Cheney visit will bring overtime costs for city (taxpayers pay for campaig

[Omaha Steve]

Full story: http://www.theindependent.com/stories/062306/new_cheney23.shtml

Home > News >Cheney visit will bring overtime costs for city
Web-Posted Jun 23, 2006
Cheney visit will bring overtime costs for city
Grand Island Police Department officials will not disclose costs to public until after end of vice president's visit

By Tracy Overstreet
[e-mail]

The Grand Island Police Department will incur overtime costs next week for the Monday visit of Vice President Dick Cheney.

Cheney will be the featured speaker at a fundraising luncheon for state Sen. Adrian Smith, the Republican nominee for the 3rd Congressional District race.

The luncheon is scheduled to be at the Midtown Holiday Inn.

Police Capt. Robert Falldorf said that, although he has an estimate of the city's expenses, he would not disclose it in advance for security reasons.

Falldorf said Secret Service agents, during a Wednesday meeting with police, sheriff's deputies and the Nebraska State Patrol, demanded that no cost estimates be disclosed until after the visit.

The actual numbers of officers stationed at posts around the city will never be disclosed, officials said.

"We will have overtime," Falldorf said.

Grand Island Mayor Jay Vavricek said the city's expenses will be disclosed after the event and review will be given to see if any of the costs are reimbursable.

If the costs aren't reimbursable, the city will simply pay them because it does budget for overtime to work at special events, the mayor and Falldorf said.

The city of Lincoln incurred about $32,000 in expenses in 2004 when Cheney attended a Republican fundraising event there. Those costs were primarily for law enforcement but also included a stand-by ambulance and public works employees needed to close roads, said Mark Bowen, chief of staff for Lincoln Mayor Colleen Seng.

[lumpy]

1. Simple

Taxpayers should not have to pay for campaign costs. Period

[bigluckyfeet]

2. This is a private visit

To raise money for the repukes,the one throwing the benefit should pay the police.

[The Brethren]

6. yes they should.

He's a costly waste of time at our expense.

and I also like to know if the taxpayers are also paying for his hunting trips?

:sarcasm:

[Massacure]

3. Don't provide police services. Problem solved.

[merwin]

4. How is the cost of Cheney's visit a security risk?

WTF.

[CatholicEdHead]

5. They never paid up in 2004, why should they start now?

[NVMojo]

7. that worthless piece of flesh they call President landed in New Mexico

last week to campaign for the stupid governor and raise GOP funds all on the taxpayer's dole with Air Force One, security and everything else ...it makes me SICK!!!

[jwirr]

8. Why doesn't he just go home to his house in Wyoming and look

out the window at the mountains?