CLT UPDATE
Saturday, October 15, 2011
The loony left given all for nothing at our expense, as usual
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Occupy Boston demonstrators said yesterday that
they do not regret costing the city about $146,000 in police
overtime to monitor the group, arguing that the funds pale in
comparison to the burden of taxpayer-financed wars and corporate
bailouts.
“I never thought about that,’’ said Laurel
Byrne-Macmillan, 31, a nurse from Gloucester, when asked about the
cost. “But you know what? Democracy isn’t free. We have the right as
citizens to inconvenience some people to get our point across, and
that is one of the gifts this country gives to us.’’
Boston police said yesterday that in the last two
weeks, the department spent $146,189.55 on overtime to deal with the
protesters, who along with demonstrators in several other US cities
have been camped out near financial centers to air an array of
grievances, including rising economic inequality....
Thomas Joseph, 60, a retired teacher who lives on
Beacon Hill, joined Occupy Boston for the first time yesterday and
held a sign that said, “We are the 99% and so are you.’’
He also said he was not troubled by the overtime
costs, “because I think this is the worthiest of causes.’’ ...
Dot Joyce, a spokeswoman for Mayor Thomas M.
Menino, said last night that there is no timetable for removing the
demonstrators.
“As long as they maintain a level of [orderly
behavior], they will be allowed to remain there,“ she said.
Asked if Menino was concerned about the affect of
the rising overtime costs on other city resources, Joyce said,
“We’re going to have to look at everything as the year continues or
as the time continues. Our obligation is to protect public safety,
and we will.’’ ...
Also yesterday, US Senate candidate Elizabeth
Warren, who is seeking the Democratic nomination, stopped by the
tent city for about 45 minutes to talk with demonstrators and police
officers, her campaign said.
“Clearly she hears [the demonstrators’]
frustration and understands the sentiments behind the movement,’’
said senior campaign adviser Doug Rubin.
He declined to comment on the overtime issue.
The Boston Globe
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Protesters dismiss city costs
Police expenses rise to $146,000
Occupy Boston protesters have cost the city
$146,000 in overtime since the camp-in began, but one top city
official fears the spending could balloon if the movement expands or
lingers for weeks.
City cops have already put in 3,056 hours of OT
since the protests began Oct. 1, Boston police reported.
Earlier this week, City Council President Steve
Murphy said he was told the OT tab could reach $2 million if the
demonstration remained through the end of the month.
The Boston Herald
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Occupy costs Hub $146G in police OT
As it raises more than $1,000 a day online,
and piles of cash at its Dewey Square campsite, Occupy Boston is
in danger of running afoul of federal tax rules, the IRS said.
The group, which has raised nearly $17,000 in
donations through its Web site, must alert donors that their
gifts are not tax deductible, said Internal Revenue Service
spokeswoman Peggy Riley.
The Boston Herald
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Tax status of donations in question
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Chip Ford's CLT
Commentary
There are permits, regulations, requirements, and
costs for any group of citizens or organization that wants to
sponsor and hold a rally in the City of Boston (and other
municipalities). If (and when) you or I want to organize a
rally or large meeting on Boston Common, there are row after row of
hoops that first need to be jumped through. It takes time,
organization, and money before the requisite permits are issued, if
issued at all.
How is this so-called "Occupy Boston" getting
away with their occupation of the city without any cost or permits?
Why are we taxpayers expected to pick up the
costs that they impose?
How are they different as citizens? Why
don't they need the same permits we'd need? Why is there no
cost imposed on them to disrupt and despoil the city on a collective
whim?
Most important: Why aren't the politicians
and bureaucrats asking these questions?
It appears the Internal Revenue Service at least
may become somewhat interested.
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Chip Ford |
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The Boston Globe
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Protesters dismiss city costs
Police expenses rise to $146,000
By Travis Andersen
Occupy Boston demonstrators said yesterday that they do not regret
costing the city about $146,000 in police overtime to monitor the
group, arguing that the funds pale in comparison to the burden of
taxpayer-financed wars and corporate bailouts.
“I never thought about that,’’ said Laurel Byrne-Macmillan, 31, a
nurse from Gloucester, when asked about the cost. “But you know
what? Democracy isn’t free. We have the right as citizens to
inconvenience some people to get our point across, and that is one
of the gifts this country gives to us.’’
Boston police said yesterday that in the last two weeks, the
department spent $146,189.55 on overtime to deal with the
protesters, who along with demonstrators in several other US cities
have been camped out near financial centers to air an array of
grievances, including rising economic inequality.
Police spokeswoman Elaine Driscoll said about $60,000 of the
overtime funds were spent Monday night and early Tuesday morning,
when officers arrested about 140 people who allegedly tried to tie
up traffic and refused to leave a large section of the Rose
Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway.
She said that to date, Occupy Boston, which has set up camp around
Dewey Square, has not diminished the department’s ability to respond
to emergencies in other parts of the city.
Thomas Joseph, 60, a retired teacher who lives on Beacon Hill,
joined Occupy Boston for the first time yesterday and held a sign
that said, “We are the 99% and so are you.’’
He also said he was not troubled by the overtime costs, “because I
think this is the worthiest of causes.’’
Joseph said that he planned to return to the tent city every day for
as long as it remains active and that the atmosphere reminds him of
his first public demonstration in Boston, which he joined at age 14
to oppose a department store’s unwillingness to hire minority
workers.
“It’s all one fight,’’ Joseph said. “It’s the same thing; it just
changes form.’’
There was no immediate response last night to a request for comment
on the police costs, sent by e-mail to the Occupy Boston media team.
Dot Joyce, a spokeswoman for Mayor Thomas M. Menino, said last night
that there is no timetable for removing the demonstrators.
“As long as they maintain a level of [orderly behavior], they will
be allowed to remain there,“ she said.
Asked if Menino was concerned about the affect of the rising
overtime costs on other city resources, Joyce said, “We’re going to
have to look at everything as the year continues or as the time
continues. Our obligation is to protect public safety, and we
will.’’
Occupy Boston participant Julia Derk, 21, a senior at Brandeis
University, said yesterday’s overtime figure is similar to the cost
of a four-year degree at many US colleges. She also said she was
more concerned about the federal government’s spending on the wars
in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“Wars are costing tremendously more than us peacefully protesting
here,’’ Derk said.
Also yesterday, US Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren, who is seeking
the Democratic nomination, stopped by the tent city for about 45
minutes to talk with demonstrators and police officers, her campaign
said.
“Clearly she hears [the demonstrators’] frustration and understands
the sentiments behind the movement,’’ said senior campaign adviser
Doug Rubin.
He declined to comment on the overtime issue.
The Boston Herald
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Occupy costs Hub $146G in police OT
By Dave Wedge
Occupy Boston protesters have cost the city $146,000 in overtime
since the camp-in began, but one top city official fears the
spending could balloon if the movement expands or lingers for weeks.
City cops have already put in 3,056 hours of OT since the protests
began Oct. 1, Boston police reported.
Earlier this week, City Council President Steve Murphy said he was
told the OT tab could reach $2 million if the demonstration remained
through the end of the month.
“What I’ve been told is they projected it to be higher based on the
unpredictability of what could happen moment to moment,” Murphy said
yesterday. “I’m glad to hear it’s lower than what I’ve been told.
That’s a good thing. However, there’s still a question of how long
it lasts and what happens on a day-to-day basis.”
Murphy pointed to New York, where protests have sporadically moved
from neighborhood to neighborhood.
In Manhattan yesterday, cops arrested 14 protesters during a march
from a public park toward the financial district.
New York has already spent $2 million in police overtime on the
protests, which began Sept. 17.
Boston cops already thwarted one attempted expansion, arresting
100-plus “occupiers” this week who tried to set up a new tent city
across the street from the existing Dewey Square encampment.
Dozens of cops also blocked demonstrators from crossing the
Charlestown Bridge. Occupy organizers have not set a timeline for
how long they plan to remain on the public park land.
The Boston Herald
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Tax status of donations in question
By O’Ryan Johnson
As it raises more than $1,000 a day online, and piles of cash at its
Dewey Square campsite, Occupy Boston is in danger of running afoul
of federal tax rules, the IRS said.
The group, which has raised nearly $17,000 in donations through its
Web site, must alert donors that their gifts are not tax deductible,
said Internal Revenue Service spokeswoman Peggy Riley.
“If they haven’t applied (to be a nonprofit) or if they have applied
and have not received it yet, they need to tell donors that their
donation is not tax deductible,” she said. “You need to tell the
individual giving money whether or not you are a 501(c)3
organization.”
There is no such notification on Occupy Boston’s Web site, where
there is a link to a WePay account that people can use to donate
money. As of late yesterday, 299 people had donated a total of
$16,979 to the cause.
Occupy Boston spokesman Nazeem Mazen said the group has a meeting
with a nonprofit to go over their strategy when it comes to taxes
from donations online and at the camp.
He said Occupy Boston would not comment until then.
Riley said she could not say if Occupy Boston had applied for
nonprofit status with the IRS, since she cannot talk about any
individual or corporation, specifically.
Mass. Secretary of State William Galvin’s office, which registers
nonprofit corporations, said there is no record of Occupy Boston
registering with his office, as either a for profit or as a
nonprofit corporation.
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