Here it is, folks. LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who reminds me of Fredo in The Godfather-in more ways than one, sent a letter to the LA Occupy Movement applauding them for the great public service they have performed for humanity while trying to get them to leave the City Hall park area by 12: 01 am November 28. That was about 9 hours ago. Here is his fawning letter which Mayor Fredo posted on Facebook. Don't ask me to whom in Occupy LA the letter was addressed to. Maybe it was that great ex-teacher who was saying that "Jews should be run out of the country". Maybe it was to Jim Lafferty of the National Lawyers Guild. Who knows?
http://www.facebook.com/notes/antonio-villaraigosa/mayor-villaraigosas-letter-to-occupy-la/10150969870480147
November 25, 2011
To Occupy Los Angeles:
This summer our national political conversation was consumed by debt ceilings and deficit reduction. Our national leaders were single-mindedly focused on cutting spending and cutting services. Issues of social justice and economic equality sat neglected and ignored on the political sidelines.
You have changed that. In seven short weeks, you have awakened the country’s conscience. You have given voice to those who have not been heard: to the middle class families who face piles of past due notices and wonder how they will get by; to the students who have done the work, made the grades and have graduated into a job market woefully short on prospects and possibility; to the homeowners who, through no fault of their own, have fallen on hard times and have lost their homes and lifesavings (sic); and to all of the people who face the bitter prospect of an American Dream that grows more and more elusive every day.
The Occupy movement is now at a crossroads. The movement faces the question of how it can build on its initial success. It is a question of whether energy will be consumed to defend a particular patch of earth or whether that energy will be channeled to spreading the message of economic equality and signing more people up for the push to restore the balance to American society.
The encampment in City Hall Park is not sustainable. This is especially true from the standpoint of public health and public safety. Accordingly, we must close, repair and re-open the park to public access. For this reason, we will close the park on Monday, November 28th at 12:01 am. The park closure will include a set of measures that will assist Occupy LA participants to move their personal belongings and property from the park. We will also offer social and health services for those in need.
I am very proud of the fact that since the start of the occupation of City Hall Park, we have done things differently in Los Angeles. We have not stared each other down from opposite sides of barricades and barbed wire. We have communicated. We have listened. We have negotiated. It has allowed us to solve problems peacefully and to avoid the scenes of violence and brutality that have strained the civic fabric of other cities.
It is my hope that we can conclude this first chapter of Occupy LA in a similar spirit. I admire your courage and character. You have opened the eyes of your fellow citizens to the economic hardship in their midst. I am encouraged by your passionate commitment to social justice and look forward to the continued progress of your efforts.
Very Truly Yours,
Antonio R. Villaraigosa (Fredo)
Mayor
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Well, here is what has happened so far. Midnight came last night and went. Nobody left the park, and the cops did not show up to evict them. At 5 am, protesters were gathered at First and Main trying to block rush hour commuters from getting to work. This time, the cops showed up and with shields formed a moving wall that moved the protesters away and per the cops' orders, back into the park at City Hall. And that's where they are as we speak.
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