Occupy Reality

I’ve no problem with people exercising their First Amendment right of free speech and peaceable assemblage.

But lets remember the reality of the cities these groups have chosen to “occupy”.

Consider the “Occupy Portland” protest in Portland, Oregon. When started more than 5 weeks ago, they did not apply for the required city permit allowing for their gathering. They ignored city park codes & curfews, by setting up camps in public parks. They repeatedly blocked traffic on busy downtown streets, disrupting local commerce and inconveniencing thousands of commuters every day.

The inanity of this situation is not so much that the protesters have been there for more than five weeks. The true inanity is demonstrated by the Portland city officials and mayor, who coddled and embraced this disruptive force of law-breakers.

Portland Parks Commissioner Nick Fish estimated (in mid October) that the damage to trees alone in the two “occupied” parks would exceed $19,000. How much will be spent once the encampment has left, to clean up and restore the park grounds?

Portland police report this “occupation” has cost over $208,000 in overtime.
All of this cost to the citizen taxpayers seems contrary to “Occupy Portland’s” claim to represent the “99%”.

Lets not forget the annual Portland Marathon that had been granted a permit more than a year before, to utilize the same park the “occupy” law-breakers held, for their marathon. Days before the scheduled event, Portland Mayor Sam Adams ordered that the occupiers vacate the park the night before the marathon. Later, when it became obvious that the illegal encampment had no intention of vacating the park for the permitted marathon – rather than ordering police to clear the park of the illegal encampment, the mayor instead gathered the marathon organizers and the malcontents representing “Occupy Portland” to meet & discuss how they could all work around the law-breakers.

In spite of the reports of sexual abuse, rampant drug use, public defecation & urination, public displays of sexual activity, assaults by the “occupiers” on city employees attempting to clean the public restroom, vandalism of local businesses and police cars, drug overdoses, inconveniencing thousands among the working public and local businesses, Mayor Adams continued to “support” and even joined the marching protesters & tweeted his support for their fractured “cause”. Adams apparently forgot that he represents 100% of the Portland population rather than just the less than 1% of the population who participated in the protest.

Breaking news: Just this morning, Mayor Sam Adams announced that the protesters must vacate the parks by 12:01 am, Sunday, November 13th. Perhaps the recent poll by a local news station finally pounded some sense into Adams shortsighted thinking. The poll revealed that 60% of those questioned would NOT come downtown to shop this Christmas season IF the protesters remain encamped in the public parks. Whatever the reason the Mayor decided to abandon his inane position and to embrace reality, the damage has been done.

A disturbing precedence has been set – from now on any group could decide to “occupy” Portland streets & public lands, breaking laws and city codes - and do so with complete immunity. Adams has made sure of that by his refusal to enforce the laws he was sworn to uphold. Given his inability to enforce his edicts with this group from day one, is it any surprise that the occupiers declared that they have no intention of leaving?