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Old 12-28-2011, 12:39 PM
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Jeanfromfillmore Jeanfromfillmore is offline
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Default $3 Million for the Occupy LA Encampment: 'Who's Going to Pay for This?'

$3 Million for the Occupy LA Encampment: 'Who's Going to Pay for This?'
By
Ron Kaye
on December 27, 2011 6:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (19) | TrackBacks (0)
As silent as the sound of one hand clapping on the subject since the Occupy L.A.evictions from City Hall, Ex-President of the Council Eric Garcetti -- the wannabe high priest in what he calls "this Temple of Democracy" -- wants to duck all responsibility for multi-million-dollar costs associated with the protesters he told "to stay as long as your need to."

Never one to lag on the scales of hypocrisy, the mayor sent ponchos in the rain to the Occupy L.A. protesters and offered no objection to the City Council's blanket endorsement of their protest -- but then ordered them evicted when popular sentiment turned against them, estimating the costs at a "couple of hundred thousand dollar" or maybe a "few hundred thousand."

Not one to be outdone for double-talking and duplicity, Councilman Dennis Zine -- the traffic cop who presumptuously thinks he should be the watchdog on finances as the City Controller -- voted for the Oct. 12 resolution in support of the Occupy movement, even joining the protesters and heaping praise on them but now is outraged that the 60-day encampment cost $2.3 million without even counting the bills for the damage to City Hall Park.

"We're $70 million in debt,'' he blusters one minute. "This is just money we don't have that's being expended because of what Occupy LA has done. What they've basically done is cheated taxpayers out of services. I don't know who wins.''

And then blows more hot air the next minute, saying, "They are suing us, so I think we should look at filing a suit to try to recover whatever we can. We had a lot of officers, police and General Services, who were watching the occupation. Most of them were on overtime and those costs add up quick."
But a rising star among the posers and phonies on the Council horseshoe, Mitch Englander takes the dis-honors as the king of hypocrites on the Occupy L.A. issue.
Englander was present and accounted for at the opening of the Oct. 12 meeting at which the resolution in support of Occupy L.A. was set for debate.
One hour into the meeting after the consent calendar was approved and general public comment was over, the Council took up the motion and suddenly Englander disappeared, allowing it to be approved unanimously. He was listed as absent.
With the occupiers safely removed from City Hall to city jails, Englandersending out press releases, holding press conferences, visiting TV stations, calling John & Ken on KFI.
"This is a direct hit to all residents throughout Los Angeles," he told one reporter. "I'm disappointed that a few people who wanted to make a statement ended up costing taxpayers so much money at a time when L.A. doesn't have the cash. Hopefully, now some of the council members who supported these efforts will realize there's a cost to residents before they make these decisions in the future."
Conan Nolan on Channel 4 asked Englander point blank if he objected in public or private about occupation and all he got was a mumbled and dissembling answer.
At another point, Englander asks, "Who's going to pay for this?"
At this point, it's the public in lost services and wasted money. But it doesn't have to be that way.
The mayor could foot the whole bill just by eliminating 10 percent of his staff -- roughly 20 people with pay and benefits included -- or it could be shared among the Council members who could dump just one of the 20 staffers they each have to cover the whole bill.
Better yet, they could hold a public hearing to apportion responsibility with discussion of how much Garcetti owes, and how much each of them owes for their degree of support and what the penalty is for those who took a walk on the issue when it was voted on -- Englander, Krekorian and Reyes -- and how much more is owed by those who would exploit the issue after the fact.

http://ronkayela.com/2011/12/as-silent-as-the-sound

LA City Hall: Inept or Criminal?
OCCUPYLA RESPONDS - LA has a 72 million dollar budget shortfall. They have a short fall every year. Wait till you see the sh*t hit the fan in 2012. LA’s projected budget deficit for the year beginning July 1, 2012 is about $250 million, while the cumulative budget deficit over the next four years is approaching $1 Billion.
One of two things is true, LA City Hall is either inept or criminal. No one is that bad at balancing the books and now we are supposed to overlook the bigger issue and focus on the negative press they have drummed up regarding the cost of Occupy LA. No need to take a long stroll, just a short skip down memory lane and we'll return to the present momentarily.

Flashback... In 2009 the Los Angeles Lakers' NBA championship parade cost the city in upwards of $1 million dollars. The same year [Michael Jackson] memorial events, cost the city of LA $1.4 million dollars. Council woman Perry said the cost of police protection for "extraordinary" events like the memorial is built into the Police Department's budget.

Flash forward. On Dec 6th 2011 at an LA City Council meeting, a crowd from Occupy LA met with council members in support of a proposal to hold banks more accountable (at least the banks with who the city does business). The OLA crowd held placards saying "We are the 99%" and "Hold Banks Accountable"... "Take Taxpayer Money Out of Wall Street Banks."..."Banks got bailed out!"... "We got sold out!". Despite the overwhelming demand for accountability in banking, the resolution was tabled and now one month later the City wants to sue the people who demanded they hold big banks accountable.

That's right folks, on Dec 23rd 2011, Councilman Dennis Zine, said he is not surprised by the [City's estimate to repair the lawns and deploy 1,400 riot officers to evict and arrest 292 peaceful protesters].

Zine said he was told that City Attorney Carmen Trutanich wants to look into a possible civil suit against Occupy LA. The City's number of the moment is $1.7 million dollars. No parades, no floats or celebration. Just a lot of hard work from the volunteers and supporters of OLA and one very scary, over the top, way too expensive of a raid, as the Mayor's finale.

Question for Mayor Villaraigosa, the City Attorney and the City Council; who do you people really work for? Anyone want to guess? http://citywatchla.com/lead-stories/...ept-or-crimina
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