Medford hotel owners say Bush Admin. left them with unpaid bills

[rainbow4321]

http://www.kptv.com/Global/story.asp?S=3155404


MEDFORD -- It's a distant memory for most of the country, but President Bush's campaign swing through Southern Oregon is fresh for hotel owners still waiting to get paid nearly $19,000 for expenses incurred by the administration last fall.

Three hotels, including the Rogue Regency, the Red Lion and the Jacksonville Inn, report they have been waiting almost six months for bills generated mostly by the U.S. Secret Service during President Bush's whirlwind tour through Jackson County, according to an article by the Mail Tribune newspaper.

Owed $3,332.72, the Red Lion Hotel in Medford sent a letter on March 28 to the president at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

The letter written by the hotel's accountant Kirsten Yunuba Stephens, said: "My question to you: Is this how you help balance the budget at the White House by ripping off retailers in the towns you visit? If that is the case please do not come back to the Rogue Valley."

[chelsea0011]

1. Deadbeats!

[fertilizeonarbusto]

2. How surprising!

NOT

[ixion]

3. Now, some good journalism here would be to

compare this corrupt maladmin's track record in this regard to past presidents.


Anyone think we'll see that comparison? When donkeys fly. :eyes:

[Kelvin Mace]

4. Since he didn't win the state

he sees know reason to pay.

[gratuitous]

9. Ding, ding, ding!

We have a winner! If Oregon had gone Red, the Bushistas would have gladly paid their tab. As it is, even in Republican-rich southern Oregon, they can go piss up a rope.

[Blue Belle]

12. That was the reason why they sought out Southern Oregon

for an overnight stay to begin with. The Bush Campaign saw their rank and file Repubs shifting toward voting for Kerry. They probably felt that they shouldn't pay as the environment wasn't very hospitable... there were anti Bush protests being held across the street from the Hotel they were staying at in Jacksonville.

[Thor_MN]

45. Any guesses as to where the military base closures are going to occur?

I can't believe doubledip recess appointed a commission, but I'm betting that carpetdome Lott really has anything to worry about, the closures will be a blue state event.

[DivinBreuvage]

50. To be fair to Bush, he's an equal opportunity job-killer

The enlightened and perceptive folks here in the Buckeye Confederacy put him back in the White House, but now the cuts in NASA research funding are going to cost 700 people at the NASA-Glenn Research Center their jobs.

[MemphisTiger]

5. And the Big Dawg was a schmuck for forgetting to pay

his bar tab in Ireland according to freepers... $6.50 as compared to $3300. You do the math.

[LisaM]

43. Not only that, I can't believe the Big Dog would be CHARGED for a beer

in Ireland. They love him there.

[MADem]

6. Anyone know Keith Olbermann's email?

I'll bet he'd LOVE this story...LOVE IT!

I can see a Daily Show interview too...it's just RICH AS HELL!

[lavenderdiva]

20. here ya go...

[e-mail]

hope that helps!

[tanyev]

7. That's how the Ownership Society works, people.

[rodeodance]

8. I think I read some WI hotels are also waiting but not sure.

[rainbow4321]

11. Just like Ahnold...

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/nation/11125378.htm


Arnold Schwarzenegger is a man who gets a lot of perks for being Arnold Schwarzenegger. Like not having to pay his hotel bills on time.

Since becoming California's 38th governor, Schwarzenegger has been staying at the Hyatt Hotel across from the Capitol because there is no governor's mansion in Sacramento. Schwarzenegger used campaign funds to pay the bills during his first year in office, but was blocked by state law from doing so after that. So he set up a private foundation last November to cover the costs.

But the foundation has been slow to get up and running. So, since last November, the hotel bills haven't been paid. George Kieffer, one of the housing foundation board members, said last week that the board plans to clear the governor's tab very soon. And Hyatt General Manager Jerry Westenhaver says he's not worried about it.

Political-reform expert Robert M. Stern said the overdue bills would probably be considered an improper gift under state law for ``ordinary mortals.''

[Senior citizen]

10. So what are they going to do, sue?

BFEE is getting rid of librul judges and stacking the courts with his Chosen conservatives. If the hotels win in a lower court, BFEE will appeal the case until they get a court they control.

Besides, in our just-us system, whoever has the most money usually wins.

Yunuba Stephens should stay away from small planes and lonely roads.

In any event, they'll never see a dime.

[scarletlib]

13. The Rich and Privileged don't pay

My dad used to work in his younger days in the early 50's at a gas station in a very wealthy suburb of Nashville Tenn. It was called Belle Meade. He said the wealthy clientele expected good service and insisted on running a tab at the station. He said they never wanted to pay for services they got.

I think this is where I get my animus towards the wealthy.

[FlaGranny]

14. My husband has had his own small

service business for nearly 30 years. The only time he was stiffed for the bill was by a wealthy Palm Beach socialite, so I know what you mean.

[scarletlib]

16. Hey FlaGranny are you located in Palm Beach County?

I am originally a Tennessee girl but moved here with my Florida husband in 1989. He can't take the temperature variations in Tennessee. Cold weather really makes him sick.

We live here in Palm Beach County.

[LizW]

19. It's how they got to be wealthy

My brother owns a dry cleaning establishment. He says that the worst customers are the wealthy. They expect the very best personal service and they complain about everything. They bring clothing that is ruined already and insist that he clean it, and if he can't get it perfect, they want him to pay the price for the garment as if it was new.

By contrast, he says his best customers are working people who bring their uniforms to be cleaned every week.

His favorite customer of all was a man who managed an escort service. He brought in 20-30 evening gowns every week. My brother said he was the nicest, most congenial customer he ever had!

[johnaries]

26. Yep! I've worked in several restaurants in Nashville, and the rednecks

tipped better than Belle Meade folks! But that's why they still have so much money, they never let go of it.

Of course, Belle Meade is "old money", they probably just forgot where they keep it...

[unhappycamper]

15. the moral of dealing with these folks is to get the $$ first

Share that thought with other towns in the bu$hit ss tour.

[rainbow4321]

18. Tell bushites: It's a "culture of making a LIVING"...

Unlike chimp who has yet to hold down a real job in life...

[KansDem]

17. Don't worry. April 15 will soon be here...

Expect a check in the mail on April 16.

[CheshireCat]

21. Put this back on page 1!

Despicable!

[burn the bush]

22. another city who does not want shrub to visit again

perhaps eventually, no city will allow him and he will quit wasting our money traveling around spouting bushit about ss.

[rainbow4321]

28. Next time he needs to just sleep in his limo

Then at least no locals will get ripped off...
Wow..I just got an image of a shitload of NO VACANCY (hotel/motel)neon signs the next time a city finds out he will be visiting...

[burn the bush]

37. can u just imagine what this bushit tour is costing us? n/t

[rainbow4321]

38. And he is clueless...cuz to him it's a free ride

Remember the video of him pulling his wallet out and looking for tithe $$..and he had to turn to his father to get the money??? Is it any wonder he and his group are stiffing the local businesses? They have a "put it on the tab" mentality and guess who is picking up that 8 yr long running tab????

[RedCloud]

23. Why not send some thugs over there?

You know, the kind that break legs and things to inspire quicker payments.

[Ian David]

24. I bet the Republicans left santorum-stains on the sheets

[MissMarple]

25. Hilarious. they want a partial refund on a bill that hasn't been paid.

from the article:

"At the Red Lion, Stephens said that a member of the Secret Service asked last week for a $400 refund on the bill because he believed his agents hadn't used a particular briefing room. She said she pointed out that a refund wasn't possible because the rest of the bill had not been paid."

[progressoid]

27. Tip of the iceburg

What do you wanna bet there are dozens more of these around the country. The hotels owned by rethugs will just write it off as a loss -- a little under the radar donatation to chimpy.

Sickening.

[NYC]

35. Some of those businesses may be struggling

to pay their bills on time. That's a terrible thing to do to them.

[spunky]

29. I love that line from the letter she sent!

Classic. She's certainly got some spunk!

[westcor]

30. 40 million

dollars to have a party, and he cant afford to pay for a hotel? Give me a break chimp!

[MisterP]

31. he trashed a shack while in Ala. on TANG "duty," leaving it full of

what the owners described as "debris" and with smashed lightbulbs.
PRESIDENT Blutarsky!

[GalleryGod]

32. AND...if this were Bill & Hillary..You All KNOW the rest

:rant: :sarcasm: :puke:

[rainbow4321]

33. Yeah, there would have been a midnight House vote...

about unpaid hotel bills being a federal offense, punishable by a lifetime sentence at Gitmo...

I think to pay off the unpaid tab, chimp needs to go do some community service at the hotel..like housekeeper-for-a-week..well, actually, with THAT big of a bill, it needs to be for several YEARS. Maybe he can send the twins to work it off.

[roguevalley]

34. I love the Red Lion in M edford. They have a great brunch and they

are right on the edge of downtown Medford. He's a pig for not taking care of his bills, the bastard. GO MEDFORD!

RV, a Central Point gal

[demgurl]

36. I will not say this is not true, but I was musing to myself.....

We all know that people 'claiming to be SS' threw some patrons out of one of shrub's gatherings. Well, what if this was not the SS and instead it was some of the Chimp's goons? IN my mind it makes more sense that they would not pay their bill than the SS not paying their bill. Just a thought.

[Orsino]

39. "Get in line, Medford."

That's how you can track his movements.

[depakid]

40. Good luck collecting from those deadbeats

Didn't you know that it was your privilege to have them mooch off you?

[obxhead]

41. It's quite a thing

when you can pull a savage burn on a famous hotel then just wheel across town to do it again.

[Megahurtz]

42. Unreal! With how much money this guy has and he's a

THEIF!!!:argh:

[Tuttle]

51. think there's a connection?

Tut-tut

[BlueIris]

44. Damn. This is actually really interesting to me because

I've lived in Oregon my whole life, have spent some time in Medford, and it's still pretty conservative. Can't believe the hotel owners publicized this, as opposed to just sweeping it under the rug somehow to protect Their Man. Then again, it's thousands of dollars, and business is business. But anyway--go Medford, I guess.

[struggle4progress]

46. Different rules for the ruling class. eom

[HeeBGBz]

47. If I left a hotel room without paying

I'd be in jail. Someone call the cops.

[Pooka Fey]

48. The King doesn't "pay bills" -- that's only for the peasants

The peasant class is honored to be able to absorb the debts of the nobility.

<sarcasm off>

[Lisa]

49. didn't he also dodge the bill for damages to his Alabama apartment?

He reportedly trashed the place while he was avoiding his National Guard service by "working" on that campaign. His landlady was none too impressed, and he never compensated her.