And poor Sam Adams seems to be having a nervous breakdown live on Twitter over whether he should be the bouncer or the DJ.

Excellent set of letters. Jack.

It seems that as time wears on, the Occupy Movement is alienating many like yourself, and I, who were sympathetic with goal of challenging the objecting to the ABUSES on Wall Street.

Also, you are right to suggest, as time wears on, the Occupy Movement is wasting the momentum that had initially been gained.

In political movements, strategies & tactics are important.

You want to add to the movement those who either were uninformed, "on the fense", or apathetic.

At present, the current strategies & tactics are NOT adding the uninformed, "on the fense", or apathetic.

Sadly, instead of bringing together those who agree about Wall Street abuses, but are on opposite sides of the left-right paradigm, the Occupy Movement is driving people on the two "sides" away from each other.

To curb and halt these Wall Street abuses, given Wall Street's power in Washington, D. C., among BOTH political parties, it will take pressure on Congressmen & Senators (read, "vote for and pass this bill or you lose the next election") from a united American voting public -- both sides of the left-right paradigm.

Again, at this point, the Occupy Movement is not achieving that objective.

Believe it or not, but there are many, if not an outright majority, on the "right" who support curbing Wall Street abuses, but, sadly, those on the "right" who don't want to curb the abuses (there are many), are able to point to the Occupy Movement and dragoon and cow the "silent majority" by pointing to the Occupy Movement and, particularly, the "weird fringe" (keep Portland weird) and thus suppress momentum for challenging the Wall Street abuses.

It's going to take "reaching hands" across the ideological spectrum to curb Wall Street abuses.

I would be very sympathetic if they were to start protesting on the sidewalks in front of the homes of the executives of the companies that caused the problems, e.g., Chase, Bank of America, Countrywide, AIG, etc. But by tearing up parks and running up police overtime, they're only hurting the property tax payers of this city and destroying any sympathy any of us once had for them.

Yes, get something moving away from weird toward fairness and justice for the 99%.

Best line: "America has a short attention span, friends, and you're missing your window."

Amen or all of the above!
Occupiers...get a plan and get a life!

I had to shut off TweetDeck because mayor Sammo was popping off every few seconds. I was wondering if he even knows what his "job" is supposed to be - mayor or head Tweeter?

I concur - excellent letters, Jack. You expressed eloquently thoughts that, oddly, many of us share.

I would be very sympathetic if they were to start protesting on the sidewalks in front of the homes of the executives of the companies that caused the problems, e.g., Chase, Bank of America, Countrywide, AIG, etc

Barney Frank would've been most apropos. But, then, he's now a lame duck, prolly for that reason alone, more than any other.

Don't forget Chris Dodd.

My neighbor has a sign in front of his house
"we're part of the 99%" but in reality
he's slopping at the public pig trough known as PERS big time. I've lost sympathy for the phony 99% that have accomplished nothing except to aggravate the rest of us.

"Please come up with a rational game plan for the future"

Amen - I understand the anger and fulminations, but it needs to be translated into some actions that will make a diff long term.

At least longer term than it takes to clear out a camp or clean paing off a store front.

Dear Occupiers:

I've heard many of you say, on several different occasions, "We're not stopping because we want our message to be heard."

I want to respectfully tell you: we've heard your message. Continuously. For six weeks. Mission accomplished. You can go away now.

Sincerely,
TacoDave

"What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say"--Ralph Waldo Emerson

A lot of people, even conservatives like myself, were willing to give OWS a chance. We will be less likely to listen to the next group who wants us to help them make things change.

A-Freaking Men...

The OWS movement has their own 99% vs. 1% problem. That is, 1% of them have a brain and know what they are protesting. The other 99% are just lazy idiots who showed up for the free food and to be part of the scene.

The 1% of the OWS never did figure out how to properly manage the 99% meatheads. So they don't really have anything to prove to the rest of us. They can't even run their own movement successfully, no reason we should let them have any more time on the stage.

You know I almost feel bad for the mayor here. How annoying do you have to be to have your constitutional right restricted? Where do you draw that line in a place like Portland? No matter what people are going to be pissed off at you. And the message gets lost.

Personally I say let them scream, party and carry on. But I don't live there anymore so I don't have to hear it. :-)

Jack:
Nice rants, agree with most of both. My suggestion is to start creating a "Plan of Action" that has some chance of success.
Harps and gripes are all is too obvious and easy. The hard part is to actually bring about change.So, Mr. Academic what say you?
VTY,
"The Old Curmudgeon"

Sam Adams is the kid who throws a house party because his kids are in Europe for two weeks. In the middle of the party, he finds out his parents are coming home early and turns into a hardass. Now he's teed off the partiers and his parents. He's blaming the partiers for partying and he's blaming his parents for being squares.

So, Mr. Academic what say you?

My letters make pretty clear what I'd suggest. For the cops, one or more mass arrest nights where everybody gets booked and detained for many hours. For the Occupiers, start picketing guys like Wyden and Blumenauer, persistently, during daylight hours. No more dance parties.

Add Sam, Homer, LO Mayor Hoffman, Edlen, PDC, Metro, TriMet to the "picketing" list.

Darn these kids. Just because we stuck them with a 15 trillion dollar bill doesn't mean they should get snippy about it.

If that's what they were out there doing, I'd tell them to go for it. But that crowd Saturday night had little political content. It was about 2% the usual anarchist taggers and 98% a bunch of kids out cruising.

Jack:

Well said and articulated on the insanity of both sides.

I'm still waiting for you to draft an official invoice with a "bojack" heading on it -- delivered directly to Sam, digitally or otherwise.

The fountain was officially tagged and defaced, not to mention the police and park resources used to babysit these people.

http://blogtown.portlandmercury.com/BlogtownPDX/archives/2011/12/05/occupy-portlands-shemanski-occupation-hanging-on

Interesting history on this fountain:

http://www.portlandonline.com/water/index.cfm?a=117201&c=42348#shemanski

Upside down and backwards;
Q: So Jack, what's the differnce between a Zebra and an Abra?
A: Groaner...., wait for it.......26 sizes.
Q: Are we looking at this whole thing backwards?
A:My reckin' is yes!
Do we start with the problem on a local level(Abra), or do we go to end(start) of the puzzle(Zebra) and work our way forwards/backwards to the beginning/ending to find the answer?????, probably much earlier considering the past 15-60 years, or so....end of WWII?
I know this is confusing and perhaps philosophical, but think about the answer. This whole thing started when I was much, much younger, as were most of your readers.
VTY,
The Old Curmudgeon
(possibly redundant nick names)

Homelessness and hunger should not exist in a land of billion dollar bank accounts nor should greed be hid beneath a scarlet veil. We fly our banner and cheer 'One nation under God,' but we are whitewahed tombs. A decree has gone forth throughout the land, promising all who will strike and murder his neighbor shall, for a surety, be rewarded for his labor. Yes, for all who will break the law, the same are they who shall lodge without cost and feast without cease.

And you, you who have done no wrong, go in peace; for the deserts now barren and longs for your soul. Yes, you who have sought after good and pursued peace, you shall also reap what you have not sown.

Your worth has fallen and I find no need to garnish wages. And you, now free from my reign, have become as a beggar, a coward, and a man of no worth.

What I speak of are those who are imprisoned and well nourished. A warm bed and three meals for a man who murders a child. A sidewalk and leftover bread for a man who fought for our freedom.

We hear of our freedoms and how far we have come. We are the land of opportunity; milk and honey flow forth as nector, nourishing the land. As a forest we are a great many trees and though mighty in number, our roots have not a measure of life giving water. You can see now that we are not trees but blades of grass. There, in the distant, that is the true tree. I wish for a drop but am refused for my stature.

The Occupy movement is evolving, if not locally, then in areas across the country.

Occupy Congress:
http://thepoliticalcarnival.net/2011/12/06/occupy-congress-issa-called-the-police-on-constituents-when-they-showed-up-and-asked-for-a-jobs-bill/

http://thinkprogress.org/special/2011/12/06/383022/99-percenters-occupying-joe-walshs-office-until-he-meets-with-them/

And Occupy Homes:
http://www.truth-out.org/families-join-occupy-movement-99-percent-takes-housing-crisis/1323206220

http://motherjones.com/politics/2011/12/occupy-our-homes-wall-street-squatters-foreclosures