Posted on 11/13/2002 5:30:00 PM PST by stratman1969
By Beth Ashley
Officials at the Marin Speaker Series are fielding dozens of calls from people seeking tickets to the sold-out appearance of former President Bill Clinton at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium tomorrow night.
"I've suddenly got more best friends than anybody," said Bruce Vogel, the event organizer.
Two thousand subscribers to the series presumably will fill every seat for Clinton's 8 p.m. speech on a subject not yet announced. Seventy-five others will pay $75 to have their pictures taken with him, and 40 more, who have paid $275, will spend 30 minutes at a pre-speech reception in the auditorium's Green Room.
Vogel, who presents eight programs a year in the Marin Speaker Series, says this one easily tops visits of Secretary of State Colin Powell and former President Jimmy Carter when it comes to strictness of controls and just plain buzz.
Jim Farley, manager of the Marin Center, said, "I'm going to have to get an unlisted phone number" to fend off the people seeking tickets. All tickets have been pre-sold as part of a subscription package.
Secret Service representatives inspected the facility late last week to map out security plans.
"They don't tell you what they're going to do," said Farley, who doesn't know how many agents will be on hand.
The Secret Service will monitor admission to the photo shoots and reception, from lists supplied by Vogel, who was given an absolute limit on attendance at both.
Money from the pre-lecture events will go to Marin charities chosen by Vogel; part of it may go directly to the Marin Center to upgrade the facility.
"You would be surprised how much of (Clinton's) time is devoted to charities," Vogel said. "It's magnanimous of him to do it."
Clinton is not charging extra for the pre-event fund-raisers, Vogel said, but declined to say how much money Clinton will be paid for his appearance.
Vogel picked the Family Service Agency of San Mateo to cater the reception. The same firm will cater Clinton's appearances this week in Oakland and on the Peninsula, also sponsored by Vogel.
Staff members of the agency that arranges Clinton's lectures toured the premises last week, Vogel said.
"It took about 10 minutes," he said.
But the agency is stringent in its requirements, and - through "a whole ream of contractual language" - has insisted that he keep some facts confidential. Vogel, who has presented the series for eight years and has dealt with generals, entertainment headliners, big-name authors and political heavyweights, seemed amused at the requirements but unfazed.
"My business is really organization," he said.
The press is barred from backstage events at Clinton's behest, Vogel said.
"If he lets in one member of the press," Vogel said, "he feels obligated to admit them all."
Are these fire sale prices? That's really "chump change". What's next? An auction on e-bay?
I noticed that too. The last time we had an article like this one, the price for a picture was something like $200.
I don't think we're hearing the truth about how popular this jerk is. He made millions this year - I wouldn't be sobbing if that turned into hundreds next year.
Leni
Oh, he's popular all right, as the butt of jokes. Do a google search with keywords Bill Clinton Pebble Beach pro-am and look at the results. Compare to George Bush Pebble Beach pro-am. Bwahahahaha. My favorite hit contained the string "With TV ratings dropping faster than Bill Clinton's pants". That's the Clinton legacy.
I don't really need to do that. Here in MD, both clintoons had fund raising events for Kathleen Townsend. hillary managed to raise $200,000 and billy raised $600,000. Bush had an event for Ehrlich and raised $1.4M.
Ehrlich won. The first GOP gov in >40 yrs.
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