• Executive Pay: CEO:worker ratio rose from 20:1 (1979) to 300:1 (2024)
  • Example: Loblaws CEO earned $11.8M (2023); cashiers $16/hour = 0.003% of CEO
• Shareholder Returns: Stock buybacks ($500B since 2010) vs. wage increases ($50B)
• Rent Extraction: Billionaires own assets (real estate, IP, monopolies); workers pay rents

Union Decline:

• 1981: 38% unionization rate
• 2024: 28% unionization rate
• Result: Non-union workers lost 20% bargaining power; wages decoupled from productivity

Why Unions Matter:

• Union Wage Premium: $5.40/hour average (StatsCan 2024)
• Spillover Effect: 10% unionization increase raises all wages 3-4% (threat of unionization forces non-union employers to compete)
• Political Power: Unions fund progressive campaigns, block anti-labour laws

The Solution: Strategic Unionization + Labour Law Reform

Phase 1: Sectoral Targeting (Years 1-4, 100 drives)

Focus on high-leverage sectors where unionization creates cascading effects:

1. Tech (Amazon, Google, Apple):

• Why: 100,000+ Canadian workers; low unionization (5%); public sympathy
• Tactic: Tech Workers Coalition model (worker-led, social justice framing)
• Impact: Unionizing Amazon warehouses (30K workers) adds $150M to wages annually
• Precedent: Amazon JFK8 (NYC) unionized 2022; Starbucks' 400+ stores (2020-2025)

2. Retail (Walmart, Loblaws, Couche-Tard):

• Why: 500,000+ workers; poverty wages ($16/hour); high turnover
• Tactic: UFCW "blitz" campaigns (organize 10 stores simultaneously; overwhelm employer)
• Impact: Unionizing Loblaws (200K workers) shifts $2B from Westons to workers over 10 years
• Precedent: Québec grocery stores (Métro, IGA) 80% unionized; $3/hour premium

3. Care Work (Nursing homes, child care, home care):

• Why: 400,000+ workers; female-dominated; underpaid ($18/hour for life-or-death work)
• Tactic: SEIU "Justice for Janitors" model (community coalitions, civil disobedience)
• Impact: Unionizing care sector adds $3B to wages; improves patient/client outcomes
• Precedent: Cooperative Home Care Associates (Bronx): 2,000 worker-owners; $18→$25/hour + benefits

4. Logistics (FedEx, UPS, trucking):

• Why: 200,000+ workers; essential (can shut down economy); misclassified as contractors
• Tactic: Teamsters "hot cargo" (refuse to handle non-union goods)
• Impact: Unionizing logistics forces Amazon/Walmart to accept unions (supply chain leverage)
• Precedent: 1997 UPS strike won 10,000 full-time jobs; 2024 UPS contract: $7.50/hour raise

90-Day Organizing Timeline (Per Drive):

1. Weeks 1-2: Identify 5-10 leaders; secret first meeting off-site
2. Weeks 3-8: One-on-one conversations; sign union cards (target 60%+ for safety margin)
3. Week 9: File for certification with Labour Board
4. Weeks 10-12: Counter employer union-busting; win vote (50%+1)
5. Months 4-12: Bargain first contract; strike if needed (72% settle without strikes)

Phase 2: Labour Law Reform (Years 2-5)

Unionizing is hard under current laws—employer intimidation legal, delays common. We need card-check and first-contract arbitration:

Card-Check Certification:

• Current (most provinces): Sign 40-50% → triggers vote (5-10 days later); employer holds captive-audience meetings, fires leaders
• Reform: Sign 55%+ → auto-certification (no vote, no employer interference)
• Precedent: BC (2019), Québec (always had); union density 10 points higher than Alberta/Ontario

First-Contract Arbitration:

• Current: Employer can stall bargaining for years; union decertifies from frustration
• Reform: If no contract after 120 days → government arbitrator imposes one
• Precedent: BC, Québec; first-contract win rate 90% vs. 60% in Alberta

Sectoral Bargaining:

• Current: Each workplace negotiates separately; Walmart can undercut unionized Target
• Reform: Industry-wide contracts (e.g., all retail in province); raises floor for everyone
• Precedent: Germany (90% coverage); Québec construction (40,000 workers, province-wide contract)

Ban Replacement Workers:

• Current: Employers hire scabs during strikes; defeats purpose of withholding labour
• Reform: Illegal to replace strikers (forces negotiation)
• Precedent: Québec (since 1977); BC (2024); strikes shorter, settlements better

How We Win These:

1. Phase 1 momentum: 100 successful drives → media coverage → public support (89% Canadians support card-check per C4TF poll)
2. NDP leverage: Minority government → condition support on labour law reform
3. Ballot initiatives: BC/ON allow citizen-initiated referendums (bypass legislature)

Phase 3: Union-to-Co-op Pipeline (Years 5-10)

Once workplaces are unionized, transition to worker ownership:

United Steelworkers "Union Co-op" Model:

• Union negotiates for equity stake (2% annually)
• After 10 years → workers own 20%; vote on board
• After 25 years → workers own 51%; full democratic control

Why This Works:

• Unions alone: Bargain wages but owners still extract profits
• Co-ops alone: Small-scale, lack leverage
• Union Co-ops: Best of both—collective bargaining + ownership

Precedent:

• Cincinnati Union Co-op Initiative: 10 conversions since 2018 (laundries, landscaping, home care)
• Mondragon: Started as union; transitioned to full co-op (80,000 worker-owners)
• Italy: 30% of GDP in co-ops (Emilia-Romagna region); highest wages in Europe

Key Metrics

• Year 3: 100 union drives launched; 30,000 new union members; labour's GDP share +1 point
• Year 5: 500 drives; 150,000 new members; +3 points; card-check in BC/QC
• Year 10: 1,200 drives; 500,000 new members; +5 points; 300 union co-ops
• Year 20: Labour's GDP share restored to 54% (1985 level); $150B annually to workers

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4. Policy: Locking In Grassroots Wins

Grassroots action builds power, but policy makes it permanent. Without legislation:

• Credit unions face regulatory capture by Big 5-friendly bureaucrats
• Co-ops lack startup capital (no federal equivalent to US SBA co-op loans)
• CLTs can't scale (municipalities hoard surplus land for developer buddies)

The Strategy: Use grassroots victories (100 union drives, 10,000 bank switchers) to demand policy. Politicians respond to organized constituents + public pressure.

Three-Level Campaign (Municipal → Provincial → Federal)

Municipal (Easiest, Years 1-3)

Target progressive councils (Vancouver, Toronto, Montréal) with direct asks:

1. Vacancy Taxes (500% on empty homes/commercial)

   • BC precedent: Vancouver Empty Homes Tax raised $76M (2017-2024)
   • Reset demand: 500% rate (vs. 1-3% current); revenue to CLTs
   • Impact: Fidani/Pattison forced to sell vacant lots at discount to CLTs

2. CLT Land Donations

   • Cities own 10-15% of land (surplus schools, parking lots, parks departments)
   • Demand: Donate 5% to CLTs over 10 years
   • Impact: 10,000 CLT homes without taxpayer cost

3. Living Wage Ordinances ($25/hour for city contractors)

   • Precedent: 70+ US cities; Toronto living wage $25.05 (2024)
   • Demand: All city contracts require $25/hour + benefits
   • Impact: 50,000 workers; raises floor for private sector

4. Co-op Zoning Preferences

   • Fast-track permits for worker co-ops (6 months vs. 18 months)
   • Waive development fees for CLTs
   • Impact: 100 co-ops/CLTs launched over 5 years per city

Provincial (Medium, Years 2-5)

Target NDP/Green governments (BC, future QC/ON):

1. Wealth Tax (1-2% on net worth >$10M)

   • BC potential: $2-3 billion/year (C4TF estimate)
   • Precedent: Spain regional wealth taxes; NDP 2025 federal platform (66.7% capital gains inclusion)
   • Reset demand: 1% on $10M-$50M; 2% on >$50M; revenue to Wealth Fund

2. Speculation & Vacancy Tax Expansion

   • BC SVT: $90M/year from 13 municipalities
   • Demand: Expand to all cities >50K population; raise rate to 3-5%
   • Impact: $500M/year → 5,000 CLT homes annually

3. Card-Check Unionization

   • BC/QC have 55% auto-certification; AB/ON need 40% + vote
   • Demand: 55% auto-certification nationally
   • Impact: Union density +10 points over 10 years (300,000 new members)

4. Worker Co-op Incentives

   • Tax credits: 20% of investment in worker equity (Colorado model)
   • Grants: $500K/co-op for startups (scale CWCF JEDDI)
   • Impact: 500 co-ops over 5 years per province

5. CLT Acquisition Funds

   • Dedicated 10% of affordable housing budgets to CLTs
   • BC Housing: $19B over 10 years → $1.9B to CLTs = 10,000 units
   • Impact: Permanent affordability vs. temporary subsidies

Federal (Hardest, Years 3-7)

Leverage NDP minority government (condition support on Reset policies):

1. Capital Gains Reform (100% inclusion, no exemptions)

   • Current: 50% inclusion (billionaires pay 26% vs. workers' 33%)
   • NDP 2025: 66.7% inclusion
   • Reset demand: 100% (capital = income; tax equally)
   • Impact: $8 billion/year revenue

2. Offshore Haven Crackdown

   • Close Bermuda/Cayman loopholes (require economic substance)
   • CRA audits of Thomson/Gilgan/Bouchard subsidiaries
   • Impact: $3.65 billion/year recovered

3. Co-op Development Bank ($1B fund)

   • Loans at 3-5% interest (vs. 7-10% commercial)
   • Modeled on US SBA co-op loans (funded Cooperative Home Care Associates)
   • Impact: 1,000 co-ops over 10 years

4. Citizens' Wealth Fund (Financial Transaction Tax)

   • 0.1% on stock/bond trades
   • Revenue: $5-8 billion/year (C4TF estimate)
   • Governance: 7-member board (3 public, 2 labour, 2 economists); dividend formula 4-5% annually

5. CMHC CLT Co-Investment

   • Match provincial/municipal CLT funding dollar-for-dollar
   • Impact: Double CLT scale (40,000 units over 10 years)

6. First-Contract Arbitration (Federal Jurisdiction)

   • Applies to 10% of workers (banking, telecoms, federal workers)
   • Precedent: BC/QC; first-contract win rate 90%
   • Impact: 50,000 federal workers win first contracts

How We Win Policy: 12-Month Campaign Template

Month 1-3: Coalition + Research

1. Build 20-org coalition (unions, tenant unions, churches, students)
2. Research precedents (BC SVT, Burlington CLT, German sectoral bargaining)
3. Draft template legislation (one-pager, full bill, fiscal analysis)

Month 4-6: Public Education

1. Petition: 10,000 signatures (shows public support)
2. Town halls: 5 public meetings (union halls, libraries)
3. Media: Op-eds, social media blitz, infographics

Month 7-9: Direct Lobbying

1. Book meetings with councillors/MLAs/MPs (bring 3-5 constituents)
2. Testify at committee hearings (5-min presentation)
3. Inside game: Allies introduce motion/bill

Month 10-12: Mobilization + Vote

1. Rally: 500+ at city hall/legislature
2. Vote tracking: Call undecided daily
3. Win or lose: If pass, celebrate + enforce; if fail, target elections

Precedent: 2017-2019 BC rent control campaign (ACORN + unions) won vacancy control via this exact playbook.

Key Metrics

• Year 2: 10 municipalities pass vacancy taxes; 3 provinces explore wealth taxes
• Year 3: BC passes $2B/year wealth tax; federal card-check for federal workers
• Year 5: 30 municipalities; 5 provinces; federal capital gains 100%; Co-op Bank launched
• Year 7: Citizens' Wealth Fund established ($10B/year revenue); 40,000 CLT units nationally

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KPIs — How We Track Progress

We measure institutional change, not symbolic gestures:

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Historical Precedents: Proof It Works

Critics call the Reset "utopian." History proves otherwise—every tactic has precedent:

Sweden's Meidner Plan (1976-1983)

What: Swedish unions proposed "wage-earner funds"—2% of corporate profits annually transferred to worker-owned funds.

Result:

• Partial implementation (watered down by capital flight threats)
• Still created $10 billion worker fund by 1990s
• Inspired modern wealth fund proposals

Lessons: Go bigger, faster; don't give billionaires time to flee.

Québec Co-op Economy (1970s-Present)

What: Provincial support for co-ops (Desjardins credit unions, worker co-ops, housing co-ops).

Result:

• 10,000+ co-ops; 200,000 worker-owners
• $40 billion in co-op GDP (12% of provincial economy)
• Highest wages in Canada (outside oil provinces)

Lessons: Government support scales co-ops; Québec model proves viability.

Alaska Permanent Fund (1976-Present)

What: 25% of oil revenue → sovereign wealth fund; 4-5% dividend to residents annually.

Result:

• $78 billion fund (2024)
• $1,000-$2,000/year dividend since 1982
• Reduced poverty 20%; Alaska has 2nd-lowest inequality in US

Lessons: Universal dividend works; Alaska funded by oil, we fund by wealth tax (moral upgrade).

Burlington Community Land Trust (1984-Present)

What: Nonprofit buys land, leases to residents; resale formula caps appreciation.

Result:

• 565 CLT homes; zero foreclosures in 2008
• Homes 40-50% below market in perpetuity
• Model replicated in 300+ US cities

Lessons: CLTs work at scale; need municipal support + seed capital.

Mondragon Corporation (Spain, 1956-Present)

What: Catholic priest started co-op; scaled to 80,000 worker-owners.

Result:

• $12 billion revenue; #1 employer in Basque region
• CEO:worker pay ratio 6:1 (vs. 300:1 in corporations)
• Zero layoffs during 2008 crisis

Lessons: Co-ops can scale to Fortune 500 size; democratic governance is competitive.

Post-WW2 Compression (1945-1979)

What: High taxes (90% top rate), strong unions (35% density), GI Bill housing.

Result:

• Middle class wealth share rose from 30% (1940) to 60% (1979)
• Top 1% share fell from 45% to 20%
• GDP growth 3.5%/year (fastest in US/Canadian history)

Lessons: We've done this before; billionaire wealth is not necessary for prosperity.

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Risks & Mitigation Strategies

Risk 1: Capital Flight

Threat: Billionaires flee to Dubai/Singapore; take wealth with them.

Mitigation:

• Exit Taxes: 25% of net worth on renouncing citizenship (proposed by Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders)
• Coordinated Action: #99ResetUS, #99ResetEU launch simultaneously (fewer havens)
• Asset Seizures: Thomson's media empire, Pattison's car dealerships can't move; seize via eminent domain if they flee

Precedent: France tried wealth tax alone (1980s); billionaires fled. But Norway kept wealth tax + exit tax → works fine.

Risk 2: Media Smear Campaign

Threat: Thomson owns Globe & Mail; Pattison owns radio/TV; they vilify the Reset as "communism."

Mitigation:

• Alternative Media: Fund Ricochet, Passage, Canadaland (co-op journalism)
• Social Media: TikTok, Instagram bypass corporate gatekeepers (60% of under-40s get news here)
• Testimonials: Highlight workers who benefited (harder to smear a nurse than a "radical organizer")

Precedent: Starbucks spent $10M on union-busting PR; 400+ stores still unionized via worker testimonials.

Risk 3: Legal Backlash

Threat: Billionaires sue wealth taxes/CLTs as "unconstitutional takings."

Mitigation:

• Provincial Jurisdiction: Wealth/property taxes are provincial power (feds can't overrule)
• Democratic Legitimacy: If 70% vote for it, courts hesitate (Québec's Bill 21 precedent)
• Legal Defense Fund: Pool $5M from unions/Reset chapters for Supreme Court fights

Precedent: BC's SVT survived legal challenge (2020); courts deferred to democratic will.

Risk 4: Economic Slowdown

Threat: "Taxing billionaires will crash the economy!" (Chamber of Commerce talking point)

Counter-Evidence:

• Historical: 1945-1979 had 90% top tax rate + fastest growth
• International: Norway/Sweden have wealth taxes + higher GDP/capita than Canada
• Logic: Workers spend money (stimulates economy); billionaires hoard (dead capital)

Mitigation:

• Start Small: BC wealth tax first (prove it works); then scale nationally
• Helicopter Money: If recession hits, Wealth Fund deposits $2K/person (Keynesian stimulus)

Risk 5: Cooption/Watering Down

Threat: Politicians promise Reset policies, then deliver neoliberal-lite (e.g., Trudeau's "middle class prosperity").

Mitigation:

• Binding Referendums: Force politicians to sign enforceable pledges (e.g., "I will vote yes on wealth tax or face recall")
• Independent Chapters: Don't endorse parties; endorse policies (non-partisan power)
• Transparency: Publish scorecards (who voted how); primary opponents who betrayed pledges

Precedent: Justice Democrats (US) primaried 12 corporate Democrats 2018-2022; won 7 seats.

Risk 6: Burnout/Movement Fatigue

Threat: Organizing is hard; people quit after 1-2 years.

Mitigation:

• Rotate Leadership: Term limits (no one stays coordinator >2 years); prevents personality cults
• Celebrate Wins: Every 100 bank switchers = party; every union win = press conference
• Mutual Aid: Chapters provide childcare, meals, rides (reduce logistical barriers)

Precedent: Civil Rights Movement sustained 15 years via "freedom schools," mass meetings, culture (songs, rituals).

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International Coordination: #99ResetGlobal

Billionaire wealth is global—so is the Reset:

Parallel Launches

• #99ResetUS: Target Musk ($250B), Bezos ($180B), Zuckerberg ($150B) using same tactics (bank boycotts, union drives, wealth taxes)
• #99ResetEU: France/Germany/Spain coordinate wealth taxes (prevent flight to Monaco)
• #99ResetUK: Focus on City of London (offshore haven; UK billionaires)

Why Coordinated Timing Matters:

• 2025-2026: Window of political opportunity (Trump out, Labour in UK, NDP leverage in Canada)
• Network Effects: 1M Canadians switching banks is news; 10M North Americans is crisis for Big Banks
• Policy Leverage: If Canada + US + EU all pass wealth taxes, billionaires have nowhere to run

Shared Toolkits

• Translateable Resources: Bank Switch Toolkit works in US (Chase/B of A), EU (Deutsche Bank)
• Legal Templates: BC's SVT → California Prop (ballot initiative); Burlington CLT → London CLT
• Cross-Border Solidarity: Canadian chapters support Amazon YYZ1 union; US chapters support Couche-Tard drives

Precedent: Fridays for Future (Greta Thunberg) coordinated 7M protesters globally via toolkit sharing.

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Not Welfare. Ownership.

This is not about handouts. It's about:

• Equity over extraction
• Dividends over dependence
• Permanence over charity

Workers and communities own the means of production, governance, and wealth. The 1% become irrelevant because they no longer control the levers.

The difference between welfare and ownership:

• Welfare: Government gives you $1,000/month → politicians cut it next year
• Ownership: You own shares in Wealth Fund → permanent $2,000/year dividend + appreciation

The difference between charity and institutions:

• Charity: Food bank helps 1,000 families this week → still 1,000 families next week
• Institutions: CLT builds 1,000 homes → affordable forever; next generation doesn't start from zero

We're not asking billionaires to be nice. We're making them irrelevant.

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The Path Forward: Your Next 30 Days

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Why We'll Win

1. History Is On Our Side

Every major redistribution happened via organized pressure:

• 1880s-1920s: Labour movement won 8-hour day, weekends, child labour bans
• 1930s-1940s: New Deal/post-war compression created middle class
• 1960s-1970s: Civil Rights, feminism, environmentalism won structural reforms

Pattern: Crisis → organized movement → policy wins → new normal.

We're in crisis (housing +350%, wages flat, debt $2.3T). The movement is building. Policy wins are next.

2. Billionaires Are Fragile

They control assets (stocks, real estate, media) but those require our cooperation:

• Banks need our deposits → move them, they collapse
• Workplaces need our labour → unionize, we control production
• Housing needs our rent → CLTs, we own land

Their power is an illusion we maintain by obeying. Stop obeying.

3. We Outnumber Them 1,000,000:1

• 61 billionaires vs. 40 million Canadians
• If 1% of us (400,000) organize, we have 6,500x their numbers
• If 10% organize (4 million), it's unstoppable

Math matters: Billionaires can't hire enough lawyers/PR firms/politicians to counter 4 million organized citizens.

4. The Tactics Work (Proven)

• Bank boycotts: #DeleteFacebook moved 10M users in 3 months
• Union drives: Starbucks unionized 400 stores in 3 years despite $10M union-busting
• CLTs: Burlington survived 40 years, zero foreclosures in 2008
• Wealth funds: Alaska Permanent Fund pays dividends for 42 years

We're not inventing tactics. We're scaling proven ones.

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Join the Reset

99reset isn't a protest. It's a construction project.

We're building:

• Credit unions to replace extractive banks
• Worker co-ops to replace exploitative corporations
• Community Land Trusts to replace speculative real estate
• Citizens' Wealth Funds to replace billionaire monopolies

Brick by brick, institution by institution, we're creating a parallel economy. Eventually, the old one becomes irrelevant.

This takes a generation. We started in 2024. We'll finish by 2045.

Your grandchildren will ask: "When billionaires ruled, what did you do?"

Your answer: "I switched my bank. I organized my workplace. I joined a chapter. I helped build the alternative."

Ready to take action?

• Move your money: Switch to a credit union
• Organize your workplace: Start a union drive
• Build alternatives: Found a co-op or CLT
• Start a chapter: Organize locally

Not in 5 years. Today.

The top 1% became irrelevant the moment you decided they were.

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"The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now."
— Chinese Proverb

The best time to organize was 1979. The second best time is November 2025.

Let's reset.