Pasadena protestors rally in support of tax increase forcountry's highest earners

http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/ci_19360709By Janette Williams, Staff Writer Posted: 11/17/2011 06:04:27 PM PSTA group supporting the 99 Percent movement rallied at Fire Station 33 on Lake Avenue in Pasadena, Thursday, November 17, 2011. (Walt Mancini/Staff Photographer)

Photo gallery:Occupy movements stages rally at Pasadena fire station

PASADENA - Waving homemade "We are the 99 percent" signs and banners, dozens of protestors rallied in support of the beleaguered "Occupy Wall Street" movement Thursday outside Fire Station 33 on North Lake Avenue.More than 200 people signed up for the 4:30 p.m. rally, organizer Patrick Briggs said, saying the fire station is asymbol of the reasons America's wealthiest 1 percent should contribute more in taxes."There is a connection, in the sense that seven out of eight (Pasadena) fire stations need retrofitting, and one has shutdown relating to that," Briggs said, referring to the Linda Vista-Annandale neighborhood Station 39 mothballed inApril because of seismic safety concerns.

"The needs and safety of this community have to be addressed ... and the fact is the wealthy in the community and thecountry are not paying their fair share in taxes," Briggs said. "As a result, we are not able to pay for the infrastructure projects we need to keep the community safe."Pasadena Fire Chief Calvin Wells said Thursday that the department had been informed of the late afternoon rally, and protestors were assigned a special area to safely congregate without obstructing operations."We don't have a role in this," Wells said of the protest. But, he said, the department has been working on getting outthe message about the need to upgrade the city's aging fire stations."My main concern is that the community gets accurate information," he said. "The good news is that the publicmessage we've been working to generate is apparently reaching the targeted audience."Glen Springer of Sierra Madre said he was there because "it's time to stand up.""These look like pretty average people to me," he said, looking at the growing crowd of demonstrators. "I'm not goingto sleep in the park ... but finally people are making their voices heard.""I am absolutely average," said Madeleine Smith, 71, of Pasadena. "I'm retired, and I'm very concerned about our country."It's all well and good to stand here," she said, to a background of honking horns from passing motorists. "It's moreimportant that people show up and vote."As the state faces more budget cuts, finding the money for such projects as the fire station upgrades will become thatmuch harder, Briggs said."We don't have politicians in the State Assembly or Senate willing to say we need to raise taxes on people making$200,000 a year, and that's it," he said.There is no "hard number" yet on the anticipated costs of upgrading the seven Pasadena fire stations, Wells said."But the very rough estimate arrived at is $70 million to make the various repairs needed to make all fire stations up to par," he said. "Based on what I've been told, I think (the demonstrators) are carrying an accurate message in the formthey wish to do it. I've certainly been out meeting neighborhood groups to convey the message, in a different way of going about it."Briggs, who was a member of the Democracy for America Pasadena Chapter from 2003 to 2008, said so far the protestgroup has no official title."We consider ourselves a civic engagement group," he said. "We have no name, but we're in the process of coming upwith something ... But the whole idea is getting people involved. The fundamental point of our work is really to give people a voice in the community where they can feel empowered ... Social justice is not just at the state or nationallevel, it needs to be handled at the local level too." janette.williams@sgvn.com 626-578-6300, ext. 4482