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Bloomberg: Wall Street Protests Trying To ‘Get Rid’ Of Jobs, Hurting Tourism

Zuccotti Park Not Cleaned In 3 Weeks; Local Businesses Getting Annoyed

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Wall St. Protest (credit: Mario Tama/Getty Images) ; Bloomberg (credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Wall St. Protest (credit: Mario Tama/Getty Images) ; Bloomberg (credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

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Reporting Dave Carlin

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NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — On the 20th day of the “Occupy Wall Street” protest, Mayor Michael Bloomberg weighed in on the movement. He mostly criticized the group and said their actions are hurting the economy and tourism sector.

On his weekly radio show Friday, Bloomberg said long-term chaos and a prolonged money drain are bad for the city. He said he is sympathetic to some protestor complaints, but certainly not all.

“What they’re trying to do is to take the jobs away from people working in the city. They’re trying to take away the tax base we have because none of this is good for tourism,” he said. “There’s no easy solutions here.”

The mayor continued his criticism saying “if the jobs they are trying to get rid of in this city, the people that work in finance — which is a big part of our economy — go away, we’re not going to have any money to pay our municipal employees or clean the parks or anything else.”

However, he showed no inclination to put a stop to what has been going on.

“From a practical point of view, I think we want to let some of this not ‘play out’ isn’t quite the right word, but let them express themselves,” Bloomberg said.

Bloomberg Says There Aren’t Any Easy Solutions. 1010 WINS’ Stan Brooks Reports.


When asked if he would allow the demonstrators to stay, the mayor replied “we’ll see what happens, we’ve got to focus on making things better.”

The cramped and noisy protesters in Zuccotti Park does not appear to be going anywhere soon. To date, the occupation has cost the city an extra $2 million in police overtime alone.

The owners of the private park, Brookfield Office Properties, cannot simply eject the demonstrators because the charter for the park allows 24-hour public access. But the owners never counted on this and appear to be getting fed up.

In a statement they said “because the protestors refuse to cooperate…the park has not been cleaned since Friday, September 16th and as a result, sanitary conditions have reached unacceptable levels.”

“They’re just making life miserable for the working guy,” bar owner Mike Keane told CBS 2′s Dave Carlin.

However, demonstrators insist they are being good neighbors, making an effort to be quiet in the overnight hours and cleaning up after themselves.

“The people that have been here, have been making sure to clean up. You can walk through and see, but I’ve seen multiple people sweeping,” demonstrator Michelle Rafic said.

Demonstrators have also taken issue with Mayor Bloomberg’s statements that the occupation is detrimental instead of positive.

“I think the more we talk about and get all the issues out there that need to be discussed, need to be confronted, obviously whatever we’re doing right now isn’t working. So until we figure out something that leads to a better America for everybody not just a small percentage of Americans,” Joshua Durham said.

Agree with Mayor Bloomberg’s comments?  Share your thoughts below…

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  • Hank Warren

    Endless bailouts, yet another violation of our rights. Add it to the list of gov’t violations of our rights:
    They violate the 1st Amendment by placing protesters in cages, banning books like “America Deceived II” and censoring the internet.
    They violate the 2nd Amendment by confiscating guns.
    They violate the 4th and 5th Amendment by molesting airline passengers.
    They violate the entire Constitution by starting undeclared wars for foreign countries.
    Impeach Obama, vote for Ron Paul.
    (Last link of Banned Book):
    http://www.iuniverse.com/Bookstore/BookDetail.aspx?BookId=SKU-000190526

    • David Bennett

      RON PAUL 2012
      RON PAUL 2012
      RON PAUL 2012
      RON PAUL 2012
      RON PAUL 2012

      • lel

        Impeach obama, YES, ABSOLUTELY!
        Ron Paul 2012? There are better options.

        • B. Jones

          Totally agree!

          • ronPaulResource

            RonPaulResource.com

            Go Ron Paul!!!

            Time to oust the neocons and liberals!!!

            • Warrior 07

              Ron Paul is a Libertarian, [Small Government Liberal}

              • ronPaulResource.com

                And your point is?

                Small government and not invading or policing the world is bad how?

      • Ty Harris

        Ron Paul is an ignorant loser just like most of his mindless minions. Our banking system has been working just fone for 200 years. It’s not the problem. It’s the political leadership. Why dont you cruise on over to wikipedia and inform yourself about the actual basic and beneficiall functions of the federal reserve system. Hamilton and Jefferson had this debate 200 years ago. Hamilton won and the result has been more economic wealth and prosperity being created than in all of the rest of the nations of the world combined. The problem with you Ron Paul types is that you have just enough knowledge to be dangerous. And God Bless Rick Santorum for standing up to this a$$-clown at the debates when he claimed America was responsible for the Sept. 11 attacks. Why dont you pull your head out of your a$$ Bennett you know-nothing chump.

        • ronPaulResource

          Can you name a time that Muslims attacked us when we didn’t have troops on their soil?

          Wouldn’t you attack someone who invaded our soil? How do you intend to fix this problem if you don’t even acknowledge what the problem is?

          RonPaulResource.com

          • zippit

            Uhhh…we were attacked by asymmetric Islamic terrorist groups…not a country. So by your logic, any fringe group (let’s say any militia in the US) could proclaim that Citgo (Petróleos de Venezuela) must leave US soil or they will target their nationals…so you see, you are not just a moron, but a f’in moron.

            • ronPaulResource.com

              Great analogy, I guess I’m too much of a moron to get it. If we weren’t attacked by countries, why are we invading them? Perhaps a letter of mark or reprisal would be a better, and constitutional way do deal with the problem.

              By my logic, following the Constitution is not optional.

              Great job name calling. Instant fail!!!

          • Ty Harris

            We were on their soil because the maniac dictator Sadaam Husein invaded Kuwait and had troops massed at the border of Suadi Arabia and the other gulf states. We went in there to keep that whack-job from stealing half the world’s oil supply, and were ASKED to come in there by the Saudis themselves who didnt want to have their country invaded. Islam is the most retrograde force on the planet. If you are looking for poverty, ignorance, intolerance, opression, injustice, and mindless hatred for all that is free, good, and decent, you need look no further than your nearest muslim nation. Screw Ron Paul and screw you for defending these people and for saying we deserved to be attacked like that on September 11. Shame and disgrace upon all supporters of the ignorant turd Ron Paul.

            • ronPaulResource.com

              Do you think that a country asking us to protect them is enough justification to commit US troops? Have you heard of this thing called the Constitution?

              Do you believe that Saudi Arabia is worth our blood and treasure to defend? Have you seen their human rights record.

              We pay to defend them while they build palaces made of gold.

              I’m not defending islam, but if the USA was invaded, what would you do?

              Kind of childish calling names to those you disagree with.

          • foreman

            yes–in the early years of our country off the north African coast. American sailors were taken prisoner and never seen again. The president fought back.

            • ronPaulResource.com

              The founders addressed the pirate problem and provided Constitutional means to deal with them.

              Do you have an example besides this?

              I think that short of a declaration of war, a letter of mark or reprisal would be a better, and constitutional way do deal with the problem.

          • Dette

            I’m curious as to what you mean by “Muslim Soil”, are you referring to any country that has Muslims as a religious majority? Any land, no matter it’s national borders, where Muslims have lived? Are you perhaps using the word Muslim to describe anyone that lives in a certain portion of the globe no matter how the people who live there describe themselves? Does this mean that you think that Hindus, Christians, Jews, Buddhists and so on can attack countries because they have troops on “their” land?
            Oh, and what “Muslim” soil did the United States have troops on when 9/11 happened according to you?

          • Kevin Pearson

            The Barbary Pirates. Ever heard of the “shores of Tripoli”? Yeah, we have been dealing militarily with one Muslim group of another since 1802

        • ronPaulResource.com

          The question still stands: Can you name a time that Muslims attacked us when we didn’t have troops on their soil?

          • Kevin Pearson

            Once again. The Barbary Pirates were Muslims. They attacked us in 1801. They disrupted U.S. commerce There were no U.S. troops on Musilm soil at that time. Thomas Jefferson acted accordingly to protect U.S. interests abroad, just as was done in Operation Desert Shield.
            You Paulbots are so stoked on weed that you cannot hold an argument, just repeat the same droning chant “Hope and Change” , Hope and change… same difference

            YOUR QUESTION HAS BEEN ANSWERED TO THE LETTER. There was nothing in your question about “consitututionality”

            Ron Paul is a MALE OB/GYN which means he is a dirty old pervert. Reagan was 77 years old when he left the White House, Ron Paul will be 76 years old by the election, HE IS TOO DAMNED OLD.

            • ronPaulResource.com

              Again with the name calling?

              Just for the record, I am not high on weed and was a soldier involved in operation desert storm. I would go along with the wars if there was a declaration of war.

              Does somebody expecting the government to follow the Constitution offend you so badly that you have to call names.

              What US interest were we defending in Desert Storm?

              Does the constitution state that any time one of our allies is threatened that the US MUST commit troops?

              Does the thought of following the Constitution scare you this badly?

              If you can just ignore the Constitution to suit you, who cannot?

              • ronPaulResource.com

                Anyone with a more recent example?

                • ronPaulResource.com

                  I mean one from between 1802 and 1982.

                  I’m not saying there isn’t one. I am open to the fact that I don’t know everything. Are you? Maybe they don’t teach that at your mensa meetings.

  • George1

    Flu season is just about starting. If a couple demonstrators should come down with a case of the Flu, the overcrowded, filthy conditions will cause it to spread into an epidemic in a matter of days.
    You rabble rousers better include a flu vaccine with whatever else you’re shooting up with. Just a friendly advice.

    • Atheist

      Wow, how’s your Merck stock doing dingbat?

  • jeff

    If they REALLY want to protest and make a difference, they should take a page out of the Tea Party’s play book…… Assemble to make your protest, clean up after your event, go home, vote in the elections to remove those you disagree with. The Tea Party is a perfect example of civilized behavior that made a genuine difference. Just take a look at the last elections…..a truly historic election with the biggest turnover in 70 years. Now that’s the way to do it. If liberals don’t get their way they get violent, act like animals, break the law (and get arrested) and whine like babies. The Tea Party has had hundreds of gatherings with not a single arrest and the place they gather is just as clean or cleaner than when they arrived.

  • RS

    Notice the striking differences between liberal rallies and conservative rallies.

    At conservative rallies:

    No one is trying to disrupt other people’s lives to get their point across

    No one is trying to get arrested to get their point across

    They are typically done off hours since conservatives have real private sector jobs or businesses to tend to

    They clean up after themselves

  • lordanson

    Mayor Bloomberg should ask George Soros to notify his son down at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue to set up a few Port-A-Johns on the White House lawn and transport their friends there. Scatter four or five wash tubs (catching rain water, if possible) about the premises for those needing their monthly dip. Everybody then can be as one with nature. All would be well.

  • Ronnie from Morris Park

    1 billion for a one stop subway ,600 million on City Time,100 million break for the Nets,30 million a year tax break for the Mets and Yankees and now our billionaire mayor lays off thousand wants to blame these protesters. His money mismanagement has caused all of the layoffs. A third term because he’s a financial wizard. NOT

  • Dave

    I had to walk by the park the other day to get to work and it smelled pretty bad. These people need to go home, get cleaned up and start trying harder to look for a job. No one is going to walk over to them and hand them a job. They are living in a fantasy world.

  • anythingnyc

    Mike Bloomberg had better wake up. Obviously the wuss cannot take a pinch and there are more to come. Let’s see how the greedy can survive without money!

  • Barry’s CT. SSN 042-68-4425 FAILS ‘E-VERIFY’

    “ALL WE ARE SAYING… IS GIVE US A BATH”

    • David Bennett

      Haha. That’s pretty good.

      • Terry Furlough

        “ALL WE ARE SAYING… IS GIVE US YOUR CASH”

  • liz

    LOSERS, TIME WASTERS, WHINERS……GO HOME TO MOMMY & DADDY>>>>>
    GET OUT OF MY BACKYARD and TAKE ALL OF YOUR LOSER DIRTBAGS WITH YOU……………NO ONE REALLY CARES ABOUT YOUR NONSENSE………………..
    TRY DOING SOMETHING CONSTRUCTIVE instead of DESTRUCTIVE

  • steve baker

    Definition of relevance: “the relation of something to the matter at hand.”

  • Diane

    Hmmm….here we have these probably mostly liberal NYC property owners getting a taste of their own politics…Lawyers have created the fact that these “protestors” can’t just be kicked out. Kind of ironic don’t you think??? Hmmmmm

    • Marvelicious

      Lawyers? Are you familiar with the Bill of Rights? I’ll make it even easier. You don’t even have to read the whole thing, just the First Amendment.

  • Stan Brown

    Since most are getting paid to protest are they still eligible for welfare and unemployment insurance?

    • Diane

      good point -

      • ronPaulResource

        Shhhhhh!!!!

        LOL

  • Mr. Churchill

    Let them stew in their own juices

    • Scott K. Smith

      Juices ? . . . . OH MY !

    • ronPaulResource.com

      Gross!!!

  • Tim

    These protestors are hippies with nothing better to do.

  • Henry Thoreau

    Communism and poverty you can believe in.

    • jeff

      You hit the nail on the head.

  • Mary Wright

    Bloomberg-the idiot who gives idiots a bad name. Why do you keep electing junk like him? Is it that the unions have you totally by the you know whats? This is insanity and you seem powerless over it. Not going back to NYC for a long time until city hall gets cleaned up. The parks are low on the list compared to the administration.

  • Tom in NY

    And the protesters have not been cleaned in at least three months.

  • Occupysomeotherspace

    Spoiled privileged kids with no real ambitions or any interest in “earning”a living. Once they realize no one rally cares about them or their pointless crusade, they will be a memory.

    • Rudolph Schubert

      These are people I would not hire! From what I have seen, none could pass an interview with me. This is just a sad example of “Find Fault, Shift Blame”.

      • Kevin Pearson

        I think the drug test is the real issue.

  • Scott K. Smith

    The park hasn’t been cleaned in weeks ? Well, HEY ! Most of those hippies haven’t BATHED in weeks, so what’s the problem ? ? !

    • Rudolph Schubert

      Haven’t bathed in months…maybe years!

    • lel

      Send in the union park cleaners and impose a ‘special’ tax to cover the expense.

  • Rudolph Schubert

    Whose toilets are they using? If they are cleaning up after themselves, where are they putting their toilet papers and tampon? We have have enough problems here in my hometown already.We don’t want them in Chelsea! All protestors GO THE F___ HOME!

  • Randy

    Perhaps Eric Cantor could clean the toilets.

    • Terry Furlough

      Perhaps ANTHONY Wiener could clean the toilets.

  • betsp

    Let them sit and sleep in their own filth.

  • The Realist

    Where can I be trained as a PROFESSIONAL ACTIVIST? I want to get a high-paying job as a protester complaining about unemployment.

  • DOUBLE_CHINNED_PUPPETEER

    I would round up the protestors and put them on a ship and send it to Africa.

    • londi

      what do you have agains africa? send them to LA and San Fran with Nancy

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