$81.6M lavished on GOP confab

[Rose Siding]

In the end, the Republican National Convention was an expensive ol' party, with $81.6 million in private funds splashed on everything from pricey hotels and steak dinners to paper shredders and wallpaper.

The city raised a total of $85.6million in private money to lavish goodies on Republican delegates, including ritzy dinners at Keens Chophouse and a smoky trip to Club Macanudo cigar bar.

The committee in charge of the mega-event came in with a $4 million surplus, which will go to school-related programs. The city absorbed $7.8 million in security, sanitation and transportation costs, according to filings with the Federal Election Commission yesterday.
......
The Grand Old Party also spent $250,000 on catered meals from Mood Food Inc., $150,000 on wallpaper and $57,000 to put up Washington lobbyist and convention boss Bill Harris at the Ritz Carlton hotel for six months.

http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/242170p-207519c.html

[Neshanic]

1. I see no hooker invoices.

[Rose Siding]

2. Yeah, but think how ticked-off repub donors will be to see that...

any of their money went to "school-related programs"!

[MidwestTransplant]

3. I don't think the small town Republicans who vote on God and Gays

will like the $57K spent at the Ritz either.

[SoCalDem]

7. any "extra" should have gone to reimburse the host city..n/t

.

[whistle]

4. Those charges come under "Personal Professional Services" or....

...you might want to look in "Riding fees", "Chicken breeding services" or "Flight packages". These are some creative accounting categories that Enron provided.

[UpInArms]

5. Actual Cost: $150 Million :Republican convention was most expensive ever

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/ny-bc-ny--republicanconvent1014oct14,0,3187421.story?coll=ny-ap-regional-wire

NEW YORK (AP) _ The Republican National Convention was the most expensive presidential nominating event in history, costing approximately $150 million.

The expenses included $11 million to the Freeman Companies, the Dallas-based company that oversaw the renovation to Madison Square Garden, and some $7,000 worth of coffee and doughnuts, according to a Federal Election Committee filing by the New York City Host Committee, which organized the convention.

Among other costs: $5 million for renting Madison Square Garden; $28 million for construction inside the arena; $1 million for 13,298 tickets to Broadway shows for delegates.

Once all the bills are paid, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the city will have spent only about $7.9 million in city funds on the convention _ for security, fire protection, transportation and sanitation.

The federal government contributed $50 million for security costs.

...more...

[yardwork]

6. Good. Glad to hear that they wasted their money on luxuries

That's that much less they have to spend on spreading lies.

[camero]

8. Well, we know where the tax cut money went.

eom

[Democat]

9. The New York Times spent a lot of money on the RNC

There was an article about how much money the New York Times was spending on the Republicans, to make them happy during the convention, and the number was huge. If you do a search here, you can find it.

The "liberal media", spending money to keep the GOP happy.