Occupy Nanaimo Cost Taxpayers $24,054.10

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Should Protesters Pick Up Tab?

The final tab has been calculated for the cost to city taxpayers resulting from the Occupy Nanaimo assembly in Diana Krall Plaza in downtown Nanaimo. It would appear that the real costs are being understated, as there is no reference for extra police time, or 'regular' staff time etc.

The costs contained in the city staff report are:

• Toilet, garbage removal and cleaning .....$4,000.00
• Overtime .....$850.00
• Garbage Bags and misc. supplies $250.00
• Legal Fees $18,954.10
• TOTAL .... $24,054.10

I am all for free assembly and the right to say whatever you want to say but I do have a problem as a taxpayer having to pick up a $19,000 legal bill simply because a few stubborn, hangers-on refused to use some common sense when it was perfectly clear they no longer had the support of the public.

I would not be opposed to a similar group being required to obtain a permit from the city which would require them to accept financial responsibility for all costs the assembly results in. The permits would of course be free, but would require some demonstrated financial responsibility on the part of the organizers, not unlike a deposit required if you want to use city space for other purposes.

I also don't have a problem with organizers picking up ALL costs of the assembly, by that I mean, if they need toilets, they could rent them, and they should be required to return the public space in the same condition it was found.

I haven't been to the plaza of late, but are the protesters still assembling during the day with their valid messages for social change?

The cynic in me wonders if the city did not deliberately understate the true costs of the occupation so as not to raise too much public push back as to why they tolerated the occupation for as long as they did, when it was clear at which point it no longer had public support.