Occupy Phoenix

Quite disappointed that most of the protesters were not active voters. It should also be noted that not all Arizona cities held elections this month. In the city of Phoenix they had a few city council seats and also the mayor's race. In other cities it was mostly bond issues. In Mesa we had a recall of our State Senator. However, I did want to find out how many of the protesters were active voters. I found two who said they regularly vote.

In the city of Phoenix we had 592,177 registered voters and according to a 2010 Census http://www.azcentral.com/community/phoenix/articles/2011/03/15/20110315phoeni... we have 1,445,632 residents. Out of that number only 169,085 bothered to vote for the mayor's election this month. That is just a shade over 25% registered voters who actually showed up or mailed in their vote. http://phoenix.gov/election/results.html

I am not upset that most people refused to be on camera. As most of these protesters had jobs many of them had to be careful not to get into trouble with their employer. Therefore, it makes sense to stay off the camera. Unlike other protests I have seen around the country this place was very sanitary.

I am also thankful that mentally disturbed people such as this nutjob who pretended he was part of a citizen border patrol as seen here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjOwSIsgE8c was either away or hopefully getting the mental health treatment he needed.

I am also thankful that not to many hippies or anarchists were here at this event as they in my opinion hurt the Occupy movement.

There are things I support about the Occupy movement and things I do not. I support their push to end "free speech zones" which only curtail a citizen's lawful fight to peacefully assemble.

I however do not support their a anti-capitalism positions as they rally against the 1% that they perceive to be their enemy. The truth is the poor absorb more government benefits than they pay in federal and state taxes. Although they do pay sales taxes and sometimes property taxes many do not pay Federal and State taxes when you consider their refund checks and tax credits http://taxvox.taxpolicycenter.org/2011/07/27/why-do-people-pay-no-federal-inc... There is an unjustified contempt toward the rich in my opinion. This is coming from someone who earned just $500 this month.

In my opinion the Occupy movement would be more effective if they were to focus their efforts on lobbying for effective change in government through voting and putting pressure on our elected officials to ease restrictions on our rights than simply protesting the rich for simply being successful.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• Occupy
• Phoenix
• Arizona
• HappyCabbie
• protest
• protesters
• vote
• voter
• voting
• election

[devchelle2]

You spent time talking to a code pink person. meh.

[HappyCabbie]

@devchelle2 find me a protester willing to speak on camera and I will be happy to interview them

[kelliko70]

Have to admit I am a bit disappointed--not by you but by the protesters. If you have the balls to protest you should have the balls to be on camera and speak your mind, imho. But no one has asked me for an interview and we have only 4 OWS marches in the state I am in, which is WV.

[HappyCabbie]

@kelliko70 Not everybody wants to be put on camera.

[KYKIN44]

Unions were formed because of the 1% their thugs were killing and hurting and starving the 99%. Now they have the police paid for by taxpayers to do the thugs work. I am a union man. It sickens me that the police union would let policemen hurt the poor and the working class. The union should not let their members hurt the poor and working class. It sadden me that police union member would hurt our young people. Police state is where the criminals run the government

[HappyCabbie]

@KYKIN44 Here in Phoenix the police kept their distance. All they were focused on is making sure nobody was sleeping at the park.

[jdp20ipitt]

great beard.. kinda greasy, it must of been hot out that day...

[kmfocht]

OWS is not protesting against the rich because they are rich, they are protesting against the 1% who use their wealth & power to lobby & get policies, laws & regulations to benefit the 1%! OWS protests against the 1% who are taxed at 9% or less, while the 99% are taxed 25%! They simply want them to pay their fair share! They also want them to go to jail when they break laws!

[kelliko70]

@HappyCabbie I have to admit that I am being a bit hypocritical since I don't show my own face on camera with my videos yet. Why? I am self-conscious about being fat which I haven't been able to beat yet. But, yeah I can understand why a person would not want to be on the internet.

[BlazeTheMovieFan]

She looks like a nice woman.