Occupy Fort Wayne

Posted by Mike Sylvester - 10/24/11 @ 11:39 pm - Filed Under Featured, Local Politics

Kevin Leininger has an article you really should read in its entirety.  It discusses how the City of Fort Wayne is bending over backwards to help the Occupy Fort Wayne movement.  I spent some time on the phone today with Geoff Paddock because I wanted to confirm Kevin Leininger’s article.  I also left a message for Frank Suarez the Fort Wayne Public Information Officer at noon today.  I let him know that I might rent the Rothschild Pavilion myself for a tax protest in the next week or two. In my message I mentioned I might like to hold a protest for the 53% of Americans who pay Federal Income taxes……  So far he has not taken the time to call me back…  If I do not hear from him tomorrow I will get back on the phone…

Geoff Paddock was very helpful and professional in our conversation; he provided me with all of the information I asked for in a timely manner.  In short, I was impressed with Mr. Paddock.

I went down to the Rothschild Pavilion around lunch time today.  I spent some time talking to two of the “Occupiers.”  I have absolutely no problem with people who peacefully protest and who follow the rules.  To date I certainly feel that Occupy Fort Wayne has done both and should be allowed to continue their peaceful protest; just not from the Rothschild Pavilion.  I will put up another post about Occupy Fort Wayne in the near future.  While I was down at the Pavilion City Employees were winterizing the bathrooms…

I have several thoughts about the mistakes the Henry Administration has made by allowing the Occupy Fort Wayne Protesters to “Occupy” the Rothschild Pavilion:

  1. First off the Pavilion is in Headwaters Park.  Headwaters Park is run by the Headwaters Park Alliance.  This is a not for profit group that raised private and public money to accomplish their goals.  This not for profit is controlled by a Board of Directors and Geoff Paddock is the Executive Director. Mayor Henry has no authority over The Headwaters Park Alliance to my knowledge.  I am not sure if it was legal for him to impose his new rules on the Rothschild Pavilion.
  2. The Board of Headwaters Park Alliance and its Executive Director should make all decisions regarding their property; not the Fort Wayne Mayor.
  3. There is a set of written rules that apply to all events at the Rothschild Pavilion.  The list is specific and posted.  Mayor Henry has arbitrarily decided that the Occupy Fort Wayne protesters can ignore all of the rules including:  The $500 per day fee that has been charged to all other groups, the fact that overnight camping is not allowed at the Pavilion, the fact that the other groups using the Pavilion have all been required to carry one million dollars of liability insurance, and the fact that the other groups using the Pavilion have had to pay for their own utilities.  Mayor Henry has arbitrarily created a new set of rules that seem to apply only to this one special group.
  4. I think Mayor Henry has put the taxpayers at risk.  What will happen if this winter one of the “occupiers” falls down on the ice and breaks their leg?  I would expect them to potentially sue The Headwaters Park Alliance, its Board of Directors, Mayor Henry, and the City of Fort Wayne. Was the City Attorney consulted on this matter?
  5. I think Mayor Henry has set an awful precedent.  I think that ANY peaceful protest group can at this point use the Pavilion for free as well.  Further I do not think they will need insurance or to pay for utilities and they should also be allowed to camp overnight.  Maybe the pro life movement would like to stage a protest there?  Maybe the pro choice movement would like to stage a protest there?  Maybe the American Nazi Party would like to stage a protest there?
  6. My kids are both in scouting.  What will happen if the boy scouts or girl scouts want to hold a camp out in Headwaters Park?  Should they not be allowed to camp there overnight?  Should it not be free for them?  Should they not be required to have insurance?
  7. The City employees were winterizing the bathrooms at the Pavilion today.  They are turning off the water which renders the public bathrooms inoperable for the winter.  I think they will likely be locking the doors as well since they do not want anyone to use the bathrooms with the water off.  So now the Occupy Fort Wayne people will not have access to a bathroom.  Will they bring in a portable bathroom?  Who will pay for it?  Who will clean it?  How many will they need?  Will people decide to “pee in the park?”
  8. If the protesters do spend the winter in the Pavilion is there any doubt that Headwaters Park will sustain some damage over a several month time period?  Will the park smell due to the sanitation facilities?
  9. What do the people who paid the fees, obtained the insurance, and followed the rules think of this?  Should they all get their money back?  Will this make it harder to rent the facilities in the future?
  10. I wonder what our current nine members of city Council think about this?
I will find out more tomorrow and make another post tomorrow night…
Mayor Tom Henry and his administration have not thought this through…
I may end up contacting the Board members of the Headwaters Park Alliance and see what they think of the Mayor trampling their authority!
Mike Sylvester

Comments

7 Responses to “Occupy Fort Wayne”

  1. Keith Cumtwa on October 25th, 2011 7:54 am

    If Headwaters Park is run by the Headwaters Park Alliance, and Mayor Tom Henry has no control over the Headwaters Park Alliance, how has Henry arbitrarily ignored the rules? Could you clarify the interplay between the Headwaters Park Alliance and the Mayor’s office.

  2. Craig on October 25th, 2011 10:01 am

    I think I have a solution! The occupiers just need to start harassing women and threatening the lives of doctors.Every GOPer, religious fundamentalist, and conservative in the county will be there to help them out. Throw in some people think Obama was born in Sudan and is a Marxist Nazi Socialist Blac Panther, an we’ve got a merger!

  3. Mike Sylvester on October 25th, 2011 12:21 pm

    Keith,

    Mr. Saurez did call me back after about 24 hours. He told me that there is a sectionof City Code that authrozies the Mayor toe xert control over Headwaters Park.

    I am investigating this further…

    Mike

  4. Rothschild Pavilion and Occupy Fort Wayne | Fort Wayne Politics on October 25th, 2011 12:56 pm

    [...] wrote about this yesterday in another post.  This post will just serve as an update to my earlier, more detailed [...]

  5. Keith Cumtwa on October 25th, 2011 3:16 pm

    Thanks Mike. Keep us posted.

    To Craig: the difference is, those people would have been bodily removed from Headewaters Park (and rightly so).

  6. David c roach on October 27th, 2011 5:31 am

    rothschild s - hmm- where have i heard that name before in history? how ironic..the fear is setting in. 12 000 vacant /foreclosed homes in fort wayne. another 900 navistar/ well paying jobs leaving ( overseas). 25- 30000 people out of work. the community harvest bread line- always struggling, lately. students graduating IPFW, etc with crushing jobs, cant find well paying work. High school students with lttle hope of a future. and so on. riot police int eh streets of the USA. Iran, syria, N Korea, egypt- they are laughing. laughing at our hypicrisy. its ok to condone/support regime change/ young people taking to the streets to show their anger, etc; but here in the USA? FTW? thats another story. SMELL THE FEAR!

  7. Robert Enders on November 1st, 2011 11:57 am

    I suspect that Henry, like many other mayors, is quietly hoping that the occupiers all go home when cold weather hits.

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