Bush campaign won't pay city bill

[Nambe]

The York Dispatch

.. After Bush's campaign stop in York last month, Brenner sent a letter asking the campaign to reimburse the city for police protection and other security measures.

This week, Sal Purpura, assistant treasurer of the campaign, wrote back, saying that the Secret Service is in charge of protecting the president, so anything relat-
ed to presidential security is under that agency's purview.

"In other words, don't bill us, talk to them," Brenner summed up. ..

.. The next week, Brenner asked the campaign to pay the city $21,057 for expenses incurred in preparing for the visit. ..

Ride Don’t Drive It’s Global Cool

[Hawkeye-X]

1. I hope the city will send the collectors after the Chimp.

I wonder if kerry campaign is paying for its own security force/protection and paying the city back for the public use of service?

Hawkeye-X

[cthrumatrix]

2. his "private oath parties" are to blame.... pay up shrubya

[Karenina]

7. THIS is the crux of the entire issue

NOT OPEN to the General Public, EXPENSES INCURRED BILLED to the General Public. This is true on every level of *operation. Privatize the profits, socialize the costs. Hallo, my former countrywo/men and smurfs, YOU ARE *PAYING* FOR THEM TO KILL YOU ON EVERY ISSUE VITAL TO YOUR AND YOUR LOVED ONES' SURVIVAL. end of rant.

[Red State Rebel]

3. This is a non issue - it happense every election...

Last time it was Repugs screaming about Hilliary and Gore campaigning, this time it's Bush. It just depends on the party affiliation of the town Mayor who wants to make the news.

[democrat_patriot]

4. I hope this goes on *'s credit report.

File a late payment order.

[havocmom]

5. Some cities require a deposit from any group using city services like

police for traffic control and security, public parks/schools which have to be tidied up after use, and so on, to assure costs incurred will be paid for.

Communities need to extend this to visits from the chicken hawk coalition. When there isn't enough money for school books and fire stations, there isn't $$ for what amounts to forced contributions to the bush*/Cheney campaign.

Get the $$ up front for services or tell the junta to direct their own traffic.

[Canuckistanian]

6. If they're denying access by making them 'private' events

Then they should be billed. If they exclude certain members of the general public, they should be billed as a private contractor would be.

[hughee99]

8. Private or public event, it doesn't matter...

The Secret Service (which is and has been responsible for the protection of presidents and presidential canidates for many years, bang up job they did for RFK by the way) is not just in charge of protecting a canidate/president at public events. Since they are always on duty, it doesn't matter whether the canidate is at a public event, a private event, or doing lines of coke off a stripper's ass. Since they are government workers, and not campaign workers, and there specific job is government related, not campaign related, then their expenses are government expenses, not campaign expenses. As someone said above, we get all upset about this, but Kerry is in the same boat, as was Clinton, Poppy, Mondale, Raygun... This is a Secret Service (I think it is still Treasury Dept.) expense. In short, the * campaign is sadly correct in that Secret Service protection expenses are not the reponsibility of the campaign.

[Generator]

9. All I know is I read that in Portland the Democrats payed their

overtime bills. The Republicans did not. I think Republicans are scum. Next question. They talk about responsiblity-fiscally-it's a lie-they talk about patriotism and try to silence those that dare to dissent and dare to question those that went to Viet Nam when we have someone that didn't complete his military service as commander in chief.

SCUM!

[hughee99]

10. The campaign is responsible for

the bills of non-security related expenses. But I was not aware that Kerry's campaign was paying overtime security expenses. Was this before or after the convention? I know that the pResident isn't responsible for any security expenses anyway, but I thought that the opposing nominee wasn't responsible for expenses either. This may have something to do with being the presumptive nominee vs. the official nominee, but I doubt it. Where was the article on the Portland thing?

[Generator]

11. Here's the article

http://www.portlandtribune.com/archview.cgi?id=24576

In 2002, the city sent a $51,346 police overtime bill to Republican Sen. Gordon Smith’s re-election campaign after campaign visits from President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill. It went unpaid.
That year, the city also sent a $1,685 overtime bill to Bill Bradbury, the Democratic Oregon secretary of state who opposed Smith. The bill was for visits from former President Clinton and Sen. Tom Daschle, D-S.D., the Senate Democratic leader. Bradbury’s campaign sent the city a check for $1,685.

No Republicans have coughed up a cent. I don't know whether Kerry paid this bill yet, it's from May.

[hughee99]

13. Interesting...

I know that *, Dick(head) and Clinton are covered by the Secret Service protection. I'm not sure if the Speaker or the Senate Majority leader (I think Daschle was at that time) have protection. I know that Smith and Bradbury would not have it. It would seem at the least that Smith has to cough up a few $$ for Hastert if Bradbury had to pay for Daschle. It doesn't suprise me that the repukes haven't paid (whether they are supposed to or not), I'm just not sure what expenses they are responsible for.

[SoCalDem]

12. Ohio and Pennsylvania will be BROKE soon..

Apparently Bush plans to practically camp out there..

As "happy" as the locals must be to have "important" guests visit them, do they REALLY KNOW how much it's costing THEM??

I agree.,..the fact that Bush "events" are NOT OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC, the extra cost should be borne by the republican party..


If I arrive in your neighborhood, announce that I am closing your streets....plan to use your house, for MY private party..and BTW..you are NOT invited...is it fair of me to expect YOU to pay for security to keep YOU from "causing trouble"??

Dems in towns where Bush "campaigns"..should find some potholes that have not been fixed or some other tangible sign of "non-repair"...and start erecting signs with the "dollar amount" that it cost the city for that campaign stop..

example..

pothole on main street.. sign says.. This pot hole brought to you by the GWB for Pres Invitation-only Campaign...$58,000 in unreimbursed overtime..May 15,2004..

[struggle4progress]

14. This is a GREAT local issue. If only Bushistas are allowed at events ...

... why should local taxpayers cover costs?