The organization has spent about $55,000 so far, and according to a NYC General Assembly finance report, ”The single largest costs have been for food, medical care and laundry cleaning at Zuccotti Park, a total of about $22,000, while the cost of communications systems is second, at about $20,000. OWS has raised about $450,000 in public donations, and has about $400,000 cash on hand.”

Analyzing the report reveals that comfort spending included clothing and sleeping costs. Communications included wifi hotspots, computers, livestream cameras, and associated gear. Occupy Wall Street also purchased tarps, furniture, hardware, and generators, which were later confiscated by the FDNY. Travel expenses were also covered, and were mainly used to transport the injured to the hospital.

Occupy Wall Street also includes alternative renewable (human) energy in the form of bikes attached to capacitors.

In true Occupy Wall Street fashion, the assets are not held in a regular bank. Instead, they are held at Amalgamated Bank, which is a national bank owned by the Workers United/SEIU labor union. It is America’s first bank to be fully owned by a union.

“To expand and create jobs, businesses need to have confidence in the future. Pearson’s relocation to and expansion at Hudson Square and its long-term investment in New York City is the latest example of the private sector’s confidence in the direction of our City and future growth of our local economy,” said Mayor Bloomberg.” NYCEDC offered Pearson $4.5 million in Business Incentive Rate energy savings for both the 330 Hudson Street space and the other spaces within their growing Hudson Square campus.

“One of the main reasons New York has continued to outperform the national economy is that more people want to live in New York, more people want to work in New York, and more people want to visit New York,” said Deputy Mayor for Economic Development Robert K. Steel. “Today’s announcement by Pearson is the latest example of a growing trend of companies ‘voting with their feet’ by choosing to do business in New York City.”

New York City’s unemployment rate hovers at just below 9 percent, and New York State’s unemployment rate was 8 percent in August 2011. Brooklyn is at 9 percent unemployment, while Manhattan is at just below 8 percent.

One working group titled The Call to Action Working Group, made up of about 20 protestors, met on Monday evening where what appered to be a stalemate was reached. For almost ten minutes of discussion, there was a disagreement on the definition of the message “We are the 99%.” One person demanded the addition of an international perspective to the message, referring to the level of global poverty compared to the level of U.S. poverty.

One woman from the media committee removed herself from the process altogether, saying, “I’m sick of [it]. This group is too big.” She suggested the committee disband and form two-to-three person groups.

The discord continued today when a group of protesters gathered to draft a proposal on how to democratically craft the Occupation’s demands.

The consensus among the group was that the demands should be a “living document,” where as time goes on, demands can be added and removed from the document. One suggested method of achieving this was putting up posters where anyone can write demands. Another person suggested that everyone should break up into small groups and then send a representative to a larger group to present proposed demands.

Another member raised concerns about selling their working idea to the General Assembly: ”[We can't] hash this out in the whole giant group– because I’m not confident [...] talking in a group of 300 people. It’s not working for me, and I’ve been hearing it’s not working for a lot of people. We need to talk about what we need, within smaller groups, with a set time limit.”

In the end, a member of the facilitation committee, a group which seems to mediate between the other groups, broke in to say, “I’ve been involved in this process for three months. This idea of demands is making me sick.” he continued, “I’ll make one observation–  I’ve worked in a group of fifteen. People are insane. Giving a process that’s clear with direction doesn’t work. You saw this on [the statement] Principles of Solidarity. It doesn’t work. This process sounds beautiful, but I guarantee you, it is not workable. I’m not making decisions on the group. What I suggest is this: the people that have made proposals, go on the side, you’re on the agenda [for the General Assembly]. I think you have great ideas, go talk about them.”

One member of the group estimated that the demands could feasibly be written by Friday.

This is just one of many livestream cameras that covers Occupy Wall Street. During the Brooklyn Bridge arrests, teams of two could be seen all over the bridge– armed with cameras, laptops, and aircards, broadcasting arrests on the internet as they happened.

Instead of buying their buttons online, occupiers take turns at donated button-making machines, mashing adhesive paper onto aluminum pin-on buttons.

Electricity is in short supply at Occupy Wall Street, one of the most inventive tools used to charge cell phones is an exercise bike hooked up to a capacitor. One protester needed to charge her iPhone, and she hopped on the exercise bike, and charged her phone up.

Here is the video report.

A member of Occupy Wall Street reported at 9:09 p.m. that 20 people were maced and arrested at the corner of Wall Street and Broadway. NYPD will not confirm the use of mace at this time.

UPDATE (10:20pm): NYPD reports more arrested at Liberty & Trinity. There are seven arrest vans at city hall, three at One Police Plaza.

UPDATE (10:18pm): NYPD reporting group has split up.

UPDATE (10:14pm): NYPD calling for level one mobilization, reporting that “Liberty X Broadway is out of control.” Other protesters marching towards city hall. NYPD reports, “City Hall is secure.” One person has been arrested at Ann & Broadway.

UPDATE (10:04pm): There is a YouTube video of a white-shirt police officer beating people with a nightstick.

UPDATE (10:00pm): Animal New York has a photo of protesters being put in a police van. There are six arrestees visible in the photo.

There are policemen mounted on horses at the corner of Wall Street and Broadway.

At least two arrests are confirmed, and there are rumors of twenty more.

There are indications that police are letting people into Zucotti Park, but not allowing them to leave.

More as the story develops.

UPDATE (11:30pm): The Gothamist reports that Officer Connolly was seen beating protesters with a nightstick.

UPDATE (11:04pm): Reports of NYPD preparing for major offensive on Zucotti Park. NYPD dispatcher: “I’m sending all of you down to Wall & Broadway.”

UPDATE (11:00pm): NYPD requesting more backup at Wall Street and Broadway.

UPDATE (10:55pm): Reports that arrests will be made at Broadway & Church. “Round them up” overheard.

UPDATE (10:20pm): NYPD reports more arrested at Liberty & Trinity. There are seven arrest vans at city hall, three at One Police Plaza.

UPDATE (10:18pm): NYPD reporting group has split up.

UPDATE (10:14pm): NYPD calling for level one mobilization, reporting that “Liberty X Broadway is out of control.” Other protesters marching towards city hall. NYPD reports, “City Hall is secure.” One person has been arrested at Ann & Broadway.

UPDATE (10:04pm): There is a YouTube video of a white-shirt police officer beating people with a nightstick.

UPDATE (10:00pm): Animal New York has a photo of protesters being put in a police van. There are six arrestees visible in the photo.

“It’s not just about the hundreds of you protesting here, it’s millions of Americans, suffering from the decisions made by the people in these buildings.”

“I know you’re in the process of coming up with your demands… if you would allow me to speak my own personal two cents: I want to see a perpwalk!” the crowd erupted in cheers. Moore continued, “I want to see the people responsible for destroying the lives of millions of people in handcuffs, and led away. Brought to justice– immediately.”

He then led the crowd in call-and-response pro-tax cheer: “Tax them!” Tax them! “How much?” Not enough!

Moore continued: “They are thieves, they are gangsters, they are kleptomaniacs, they are trying to take our democracy, and turn it into a kleptocracy: their kleptocracy. The four hundred richest Americans own more than 150 million combined. And they think they’re going to get away with this, because they have so much more than everyone else, but they’re afraid of one basic thing. There’s only four hundred of them.”

“Now what happens where 400 of them are pitted against 150- or 250-people? You don’t have to be into sports to understand the outcome of that game. All we have to do, and not just us here, but all of Americans, is to realize how much more power we have than they have. They think their power is derived from their bank accounts, but our power is derived from the people. All of the people.”

More to come.

Marcus Dipaola can be reached at mdipaola@brooklynsentinel.com

Among the concerns today was the planned execution of Troy Davis, who was convicted in the 1989 murder of Savannah, Ga., policeman Mark MacPhail. Davis had his execution stayed four times over the course of his 22 years on death row. One protester, Edward “Tedley” Hall, offered to drive a nail through his hand to demonstrate solidarity with Troy Davis. He reconsidered, and brought a group of protesters to raise awareness in Times Square. At 7:05 p.m., it was announced that the Supreme Court had delayed the execution in order to consider the case.

Around 5 p.m., a legal representative was seen advising a group of protesters on how to deal with police.

A member of the protest’s facilitation committee, Marisa, could be seeing helping organize volunteers and defuse mini-crises.

An EMT named Lily and a couple others were seen manning a makeshift aid station, dubbed People’s Medicine  (photos below).

Deutsch pled guilty to the charge in June 2010, admitted to conspiring to launder approximately $200,000 in funds that he believed were the proceeds of unlawful activities. The charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. In addition, Deutsch agreed to forfeit approximately $25,000 by the date of sentencing. Judge Pisano ordered Deutsch to remain on house arrest with electronic monitoring pending sentencing, currently scheduled for today.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael B. Ward; and IRS – Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Victor W. Lessoff, for the investigation leading to the guilty plea.