Cheney raises cash, Billings, MT pays

I dunno, sounds a bit like forcing a municiple government to subsidize a campaign

http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?id=1&display=rednews/2003/08/08/build/local/54-cheney.inc

<snip> Vice President Dick Cheney's fund-raising visit Wednesday was a fund-drainer for the city of Billings.

<snip> Cheney's 21/2-hour stopover in Billings reportedly raised $175,000 for the Bush-Cheney re-election campaign, and it cost the city of Billings about $15,500, mostly in overtime costs for police officers, firefighters and airport workers.

<snip> City Finance Director Bob Keefe said local government wouldn't be seeking reimbursement from the president's re-election committee or anyone else.

<snip> "My experience tells me we're responsible for providing reasonable security for public officials," he said.

/// OK, an imcumbant gets a lot of perks and freebies and all that, but it would be good to take the attitude of Billings Police Chief Ron Tussing, and start to call foul loud and clear when $$ strapped cities are basically forced to help fund campaigns:

<snip> In all, Tussing said, overtime costs were about $10,000. Tussing said he didn't expect the city to be reimbursed for the expenses, but added, "I can see a difference between when Bush came to town ... to address the public and a strictly partisan fund-raising situation like we had yesterday."

///The misAdministration is doing everything it can to duck federal spending on the communal needs of the peoples and heap all costs for programs onto the shoulders of state and local governments. It may be time for us to start blowing a whistle on this behavior of insisting on personal responsibility while ducking it themselves. When cities can't hire enough police, firemen, teachers, nor afford enough school books and basic services for its citizen/taxpayers, fat cat pols should suck it up and provide their own security for private visits.

edited to add a phrase

Us folks who "don't pay taxes" have to fund this assholes trip to come to town and beg for money. Due to his pals broken promise of pumped up "homeland security" funding, our fire and police departments are under-staffed, under-trained and under-equipped but Dickey boy seems to be immune from the lack of security we are all faced with. Seems we're expected to come up with the cash to protect this draft dodging cowards, big, fat, puffy, wrinkled ass but he ain't required to come up with the same for us.

Why were all the intersections and roads closed on his path to the fund raiser? Does he dislike the public who pays his salary? Has he no respect for them or their opinions? Evidently not. Gotta wonder why these rednecks of the west keep pulling the handle for folks like President Cheney and is clown boy George.

RC

Thanks for posting this. For me the key part is this:

"When President George W. Bush paid a two-day visit to Billings in March 2001, he spoke to thousands of people at the MetraPark arena. That visit cost the city an estimated $55,000. During Cheney's stopover Wednesday, there were no public events, and those wanting to see him at the hotel and convention center had to pay $1,000 a head."

So the city is essentially paying for a private party. I don't doubt that other politicians, Democrats too, end up doing this. But it's still unfair to the city. And it's not like Cheney couldn't afford it.

Wonder if the Havocpup is gonna be out with a big sign... :7