Facebook Event Calls for Dumping 'Trash' at Boehner's House

Talk about trashy.

A Facebook event has been set up calling for a day of trash dumping come Saturday at the house of Speaker John Boehner. If the government shuts down, you can now join almost 5,000 people who have committed to showing up and expressing their frustration via the garbage:

Speaker John Boehner is ready to shut down the government, including DC city services like trash collection.

Well, if he won't allow us to use OUR TAX DOLLARS to pick it up, maybe we should just BRING IT TO HIM.

Update 8:51pm, 4/7/11: We're working on some kind of action and event for Saturday morning (assuming Boehner shuts the government down), more details to come Friday. Thanks again for all the support.

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Update 1:23pm, 4/7/11: Thanks for all of the sign ups this morning. The event has been picking up a lot of media coverage and support. We want to ask that you do not leave mysterious bags around DC, whether it is the Speaker's house or government buildings. We can protest Congress's infringement on our rights to use our taxes and budget at we see fit, but please do so in a responsible manner. Respect DC and all of our neighbors.

Update, 8:37am, 4/7/11: Thanks everyone for your excitement and enthusiasm for this civil action. We've seen this really take off in less than 12 hours. If the shutdown does occur, and we move forward with this event, we'll provide details on location(s) and we'll make sure it's done in a sanitary and respectful way. Please don't list any personal addresses for members of Congress on this page.

CNN's Wolf Blitzer broached the trash-out on TV yesterday:

The event isn't going to be a one-time thing either. According to the time listed on the page, it will last from Saturday through June 30.

If using trash to make a point sounds familiar, that's because SEIU's economic plotter Stephen Lerner made a name for himself through the Justice for Janitors campaign. During that campaign, some members handcuffed themselves to trash cans in the middle of a Houston intersection to make a point.

CNN reports on the event's organizers:

Organizers of the event - Jonah Goodman and Nolan Treadway - write on the page that even if the government shutdown doesn't occur, they will "move forward with this event, we'll provide details on location(s) and we'll make sure it's done in a sanitary and respectful way. Please don't list any personal addresses for members of Congress on this page."

Goodman is listed in the Democratic National Committee network. Treadway is the political and logistics director for the liberal group Netroots Nation.

Netroots Nation is not surprisingly a big progressive organization. The top sponsors listed on its website are unions.

If the event actually takes place, this wouldn't be the first time protesters have showed up at Boehner's home. Budget protesters showed up last February and changed, "Don't tread on D.C.!"

I guess you could say this is all a bunch of garbage.

UPDATE:

The event's Facebook page has updated instructions for the protest -- as well as tips for not getting in trouble:

UPDATE ON TOMORROW'S ACTION (2:38pm, 4/8/11):

-We’ll meet at Capitol South Metro tomorrow at 9:30 and lead a walk toward the Speaker’s house.

-Despite the title of the rally, bringing trash is NOT REQUIRED. Bring yourself and, if you can, make a sign. Don’t bring lots of dirty, gross trash. Come in a costume if you’d like!

-Our understanding is that it is illegal to trespass beyond the sidewalk, please do not attempt get any clo...ser to his house than the sidewalk.

-We are trying to arrange for a dumpster, but cannot guarantee we’ll have it until later. If you bring trash, and the police ask that you not leave it somewhere, you may be required to pick it back up and take it with you.

-Be respectful of the neighbors. The folks that live around the Speaker are having their lives disrupted by the shutdown as well, so please be respectful to them.

-Have fun! We want to have some fun and show the country that DC is caught up in this mess and it shouldn’t be.

-If they manage to reach a deal before tomorrow morning, the event will be cancelled, so check back to this page before you leave.