Cities Bill GOP for Political Fund-Raising Events

Posted on Fri, Oct. 03, 2003

Visit from Bush? Send the bill to the GOP
SECURITY, CROWD CONTROL, STREET CLOSINGS ADD UP
By John Cheves
HERALD-LEADER STAFF WRITER

Starved for cash and faced with political fund-raising visits by President Bush -- with the usual demands for security, crowd control and street closings -- a few cities are starting to tally up their expenses and send a bill to Republican organizers.

Will Lexington follow suit?

Bush is scheduled to visit downtown Lexington at rush hour Thursday to raise money for the Kentucky Republican Party and its nominee for governor, Ernie Fletcher.

The event should be lucrative for Republicans -- who suggest donations of $500 to $10,000 on invitations -- but not for Lexington taxpayers. They will supply extra police protection at Blue Grass Airport and the Lexington Center, and a rolling traffic block along Versailles Road for the presidential motorcade.

These costs add up: Having played host to Bush twice and to Vice President Dick Cheney once, for fund-raisers, the city of Portland, Ore., wants $145,000 in reimbursement, mostly for police overtime.

Cities shouldn't have to swallow the expense of political fund-raisers, as opposed to official appearances by the commander-in-chief, said Scott Farris, a spokesman for Portland Mayor Vera Katz, a Democrat.

http://www.kentucky.com/mld/heraldleader/news/legislature/6921428.htm

And the GOP can certainly afford it. Not to mention their policies are responsible for decimating state budgets. So... does the GOP actually pay up?

Anytime * comes to town and whole blocks are shut down, businesses lose money.

to send a bill for the use of Air Force one and accompanying expenses too??

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