albanyweblog.com
Updated
November 3, 2011
Note how the article sets up local attorney Mark Mishler as a kind of "leader" of the Occupy Albany movement. Mr. Mishler, I have observed, is one of several local attorneys who are actively working with Occupy Albany, along with even others who are lending varying degrees of support. But the Hearst Times Union editors have always taken a personal dislike to Mr. Mishler, no doubt this dislike plays into their decision to try and set him up to take a fall.
Note how there's no important new information in this article, it is basically a fluff piece. It's purpose is to set up Mr. Mishler. I'm disappointed to see Jordan Carleo-Evangelist play such nasty little games with the content that he produces, I thought he had higher standards. Oh well. I guess if you work in the sewer sooner or later you're gonna stink.
Occupy talks go well, but yield little
Health and safety issues covered, but no demands made of Albany group
From the Times Union
by jordan carleo-evangelist Staff writer
Nov. 2, 2011ALBANY -- A nearly 90-minute closed-door meeting between representatives of the Occupy Albany movement and top city officials on Tuesday seemed to produce a wealth of good feelings but nothing concrete.
More than a half-dozen representatives of the protest's general assembly emerged from the City Hall conference room Tuesday evening describing the meeting as "an incredibly positive conversation" and saying that city officials made no specific demands or requests of the demonstrators who have been camped out across the street in Academy Park since Oct. 21.
Mark Mishler, an attorney who advised the demonstrators, said they did feel "a commitment by the city to respect their First Amendment rights."
He also said they remain proud of the restraint so far shown by city officials.
Since the tent camp's inception nearly two weeks ago, those gathered there have argued their constitutional right to speak out against the concentration of the nation's wealth and the influence of big business in politics, among other things, trumps local laws that would otherwise require them to leave.
"We believe, and the city believes, that this is a model for other cities," Mishler said, citing the open communication between the protesters and city officials, as well as the so-far peaceful co-existence with police.
Neither has always been the case at other similar protests spawned by the Occupy Wall Street movement across the country, resulting in arrests and sometimes violence.
Representing the city at the meeting were the city's top lawyer, Corporation Counsel John Reilly, Deputy Police Chief Stephen Reilly, Assistant Police Chief Brendan Cox, codes Director Jeffery Jamison and Stephen Rehfuss, a former city attorney now in private practice.
With temperatures dropping as winter approaches, some demonstrators have broached the idea of erecting more permanent structures in the city-owned park. Both Mishler and Jamison said that issue was not discussed in detail Tuesday.
While the city has so far declined to enforce the park's nighttime curfew despite early pressure from Gov. Andrew Cuomo to do so, officials in Mayor Jerry Jennings' administrations have privately expressed concern that allowing the occupiers to build permanent structures on city land would pose safety and legal issues the city could no longer overlook. City attorneys have been researching what has so far worked elsewhere to promote positive relationships between protesters and their host cities.
"I think that the meeting was productive," Jamison said afterward. "We didn't talk about specifics"
Mishler said the topics did touch broadly on health and safety issues and that both sides pledged to stay in touch.
Even if the city had made specific requests, the contingent of demonstrators who met with city officials Tuesday had no authority to accept or reject them, Mishler said.
Any decisions for the largely leaderless movement would have to be made at its general assembly, which convenes each evening in the park.
Clotheslines have sprung up among the several dozen tents across Washington Avenue from the Capitol, as have at least three portable toilets, at least one generator, outside space heaters and a tent that appears to serve as a defacto library. Several protesters could be seen sweeping the park's walkways Tuesday afternoon, and demonstrators have laid hay across the grass to prevent it from becoming muddy.
Asked whether city officials inquired how long the protesters intend on staying there, Mishler said that is one issue not on the agenda.
"There's nothing to discuss," he said. "Occupy Albany is in the park. Occupy Albany is going to stay in the park."
Deputy Police Chief Reilly noted that the protesters are not costing the city any police overtime.