Occupy Wall Street: Who are targets of 'millionaires march'?

David Koch of Koch Industries. When the protesters plea for "1 person, 1 vote," they mean that money is playing an out-sized role in US politics. Oil tycoon Koch (pronounced "Coke") is, for them, the ultimate example of how money talks in US politics. Time magazine put Koch (along with his brother Charles Koch) on its roster of 100 most influential people in the world for 2011. "For decades, the brothers have been investing in free-market think tanks, magazines and activist groups to evangelize the [capitalist] economic system that has rewarded them so lavishly," Time said in bestowing the top-100 slot.

The billionaires (in the top 10 on Forbes new "richest Americans" list) have donated to various less-political causes as well. And supporters say there's no law against backing libertarian think tanks. But to critics, their deep involvement in politics (including groups supporting the tea party movement) symbolizes the need for campaign-finance reform.

The investigative journalism website Pro Publica, in a July report, cited Koch-funded Americans for Prosperity as an example nonprofit groups that can raise unlimited funds for political campaigns without disclosing donors – as long as their primary purpose isn’t politics.

Rupert Murdoch of News Corp. The global media baron heads the media company that owns Fox News and the Wall Street Journal, two of America's most prominent bastions of political conservatism. Fans say Fox's self-styled "fair and balanced" coverage has prospered by offering an alternative to liberal traditional networks. But critics on the left say Fox has blatantly promoted a rightward shift in American political discourse.

Where Fox News hosts have lauded the tea party movement, with its low-tax mantra, the Occupy Wall Street crowd generally wants to see higher taxes on the rich and large companies (including News Corp.) to address America's fiscal problems.

Many of the protesters argue that a temporary "millionaires tax" of 2 percent, levied on the rich in New York State, should not be allowed to expire at the end of this year.

Tuesday's march was backed by other community action groups as well as the "Occupy" protesters.

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