Cities Bill Trump for the High Cost of Rallies

[riversedge]

Source: bloomberg



Cities Bill Trump for the High Cost of Rallies
The campaign has reimbursed at least one, but others wait.
Kate Smith



June 30, 2016 — 4:45 AM CDT




Police officers move protestor Jon Sawyer from blocking vehicles trying to enter an event for Donald Trump in Eugene, Oregon, on May 6, 2016.
Photographer: ROB KERR/AFP/Getty Images



Cities across the U.S. are discovering that a visit from Donald Trump isn’t cheap. The presumptive Republican nominee kicked off his California campaign on April 28 at the Pacific Amphitheatre in the Orange County suburb of Costa Mesa, south of Los Angeles. Anti-Trump protesters outside turned violent, blocking a freeway on-ramp and trying to overturn a police cruiser. The night ended with 17 arrests, five damaged police vehicles—and a $30,000 bill for the city.

Officials sent a bill to Trump’s campaign for $15,000 to cover police overtime, hoping to recoup the remaining property damage costs from people who were arrested. “It’s a venue where politicians typically come, and it’s literally never been an issue,” says city spokesman Tony Dodero.

QuickTake U.S. Campaign Finance

Costa Mesa isn’t the only city that’s been hit with costs because of Trump’s unconventional campaign. Rallies in Albuquerque and San Jose ended with violent clashes between Trump backers and protesters, unheard of in any presidential campaign since George Wallace’s in 1968 and 1972.

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Neither Costa Mesa nor Wilkes-Barre has yet been reimbursed. Nor has Eugene, Oregon, which the Associated Press reported has billed the campaign for $92,300 in extra staff costs and overtime for firefighters and police assigned to Trump’s May 6 rally there.

There is a formal process for submitting such requests, but campaigns are under no obligation to help cities defray the ancillary costs of hosting campaign events. Trump spokeswoman Hope Hicks says the campaign pays for security inside venues, but following standard protocol leaves U.S. Secret Service and municipal or county law enforcement to coordinate on handling crowds outside. Officials in Cleveland, which will host the Republican National Convention starting on July 18, are also preparing for protests, but the federal government will cover as much as $50 million in security costs for both the GOP gathering and the Democratic convention in Philadelphia later in July. Hillary Clinton’s campaign did not respond to questions about whether it had been billed.

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Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2016-06-30/trump-rallies

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Also:


http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/trump-rally-security-costs-cities


Rowdy Crowds At Trump Rallies Leave Cities With Large Security Bills




http://a3.img.talkingpointsmemo.com/image/upload/c_fill,fl_keep_iptc,g_faces,h_365,w_652/de3k4wc69deobdjvg9ab.jpg
AP Photo / Michael Goulding



By Caitlin MacNeal

PublishedJune 30, 2016, 7:09 AM EDT


............Law enforcement officials told Bloomberg News that the Trump campaign's tendency to sell more tickets than there are seats available results in large crowds outside of venues, sometimes ending in clashes with protesters.

Matt Rokus, the deputy police chief in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, said that for a rally in the city, the Trump campaign sold 6,000 tickets for a venue that seats 1,800.

"Duh, there’s going to be a problem," Rokus told Bloomberg News. "You got a bunch of people who drove hours to get there thinking they had a seat."..................

[mercuryblues]

1. Trump’s unconventional campaign

is what the kids are calling KKK rallies these days.

[itsrobert]

2. Can't he just file bankruptcy?

to avoid payments?

[NewJeffCT]

15. That will come

the day after he loses the election, or after he drops out of the race and is replaced by Jeb Bush, Paul Ryan or Mitt Romney.

[Motley13]

3. He will stiff them

like he has so many others.

They can sue him 3500 & counting

[tanyev]

4. Good luck with that.

[Sunlei]

5. Republicans have a history of not paying their own bills.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

6. LE officials said that Trump campaign's tendency to sell more tickets than there are seats available

Don cons in every way possible.

Law enforcement officials told Bloomberg News that the Trump campaign's tendency to sell more tickets than there are seats available results in large crowds outside of venues, sometimes ending in clashes with protesters.

[dembotoz]

7. If the tickets are free oh well but if sold isn't that fraud?

[kimbutgar]

8. Those cities will not receive their money from the con man

He will stiff them like he does with the contractors who work on his projects.

The tax payers of those communities will be stuck with the tabs. I hope more communities report these costs to their local media and say how they have to cut services because their budgets got hurt by the orange goblin.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

9. "Anti-Trump protesters outside turned violent, blocking a freeway on-ramp and trying to overturn

Last edited Thu Jun 30, 2016, 11:56 AM - Edit history (1)

a police cruiser. The night ended with 17 arrests, five damaged police vehicles—and a $30,000 bill for the city."

Tell me again who's running up the bill.

[kimbutgar]

10. There would have been no riots if he didn't speak at rallies in places where ther could be problems.

He was in liberal Northern California. San Jose and Burlingame have large Chicano populations. Anaheim large Chicano populations. New Mexico also. Why did he go there in the first place? It's as if he wants these protests to stoke his ego and rile up his rube supporters.

If I was on huffington post I could understand your defense of the con man. I'm a bit confused by your defense of him and the protesters who are doing their first amendment right.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

11. That's restricting free speech. You can't excuse the violence just because of 'provocation'.

Trump has a right to speak at any venue that will admit him.

The venues have a right to deny him and a right to admit him.

Protestors do not have a right to be violent. Period.


(Yes, I know that the First Amendment prohibits the government from making laws restraining speech, but the fact is that the government can't make a law saying Trump can't speak in areas with large Chicano populations.)

[mahatmakanejeeves]

14. Private venues can do as they choose.

A stadium that is owned by a football or baseball team can choose who can perform there or hold rallies there. A public venue, owned by a municipality, has to treat all offers on an equal basis. It cannot pick and choose to let anti-abortion protesters hold a rally there, but deny access to protesters who want continued access to abortions.

If a courthouse has a "Jesus is the Reason for the Season" display on the lawn, then it has to let everyone else in on the act. There may be restrictions based solely on the amount of the real estate available for the displays, but the municipality or county can hold a lottery so that everyone has a fair shake at getting his display shown.

And Happy Fourth of July, even though that's about the Declaration of Independence and not the Constitution. If it weren't for all the tourists in DC, I think I'd go down to the Archives and look at them again during my lunch break.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

13. I'm a bit confused by your defense of him and the protesters ... doing their first amendment right.

Last edited Fri Jul 1, 2016, 10:26 AM - Edit history (1)

You needn't be. Here, let me help you:



First Amendment to the United States Constitution

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people [font color=red]peaceably[/font] to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

When Donald Trump and his supporters [font color=red]peaceably[/font] assemble for a rally, they are exercising a right that is guaranteed to them by the U.S. Constitution.

When protesters react by setting things on fire and overturning cars, they are not exercising their rights. [font color=red]There is no Constitutional right to set things on fire and overturn cars.[/font]

When neo-Nazis [font color=red]peaceably[/font] assemble on the grounds of the California Capitol to wave their flags, they are exercising a right that is guaranteed to them by the U.S. Constitution.

When protesters attack the neo-Nazis by striking them with sticks and hitting them with rocks, they are being a violent mob.

It doesn't matter that the leader of the mob has two degrees, as clearly neither one of them required a course that involved logic or critical thinking as a prerequisite. When she says that the neo-Nazis have no free speech rights, she is letting all the world know that she is a complete idiot.

That ignorant fool hasn't the slightest grasp of what the Constitution stands for. All those hours she spent sitting in a classroom were completely wasted. She's as dumb as a post and happy to remain that way.

[RussBLib]

12. I don't think that's a good meme

The "Love trumps hate" meme. Too many people are going to see "love" and "trump" and leave it at that. Think subliminally.