Ald. Moreno voices support for Occupy Chicago

Ald. Moreno voices support for Occupy Chicago
Flickr/World Can’t Wait
Ald. Moreno voices support for Occupy Chicago
Flickr/World Can’t Wait

Ald. Moreno voices support for Occupy Chicago

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Chicago city officials haven’t said much about Occupy Chicago, the local branch of Occupy Wall Street, despite the fact the financial and social justice themed protests have garnered increasing interest and attention in recent weeks.

But this morning, Ald. Proco Joe Moreno (1st) sent out what one might perceive as a note of support for the Chicago movement by retweeting an Occupy Chicago message asking for supplies like tents, blankets, and camping gear. WBEZ spoke with Ald. Moreno this morning to ask him about an unrelated ordinance; while we had him on the phone we asked him where he stands on Occupy Chicago.

(Flickr/World Can't Wait)

Moreno said he “absolutely” supports the protestors. He said he became interested in the fledgling movement during a recent trip to New York, where he even joined in with Occupy Wall Street.

“I think the longer the protests go and the more organized they get, the more practical and pragmatic solutions they’re going to have,” said Moreno. “It just shows the rage and the inequity, where you’ve got our population going, spreading out more towards the bottom and fewer towards the top and the middle is shrinking. And that’s what you’re seeing, you’re seeing that rage and that disgust.”

“No one has a problem with people making money. I don’t, obviously,” he said, referring to his time spent as the vice president of a printing company in the Chicago suburbs. “That’s not the issue. Go make as much money as you want. But it’s gotta be fair and equitable and you can’t rig the system. And when banks get billions and billions of dollars of Welfare, and then make billions and billions of profits, and then the Right attacks programs that help those that are less fortunate, it’s clearly hypocritical.”