OWS is costing us money.....waaaaah!

[Dover]

This is an article that ran in the Austin Chronicle about the Occupy Austin movement. Austin authorities have been singing the same sad tune as other cities about how the 'occupiers' are busting their budgets, and this is article is, in part, a reply to that:

Excerpt:

...This week, the question of enforcement cost was raised at the Public Safety Com­mis­sion, estimating roughly $110,000 in police overtime expenses related to the protest. That's not insignificant, but as it happens, I spent Satur­day afternoon trying to drive across town just as the UT football game concluded and Fun Fun Fun Fest was in full throttle at Auditorium Shores; it was impossible to out-maneuver the traffic, east to southwest, and the situation undoubtedly caused expensive delays (and accidents). But those extra costs are unlikely to show up either as a discrete public safety expense or a Statesman headline.

Participatory democracy, especially when we're all badly out of practice, can be "expensive" in public time and treasure. Yet can anybody seriously argue that our current official ways of doing business (and politics) are improving the financial prospects of the 99%? Consider, for wretched example, our most recent legislative session – anybody care to calculate how many millions in income that retrogressive exercise cost the citizens of Austin alone?

I have much the same reaction to those who complain that the Occupiers are "leaderless" or "lack clearly defined goals." Consider­ing the state of our official state and national leadership at the moment – with our major political institutions failing miserably to address massive and persistent unemployment, all the while pursuing endless, debilitating, and pointless wars – it's hardly surprising that a rebel movement would tend to be suspicious of any sort of leadership at all. And the latter charge, at least locally, isn't even accurate – a set of four coherent goals, duly adopted by the General Assembly, is posted prominently on Occupy Austin's website....

cont'd

http://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2011-11-11/point-austin-one-two-many-occupations/

[Fire Walk With Me]

1. K&R!

"Occupado" :)

[Supply Side Jesus]

2. FREEDOM ISN'T FREE!!!

GRAHHHHHHHH!

so, got possessed by the a Freeptergeist for a sec there....weird.

[pinboy3niner]

3. It'd save money if they didn't send so many heavily-militarized cop forces nt

[tsuki]

4. They need to ask JP Morgan for some money. Worked for The Dishonorable

Mayor Bloomberg.

[Amonester]

5. This confirms the "Then they laugh at you" stage is...

over.

Looks like they're not laughing anymore! :rofl:

[rbixby]

7. I think that with the raids this past week

the 'then they fight you stage' is starting. We need to stay strong!

[PETRUS]

6. Acquiescence costs so much more...