City to Charge Dove for Security (More Gov't Intimidation Over Koran Burning Protest)

The Gainesville Sun ^ | Thursday, September 9, 2010 | Chad Smith

[kristinn]

The city of Gainesville's top administrator said Wednesday that he will send Terry Jones, the senior pastor at the Dove World Outreach Center, a bill for the estimated tens of thousands of dollars it will cost to police the area if the church goes through with its plan to burn the Quran on Saturday.

"We definitely plan on sending him a bill," City Manager Russ Blackburn said at City Hall.

Blackburn declined to say how much he anticipates the event will cost the city, but he said it will be substantial because of the personnel and equipment it will take to patrol the area in case anything happens.

And after a number of death threats against Jones have been made, law enforcement officials say they are preparing for anything.

"We have to plan for the worst," Blackburn said.

While law enforcement is not saying how many officers will be policing the area around Dove World or the area around Ben Hill Griffin Stadium for Saturday's Florida-USF football game, they do say they are developing a plan that they believe will provide enough manpower to ensure the public's safety.

Blackburn said he wasn't sure what authority the city had to compel Jones to pay.

Alachua County Sheriff Sadie Darnell said she would also consider billing Dove World for the expenses her agency will incur.

"The way that it is evolving, it definitely looks like it is going to be a large-scale event for Saturday, and it looks like there will be some costs as a result of him initiating and causing this to happen, so I think it is reasonable for him to pay for the cost," Darnell said.

[kristinn]

So much for that pesky First Amendment.

[cripplecreek]

Its real simple. Don’t provide security.

[NativeNewYorker]

Can NY synagogues bill the mosques for the security they need on the High Holy Days?

[himno hero]

The threat is coming from organizations like CAIR et al, why not bill them directly?

[dblshot]

I hadn’t heard the chuch’s name before. “ World Outreach Center”! Talk about irony, whew!

[NativeNewYorker]

...that works....

[AppyPappy]

That’s what he gets for turning this into a spectacle.

[Navy Patriot]

Ahhh, the City of Gainsville, run by Public Masters, rather than public servants.

[gthog61]

I wonder how come this is never tried when assorted left wing groups protest, oh I don’t know, ANYTHING.

[A_Former_Democrat]

Be sure to send bills for illegal immigration amnesty marches too,

[mrsmith]

My attitude has gone from “it’s a free country” to “good idea!”.

[Paladin2]

"World Outreach Center”! Talk about irony, whew!"

It's much like the Victory Mosque at G0 is a bridge to the community.

This event is a teaching opportunity to show the supremecy of the 1st Amendment, and of the US Constitution in general, to those who think Sharia Law is supreme.

[Keith in Iowa]

KORAN BURNERS AND MOSQUE BUILDERS ARE THE SAME

[earlJam]

lol

[so_real]

Agreed. It is that simple. They have a limited budget and limited manpower. They ought use them to the best of their ability, because the taxpayers are picking up that tab, but not over-extend. And I do hope a number of concealed-carry licensees attend the event to provide what additional security may be necessary. Full disclosure: burning a Koran to me equates about equally with burning a swastika. Once you understand the meaning behind the symbolism, they are quite similar.

[FrankR]

Would they send Jesse Jackson the bill if he organized a march in Gainesville? How about if the march turned into a riot, would Jesse be personally liable for damages and stolen flat panel TV's?

When obama comes to any given town, do they bill the federal government for the increased security and traffic management?

If this Pastor was just having a big revival, would there be imposed costs from the city for "security"?

They should be billing the ones making the threats, not the ones exercising their Constitutional rights.

This country has turned so cowardly and back-asswards it's hard to tell what is going on anymore.

[earlJam]

Seriously, I was thinking there were First Amendment issues with charging groups for security.

If the city can do it I would imagine they would have to had the policy and fees in place BEFORE they got this request.

[Interesting Times]

This is official thuggery, pure and simple.

[CodeToad]

That would seem to be illegal as he didn’t ask for that security and as a atxpayer he is provided equal protection under the law. If someone is threatening violence then arrest the perps.

[MBB1984]

Yes and no. No in the sense that the Koran burners are not aligned with any group that killed approximately 3,000 innocent Americans or more the last ten years.