Illinois Taxpayer Welfare for the Billionaire Ricketts Family to rebuild Wrigley Field?

“Socialism, communism, whatever you want to call it, is never the answer.“ - Hank Steinbrenner. Unless, that is you are a Billionaire baseball Team Owner, then the taxpayers, middle class, and working class people need to give you money to finance the building of your stadium, as when Steinbrenner received $1,200,000,000 Billion dollars in Taxpayer money to finance the building of the new Yankee Stadium.

It's funny how when a "private" business wants huge wads of taxpayer "relief" to finance some project, the discussion becomes a Grandiose debate on Utilitarian Principles and the greatest good for the greatest number. The ancillary benefits to businesses, the community, the neighborhood. The indirect sales and tax gains and so forth. But...

When discussing the closing 7 Chicagoland mental health facilities [OccupyChicago Reports: Mental Health Movement / Southside Together Organizing for Power (STOP) - Mental Health Clinic Facing Closure Occupied by Patients and Advocates. Members Bbarricaded inside Woodlawn Clinic until Rahm Emanuel backs off clinic closures.] or the salaries of Chicago Public School teachers, the discussion is how much to slash, slash, slash, slash! That cutting and reducing government spending is the only option and those directly affected and the subsequent thousands indirectly affected are given short shrift, if they are considered at all.

It's almost as if the 1% has set up a Government to cater to their whims and wants and has designed the Body politic to funnel and transfer wealth upwards to them in a Reverse-Robin Scheme.

Capital belongs to the Capitalists, Poverty belongs to the Poor.

The Ricketts Family had a net worth of $2,700,000,000 in 2007. That placed them in the Forbes 400 Richest Americans. But, who should pay for the rebuilding of Wrigley Field; why the poor hardworking blue-collar Chicago Cub fan, who can maybe scrape together enough money to take himself and his family to the game a couple times a year.

After stating last week the Wrigley Field Renovations and Facelift discussion were "in the final stages" Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel clarified,

"Always remember that I'm here to represent taxpayers, but I'm not here to subsidize private investors with public dollars."

Okay Rahm. Then prove it.

Prove you aren't doing the work of the obscenely wealthy and providing them with Chicagoans tax dollars when the Ricketts easily purchased the second most profitable Baseball Franchise behind the Yankees. Prove to us Rahm that you aren't a tool of the Oppressors. A willing accomplice of the 1%. A lackey of Hedge Fund Vulture Kenneth C. Griffin CEO of Citadel LLC. A man who has created nothing but has made Billions off of Legerdemain and paper shuffling. And all the other Rich Elitist Bastards who view the Government of Chicago and Illinois as nothing more than their hired hands transferring Hundreds of Millions of dollars up from the Poor to the Rich.

But, at least I can finally say thank you to Governor Quinn and 44th Ward Alderman Tom Tunney. From Greg Hinz comes this column,

"I'm not excited about that at all," Governor Quinn said on the "Don Wade & Roma Show" on WLS-AM/890. "Our state has severe fiscal challenges, so the very idea of the state of Illinois spending millions and millions of dollars on Wrigley Field, I don't think that's in the cards at all." Quinn continued, The Ricketts family "bought the team, and they should make the lion's share of the investment to fix up the park."

And Tunney put the brakes on Rahm Emmanuel's "final stages", when he said, "I think the deal is not in the final stages," he said. "This is a deal that involves a lot of complexities." Tunney also added, "With the city still facing future budget deficits in the hundreds of millions of dollars, the economic benefits to the city as a whole will have to be clear."

Private business, the Free Market, "Job Creators", and a Government not involved in "picking winners and losers" is a the biggest myth peddled by the evil Republican Party and their Right-Wing lackeys. What the Republicans want and what they get their Conservative Media Goons to report ad nauseam is a Government controlled by the 1% and aligned to cater to the Plutocracy's interest.

And that is what's strangling and destroying America. State, Local and Federal Governments being co-opted and taken over by the Wealthy.

The South Side Irish Parade Returns to Beverly (#OccupySouthSideParade)

CBS Chicago reports:

Thousands of people have gathered to watch floats, marching bands and dancers in Chicago’s South Side Irish Parade. The parade is back after a two-year hiatus that was forced by drunken brawls at the 2009 march. Parade organizers say they’ve beefed up security in an effort to create what they’re calling a family-friendly parade.

The Parade began in 1979 but increasingly it was nothing more than an excuse for young assholes to show up, get drunk and fight.

“I want the South Side Irish Parade that I grew up with back. I don’t want what we’ve had the last few years,” 19th Ward Chicago Alderman Matt O’Shea, who voted to kill the parade in 2009 said last month when faced with Chicago City Hall's decision to grant a permit to hold the Parade.

Laura Bisiules, a bartender at nearby Wrongs Tap (10014 S. Western Ave.) stated one the problems plaguing the Parade in recent years,"I think the underage drinking was what was really getting out of hand." The 2009 South Side Irish Parade led to 54 arrests.

Now let's get to it. Does anyone recall right-wing bloggers gnashing their teeth over the despicable behavior of the Parade goers? Anyone remember Andrew Breitbart showing up to scream at the Parade? Does anyone remember Conservative think tanks sending in agent provocateurs to agitate and write stories about the goings on?

Of course not. And here's the reason. No minorities present, no focus on the real causes of the recession and deficit, no #Occupiers, no 99% present complaining about the exceedingly unfair distribution of Wealth in this Nation. And why? Because the Republican Party is wholly owned by the 1% and their Right-Wing attack dogs will do whatever is in their power to undercut, divide, and keep We, the People fractured in service to their Plutocratic Masters.

N17 OccupyChi Mass Action, Rahm Emmanuel's Budget and the 1%

"You really started something here. Hope on the streets..." - Batman Begins

The N17 #Occupy Mass Action was powerful. The March in Chicago followed by the General Assembly (GA) at the Thompson Center is an indication the bitter Chicago Winter will not be enough to dissapate the Occupiers.

Attending OccupyChi GA's is informative and inspiring. It's a functioning example of Direct Democracy what the 1% now appears desperate to stop. However, unlike, the other #OccupyMovements, Chicago has not had a large long lasting entrenched Protest site. For that reason, Chicago has also not seen the massive over-the-top paramilitary sweep and clear bulldozer operations Oakland and New York and now several other cities have experienced.

46 arrests were made, but The Full-Lockdown 1% Solution has yet to be applied to OccupyChi.org. Although the previous arrests of almost 50 little old ladies, members of the Jane Addams Senior Caucus, was bad enough.

At the N17 OccupyChi GA, the big item on the agenda was Rahm Emmanuel's 2012 Budget. It was correctly pointed out this budget, like all Austerity Plans, is solely for the benefit of the 1% and at the expense of the 99%.

The Stack, which included a CTA member, a CPS teacher, a long time striker against the Congress Hotel, an OccupySouthSide leader, an off-topic Ron Paulian, and several others focused on specifically condemning Rahm Emmanuel and his budget, and the decision to close of 6 of 12 Mental Health Facilities in Chicago while the others will be privatized. Of all the 99%, those suffering from mental illness or disability are the least able to defend themselves.

Several Beautiful Protesters from the November 15th Mental Health Care Action held at City Hall also spoke. Those protesters spent over 10 hours outside Rahm's office denouncing his budgetary decision to close the clinics.

But, here's the problem. While I fully support condemning Rahm's 2012 Budget, Emmanuel is a tool. Rahm is merely the pruning shears for the 1%. The key is to identify his holders. Who are the Companies which will control these privatized mental health hospitals? Who's on the boards of the Companies? How much will they reap from rationing care to the disabled? What kind of exclusive contracts have they signed to provide mandatory care? What expenses will these private companies be able to illegally slough off onto the people, as Illinois Blue Cross Blue Shield did*, while the profits are funneled to their off-shore accounts?

Rahm's budget is akin to Paul Ryan's Coupon for HealthCare or Scott Walker's Union Busting. The 1% will always be able to find a willing political tool to carry out their orders and steal the wealth of this nation. The key is not to break the tools but to "break" the hands of the 1% thus loosening their stranglehold on the Nation and We, the People forever.

*- Illinois Blue Cross Blue Shield, the states' largest health insurance company, paid $25 million to settle allegations that it denied coverage to sick children in need of nursing care by "fraudulently" shifting their claims to the state's Medicaid program.

John Hinderaker, Jim Hoft and Andrew Breitbart battle The Barbarians of Zuccotti Park

The drumming. (drums fingers on table) I thought it would stop but it never does. Never ever stops. Inside my head, the drumming, Doctor. The constant drumming. - The Master

I could help you. Please, let me help. - The Doctor

It’s everywhere. Listen, listen, listen. (taps table) Here come the drums. Here come the drums. - The Master
The Sound of The Drums, Doctor Who

OWS has the so alarmed the One Percent they've called forth All of their smearing Conservative dogs. These mendacious plutocratic sycophants will spare no effort, will leave no lie unspoken and will use anything to serve their Moneyed Masters.

Chief liar and fabricator Andrew Breitbart is the scummiest piece of conservative trash and filth for proclaiming in a tweet:

Coincidence or Coordinated? #OWS attacked Wall Street to the week after Al Qaeda attacked Wall Street on 9/11.

Breitbart is Loathsome. Just loathsome. But it shows, 1) conservatives will never stop waving the bloody shirt of 9/11 and 2) despite being a serial liar Breitbart will never be shunned or silenced and the bigger his lies and outrageous statements the more support he will receive because he is doing it in service to the Rich and Powerful. His entire operation over at BigGovernment is devoted to undercutting, infiltrating and destroying the 99%. Imagine if he uncovered professionally manufactured memos with these mission statements:

- "Spread out in the hall and try to be in the front half. The objective is to put the Rep on the defensive with your questions and follow-up. The Rep should be made to feel that a majority, and if not, a significant portion of at least the audience, opposes the socialist agenda of Washington.”

– “You need to rock-the-boat early in the Rep’s presentation, Watch for an opportunity to yell out and challenge the Rep’s statements early.”

– "The goal is to rattle him, get him off his prepared script and agenda. If he says something outrageous, stand up and shout out and sit right back down. Look for these opportunities before he even takes questions.”

Of course, those were crafted by the Dick Armey and Koch Brothers for 1% fueled and financed Tea Party. #Occupy and OWS are true grassroots movements.

John Hinderaker posted a video on his Powerline blog, with the headline Rampaging Occupiers Attack 78-year old Woman The evidence? Why strangely (or purposefully) the video fails to capture the moment of the "attack", but does show two elderly ladies at different times and different areas having fallen to the ground and being helped to their feet by police/security personnel.

Oddly, at this same rally, a One Percenter ran over 3 protesters and then ran into another group of protesters with his car. The Rightwing response? Applause and fantasizing about doing it themselves or shooting the protesters.

Glenn Beck's The Blaze, Hotair, FreeRepublic, Erick Erickson's Red State blog and Yahoo news stories are now replete with conservatives calling for fire hoses, clubbing, violence and police brutality. When a peaceful protester was shot by a Oakland Police Officer,

“While filming a police line at Occupy Oakland after midnight on Nov. 3 following the Nov. 2 general strike, an officer opens fire and shoots me with a rubber bullet. [Probably a bean-bag round G_e_G] I was standing well back. There was no violence or confrontations of any kind underway. At 0:31 seconds you can see a tall officer in the front raise his weapon and then fire. This is the full clip of the incident.”

Conservatives cheer.

Conservatism is Terrorism. It's designed to push the majority of Americans into penury and wage slavery. It's Orwellian in it's language and actions.

But, despite the worst efforts of the Breitbart and his ilk, by an overwhelming majority, the American People know Wall Street and their wholly owned Republican Party are responsible for the economic calamity. The Top 3 causes of the Republican Recession are:

1) Investment Firms and Banks making Risky Loans and Investments,
2) American Companies not investing in creating jobs in America,
3) The Economic Policies under former President Bush, including tax cuts for the wealthiest families.

So, while images and video of 50 elderly seniors of the 1500 members of the Jane Addams Senior Caucus being arrested at OccupyChi warms the cockles of Rightwing Terrorists hearts, it strengthens the spines and resolve of The 99% to continue!

Andrew Breitbart, his Minions and Conservative Toadies slandering OWS, OccupyChi and #OccupyTogether (Updated: Of course Faux News jumps aboard)

"Shut your face hippie." ~ Clint 'Gunny Highway' Eastwood
"Hippie? Ain't been no hippies around here for centuries." ~ Mario 'Stitch Jones' Van Pebbles

For a few weeks, The #OccupyTogether Revolution had the majority of Rightwing flummoxed. Most Conservatives had no idea how to attack the movement. They did know they hated it, but they're weren't sure why or how to pigeon-hole and fix their enemy for destruction. But, now we have the Big Conservative Attack; Andrew Breitbart, Pajamasmedia, and every Major Righwing Blog are running with the OccupyRevolution are Nazis, Communists and Anti-Semites.

Here's the headline which the Rightwing Toadies to the 1% are running with;

Nazis and Communists Throw Their Support Behind Occupy Wall Street Movements

Because what better narrative to use then the Soviet Politburo and Hitler are behind holding the Wall Street Criminals to task for their crimes.

It should come as no surprise that conservatives, the kowtowing butt-kissing servants to the Rich and Powerful, would seek to minimize, degrade and attack the People. Immediately, the simple position was to rely on the Dirty Stinking Hippie mystique which the Right has been running with for almost 50 years. And of course, many simply fell back on the belief that President Kenyan Marxist Teleprompter Obama is responsible for eveyrthing wrong in the US and that the Republicans War on the Middle Class at the Behest of their Moneyed Masters has never existed.

Andrew "I'm going after education. After the Teachers and Union Organizers Next" Breitbart, the paragon of running with doctored, misleading and outright false videos, has taken on the task of slandering and smearing the OWS. His BigGovernment site has now devoted dozens of his paid minions to blog non-stop about the OccupyChi and other Occupations. His narrative is to declare the OWS in league with Anti-Semitic Neo-Nazi Groups. From Joel Pollack @ Breitbart's BigGovernment website,

Pajamas Media recorded similar, and worse, statements at Occupy LA. The main Occupy demonstration in lower Manhattan has also seen numerous, well-documented examples of explicit antisemitism. That is alarming, given the explicit anti-Jewish hatred on display at Occupy rallies across the country.

Other conservative disinformation sites, The American Spectator for example, have also taken it upon themselves to smear and slander OWS and #Occupy. It's de rigueur for the Right to throw up as many bullshit stories and as many smear jobs as possible knowing, 'All of the people will be fooled some of the time' and 'Some of the people will be fooled all of the time.'

Just as when Republicans rammed through the Iraq War and the Patriot Act, the Rightwing has fallen solidly in line declaring those who oppose the 1% are Anti-American, Anti-Semites, Communists, Socialists, Nazis, Marxists, Terrorist Appeasers, Rawr!!! Anyone who is against the systematic and rampant Wall Street crime and corruption is actually against America. It's what the Right does every time.

But, despite the worst efforts of the Breitbart and his ilk, by an overwhelming majority, the American People know that Wall Street and their wholly owned Republican Party are responsible for the economic calamity. The Top 3 causes of the Republican Depression are:

1) Investment Firms and Banks making Risky Loans and Investments,
2) American Companies not investing in creating jobs in America,
3) The Economic Policies under former President Bush, including tax cuts for the wealthiest families.

So, while we know the attacks by the Rightwing Smear Merchants shall never cease, their hatred for the Working Classes shall never be abated and their defense of their Plutocratic Lords shall never wane... We the 99% will march on.

Update:
Faux News is now solidly behind #Occupy and OWS = Nazis and Anti-Smeites.

How do you stop OccupyChi? Free Speech Zones and Arrests.

When the people peacefully assemble and question the entrenched power structure you will find there are hundreds of ordinances and rules in place to ensure you can be removed for the sight and sound of The Demos is an affront to the 1%

OccupyChi is just the latest protest to be taken out via a local ordinance when 175 peaceful American citizens where denied their Constitutional Rights because they conflicted with the Rights of the 1% to enrich themselves on the blood and bodies of the 99%. The Chicago Police justified the arrests because,

“They were in park property after hours,” said CPD Officer Robert Perez. “There is a municipal ordinance that nobody is allowed in the park after 11 pm.”

Rania Khalek has a breakdown of the anti-1st Amendment "laws" used to crackdown on the 99%.

Perhaps the Republicans in Congress who dramatically staged a reading of the expedited conservative constitution on the house floor can address the nation with their grave concerns the Rights of the People to Free Assembly are being trampled upon?

No? Well, why not? Why oh why would the Republicans be against the OWS and OccupyTogether protests? Why would the Republicans call We, the People a "mob" and proclaim we are "against freedom". Quite simply because the 1% controls every single Republican in office.

Where are the Tea Party "Patriots" on all this? Where are the anti-government Militias? Where are the so-called Oathkeepers? Where are the Libertarians? Where are the Objectivists with their hatred of Government and their absolutist position against the Intiation of Force? Is ANYONE surprised the Protests against Rampant and Institutionalized Greed and Theft are being supressed? Is ANYONE surprised the RightWing fascists and conservatives stand with the Thieves and Swindlers and against the 99%?

Every single group I mentioned are full off liars, dupes and charlatans. They gladly mouth words of Freedom and Rights and their Love of the Constitution, but are nothing more than hollow organizations devoted to the suppression of the People and the defense or enrichment of the 1%.

Thralls to the Rich continue smear campaign of the Occupy Revolution

"I was in the Blue Bottle Saloon in Wichita on the night that English Bob killed Corky Corcoran, and I didn't see you there, nor no woman. No two-gun shooters. None of this." ~ Gene Hackman, Unforgiven

Any push against the Plutocracy was certain to engender a massive push back. At first, the 1% was content to allow their Guards to engage in old tactics of mass arrests and brutality, but these tactics do not win the hearts and minds of the average American anymore and one brutual incident can be broadcast worldwide for all to see.

But, now the real effort to delegitimize the Occupy America Movement is underway. By the other old, time-honored Rightwing tactic, the propaganda smear campaign. The Plutocracy rallied their guardians and man-servants in the Elite Media to begin publishing sneering and snotty articles about the uncouthness and general offensive nature of the dress and mannerisms of plebeians.

Here's the by-line from Bill Zeiser (a conservative media "consultant" whose offerings get picked up by pajamasmedia and The American Spectator):

One clean-cut journalist goes undercover with the protesters.

Zeiser is a rabid defender of the 1%. His whole article is riddled with hatred towards the oppressed. What brought me out into the streets with the rabble? His sensibilities were offended at the requests to punish Wall Street for their crimes. They are no more than a discontented mob carrying a jumble of disparate, even odious messages. The few among them who call for specific policy changes lack the good sense not to lie with socialist dogs. At least Zeiser ends his hit piece honestly: But ultimately, I found no common ground with them as I walked the downtown streets of Manhattan. I guess I am the enemy after all. Bill Zeiser gives it away when he describes his fashion sense and illustrates those who idolize and defend the Rich continue to absorb the lessons of history, that if you dress like the Rich perhaps you can pretend to be one of them.

Here are the views of other Elite Guards of the Rich:

"Get your shoes off, get a bongo drum, forget where to go to the bathroom and it's yours." - P.J. O'Rourke

“They’re openly embracing their demonic aspect.” - Ann Coulter

3 Weeks ago Glenn Beck was chuckling, about what he described as Wall Street protest FAIL:

"The attempt by radical leftists, communists, socialists, anarchists and more to occupy Wall Street didn’t go as well as they hoped it would. A little short on the protesters and a little short on the ‘occupation’ part of the promised action to camp out and occupy Wall Street. NYPD basically shut that option down before they got there..."

Now, the Multi-Millionaire Beck is worried,

"Capitalists, if you think that you can play footsie with these people, you are wrong. They will come for you and drag you into the streets and kill you. They will do it. They’re not messing around. Those in the media – and I am included in this – they will drag us out into the streets and kill us. If you’re wealthy, they will kill you for what you have. You cannot tolerate this kind of stuff. You certainly do not encourage it.”

I've attended the OccupyChi Revolution at LaSalle and Jackson several times now. I'm not a member nor do I claim to speak for the movement. But, I have directly spoken with several members, their legal counsel and observed their street meetings. The group has twice daily official meetings along with impromptu ones in which ideas are tabled and voted upon. One of the things always discussed in the meetings is the agreement amongst all they will accomplish their goals by non-violent means. It's an exercise in Direct Democracy, something the Political Talking Class is not very fond of and the 1% abhor.

I spent all day downtown with the OccupyChi protest and the October 8 Anti-War Rally. About 1500-2000 attended the Anti-War March and many marched over to LaSalle and Jackson and recounted their stories of financial ruin at the hands of the Banksters. While we there almost every single person on top of the double-decker tour buses cheered on OccupyChi.

Well, with any large and sustained movement incidents are going to happen. On October 8th I march with the Chicago Mass Action anti-war rally which showed solidarity with OccupyChi. I only saw one confrontation during the march of roughly 2000, in which two Bike borne young CPD members got into a profanity contest with two old ladies carrying an anti-war banner (which demanded the arrest of all war criminals and mug-like shots of Bush & Obama), but it never went further than recriminations and the two officers biked away.

I did hear from a Progressive Radio Journalist from Wisconsin that their were arrests made for Battery to a Peace Officer when some protestors flicked cigarette butts at them. That is a crime cut and dried. I don't forgive behavior like that nor should anyone.

But, here's where it gets interesting. Does anyone doubt that the minds of most conservative has already been made up? Or that they will be searching for any evidence that confirms their preconceived notions (h/t: Bill Zeiser) while ignoring everything which might contradict it?

Thus, enter the Rightwing Blogosphere. Jim Hoft, of The Gateway Pundit, is one of the most dishonest rightwing conservative blogs on the internet. Hoft's posts have been routinuely debunked and discredited by Media Matters for America and Sadly, No, now has over a dozen posts from various cities attacking the Occupy America Revolution.

Well, now to get the on-the-ground assessment from several cities at the same time is quite an amazing bit of fieldwork! Is Hoft the primary source? No. Is Hoft the secondary source? No. Hoft puts up photos and videos from unidentified sources of unidentified persons and labels himself a journalist. The reason many Americans think journalism is dying in America is preceisely because for years the Rightwing has countered traditonal walk the pavement firsthand Journalism with Radio Commentators who never leave the comfort of their studio, conservative bloggers who cross-reference the same post in incestous amplification, which for the most part are propaganda hit pieces the bloggers receive from conservative "think tanks" and the rise of Faux News which offers up the most toxic reactionary opinion pieces as hard news.

Over at the corporately funded Hotair.com, Ed Morrisey seems to think a photo of people laying out sleeping bags and drying clothes in the sun indicates the OWS crowd are dirty anti-enviornmental hypocrites or something.

"Lest one think that this is an outlier, the Daily Mail has a few other pictures of the prodigious amount of waste piling up at the occupation."

Looking at the photo I'm quite impressed with the orderliness of the OWS bario. But, you see the Tea Party Patriots never left a mess at their single day long events and a protest into its' 3rd week should have no sign of human occupation and normally there is no trash to be found in New York City.

What I've seen first hand at the OccupyChi site are young men and women policing up the area they are occupying sweeping up trash, picking up cigarette butts and keeping the sidewalks free of debris.

The Temple of Mut: Shrine to Capitalism concludes his dire round-up post with: About that 99%. Be careful of those who claim to speak for you.* It's laughable that he would be so obtuse! That's the point of the Occupy Revolution. The elected politicians do not represent the 99%. The entire Republican party is owned by Corporate Behemoths, Special Interests and the Lobbyist Class and a vast number of Democrats are as well. They purport to speak for Us and spend all their time conducting the business of the 1%.

We are the 99%. We don't speak for the 99%, We are them and so are you... But, there are those who will support the enslavers and work to keep down those who would question and stand up to the Wall Street Criminals.

Meanwhile, whilst the conservative blogosphere gins up hysteria amongst it's flag-waving Hank Williams Jr fans, the Koch Brothers keep getting Richer by making illegal unethical deals with Iran, Nigeria and having Erick Erickson defend them via: "Koch Industries did not directly do business in Iran. A subsidiary did business in Iran**" technicality. So they didn't violate the law because the law was lax and what you expect business to regulate themselves?

"Get out of the sidewalks and into the streets"

*- Seems the author changed his post about the 99% to the following: I am not rich, not a member of some vast corporation, and don’t have political connections. But, this group does NOT represent me Of course, not their are many members of the 99% who choose to fight for their Oppressors and against the Oppressed.

**- Erickson has removed the line I quoted, obviously because it confirmed his status as an idiot.

Occupy Chicago. Birth of a True Grassroots Revolution.

Are true grassroots movements possible? The beautiful people of OccupyChi.org are trying to find out.

I spent the morning and early afternoon at the corner of LaSalle and Jackson with Occupy Chicago. About 40 members were there. Mainly I observed them. They engaged in some Direct Democracy via deciding to abide by the City Ordinance regarding storage of personal property on public sidewalks (This seemed to be an effort by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago to hamper them) and kept vigil during the awful rain which is on a 4 day run, albeit with scattered clear skies, across the Chicagoland area.

I did speak with a few members, mainly the young man who, due to his interactions with CPD on the previous night, became the Police Liasion for the OccupyChi group.

I imparted some Grungy advice regarding interactions with the Police. The main thought I tried to get through to him was that it wasn't a compromise to their principles to abide by directions from the Police. It would be detrimental to give some Right Wing Chicago version of Lieutenant Bologna the ability to crack down on them by violating something trivial. I mentioned that they did have natural allies amongst the Police and commented on the early morning quote tweet from the unidetified Cop, "When I get home, I take these clothes off. I'm you guys."

Many Cops know, the Police are expected by the 1% to act as Guardians of the Elites.

We spoke about how they could expect no lovingly tender corporate media reach around (proven by the scorn and derision from the crass Ginia Bellafante of the New York Times), no coverage from Faux News (let alone the sponsorship, participation, active support Faux provided the Tea Party) and no millions in funding from Dick Armey or the Koch Brothers.

They have high hopes for their protest and are proud to be the second longest running protest of the nascent Occupy Wall Street. I told some of them the 1% was most likely going to let the Chicago weather do the work for them and hope that OccupyChi wears out from the wet and cold. Hopefully, the group has set up someone to coordinate logistics but right now locals and other brave members of the 99% were donating food, ponchos, charging time for devices and helping dry the clothing of the Occupiers.

Normally, I don't join groups or organizations, but being a part of the 99% is something that has been put upon us all. Solidarity! We are the 99%.

In a fitting post script as I rode home on the 2:40 METRA, I noticed none other than Rick Santelli, the acknowledged birther of the Tea Party 'movement'. My friend was shocked and texted me "that lazy bum is already off work?"