[protomyth]

We do have some experience with it out here in the middle. I have a relative (by marriage) who did a pipeline protest then went to "protest a volcano in Hawaii". Apparently, it was a good gig.

I'm just surprised that the NY government put it in a press release. It really seems odd, but maybe that union has really separated itself from the herd, politically.

[drak0n1c]

Yes, there were people paid to blockade and prevent the construction of a new state-of-the-art science telescope on Mauna Kea. They were successful in pressuring the state to renege on the contract and block construction.

I live in Seattle now, and I remember talking to a petition signature gatherer for the recently passed gun control measure (petitions get them on the ballot). He was paid per-signature by a non-profit funded by the Open Society foundation. He said he was doing it Arizona before Seattle, and will keep going around to areas they pay for.

[protomyth]

One does wonder if the individual you met and others paid there proper income taxes in each state they worked? I get the feeling that will come up before long.

[Spooky23]

I agree — We live in interesting times... the ability of populist agitators to amplify their voices is greater than it has been since the 1930s. There’s a reason why an oddball like Bernie Sanders (and a long tail of others, of all political stances) is a high profile figure in 2019!

POTUS has made this new “direct to you” model a thing that people are studying and learning from. Maybe this is a way to test the waters at communicating without lowering yourself to shouting to a mob on Twitter.