Sunday, October 30, 2011

Phoenix PD wastes $200k ensuring peaceful protesters don't sleep

The City of Phoenix is complaining that the Occupy Phoenix protests have cost the financially strapped city $200,000 as of today. But it's very clear that Occupy Phoenix has asked for nothing from the city. Rather, the city has chosen to deploy police force to monitor a peaceful movement and ensure that none of the protesters sleep in city parks.

I visited Occupy Phoenix today and verified there was no trash to be picked up and no threatening or frightening activity. Interestingly, the city chose to deploy the Hazmat team and several police officers around noon in response to my draining unneeded (and heavy!) water (suspiciously?) from a white hose extending from a 30-gallon barrel in the back of my 99 Chevy Metro hatchback in a parking lot across the street from the Madison Street Jail. My deepest appreciation and regret goes to the gracious owner of the lot who lost a lot of business due to the hullabaloo.

The city is free to stand down and save its cash at its own discretion.

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