‘Left’overs hold the city hostage

Each day, about 3.7 million people go to work in New York City. For the last month, fewer than 500 people have been sleeping in a park near Wall Street so they can curse the economy that produces all those jobs for all those people.

Guess which group is getting expressions of sympathy and even solidarity from the president to the mayor?

The demonstrators include open anti-Semites, homeless people and anarchists, along with students, trust-fund babies and the terminally bored. They are supported by municipal unions and other leftist groups, whose agendas run the gamut from higher taxes to higher taxes.

Some of those sleeping on the street say they want jobs, while others say they have quit their jobs to sleep on the street. They flock to this Woodstock wannabe from the suburbs and from afar, with most of the 800 people arrested before yesterday residing outside the city.

They claim they represent the 99 percent of Americans who have been screwed over by the top 1 percent.

It’s a catchy slogan, but backward. The people who work to support their families and lead productive lives are the backbone, heart and soul of America.

When times are tough, the tough don’t quit work so they can complain. And the people who really want a job aren’t playing drums in a park, getting stoned and taunting cops.

Too many protesters, with their gauzy demands for an end to capitalism and more free stuff, feel entitled to be supported by others. If they ruled the world, we’d all be living in mud huts and begging for handouts.

And yet, as befits a culture that lacks the courage to fight for its own values, this tiniest faction is taking Gotham hostage. They are wreaking havoc on local businesses and residents while breaking numerous laws, including the open use of drugs. Civic appeasement has emboldened them.

This law-free zone is worth remembering the next time some kid gets a summons for taking up two seats on the subway or a homeowner gets fined for litter on the sidewalk.

Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani said he would have made it clear on Day One that “streets are not for sleeping.” In a radio interview, he said, “They can protest during the daytime if they want to, but if you want to stay in New York City overnight, you got to rent a room, and if you’re homeless, we got plenty of shelters for you.”

First Amendment rights, like all rights, are not absolute, but our current mayor, Michael Bloomberg, is ambivalent about his duty and is losing New York in the process. He finally appeared ready to enforce the rules against living in Zuccotti Park but claimed the private owners, Brookfield Properties, got cold feet as eviction time neared.