Springfield (IL) to Bill Obama $50,000 for Rally

Source: Associated Press

Springfield to bill Obama $50,000 for rally
By CARYN ROUSSEAU
Associated Press Writer

Democratic presidential candidate, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., gestures while speaking at a rally at the University of Nevada, Reno, Nev., Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2008. Obama called for Americans to support the rescue plan for the financial sector and told them that if Wall Street fails, ordinary people will be hurt, too.
The city of Springfield plans to bill Barack Obama's presidential campaign about $50,000 to cover expenses related to the August rally he held to introduce Delaware Sen. Joe Biden as his running mate, officials said Tuesday.

"The mayor is looking at all our finances and would like to recover whatever costs we can," said Springfield city spokesman Ernie Slottag, speaking of Mayor Timothy Davlin. Obama's campaign declined comment Tuesday.

The Democratic Illinois senator's campaign did not get a bill when Obama officially launched his bid for the presidency during a February 2007 rally in Springfield, the state capital, Slottag said.

The city did not track expenses separately for that event, but did so in August, Slottag said. He also said the later rally was a much larger event than Obama's 2007 announcement.

Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/445/story/821433.html

I wouldn't expect the city to foot the bill for the rally.

This campaign pays it's bills on time.

Why wouldn't the campaign pay the expense?

On one side of the Old Capital grounds, the BBQ & Blues Festival was taking place (Obama crowds wrapped the other 3 sides). How can the city determine what % was there solely for Obama, and not participating in the BBQ Fest.

ETA: They would have had to have extra cops & clean-up crews there anyway. So are they asking for Obama to cover the costs for the City's Commerce event?

It's just a matter of coordinating with the proper departments.

You need cops to barricade streets for parades, cops to oversee crowd control and direct traffic, and so on. That would go through the Police Dept.

Parks & Rec schedules use of public spaces, including the Sunken Gardens around the County Courthouse (very popular for weddings and festivals, gorgeous site).

Someone has to arrange for trash barrels and pickup--another department.

There's deposits and prepays and a bunch of papers to fill out.

In the case of Springfield, the BBQ & Blues Festival no doubt paid for a certain area when it scheduled the event -- they wouldn't just show up. So they are covered. The Obama rally also didn't just show up -- whatever they agreed to is what they pay, and if for some reason it was a lot bigger and cost more, paying for that is probably part of the written agreement as well.

Hekate
former bureaucrat at County Dept of Public Works

The only thing of interest is why AP found it interesting to write an article about some routing bookkeeping. They don't have anything better to do?

jus' 'cuz he's gotta put some kinda knock on Obama every damm day!
Man, if I don't make quota, he gonna have me in that tiny ass office for "a little chat" - an' I swear to the Lord his stinky breff can lift paint.