Unforeseen consequences may be arising from the Occupy LA protests. According to L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, the city ended up spending more than a million dollars as a result of the protests, and those costs have to be made up somewhere.
City departments have been asked to calculate the total cost of the protests, but the initial numbers are already being estimated: $400,000 for a new lawn, sprinklers, repairs to sidewalks and stairs, and graffiti removal; along with $700,000 for police costs from the midnight eviction.
The city, which had already been dealing with significant budgetary constraints, will now have to make those costs up somewhere.
From CBS Los Angeles:
City agencies have been ordered to calculate what was spent on the Occupy LA protests.
Repairs to City Hall’s lawn where the Occupy group set up camp on Oct. 1 will require an estimated $400,000. The police action to clear out the encampment on Nov. 30 cost more than $700,000.
Read the full article here.