Boston - The cost of policing the Occupy Boston encampment in Dewey Square is starting to worry some local officials: Murphy said top Boston Police Department brass estimate the OT bill for the protests could come in at up to $2 million if demonstrators continue to live in the tent city on Dewey Square through Oct. 31. If the cost for these protests pans out as projected it would place the Occupy Boston "event" in the same neighborhood as some of the major sporting events the city has hosted in the last decade. The 2008 Celtics parade alone cost $380,000 to police. The estimated cost of just the 2004 Red Sox parade was over $750,000, though much of the cost was picked up by private business in exchange for sponsorship opportunities. The 2007 Red Sox World Series run cost the city approximately $1.5 million, only $684,516 of that was covered by the Red Sox and private business, leaving the city on the hook for $815,484.
Ughhhhhh, really guys, now you're really pushing it. Are you bringing revenue to the city of Boston anywhere between 41-81 times per year (amount of home games for those teams)? Do you own sports teams for which you're presumably paying pay roll taxes out the ass? Does Occupy Boston take nightly trips to local restaurants and bars helping the business's around South Station profit? (answer, no, local food truck festival cancelled due to occupy boston). And last but not least, do you have any trophies to show for youselves?
No, you've got none of that. What you do have is a gigantic drain on city resources, for which average tax payers (not the banks or universities, for the Fed) will have to pay for. So come 2012 when budget cuts start hurting a little bit more, please, please don't complain about needing social services from the city more than ever. It'll be partially your own fault...Congrats, you've contributed to the problem.
PS: Has anyone thought of finding a hall and renting it out as headquarters yet? You know, for real organization so people will take you seriously? No? Ok, just checking.
