Certainly there has been some. President Obama’s tougher language about inequality was undoubtedly influenced by the protests. And in Albany, Gov. Andrew Cuomo dropped his opposition to continuing the so-called millionaire’s tax (it affects wealthier people who make considerably less) and extended part of it.
But is anything more coming? There are hundreds of congressional races this year, and the types of curbs Occupy wants on Wall Street firms ultimately would have to be implemented in Washington. Occupy could look to the Tea Party movement for guidance. Usually, neither the left- or right-wing groups like to be linked in any way, but given the timing of their creations and at least a few similarities, that’s a losing battle.

The Tea Party did accomplish many of its goals by sending more conservatives to Congress, which stiffened GOP opposition to tax increases as well as government investments to stimulate the economy such as transportation projects.
But the caution for Occupy is that the Tea Party may very well have cost the Republicans control of the Senate by nominating a couple of extremists who were not able to win general elections. These were races more moderate Republicans could have won.
Occupy prides itself on its leaderless nature and so far has shown little interest in the upcoming congressional races or in setting up a specific agenda. Longterm, a national change in attitude perhaps will lead to the real change Occupy hopes for, but that patience likely will mean change for the worse at first, As they say for the lottery, you have to be in it to win it.

May has seen a renewed vigor for certain activist movements, namely “Occupy Student Debt” and, on May 1, “May Day.” For it’s part, the Occupy Student Debt movement renewed its protest efforts as collective student debts broke the $1 Trillion threshold, with rallies planned for May 2 “at Union Square in Manhattan, and several colleges and universities around the country,” according to New York Times. However, thus far, the protesters that comprise Occupy Student Debt have been unsuccessful in achieving their goals, which include government regulation of private interest rates from existing loans offered from private lenders.

Similarly, May Day 2012 was an attempt by the self-proclaimed 99% (including many OWS Protestors) to “remove themselves” economically. Protesters were encouraged to skip out on work, shopping and spending in a globally coordinated attempt to “…collectively change working conditions in our world…” by “stepping out of the systems of production that confine and divide us,” according to MayDayNYC.org.

Both events circle back to the lingering disconnect that many New Yorkers – including students, immigrants and parents – have felt since the rise of the Occupy Wall Street movement (which began in Zuccotti Park on Sept. 17, 2011). Since then, those sympathetic with the movement have referred to themselves as “the 99%,” a perceived mark of disconnect from financial institutions, corporations, as well as other wealthy establishments and individuals.

* A military man who thinks the nation’s biggest problem is that businesses are taxed too much.

*Two toddlers and an infant.

* A man wearing a Burberry raincoat, a Calvin Klein gray pin-stripe suit and a blue J Crew tie.

The suited man, Matthew Bolton, said many in the 99 percent dress in suits. His brief case with a large “Occupy” sticker showed he was with the crowd.

Bolton, 31, a political science professor at Pace University, not far from Wall Street, acknowledged the Occupy movement has not yet had an effect in Washington but added, “Politics doesn’t only happen in Congress. What Occupy has done is change the conversation for the media….

“I also hope it does make a change in Washington. It has already been a symbolic victory and symbolism is incredibly important.”

Throughout the crowd, drums of course were beating, but guitars, banjoes, saxophones and trumpets were also being played.

Police presence in the park was extremely light but it grew by a little later in the morning. Most in the crowd did not seem to notice police, who did not move on a few violating city law by smoking in the park.

The crowd stayed off the park’s plush lawn, which was closed but barely protected with low ropes a few inches off the ground.

The military man, Luis del Carpio, 43, a veteran of the first Gulf War, works in the Far East conditioning elite golfers. He said he had a business in this country but tax policy drove him overseas.

“I hope they change the tax laws so US small businesses can make money and hire people,” he said.

He’d like to see the Occupy movement shift a little to focus more on taxes than income inequality, but he supports their cause.

“If you are a corporation, you are hardly paying any taxes but if you are small business you are paying high costs.”

He said he ran a day care center in Texas but had to close it because of his taxes.

A mother of one of the toddlers said she came to support her friends in Occupy, and hadn’t thought about what she hoped to someday teach her 18-month old son about it.

“I’m  not the one to ask because I’m not a big occupier myself,” she said.

Except for a large jar of Skippy peanut butter, there was not much corporate support at Occupy’s free food table. Around noon, pasta and sauce was on the menu.

As one of the protesters put it, “The revolution must be fed.”

You can follow New York Press columnist Josh Rogers @JoshRogersNYC.