Are the punks mostly products of the local school system or migrates from elsewhere who came to PDX knowing the welcome mat is out for nut cases . . . that vote?

I'm sure we'll be seeing the ringleaders up close and personal in the paper very soon -- via mug shots or worse.

I would hate to see what happens in this town if one of those protesters gets killed by a cop. I might have to telecommute for a while.

I am so reminded of the Dhaliwal brothers.
You remember the drunk morons who taunted the tiger and it killed one of their friends.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Francisco_Zoo_tiger_attacks

So, what's Westerman's alibi for his whereabouts last night?

Nice state that the chronic lying by the PPB has led us to.

The funny thing is when these kids finally get their heads busted they'll have "no idea why the cops are so pissed at us"

They're going to swing public opinion back in the police's favor. But of course, they don't understand, or care. Tre Arrow Syndrome. Beats working.

When we have bankers that destroyed our economy being rewarded with continued employment and getting billions in bonuses... does it make you wonder how the loss of respect for authority might take form?

When we have a political party whose platform is government and oversight is the problem, does it make you wonder why anti-government groups spring up and militia's seem enabled?

Where are we heading as a nation?

Robert, there wasnt a "loss of respect for authority," there never was. There has been group of people like this long before the bank incidents. Just look at the Indymedia crowd. They hate everything about the government and any kind of authority.
Its why these people cover their faces. They want to cause problems, but not be identified by "the man."

I have to hand it to the protesters, particularly the dolt who threw his bike at a cop. I haven't heard that much inarticulate and impotent whining from complete nonentities since the last time Pearl Jam went on tour.

Looks like a liberal version of a tea party to me.

Robert,
If you did your homework you would see it was not the "bankers" that dsetroyed this economy. An easy media based scapegoat. Brooksley Born,"The Warning" PBS, in the late 90's fortold of the impending economic doom from derivatives etc. Greenspan, Rubin, et al opposed her .....only to eat crow years later. Add Barney Frank and Freddie Mac and the government based financial impacts are the basis to implode our economy. Comprende'?

Kevin G....No comprende!... I see youve got to get Barney mentioned too..gee, where have I heard those talking points?

uuummmm, I do my homework... derivatives are a bank product based on extended values of a base security, hence derived from... not to mention the collusion with the ratings agencies that gave AAA ratings to products they didn't even understand..and yes, Brooksley Born was early to point out there misgivings... and I also know the role the Clinton administration played in relaxing the regulations...

Please, if I want to be misled, I'll watch FOX News and listen to Limbaugh, Beck, Boortz and Hannity...

TTR - how dare you impugn Pearl Jam ;)

Does anyone know where Randy was that night? Maybe someone's just taking out their frustrations on the not-so-honorable Mr. Westerman.

Robert,
Barney Frank et al, is not a talking point it's part of the equation. The point you missed is where derivatives were left unregulated by the government, thus the problem. Being cute and glib does not make your argument. I don't listen to the group you assert...another error on your part. Tu no comprende.

Kevin G,

I guess we disagree... I hold the banks and fly by nite mortage companies 100% responsible for what happened to our economy as well as the ratings agency.. Clinton was foolish and even Greenspan said he never would have thought that CEO's would have been so wreckless with the viability of their companies and lack of concern for shareholders.. it wasn't Clinton's administration that came into power with the mandate that govt is bad and so is oversight.. these bad loans were all consumated under the Bush adminstrations do what you want capitalism... there are no rules and common sense doesnt apply, just profit at the expense of the taxpayers and then we got the bill via that 3 page letter from Hank Paulson..

Unless you want to add in the other part of the Barney equation and add poor and brown people into the mix...

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6298082n&tag=contentBody;housing

Are you the same Kevin G that said my sense of humor was wry back about 1990?

Robert,
Who was it that gave the latitude to the lending institutions? Barney, Allen, and Robert, et al,would be the answer. Lending mortgage money at 0% down is stupid from any point of view...maybe even yours. Blaming all of this on Bush is an easy way out that holds no merit and bringing in people of color is unconscionable. This mess affected all people. All because a handful of government officials did not 'get it'. Misguidedly blame it all on the banks if you will, but there is enough to go around....

Send them all to prison..

I must be missing something.

Where does it say or link the protests with the widows being broken at the union offices?

The article does a good job of misleading and making it sound like the arrests were linked. But isn't the location of the protest and the vandalism at the PoPo union bit apart?

I find more significance in the focus on the union then just city hall. Yes we can all rant about senseless violence and anarchy but the focus is changing from "The Man" to "the men." A realization that the organization that covers for sick people might be at fault and that "the powers that be" have shifted from city hall to the union.

"...with the widows being broken at the union offices?"

Those damn unions will stop at nothing!!

LOL OK Steve, good catch, now throw it back!

Some poor truncated human, maybe with a history of infant attachment disorder and adult borderline personality disorder, is slated to spend eight years in prison after he/she finally gets done with the tantrum.

Revolting.

Kevin G.

Per you "Who was it that gave the latitude to the lending institutions? Barney, Allen, and Robert, et al,would be the answer."

If I recall right, Barney was in the minority position from 1992 to 2006, which means the republican head of the committee he's on would have had control.. So how did Barney gain so much clout to overrule with his minority position in the timeframe that those regulations were changed? That was the Gingrich era of divisive politics and nothing has changed in that aspect..

And the intent of deregulation was to appease the republicans who think business will clean up its own act based on the power of the consumer to define what business practices are acceptable (its total rubbish too).. Thats how the republicans claim capitalism works, by reacting to the expectations of the consumer of their products.

This whole blame the Barney is just more republican talking points.. and for someone who claims he doesnt view or listen to the right wing sources I noted, you sure know how to tow the line for them...You have not swayed my original premise, the banks are 100% responsible for bankrupting our economy..

PS - Find someone else to consdescend to..

Robert,
While we are amused by your rapier wit and historical grasp of economics you remain far from correctly informed. I do not need talking points from Republicans and do not have cable TV.
The points you miss are infinite so I'll point it out one last time. You have completely missed the impact of the Community Investment Act of 1977 and it's subsequent amendments. Add to that the Federal Reserve of Boston's role, including Barney, and the role of the Fed at that time in the 90's-2000's. The Fed and Treasury had the influence at the time also make policy not just Congress. So whomever was in charge of the committee is irrelevent. To blame it all on bankers is ignorant. As I said before ..there is plenty of blame to go around. If being informed and literate is condescending so be it.

Kevin G,

So it took until the early 2000s to 2008 to take effect although it all started with the CIA of 1977...Kevin, thats total bulls***.

Those loans that were toxic were originated in the years 2003 through 2008 and then securitized by the big investment banks and also had derivatives made from them..

And you want to go back to 1977.... give me a break Kevin... and everything you say is right in line with the republican talking points on this issue....

Robert,
I have been a "D" for decades so please move past that point. To totally understand an issue you need to dissect it and learn the history from the beginning. (I got "A"'s in anatomy class too.) The fact that you refuse to look at the big picture and integrate the moving parts of economic history just adds to your misguided and incorrect conclusions. This all did not happen in the last few years. And it was not just the banking industry involved. Your tone and language have become tiresome and unnecessarily offensive to have an adult discussion. Best of luck to you in your journey to find the truth.