Monday, November 7, 2011

Rainford Pushes Flawed Arguments Against OccupySTL on Dana Loesch's Radio Show

First, Mayor Slay's Chief of Staff Jeff Rainford copied Dana Loesch's inflammatory rhetoric against OccupySTL, ridiculously claiming that the group was "unruly" and falsely suggesting that they were relieving themselves all over Kiener Plaza rather than in the port-o-potty's provided by local unions:
Jeff Rainford, Slay's chief of staff, said the camps are getting unruly, the plaza is beginning to smell like urine, and a few were recently arrested for public intoxication.
Then, Rainford mimicked Loesch again by seemingly suggesting that the OccupySTL group might want violence:
"All I'm trying to do is to keep this from becoming Oakland," he said. "I'm trying to get this solved with no violence."

Still, he said, he understood that the occupiers may not have the same plans
So I guess it really should be no surprise that Rainford decided to appear on Loesch's radio show today to explain why the city has decided they need to kick the Occupy group out of Kiener Plaza. After all, Loesch has been trying to portray the campers at Kiener as filthy, violent, parasite-infested, astroturf, drug-crazed, sexual deviants from the very beginning, so it makes perfect sense that Rainford would help provide validation to St. Louis's Queen of Hate Radio.

You can listen to the interview here:


Rainford claims the city originally felt that OccupySTL was not hurting anyone, but "what changed" was that they no longer believed this was the case. However, his justification for the claim that OccupySTL is now "doing harm" is that the city has received complaints from people who "work downtown, live downtown, and have businesses downtown." Combine this with the previous revelation from the Post-Dispatch that Rainford refused to answer whether the city was now planning on cracking down on OccupySTL only because the Downtown Partnership complained at a meeting last week, and it seems like we have the makings of a very shoddy argument.

Previously, Occupy STL wasn't hurting anyone. But now, because a group with Peabody and Bank of America representatives on their board is complaining about Occupy STL, Rainford suddenly thinks that they are "doing harm?" Being angry at someone you wish would go away does not mean that person harmed you. Occupy STL could just as credibly claim that Bank of America was harming them with the stink eye. Furthermore, the idea that they're monopolizing the space isn't true either, as the group has been willing in the past to move tents to accommodate events. The city's sudden reversal without any evidence to now claim that Occupy STL is harming people seems like an incredibly tacky move. I hope they reconsider.

5 comments:

  1. I'm disgusted across the board with 97.1 and their continued assault on this peaceful protest. Allman, Loesch and Tobler can't let a day go by with out trying to discredit the protesters as dirty hippies. And, these people all claim to be Christians. what a joke. Wasn't Jesus a dirty hippie? Thanks for sharing this.

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  2. Dana Loesch is the PARASITE--she has a symbiotic relationhship with negativity and conflict.

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  3. Dont forget Jimmy Hoft..

    "Occupy San Diego Goons Throw Pi$$ and Blood at Cart Vendors After They Quit Serving Free Hot Dogs"

    "Occupy Portland Goons Threaten to Torch Pizza Shmizza After They Forgot the Breadsticks"

    Rainford is just trying to provide cover for slay and the city for whats going to come soon, Loesch and cronies are ramping up the hysteria so the normals dont get pissed when the cops start cracking heads downtown, they will think its a good thing to get rid of the smelly violent hippies.

    You know that ows movement is working when you see how hysterical the power base gets trying to destroy it.

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  4. "There are lots of people complaining. I'm not going to point at one versus the other," he said. "I'm not going to get into it. What I would prefer not to happen is to have this personalized."

    The city, he said, would not meet with occupiers today, nor would it discuss the issue in the press.

    "We're gonna cool off," Rainford said this morning. "It's probably going to get inflamed anyway."

    "All I'm trying to do is to keep this from becoming Oakland ," he said. "I'm trying to get this solved with no violence."

    Still, he said, he understood that the occupiers may not have the same plans.

    So, let me get a couple things straight??? I would prefer to not have this personalized? Well see that’s the problem; governments and corporations want to hide behind their legal fictions rather than being transparent. We stand here today to say no; no we won’t accept this opaque network of back scratching and political campaign bribing euphemistically labeled donations.

    Why won’t Mayor Slay or even his chief of staff communicate with OccupySTL? It’s going to get inflamed? Says who? You just did Mr Rainford. You are attempting to seed this movement with your own bias for inflamed hostilities in an attempt to undermine the efforts of the peaceful people you refuse to talk to…

    I'll probably be down there friday or Sunday depending in scheduling...

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  5. The double speak about the complaints is annoying, and I say this as a protester and active participant in Occupy STL. I do think this is all about the Downtown Partnership, and thank you for covering this so well! We know now that neither Macy's nor the Salvation Army has a problem with us being there, so there really shouldn't be an issue anymore. I am annoyed that Rainford feels the need to push the issue, after it has been made clear that this is all about the Downtown Partnership and their annoyance with the commitment of the protesters.

    I have to say though, he handled looney Loesch pretty well. I love how he totally shut her argument about the city being liable for any injuries, etc., to the protesters. He just cut her off at the knees. That made my day.

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