=v= First off, the press release:

http://www.ppolnews.com/?id=82328&keys=Critical-Mass-rally

TIME'S UP! PRESS CONFERENCE
Come blow the lid off the Bloomberg Administration's excessive
expenditures selectively targeting Critical Mass cyclists.

Thursday, November 16, 2006
10:30 AM at steps of City Hall, Manhattan Rain or Shine

For the past 28 months, the NYPD has been harassing law abiding
cyclists on the Critical Mass bike rides. Now the NYPD is
proposing new parade permit rules that target the Critical Mass
rides but would also affect thousands of other New Yorkers. It's
time for New York taxpayers to be told of the outrageous amount
of money the Bloomberg administration is spending on its
harassment campaign of cyclists. A very detailed, thorough cost
analysis of these expenditures has been completed by Time's Up!
and economist Charlie Komanoff, along with the assistance and
support of civil rights attorneys Norman Siegel and Gideon
Oliver, and the organizations FreeWheels and 100 Blacks in
Law Enforcement Who Care.

Speakers so far include:
*Norman Siegel, Civil Rights Attorney
*Charles Komanoff, Economist
*Marquez Claxton, Retired Police Detective, served 20 years
with the NYPD, from the 100 Blacks of Law Enforcement Who Care
*Mark Taylor, Assemble for Rights NYC
*Judy Ross, Time's Up!

New York, NY (November 15, 2006)- - Since September 2004, the
Bloomberg administration and the Manhattan District Attorney's
office have spent at least $1,320,000 harassing law-abiding
cyclists on Critical Mass bike rides. The cost analysis covering
the period from 9/2004 through 8/2006 was prepared by Economist
Charles Komanoff and Time's Up! to inform New York taxpayers of
the monies spent by the City and State to suppress the monthly
rides. New parade permit rules announced by the NYPD will add
further to the expenditure of tax dollars on police actions
against Critical Mass as well as other gatherings of 10 or more
cyclists, motorist or pedestrians.

The $1,320,000 figure is a conservative estimate of what has
been spent by the NYPD, Manhattan District Attorney and NYC
Corporation Counsel to suppress and litigate a bicycle ride that
lasts 2 hours a month. Time's Up! calls on NYC Comptroller,
William Thompson, to verify its calculations of these
expenditures of taxpayer dollars.

"The use of helicopters, scooters, paddy wagons, cars and
hundreds of NYPD personnel is simply overkill and contributes to
the unnecessary hostile climate fostered by the NYPD toward
Critical Mass bike rides," said noted civil rights attorney
Norman Siegel, who has represented Critical Mass riders. "The
goal should be to create an alternative climate that respects
the rights of New Yorkers to ride their bicycles freely and
simultaneously be respectful of NY traffic rules and
regulations".
###

TIME'S UP! is a non-profit environmental group that has been
using educational outreach and direct action for the last 19
years to promote a more sustainable, less toxic city.


=v= Some press coverage:

http://www.ny1.com/ny1/content/index.jsp?&aid=64391&search_result=1&stid=5

Group Says City Wastes Millions On Police Response To Protests
November 16, 2006

An environmental organization said Thursday that the NYPD is
wasting millions of taxpayer dollars on police response at
monthly bike rides.

The group, Time's Up, says the city has spent more than $1.3
million over two years in excessive police response during the
"Critical Mass" protests. The group has long been at odds with
the city over its monthly rides, which police say, illegally
block traffic, and creates a public disturbance.

Critical Mass says they are law-abiding bike riders, and the
money could be better spent elsewhere.

"Ask people what they would do with $1.3 million, and you'd
probably get a long list of answers," said Judy Ross of Time's
Up. "Probably one thing that they would not say they would use
$1.3 million to chase after bicyclists."

In response, the NYPD says it will accommodate the rides in a
lawful manner, but when others break the law taxpayers wind up
paying for it.


http://www.amny.com/news/politics/am-mass1117,0,3131894.story

Study: $1.3M spent to fight Critical Mass
BY JUSTIN ROCKET SILVERMAN
amNewYork Staff Writer

November 16, 2006, 6:59 PM EST

The city has spent about $1.3 million during its two-year
crackdown on the Critical Mass bike rides, according to a study
released Thursday by supporters of the monthly event.

"We're talking about precious taxpayer dollars being dumped down
a rat hole," said Charles Komanoff, an economist who tallied
NYPD equipment and personnel costs, as well as fees for city
lawyers.

Critical Mass participants block streets in what they call
an effort to promote a more cyclist-friendly city. It occurs
peacefully in cities worldwide, but since the 2004 Republican
convention at Madison Square Garden has been subject of intense
police action in New York that has resulted in hundreds of
arrests.

Police say the cyclists are creating a public safety hazard by
blocking streets and intersections during the rides, which are
held on the last Friday every month.

"The Police Department stands ready to accommodate the rides
in a lawful manner, but all of our efforts to date have been
rebuffed," said Deputy NYPD Commissioner Paul Browne.
"Meanwhile, individuals who persist in breaking the law
inevitably incur costs for society."

Retired NYPD Det. Marquez Claxton, who spoke yesterday on behalf
of 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement Who Care, a frequent critic of
police waste, said it was "curious" that Police Commissioner Ray
Kelly was devoting so many resources to Critical Mass.

"Given these actions you have to say there is something other
than effective law enforcement strategy here," Claxton said
. "There seems to be something of a vindictive, personal nature
guiding these police decisions."

Civil rights attorney Norman Siegel condemned the NYPD's
response to the rides as "overkill." He issued a statement that
blasted "the use of helicopters, scooters, paddy wagons, cars
and hundreds of NYPD personnel [at the Critical Mass rides]."

But his use of the phrase "paddy wagon" drew condemnation from
Browne.

"Mr. Siegel should refrain from ethnic derision in
characterizing police resources." He said Siegel's use of the
phrase was a "gratuitous slur against the Irish."

Acknowledging that the phrase was offensive to some members of
the city's Irish community, Siegel substituted "prisoner
transport vehicle" in a speech delivered Thursday.

<_Jym_>

Jym Dyer ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: __Q :::
jym@... ::::::::::::::::: "My other car is :: ==`\(s_ ::
http://www.critical-mass.org/ :: also a bicycle." :: (_)/ (_) ::

"There should be 1,000 of you out there, like in San Francisco."
-- Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown, to Oakland Critical Mass