NYC Mayor Bloomberg Bitches: 'Occupy Wall Street Hurting Tourism'

On the 20th day of the ongoing “Occupy Wall Street” protest, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg had the audacity to complain that the sit-in is a bad idea—because it's hurting New York tourism.

On his weekly radio show, billionaire Bloomberg said "long-term chaos and a prolonged money drain" are bad for the city. "They’re trying to take jobs away from people working in the city. They’re trying to take away the tax base we have because none of this is good for tourism."

Meanwhile, those in Zuccotti Park near Wall Street say they're not going away anytime soon. The occupation has cost the city $2 million in police overtime—which, by the way, includes hundreds of arrests, aggressive tactics and taunting from the police force. Huh? Cops are making a fortune; they should be delighted.

Demonstrator Joshua Durham took issue with Mayor Bloomberg’s statement that the occupation is detrimental: “Obviously whatever we’re doing right now isn’t working. So until we figure out something that leads to a better America for everybody—not just a small percentage of Americans—the issues out there need to be confronted."

I, for one, have no interest in participating in the protest. While I agree with the overall ideal that corporate America has decimated the middle class, and certainly is doing nothing to boost the economy or hire the willing, I'd rather stay home and hustle for freelance work. The real protest should be taking place at the Capitol in Washington, with demands for term limits.