The discussion was quick but deliberate Friday afternoon in the KFBK studio. Occupy Sacramento was in its ninth day at Cesar Chavez Park and sent out a provocative fax (yes, a fax) that Native Americans were joining in their protest that day to demonstrate against the "Holocaust" committed by Christopher Columbus.
 
Really? This could be really good audio of people ranting against Columbus and corporate greed but at what point do I ask myself: Are we really covering a news event or giving unnecessary time to an unorganized movement with no real cohesive, coherent message?

I huddled with anchorwoman Kitty O'Neal and John McGinness who now has a talk show on KFBK at 3 p.m. The Sheriff of course was concerned about the costly drain on the police force. Kitty, as are most of us, was unclear on what the Occupy movement wants.
 
From Sacramento to Wall Street, to Rome and Berlin, the #OWS is rapidly growing, but what is the message beyond protesting corporate greed and how the rich are getting richer?
 
I've been rich and I've been poor. Both my parents were blue collar factory workers in New Jersey who worked very hard to give me and my brother wondrous Christmases and endless summers at the Jersey Shore. They never asked for or wanted more. In my career, I've worked 100-hour weeks, 18-hour days, overnights and weekends. Am I supposed to give some of my hard-earned money back because others don't have any?  
 
Of course I know the Occupy movement is about more than that. Half of my lifelong friends have lost their jobs. The news business has been hit as hard as any with downsizing with many of my talented, experienced colleagues being been laid off.
 
Covering the news, I see that there is no real solution or cure on the horizon to creating jobs or turning the economy around anytime soon. So I feel the frustration of jobless people just begging our elected leaders to do more. Please, put us back to work!
 
The Occupy movement is growing globally. But right now in Sacramento, it's a mixed bag of varying degrees of angsts - protesters against banks/corporate greed/government/capitalism/student loans/health care/pensions/Christopher Columbus and yes, Zombies.
 
Until this local movement has an organized message and coherent plan of action, I can't commit KFBK's resources to covering it daily. I'd rather spend that time doing something really important - reporting on real efforts to get people back to work.