The latest conservative misrepresentation-du-jour

Discussing all things political in NW Arkansas and beyond.
Post Reply
User avatar
David Franks
Posts: 198
Joined: Mon Aug 29, 2011 1:02 am
antispam: human non-spammer
Designate the number of cents in half a dollar: 50
Location: Outside Fayetteville, Arkansas

The latest conservative misrepresentation-du-jour

Post by David Franks »

This article came up in a letter to the editor today at NWAonline:
http://www.nwaonline.com/news/2011/nov/ ... -20111117/

NYC arrest records: Many Occupy Wall Street protesters live in luxury
Published: 12:45 AM 11/02/2011 | Updated: 11:26 PM 11/02/2011

"Many 'Occupy Wall Street' protesters arrested in New York City reside in more luxurious homes than some of their rhetoric might suggest, a Daily Caller investigation has found.

"For each of the 984 Occupy Wall Street protesters arrested in New York City between September 18 and October 15, police collected and filed an information sheet recording the arrestee’s name, age, sex, criminal charge, home address and — in most cases — race. The Daily Caller has obtained all of this information from a source in the New York City government.

"Among addresses for which information is available, single-family homes listed on those police intake forms have a median value of $305,000 — a far higher number than the $185,400 median value of owner-occupied housing units in the United States.

"Some of the homes where 'Occupy' arrestees reside, viewed through Google Maps and the Multiple Listing Service real estate database, are the definition of opulence.

"Using county assessors and online resources such as Zillow.com, TheDC estimated property values and rents for 87 percent of the homes and 59 percent of the apartments listed in the arrest records.

"Even in the nation’s currently depressed housing market, at least 95 of the protesters’ residences are worth approximately $500,000 or more. (RELATED SLIDESHOW: Opulent homes of the ’99 percent’)

"The median monthly rent for those living in apartments whose information is readily available is $1,850."

The dreck continues:
Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2011/11/02/nyc-a ... in-luxury/

The slideshow linked from the article is even more obnoxious.


My comment on the article: at the Daily Caller site:

"First the Occupy movement was hypocritical and invalid because it was just a bunch of dirty, lazy hippies who had nothing, refused to work, and were guilty of wealth envy and class warfare. Now it's hypocritical and invalid because it's just a bunch of rich people who, despite their good fortune, engage in wealth envy and class warfare?

"Maybe this shocking revelation has something to do with the fact that the perception of the typical Occupy protester as destitute, poor, lower-class, and having-not was created by the media. Maybe the 99% are actually the 99%. It should come as no surprise that some of them live in houses that cost more than the median price. Of the 984 residences, about 14% approach the high price cited.

"Maybe this surprising how-do-you-do has something to do with the fact that the median home value in the New York City metropolitan area is $348,000-- much higher than the median home value cited in this "news" story. It is impossible to be entirely accurate in responding to such a vague and deliberately misleading article, bit a couple of median home value in other areas where high home values are cited: Berkeley, California metro -- $620,200; Washington DC metro -- $340,900.

"Where are the property values of arrested protesters from states with cheaper real estate?"
"Debating with a conservative is like cleaning up your dog's vomit: It is an inevitable consequence of your association, he isn't much help, and it makes very clear the fact that he will swallow anything."
Post Reply