Charge the Occupy Protesters for Their Mess
The latest tally for the costs associated with the Occupy protests is $13 million dollars. Think of what could have been done with that money – all the good that could have been done for those who are truly downtrodden in local communities. Instead, it is being diverted to sanitation departments and police departments.
The Occupy movement is beginning to reek like another movement and towns that once thought they could tolerate a small protest are now feeling taken advantage of. The costs alone will cause local residents and small business owners, who in many cases aren’t well off, to absorb the costs of the protests with higher taxes. After all, someone has to pay for the clean up crews and police patrols.
A solution to local communities dealing with the protesters? Allow them to protest, to occupy areas, but charge them to do so. If you want to put up a tent, pay a daily fee in order to do so, just like a campground. The Occupiers should have to pay their fair share and not leave local residents holding the bag. While they have a right to free speech, cleaning up their mess after their Occupy protests isn’t free.
