Bette Midler Offers to Buy Occupy Wall St. Protesters…Porta-Potties?

[ensho]

http://www.occupyforaccountability.org/index.php?q=node%2F245


-snip-

Yes. “The Divine Miss M” announced to Joy Behar on Tuesday that she would purchase portable toilets for the occupiers, as she is happy to see young activists, “saying things that have to be said.”

-snip-


On a serious note, Midler commented that, having lived through the protests of the 1960s, which, for her generation, “was just something that you did,” it was inspiring to see young people protesting again. “The point is,” despite politics, she argued, “that they have organized themselves and they are saying things that have to be said.” She also chided the right for being “so old school” as to call the protesters “hippies”– “fifty years have passed, get a new line than ‘dirty hippie.’”

Midler also had a few words about Texas governor Rick Perry and his recent questionable comments about President Obama’s birth certificate. “I don’t think Rick Perry is sure of where he was born!” she joked.
-snip-
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hugs and kisses for Bette

[valerief]

1. I was wondering how long it would take some rich person to pony up. nt

[Ineeda]

3. In 1995

Bette Midler started an organization to clean up and restore NYC parks. http://www.nyrp.org/ She's put her money where her mouth is, and her sweat equity, too.
:hi:

[valerief]

8. Oh, kudos to Bette. Absolutely. I just wondered why some rich person hadn't already done it.

There are plenty more rich people who could have done it, too.

[JVS]

22. Whoa, Bette Midler!

[Aerows]

2. Bette Midler rocks

I especially like the comment about Rick Perry. I don't think he's even sure *where he is* most of the time, much less anything else LOL.

[justiceischeap]

4. I thought Russell Simmons made this offer as well and OWS turned him down.

I don't believe they want to appear beholden to anyone.

[Cal Carpenter]

6. My understanding is that Russell Simmons

had some strings attached to his money as far as the direction of the movement.

The main reason there aren't porta potties yet is because the city won't allow permits for them (or some other bureaucratic excuse by the city). Fortunately there is a business less than a block away that allows use of its bathroom 24/7 but it is not ideal.

Possibly having some press/celebrity behind the initiative for porta-potties will help get it approved by the city. I hope so.

Everybody poops :shrug:

[justiceischeap]

9. Thanks for the scoop

I can't see NYC getting behind porta potties because that would signal that the city and it's administration is behind OWS and allowing them to stay.

[JohnnyLib2]

5. Love her comment about "dirty hippies."

I wish she'd take on Limbaugh for that tired old line of derision.

[cui bono]

17. Especially since they look more like beatniks than hippies.

:)

[WI_DEM]

7. The devine Ms. M

[xchrom]

10. ...

:toast: to the Divine Miss M!

[bigmonkey]

11. Some group of the morally-conscious rich should go further.

Why not purchase/lease a local building, or business, and turn it into a support center?

[valerief]

12. Yep! Where they can stay warm for the winter. nt

[cui bono]

18. And it just got pretty cold here and this is not even winter yet.

Supposed to have the first snow Saturday evening.

[JuniperLea]

13. Or a block of hotel rooms...

For a one night stay to clean and refresh and regroup.

[in_cog_ni_to]

16. Yes! Or buy the damn park and give it to the protesters to use and then they can put porta-a-potties

in the park. :)

[woo me with science]

28. Yes, each could link with a protest site.

I wonder how many would be interested in something like this. What about the actors who speak out?

[AikidoSoul]

14. I love that woman ..

:kick:

Thank you Bette, for your compassion. Thank you for putting your money to good use.

[Chimichurri]

15. Outstanding! I love her even more now.

[Mimosa]

19. God bless Bette. n/t

[malaise]

20. Sweet!

Rec

[louslobbs]

21. K&R n/t

Lou

[woo me with science]

23. Yay for Ms. Midler!

Thank you!

[NYC_SKP]

24. Excellent. I was just thinking about this today as I listened to the radio news.

The only leg the municipalities have to stand on is one around adequate facilities, and we learned that local businesses can't really serve all the new people and their needs.

So we need an infrastructure offering toilets and food and water.

But I was thinking that RVs could come in and park, move and park again, and always provide the privacy and ability to go out and dump and return.

People might have to walk a couple blocks is the only drawback.

:kick:

[blaze]

25. Cost of PortaPotties vs Police protection...

Okay... there's a mix up there in my mind, but I'm not the sharpest tack.

But local progressive radio in Denver (normally David Sirota... who was off today) was reporting that the cost of porta potties was FAR less than the cost of police protection.

[donheld]

26. This is why we call her Divine!

[MrMickeysMom]

27. You are the Devine Miss M!

Go!

[Zorra]

29. Thanks, Bette.

:yourock: