# What do these "Patriot" militia occupiers do for a living? Who is paying their bills? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 17, 2016, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-these-patriot-militia-occupiers-do-for-a-living-who-is-paying-their-bills/743391 "2016-01-17T08:34:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2016, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-these-patriot-militia-occupiers-do-for-a-living-who-is-paying-their-bills/743391/1 "2016-01-17T08:34:47Z")
How can they just take off and [occupy a federal building](http://nypost.com/2016/01/03/militia-members-occupy-us-building-in-oregon/)for extended periods? Most of these guys look and act middle class/working class. Who is paying the family bills if daddy is playing militia solider? ---
**Author:** ![Kaio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c68b51/32.png) [@Kaio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaio)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2016, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-these-patriot-militia-occupiers-do-for-a-living-who-is-paying-their-bills/743391/2 "2016-01-17T08:44:17Z")
> [@](#): > > According to a 2010 tax filing, Catholic Charities paid the family $115,343 to foster children in 2009. That year, foster parents were compensated between $22.31 and $37.49 per child, per day, meaning if the Finicums were paid at the maximum rate, they cared for, on average, eight children per day in 2009. > > “That was my main source of income,” Finicum said. “My ranch, well, the cows just cover the costs of the ranch. If this means rice and beans for the next few years, so be it. We’re going to stay the course.” [Oh, no, he lost his foster kids and his biggest concern is the income!](http://www.opb.org/news/series/burns-oregon-standoff-bundy-militia-news-updates/militant-says-foster-children-were-pulled-from-his-home-lavoy-finicum-burns-oregon/) Don’t you feel sorry for them now!!??!!one! ---
**Author:** ![davida03801](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5e925/32.png) [@davida03801](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davida03801)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2016, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-these-patriot-militia-occupiers-do-for-a-living-who-is-paying-their-bills/743391/3 "2016-01-17T15:38:59Z")
Back a while ago did you wonder the same on the “Occupy” movement, or of the “BLM” movement ? I wonder the same when ever I hear of any group doing such type of things, no matter which side. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2016, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-these-patriot-militia-occupiers-do-for-a-living-who-is-paying-their-bills/743391/4 "2016-01-17T15:49:44Z")
> [@davida03801](#): > > Back a while ago did you wonder the same on the “Occupy” movement, or of the “BLM” movement ? > > I wonder the same when ever I hear of any group doing such type of things, no matter which side. I think those were largely younger people, probably living off of their parents. In any case, your response really isn’t an answer to **astro’s** question. ---
**Author:** ![GreasyJack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@GreasyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreasyJack)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2016, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-these-patriot-militia-occupiers-do-for-a-living-who-is-paying-their-bills/743391/5 "2016-01-17T16:21:38Z")
For the ones that actually are making a living off ranching, the middle of winter isn’t very busy. They bring the cattle down from the mountain grazing land usually in the late fall sometime and the cows just sort of hang out at the rancher’s own fields until early summer. There’ll be work to do around calving in the spring, but during the winter all they really need to do is roll a bale of hay out for them every so often, so nothing a wife or a teenaged kid can’t handle on their own. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2016, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-these-patriot-militia-occupiers-do-for-a-living-who-is-paying-their-bills/743391/6 "2016-01-17T16:23:04Z")
Libertarians are like cats, completly dependent on others but utterly convinced of their own independence. ---
**Author:** ![leahcim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b4bc9f/32.png) [@leahcim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leahcim)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2016, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-these-patriot-militia-occupiers-do-for-a-living-who-is-paying-their-bills/743391/7 "2016-01-17T18:20:11Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Libertarians are like cats, completly dependent on others but utterly convinced of their own independence. I am so stealing that. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2016, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-these-patriot-militia-occupiers-do-for-a-living-who-is-paying-their-bills/743391/8 "2016-01-17T18:28:05Z")
> [@leahcim](#): > > I am so stealing that. Feel free. I did. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![AngelSoft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/angelsoft/32/440_2.png) [@AngelSoft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelSoft)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2016, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-these-patriot-militia-occupiers-do-for-a-living-who-is-paying-their-bills/743391/9 "2016-01-17T18:32:41Z")
> [@Kaio](#): > > [Oh, no, he lost his foster kids and his biggest concern is the income!](http://www.opb.org/news/series/burns-oregon-standoff-bundy-militia-news-updates/militant-says-foster-children-were-pulled-from-his-home-lavoy-finicum-burns-oregon/) Don’t you feel sorry for them now!!??!!one! Wtf…I think I found my new calling in life! Jiminy cricket, I didn’t know you could make that much from fostering! ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2016, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-these-patriot-militia-occupiers-do-for-a-living-who-is-paying-their-bills/743391/10 "2016-01-17T19:06:00Z")
Plus, free labor for his ranch! ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2016, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-these-patriot-militia-occupiers-do-for-a-living-who-is-paying-their-bills/743391/11 "2016-01-17T19:45:17Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Libertarians are like cats, completly dependent on others but utterly convinced of their own independence. They aren’t nearly as cute, and their antics are much less amusing. ---
**Author:** ![akennett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee59a6/32.png) [@akennett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/akennett)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2016, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-these-patriot-militia-occupiers-do-for-a-living-who-is-paying-their-bills/743391/12 "2016-01-17T19:53:34Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Libertarians are like cats… Better off de-clawed and neutered? ---
**Author:** ![boytyperanma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2016, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-these-patriot-militia-occupiers-do-for-a-living-who-is-paying-their-bills/743391/13 "2016-01-17T20:23:03Z")
I imagine it’s much like the Tea Party movement where a disproportionate amount of them receive government assistance due to disability or social security. In many case no one may be paying their bills. The Bundys currently owe over a million dollars for unpaid grazing fees. It’s a common trait among them to refuse to pay taxes. Many manage to scrape buy working under the table or doing seasonal work. Poor is a very common trait among them. They may find sitting around a bird sanctuary drinking beer and being nuisances is more entertaining then sitting around at home doing the same thing. Here is a short article that came up in my google search: > **[Broke, unemployed and on disability: Here’s how the Oregon militants can...](https://www.rawstory.com/2016/01/broke-unemployed-and-on-disability-heres-how-the-oregon-militants-can-afford-to-play-patriot-games/)** > > As the militia stand-off in Oregon comes up on one week, speculation turns to the financial resources that allow men to up and leave their jobs -- reportedly for however long it takes -- to take an uninvited stand for freedom in an empty bird... ---
**Author:** ![AngelSoft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/angelsoft/32/440_2.png) [@AngelSoft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelSoft)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2016, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-these-patriot-militia-occupiers-do-for-a-living-who-is-paying-their-bills/743391/14 "2016-01-17T20:45:14Z")
It makes me wonder…how do they explain the fact that they’re accepting government assistance but…at the same time protesting the government? I know this is more about land issues but at the same time, it seems to be getting less and less about that and more about the government being a ‘tyranny’ to them. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2016, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-these-patriot-militia-occupiers-do-for-a-living-who-is-paying-their-bills/743391/15 "2016-01-17T21:10:58Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Libertarians are like cats, completly dependent on others but utterly convinced of their own independence. > [@leahcim](#): > > I am so stealing that. You might want to [think twice](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feral_cat#Life_span_and_survival) about that 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2016, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-these-patriot-militia-occupiers-do-for-a-living-who-is-paying-their-bills/743391/16 "2016-01-17T23:13:18Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > You might want to [think twice](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feral_cat#Life_span_and_survival) about that 🙂 So you need to say “pampered housecats” instead of cats. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2016, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-these-patriot-militia-occupiers-do-for-a-living-who-is-paying-their-bills/743391/17 "2016-01-18T00:02:24Z")
> [@astro](#): > > How can they just take off and [occupy a federal building](http://nypost.com/2016/01/03/militia-members-occupy-us-building-in-oregon/)for extended periods? Most of these guys look and act middle class/working class. Who is paying the family bills if daddy is playing militia solider? Pretty much the same people who paid Occupy Pittsburgh and like movements; folks out there with jobs who don’t care to do the actual protests. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2016, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-these-patriot-militia-occupiers-do-for-a-living-who-is-paying-their-bills/743391/18 "2016-01-18T00:20:57Z")
> [@kopek](#): > > Pretty much the same people who paid Occupy Pittsburgh and like movements; folks out there with jobs who don’t care to do the actual protests. What the hell are you talking about? And how does that relate to the question at hand? And where is your evidence in either case? ---
**Author:** ![GrumpyBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bc8723/32.png) [@GrumpyBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrumpyBunny)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2016, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-these-patriot-militia-occupiers-do-for-a-living-who-is-paying-their-bills/743391/19 "2016-01-18T01:45:57Z")
> [@davida03801](#): > > Back a while ago did you wonder the same on the “Occupy” movement, or of the “BLM” movement ? I took a couple of vacation days to go demonstrate with Occupy. I was cognizant of the irony there. ---
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2016, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-these-patriot-militia-occupiers-do-for-a-living-who-is-paying-their-bills/743391/20 "2016-01-18T04:44:13Z")
I suspect most ranches aren’t single-man operations. I’m sure they have business partners, hired hands, family members, etc that work the ranch, too. And, as _GreasyJack_ pointed out, there is less work in the winter. I bet they can leave one of them in charge of the day-to-day operations. And if there is really a question that only the protester can answer, they do have phones. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-these-patriot-militia-occupiers-do-for-a-living-who-is-paying-their-bills/743391.md?page=2)