Posted on 11/01/2006 10:41:50 AM PST by BigSkyFreeper
President George W. Bush is spending the latter part of this week campaigning in the West for congressional candidates.
Thursday, Bush will be at the MetraPark Arena in Billings.
Members of the public attending the event will be admitted to the building between 8 and 10:30 a.m., after which the doors will be closed.
Bush's touch-and-go on behalf of Sen. Conrad Burns, Rep. Denny Rehberg and local Republican candidates will cost the Montana Republican Party several thousand dollars.
"I am not entirely sure" how much, said Chuck Denowh, executive director of the state GOP. "But we will pay for all relevant costs.
"I hope it is not more than $50,000," he said.
The Montana Republican Party is the sponsor of the president's visit under the banner of Montana Victory 2006, which is a separate account from the party itself, Denowh said. Montana Victory 2006 is funded through contributions from individuals and the Republican National Committee, he said.
Tucker Bounds, a spokesman for the RNC in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday refused to answer any questions about its contributions to the state GOP, referring all questions back to Denowh's office.
The cost to Billings and Yellowstone County taxpayers will be about $14,000, mostly for overtime for the Billings Police Department and Yellowstone County Sheriff's Office. A 26-hour visit to Billings by President Clinton in 1995 cost local governments about $10,000.
Thursday's rally is open to the public but is a ticketed event. The tickets are free but limited. Those wishing to get tickets have until 7 p.m. this evening to do so. They can be requested in person at the Billings GOP Office, 125 25th St. W. Questions concerning tickets can be answered by contacting the Montana Republican Party office in Helena at 406-442-6469.
Tuesday, the state GOP office announced that a limited number of tickets are still available for the visit.
"We have had an unbelievable response from folks around the state excited to see the president while he is visiting Montana," said Karl Ohs, chairman of the Montana GOP. "While we only have a limited number left, we are trying our best to accommodate everyone."
Unlike a "nonpolitical" event such as Bush's visit to Billings in March 2001 to promote his tax cut, the cost of Thursday's visit is divided up among various entities: national, state and local.
From the Republican National Committee to the Montana Republican Party to the county and the city, certain costs are billed to those sponsoring the event and to the taxpayers, whose basic cost is for overtime for local law enforcement officers.
According to an outline provided by the White House Office of Media Affairs, this is a Montana Victory 2006 event and will be billed based on a formula that comes from regulations that have been used since at least the Reagan administration.
The percentage of time spent on political activity and official activity is determined from a particular trip. Then, the total cost of the trip, less security costs, is allocated based on the percentage of time spent on political and official activity. The government pays for the official percentage of the activity, while the political entity pays for the percentage of the costs that are related to political activity.
When the president travels and there is a political event on the schedule, the government does not incur any additional costs. When a trip is all political, the same formula applies. The political entity pays for all the costs specifically related to the trip.
As for costs to local governments, Billings' Deputy Police Chief Joe Bryce estimated it would be similar to that for the visit by Vice President Dick Cheney on Oct. 2.
"That was $7,800," Bryce said.
He said the length of the president's visit would determine how much overtime is required by the department.
"It costs a lot no matter who is here," Bryce said.
Yellowstone County Sheriff Chuck Maxwell said his department will incur about $6,000 in personnel costs for the Bush visit. Ten reserve deputies will augment the sheriff's regular contingent, he said.
John Ostlund, chairman of the Yellowstone County Commission, said the county has not been asked to provide anything other than the MetraPark.
The basic charge to Montana Victory 2006 for renting the arena is $5,600, said Bill Dutcher, general manager of the venue. Additional costs for stagehands and phone lines will depend on what is requested, he said.
Sure hope Sen. Burns can survive. What is your take-as someone from MT?
Have you seen this ?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbZ5jPJk4Dg
Why does this article concentrate on whether it will cost $7,000 or $14,000 or less than $50,000 or maybe $10,000? Surely it's not news that appearances by high-profile people require additional security and that their costs are paid by their sponsors.
If there is a place where pissed off people will just bite their tongue and vote for the GOP candidate even if he is an idiot, its Montana. As long as the GOP isn't running a hairdresser, we should be okay. And maybe somebody out there can talk Marc Racicot into running against Max "Scumbag" Baucus in 4 years.
Because Billings is run by a bunch of pinheaded liberals.
Burns has the momentum and two new TV and radio ad buys this week. One from his camp, and the RNC finally thought this race was worth winning and bought an ad.
Duh, sure it's worth winning!!
Tester is getting his money from dKos liberals and from san fransisco. He will be a kooky anti-war leftist if elected.
God help us if he is the deciding vote on anything to do with war on terror.
I hope the GOTV and base turnout is okay for Burns.
2 years.
He will chair the Appropriations Committee if the Democrats retake the Senate. At least that's what Reid promised Tester.
I'd love to, but, I'm SNOWED IN!!!
Don't you have a Montana ping list? There's another Montana poster who's really enlightened but I can't recall his screen name.
I'll just link the Montana crew
in the Montana forum. :)
I used to live in Billings when I was going to college. Bush 41 flew into town while I was there. Watched Air Force One come in for a landing, and the next morning went to see him speak. (professors let us out after morning roll call).
Too bad you're snowed in.
Yeah, otherwise I'd probably head out real early in the morning and make a day of it in Billings. (it's a 6 hour drive from here).
"God help us if he is the deciding vote on anything to do with war on terror.
He will chair the Appropriations Committee if the Democrats retake the Senate. At least that's what Reid promised Tester."
OMG --- "Tester" = "Untested"...
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