Report: Occupy LA Cost Cash-Strapped City $2.3 Million
- Posted on December 23, 2011 at 10:24pm by
Madeleine Morgenstern
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AP
Occupy LA cost Los Angeles taxpayers at least $2.3 million, according to a city report issued Friday.
The $2.3 million tab includes more than $1.6 million in overtime pay for police and more than $125,000 for park infrastructure repairs. It does not include the full cost of restoring the lawn outside Los Angeles City Hall where protesters camped for two months, though an earlier estimate had pegged that number around $400,000, the Associated Press reported.
Police raided and cleared out the encampment late last month, arresting more than 200 protesters. That action cost more than $700,000, local CBS affiliate KCBS reported.
City Administrative Officer Miguel Santana, who wrote the report, noted that more than $590,000 would have been spent regardless of whether there had been any occupation, the Los Angeles Times reported. That means Occupy LA tacked on an additional $1.7 million to the city’s $72-million budget shortfall projected for the current year.
AP
“In isolation, the cost is manageable. But in the context of a $72-million problem, it only made our challenge bigger,” Santana said.
The $2.3 million amount is only the latest projection of the cost of the Occupy Wall Street movement to taxpayers. In November, the Associated Press reported that it had cost cities nationwide at least $13 million.
City Councilman Dennis Zine, a former police officer, told the Associated Press he was stunned by the report’s estimate and “had no idea it was going to be that high.”
“We’re $70 million in debt,” he said. “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.”
Zine was among city leaders who initially expressed support for the Occupy movement: Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa spoke glowingly of the movement and even handed out ponchos to demonstrators on a rainy day.
As the number of demonstrators grew, Villaraigosa said the city would accommodate the protests before ultimately saying they weren’t sustainable.
Villaraigosa has called for budget cots to offset Occupy LA’s cost to the city, according to KCBS.
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Comments (76)
RationalMan
Posted on December 24, 2011 at 1:47amIt shouldn’t cost taxpayers at least $2.3 million, according to a city report issued Friday.
The one “OWS” vandualized! Remember that incident?
No big sweat, just take it out of “OWS” account that‘s in Well’s Fargo Bank, over a million $$$$….
P.S. They opened an account a month ago, it’s located in “Well’s Fargo Bank” according to latest report from Blaze!! ;)
Report Post »Ruler4You
Posted on December 24, 2011 at 2:50amDamn. That was less than half what they had hoped it would cost the city.
Report Post »TomFerrari
Posted on December 24, 2011 at 5:46amI think they may be a BLESSING !
If the average, uninformed person had ANY doubt about obama and his socialist democrats trying to destroy what remains of America, they need only look to these 21st century hippies – obama’s poster children for his campaign ! Kind of hard to ignore the kid crapping on the Police car, or, the RAPE incidents, or the RAPE COVERUPS, or the STD outbreaks, or the FILTH, or the VIOLENCE, or the BRICKS THROWN at PEACE OFFICERS!
They are the embodiment of obmas policies – for all the world to see!
I say we expose them at every turn.
obama opened this can of worms, now he is stuck with it.
Give them another yard of rope!
God truly moves in STRANGE and MYSTERIOUS WAYS !!
RESTORING LOVE , July 26 27 28 , Dallas TX
Report Post »http://www.meetup.com/MercuryOneHQ
Do you GBTV?
Stuck_in_CA
Posted on December 24, 2011 at 7:02amTony Villar should send the bill to the Mexican government. After all, it’s basically their city.
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on December 24, 2011 at 8:31amTheir goal is to Bankrupt the System; Well done… first try!
Now… let’s sue all the tsupporters and participants!
Report Post »robert
Posted on December 24, 2011 at 8:48amCalifornia, the land of fruits and nuts, will collapse financially before any other state. They’re right this minute billions short of budget requirements.
And L.A. will likely be the first city to fall within the state. Both have pursued such a reckless policy of giveaway salaries, pensions and programs to public employees they can no longer remain solvent.
Look for a mass exodus when the revenue shortfalls are so severe public pension money, vacation pay and the like are cut back and, in some cases, eliminated. And the ones who DO exit the state will be lucky ones, because those left will be either in the street rioting or hiding somewhere to try to survive the calamity that will be rapidly coming down.
The black/HIspanic ongoing racial conflicts will transition from low intensity conflicts to outright armed fighting. Most of California….especially L.A…..will look like Bagdad during its lowest point.
Report Post »turkey13
Posted on December 24, 2011 at 10:22amShucks – it cost us $87,000 in Oklahoma City. With it being a business friendly city we can aford it out of all the businesses that moved here from California. A group that moved here frm L.A. builds race car engines. Their cheapest used to be $9,900 but now you can buy that engine for $8,200 due to all the paper work that has been cut and taxes they don’t have to pay.
Report Post »starman70
Posted on December 24, 2011 at 11:02amThe answer is simple.
1) Set up a Maricopa county style tent city jail facility.
2) Round up every and all participants in the “Rally”.
3) Fine every one of them $500.00
4) The find MUST be paid before they can leave the holding facility.
5) If the participant can’t pay it, make the parents of these indolent spoiled brats pay it
6) For the Hippie, Commie types over the age of 30,
Report Post »A) Make them clean up the mess of paper, trash, tents and other debris. After all don’t they believe in a
cleaner and greener environment?
B) Make them scrub the streets with disinfectant and replant any greenways or grassy areas damaged
or denuded.
Armed Patriot
Posted on December 24, 2011 at 11:14amGive the bill to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa for dereliction of duty, to protect the city from threats and damage. After all, he allowed them to stay and supported them. As far as the 70 millon in debt, guess thats the cost of being a santuaury city and having half of the residents working fo cash. HA AHA HA HA HA… Glad Im out of that cesspool. Now if I could only escape California.
Report Post »Zpro
Posted on December 24, 2011 at 1:40amI believe you must get a permit to ‘occupy’… so why don’t we sent them a bill for the clean-up. Does LA have a credit card on file? If not, good idea.
Here’s my opinion of the so-called 99 Percent. Watch http://goanimate.com/movie/09ctUSJB8p_U?utm_source=linkshare&uid=0GVVTfOjymE4
Report Post »abbygirl1994
Posted on December 24, 2011 at 2:38amThey should demand the OWS to keep it clean.. Funny the Tea Party never left a mess… so what breed of people are the OWS really.. I think we all can figure that out! God help us!
Report Post »This_Individual
Posted on December 24, 2011 at 1:15amLos Angeles and S.F. is a mess. Those two cities make the rest of the over 1200 look bad.
Report Post »JUSTDOUGIE
Posted on December 24, 2011 at 12:26amLost Angeles is a collection of garbage anyway. They aren’t real United States Citizens with our national values, culture, or beliefs. After we build a fence with boots on the ground all around the place, and appoint Nancy Pelosi to run their economic fortunes, why not hand it back to Mexico?
I’m not sure which is the most moraly bankrupt (Californio, Smelosi, Mexico), so they all deserve each other, and no bailouts! Just an obama ditch full of alligators & dead lawyers.
Report Post »This_Individual
Posted on December 24, 2011 at 1:11am“why not hand it back to Mexico?”
Report Post »You can take your ignorant comment, and shove it where the sun don’t shine.
We have more good hard working constitutionalists in L.A. and Orange county alone, than you have in your miserable little excuse for a state. I am one of the many who have our state reps on speed dial trying our damndest to get our state back, battling the public sector unions who have usurped our capitol.
Cosmos102
Posted on December 24, 2011 at 1:28amYou are absolutely right on! California is the motherland of people who think like the OWS protesters. California is their fertile spawning ground, figuratively speaking.
What has become of our great nation? In the 60‘s and 70’s, the networks started each morning with the Pledge of Allegiance and a prayer, signed off at midnight with our National Anthem. Prayers were said in school each day. We were all children of God, or just children who hadn’t found God yet. Now look at us as a Nation. We’re floundering and confused. This is what the Progressives have done to us. California has been their instigator. Is it any surprise what is happening to that once prosperous and glorious state?!
Report Post »This_Individual
Posted on December 24, 2011 at 2:29amCOSMOS- “Pledge of Allegiance and a prayer, signed off at midnight with our National Anthem. Prayers were said in school each day”
Report Post »This is why : http://rexcurry.net/
Bill Rowland
Posted on December 24, 2011 at 6:48amWhy stop with LA, this is the state that re elected Gov Moonbeam. It was a surprise to many that he wasn’t active at at least one of the encampment, this is his kind of a movement,
California is the only state that needs two enemas one in LA and one in San Francisco.
OMG
Report Post »doomytram
Posted on December 24, 2011 at 9:36am@this individual Glad to hear about the good work. How is Ron Paul doing in LA?
Also,The Sitting President –Obama, The Establishment types like McCain(the goyter faced troll) and and Romney have already got plans for Mexico. Put it this way, their is a plan, and it’s not logical.
Holder, Obama, Big Sis have already sold us to Carlos Slime for trillions.
Report Post »This_Individual
Posted on December 24, 2011 at 1:29pmBILL- “California is the only state that needs two enemas one in LA and one in San Francisco.”
We’re attempting to give an enima to our state capitol too :)
DOOMY- Ron is doing very well here in the Southeastern part of the state.
Report Post »And yes, the shtuff is going to hit the fan in Messico next year. I just feel sorry for the citizenry, as in all of corrupt government dealings, the day to day person always gets caught in the middle.
skipmontesjr
Posted on December 24, 2011 at 12:24amSo when do these idiots start paying for this….Of course they wont and have no intention on either side of making anyone pay….But God forbid a tea party rally happen….
Report Post »Firefighter 538
Posted on December 24, 2011 at 12:12am“It may be laid down as a primary position, and the basis of our system, that every Citizen who enjoys the protection of a Free Government, owes not only a proportion of his property, but even of his personal services to the defense of it.” -George Washington
These turds need to clean up their mess and/or pay the cost.
Report Post »garbagecanlogic
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 11:49pmIf the mayor etc would have jumped in at the start and controlled it, there would have been little expense. Also, why were the occupiers not made to clean up their mess. The mayor of L.A. is a ninwit and needs to be replaced.
The U.S. Out Of The U.N.
Report Post »The U.N. Out Of The U.S.
oldguy49
Posted on December 24, 2011 at 12:11amif you let them camp out for free!!!! instead of paying like the tea party had to do for 1 day and no trouble and no aresst and no clean-up……….thats all i got
Report Post »ThomastonPaine
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 11:49pm“Occupy Wall Street Protesters Cost American Cities 13 million”
13 Million?
WHAT ABOUT “29 TRILLION” FOR THE BAILOUTS!!!
A TRILLION IS ONE MILLION TIMES ONE MILLION!!!!
New Information Points to the Bailouts Actually Totaling 29 Trillion!!!
Enough to give every American citizen living in our 15 most populous cities 1 million dollars each!!!
Remarkable Working Paper on the Bailouts Points to 29 Trillion Dollar Figure!!!
http://www.levyinstitute.org/publications/?docid=1462
US Families Lost 11 Trillion Dollars in Net Worth in 2008 Alone:
http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/Extra/household-wealth-plunged-18-percent-in-fourth-quarter.aspx
Entire US Nominal GDP in 2010 was only 14.5 Trillion!!!
Report Post »Robert-CA
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 11:33pmLook who’s complaining , you let them live there .
Report Post »This_Individual
Posted on December 24, 2011 at 1:13amTony just flat ruined L.A.
Report Post »kfogs1957
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 11:24pmYes, a real public service these drains on society performed. Every city that dealt with this is paying the price.
Report Post »historyforgotten
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 11:09pmWell…it Created Jobs for Some People, who had to Clean-up. And, Local Businesses Broke Many Sales Records, for that area.
Report Post »There is more, than One side to Every Story.
Occupy goes beyond Political Parties. Republicans, Independants, Democrats, from Conservative to Liberal…ALL Participate with OWS. Dontcha’ read the News? Or, do you Only Get Information from One Source?
Many Tea Partiers from our Area, started-up a OWS, Because they were Tired of Corporation Paying Off Politicans, from ALL Lables.
Many ex and current Tea Partiers are teaching ‘Wilderness Survival’, to OWS, so they can ‘camp through the Winter’.
Never Trust ONE SOURCE for ‘Pure Information’. It will ALWAYS Be reflective, of a SINGLE POINT OF VIEW.
JimmyP
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 11:04pmWell, Sur-prise, Sur-prise, Sur-prise!
Aren’t city officials supposed to KNOW how to manage costs.
It’s like these libs think everytime they raise taxes on corporations OR do a lousy job controlling costs, they think they can go into the forest and find a pot of gold under the double rainbow!
Wake up you, Ultra Maroons!
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 10:57pmCollapse the system any way they can; pressure from top down, bottom up and inside out. All along the system pressure big and small until the cities go broke and scream for help, then the states and when the Fed’s move in they set the terms for it to happen — such as the remaking formally of our free society into a socialist-communist nightmare under Obama.
Remember that no matter how well built or resilient any system is, it ultimatly is only as strong as the weakest link that fails first. Then the cascade commenses unless stopped in time.
Report Post »barber2
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 10:57pmWouldn’t these Occupies be a magnet for the I Hate America Crowd of destroyers ?
Report Post »Ray2447
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 11:49pmTypical of the left – I’ll squat in your yard and you clean up the mess. “Transfer the wealth” to these lazy pigs means sooner or later, everyone has nothing.
Report Post »Ray2447
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 11:51pmI live 13 miles from downtown Los Angeles, where the occupy L.A. bums were camped out. The way I figure it, that’s about 1800 miles too close.
Report Post »RepubliCorp
Posted on December 24, 2011 at 12:32amI wonder if they blame 911 on America? Like someone in the presidential race
Report Post »barber2
Posted on December 24, 2011 at 4:45pmActually the Occupies were FOUNDED by the I Hate America Crowd: the Obama Democrats and their allies, the International Lefties who are also holding Occupies in Europe ! Blood brothers…
Report Post »only-rush-can-save-us
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 10:55pmthis is pathetic. 2.5 million dollars??? Bush was spending 1/2 million a *minute* at the height of iraq invasion. These stupid occupiers are taking away 2 1/5 million dollars from our war budget. We could have used that money to fund another war for 5 minutes. A way better use of the money. Occupy Iraq! thats what I say.
Report Post »JimmyP
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 10:59pmWe’ll put you on the fort plane with a on way ticket and a poncho.
Tell me what a ppolice state looks like…
Maroon!
Report Post »barber2
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 11:08pm“Only Rush Can Save Us ” you are the penultimate Lefty Troll: your Big Lie/ Trash Limbaugh name to your Blame Bush comment: go away. We are on to your baloney and we aren;t buying yours or what the Dominant Lefty Media tries to cram down our throats 24/7. We conservatives aren’t nearly as “ dumb” ( as you think we are ) as you brainwashed by Marxist mentors Lefties are ! WAKE UP , KIDS. These Lefty jerks are trashing your futures…
Report Post »ICRedifURBlue
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 10:54pmMorons let the “Camp” there…….just ad an “Occupy Tax” for the Californication residents………bye the way bullets are only $.25 – $1 each……occcupiers make great compost.
Report Post »kenXIII
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 11:03pmthey are not a group i would stand with…..but i would say thats a bit much……? unless they start a war… but i hope they enjoy the higher taxes out there >; P
Report Post »Worriedone
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 10:51pmWatch out here comes the fine’s from the EPA and IRS if you own a business except for Corporations that loves progressives . People that are scamming the welfare system your checks are about to be cancelled. The older people you have no more use to us anymore so your care is going to be cut. The criminals we will start having their sentences shortened we need more drug dealers on the street to simulate the economy. Oh and the union people who are not corrupt your job is pretty much gone. We have to feed the government and the union bosses. Oh if you just retired from the public sector union expect your check not to be as big as you hoped if you get it at all. Socialism is SOOOOOOO great. Merry Christmas…..oh i mean happy holiday’s.
Report Post »barber2
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 11:00pmSadly, that is the future I see under these Obama, International Lefties. A new Dark Ages .
Report Post »Worriedone
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 11:08pmSorry I forgot about the movie stars and the rock stars. I would rethink the mansions and the exotic cars. And start buying a lot of gold and sending it out of the country cause your “hard work in remembering your lines or songs” your hard earned money is about to go to your state government unless your campaigning for Obama or a progressive in your wonderful state.
Report Post »possom
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 10:50pmYou support‘em you pay for’em!
Report Post »barber2
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 10:50pmGee. $ 2.3 million. Isn’t that a surprise? Hey, these guys are Far Lefty Democrats. Blood brothers of the anarchists. These Marxists want to destroy capitalism. Target ? The stupid American taxpayer who gets to go bankrupt while these thugs thrash the concept of freedom of speech and assembly ! And then they’ ll sue you for the freedom to bankrupt you ! Using the “ system” to destroy the capitalist system….priceless…
Report Post »Akridgerunner
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 10:46pmThey let them get away with it and are now complaining? Ho hum… ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
Report Post »singleparent
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 10:42pmdumb as ses should have made this much in fines… lol.
Report Post »I.Gaspar
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 10:41pmSend the bill to Nancy Pelosi.
Report Post »She can pay it out of the millions she has managed to make nefariously as a congresswoman.
After all, they’re her peeps.
Mateytwo Barreett
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 10:38pmSOO, doesn’t a burg, like LA have a permitting precedure? Was the city council consulted? Looks to me like a little payroll deduction is required. Zine sounds like a real winner. Public service unions rackin’ up the OT!!! Classic Left-coast.
Report Post »Stoic one
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 10:33pmI did not need to read the story ; SUE the BA$TARDS BLIND, the donors as well
Report Post »CatB
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 10:36pmI agree .. they even got TAX FREE STATUS … go after the b tards!
Report Post »Jenny Lind
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 10:33pmMemo: To all poiticains, be carefull what and who you praise-it just may come back and biete ya.
Report Post »CatB
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 10:37pmYes .. remember these are Obama’s people .. and Pelosi’s people … etc …and remember how they vilified the TEA Party ??? ;-)
Report Post »barber2
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 10:55pmCATB: Yes. These are the Democrat Big Lie Propaganda / Repeat Endlessly in the Lap Dog Media People…..
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