WP: U.S. Tells D.C. to Pay Security Expenses (Inauguration)

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A63896-2005Jan10?language=printer

D.C. officials said yesterday that the Bush administration is refusing to reimburse the District for most of the costs associated with next week's inauguration, breaking with precedent and forcing the city to divert $11.9 million from homeland security projects.

Federal officials have told the District that it should cover the expenses by using some of the $240 million in federal homeland security grants it has received in the past three years -- money awarded to the city because it is among the places at highest risk of a terrorist attack.

But that grant money is earmarked for other security needs, Mayor Anthony A. Williams (D) said in a Dec. 27 letter to Office of Management and Budget Director Joshua B. Bolten and Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge. Williams's office released the letter yesterday.

Williams estimated that the city's costs for the inauguration will total $17.3 million, most of it related to security. City officials said they can use an unspent $5.4 million from an annual federal fund that reimburses the District for costs incurred because of its status as the capital. But that leaves $11.9 million not covered, they said.

[Inland]

1. DC should refuse, tell Bush to move Inaugural to Baltimore.

[gardenista]

3. No, send him to a red state! nt

[TahitiNut]

5. I hear Crawford, Texas, would be a good place.

:evilgrin:

[Kurovski]

11. 'Ya beat me to it.

Just make it another day off at the ranch.

[Inland]

37. Once again, blue states pay for the red states vices

this one, the desire for Bush's glorification.

Why not just build him a huge church or pyramid or something and sacrifice a hundred virgins and get it over with.

[drscm]

53. We've already sacrificed over 1,300 soldiers and 100,000 Iraqui

civilians to feed this little god's blood lust.

[merh]

33. Move it to Crawford.

:mad:

[Inland]

36. Would allow vacation to start same day, wouldn't it?

[merh]

38. His vacation started 4 years ago - it would just make it easier

to have freshly prepared BBQ armadillo at the buffet.

[question everything]

50. Unfortunately, they have already paid, according to the story

and need reimbursement.

City leaders can still approach the CEOs of the companies that donate these $40 million. Perhaps even send someone to their shareholders meetings - most have them in the spring, I think.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. Well, isn't that special?

Take away the homeland security money for the capitol of the freaking United States so the Bush Reich can have their freaking party.

[RPM]

27. fucking looters

:puke:

[KittyWampus]

4. DC Police Should Strike.

[JaneDoughnut]

40. Now there's an idea

City staff on beat in the immediate area could strike, and they could probably get the support of those living in DC as well. Isn't the city more than 90% Democrat?

[UpInArms]

6. protecting the filthy rich

is more important than protecting the city because of the filthy rich

don't you just love the irony -

the costs for security have exploded because of this squatter and his entourage and now he demands that they cover more costs because of him and his mal-administration.

:puke:

[Just Me]

39. Often, poor protesters are forced to pay for their own security.

Yet, this rich mo-fo and his wealthy contributors can demand that a city use its HOMELAND security funds,...

:eyes:

[EFerrari]

7. online feedback form for the Mayor of DC. Let's email in

support of DC and urge them to hold out against the BushMafia:

http://www.dc.gov/atd/atd_askthemayor.asp

[Wilms]

22. emailed him

I think DC gave Kerry the biggest margin ever given.

So this must be Rove's Revenge.

I say we let the DC cops arrest *Co when that day arrives.

[Skittles]

8. so don't supply any security

nt

[bling bling]

20. Right on. n/t

[KansDem]

46. Better yet, hire those airport screeners...

Airport screeners missed weapons
By Mimi Hall, USA TODAY
http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/2004-09-22-weapons_x.htm

Airport screeners lose fake bomb during training
Wednesday, December 15, 2004
http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/12/15/fake.bomb.lost.ap/

Bush Administration Strips Airport Screeners of Collective Bargaining Rights
http://www.aflcio.org/aboutunions/ns01102003.cfm

Airport Screeners' New Guard
Private Security Firms Want to Replace Government in 2005
By Sara Kehaulani Goo
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, July 6, 2004
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A29585-2004Jul5.html

After all, why should he have better security than the rest of us? It's not like we f*cked up this country and the world, creating untold enemies! Could probably hire them at minimum wage and save money!

[pansypoo53219]

9. may be they shouldn't

try so hard then.

[bluestateguy]

10. This is just punishment for how they vote

If you take a look at Dave Liep's elections website you'll see that John Kerry won the highest ever percentage of the vote and raw vote total in Washington D.C. Higher than Clinton's or Johnson's.

http://uselectionatlas.org/USPRESIDENT/

If the Capital city was a swing district, or a Republican stronghold, I think the outcome would be different here.

[fortyfeetunder]

12. Send Randy Moss to the White House

And moon them for this egregious act.

[Gman]

13. Let Moss perform a "disgusting act"

for a disgusting coronation.

[kysrsoze]

17. Did anybody think Moss did a "disgusting act?"

He didn't even pull down his pants. He should "sun" the Whitehouse.

[Gman]

25. The announcer was initially mistaken

Moss clearly on TV only made the motion. I don't think the announcer was watching his monitor; maybe watching the field from the booth and only saw the motion of Moss dropping his drawers and maybe he's nearsighted or something.

[HuckleB]

14. Hmm.

On the one hand, it's clear that DC should not have to pay for this. On the other hand, the city is fine paying more than $600 million to pay for a stadium for Major League Baseball.

I guess it's hard to have sympathy for any of the parties involved, except for the citizens who are getting screwed coming and going, of course.

[primavera]

48. Actually, we're not fine with that

The city is filled with placards in people's lawns reading "No Tax Dollars for Baseball!" But Mayor Williams is a baseball fan and a business fan and he's convinced this is going to produce some great financial dividends over the long haul, so he's bulldozing it through despite the protests of the District residents who have to foot the bill for it. He must have taken lessons from the Repukes or something... :grr:

[NVMojo]

15. they did this same thing throughout America when they landed in

military planes on the campaign trail in towns who were told to pick up the tab for security, etc....in one airport, the plane cracked the runway that Bush or Cheney was on ...They really do think they are royalty and we are the pleebs.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

16. Don't do it, Mayor Williams!

Let him go to hell to have his overpriced tasteless orgy!

[Pachamama]

18. The DC police and other services should go on strike - just not show up

Hey, if there is no money to pay for things...

Then again, as a tax payer, I'm pissed to think that this kind of money is being spent on the boy king's party, especially in a time of war and with so many suffering in the world (US too!)

[sjgman9]

19. hmmmm.....

Bush screws DC because they're all democrats. they've(dc) got no representation and no leverage.

hey bush, if you didnt spend like a drunken mainiac on neocon wars and shitty missle systems, and tax cuts for the rich, you could at least afford to pay the district for security at your own inauguration.


ass

[rodeodance]

21. it is a dirty shame, that is for sure!! (and they will get away it it)

[Catchawave]

23. This reminds me....

...we haven't had a terror alert since the election, have we?

[LizW]

24. What's wrong with the regular amount of security

that the people of D.C. and visitors get every day? It was fine when I was there. I felt completely safe. Bush has the whole Secret Service to keep him safe. Why does he need another 17 million worth of protection?

Oh, wait. He must be protected from the protestors. Never mind.

[Ilsa]

26. How about cutting back on security?

Since the money isn't there for Medicaid and CHIPs, they cut back those programs. If the money isn't there for security, give them a taste of their own financial solution for shortages.

[JerseygirlCT]

28. What happens if they say

"sorry, we don't have the people to do that, and you'll need to arrange for your own security"?

[adigal]

29. Cuts in housing for the poor

but a $40 million inauguration, plus 17 million for security. And people don't see this??? I just think they are not paying attention. I hope.

[Guns Aximbo]

30. If the Mayor of Simpleton had any nuts...

...he'd just pull out half or all of the security and see how fast they get the money from Bushler.

[manly]

31. manly

This is despicable. The Regurgicans are acting like the Emperor and his Court. Who the fuck does he think he is? Not only does the Emp have no clothes, he has no brains. Jesus, I hate his guts! Everything he does makes me furious, he is so bad, and he is undoing progress with every decision he makes. It is maddening to watch so helplessly. Where is Lee Harvey Oswald now that we need him?

[WildClarySage]

42. Easy there, now

don't overdo it or people will get suspicious of ya.

[bunkerbuster1]

49. We do NOT want him martyred!

jesus on a party boat, you want Pres. Cheney AND half of the country weeping about what a holy man we just lost?

[manly]

59. erasing bush

Sorry, sorry. Lost my head there for a moment. Of course you're right.

[Supersedeas]

32. taxpayers foot the bill for a party attended by the rich--oligarchy to go

[Sleepless In NY]

34. Story on Yahoo Rate it a 5

U.S. Tells D.C. to Pay Inaugural Expenses

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1802&ncid=716&e=16&u=/washpost/20050111/ts_washpost/a63896_2005jan10

[NYC]

56. Rating is now 2.96.

Its current average rating is 2.96 with 820 votes.

Not a very good rating.

[FreeStateDemocrat]

35. Another 66 million dollars charged to taxpayers for Inauguration

Federal employees who work in the District, Montgomery, Prince George's, Fairfax and Arlington counties, Alexandria and Falls Church are entitled to a holiday on Inauguration Day, Jan. 20, the Office of Personnel Management has announced. As of June, the cost of giving federal workers in the capital area a day off was about $66 million.

This is no longer an inauguration but is more of a coronation that this country should not be expected to pay for because roughly 20% of our population is really dumb or greedy or racists or uninformed.

[demnan]

41. The most interesting thing about this

was Tom Davis' (R) remark about this, He called the Bush administration's position "simply not acceptable." . . . The fact that this is happening while Davis is chairman of the House Government Reform Committee shows that Davis is not the big shit he thinks he is in the Republican party.

As for the Bush administration, these are the crass assholes who didn't even invite the Arlington County Fire Department to the 9/11 memorial services in D.C. so you can see if you are a Democrat they have no regard for you.

[gkhouston]

45. yep, and these were the same bright boys

who closed the Federal buildings on 9/11, creating the mother and father of all traffic jams that the rescue teams somehow had to bypass. I was working in Ballston and heard the sirens of firetrucks, NONSTOP, for three solid hours that day. At the time, I thought every fire truck in Maryland had come over the Chain Bridge but apparently it was just the Arlington County guys trying to do their job. And we see the thanks they got for it at the memorial...

I hope DC tells ** to go protect himself...

G.

[Lilith Velkor]

43. Why am I not surprised?

<----

[CornField]

44. IMO, the coronation is a terrorist attack nt

[livinginphotographs]

47. I'll make a prediciton...

Since this is completely indefensible, I'm willing to bet the press will be so bad for Gee Dub that (once again) he'll be dragged kicking and fucking screaming into doing the right thing and DC won't end up having to pay.

Of course, since we seem to have entered Bizzaro World back in 2000, and haven't left since, I could be wrong.

[True_Blue]

51. Nothing is too good for King George

I wonder how much armour that money could buy for the troops?

[KTM]

52. Insane

Why do we need this ?!? Why not have a small swearing in ceremony, inside a protected building, broadcast live ? How cheap would that be to secure ?!? This is SICK.

I'll add another prediction to the mix - the next Osama tape broadcast will make mention of this, of a $50M American coronation while Fallujah lies in ruins, and will use it as further justification of continued attacks.

Every day, these whack jobs do more and more to make us hated.

[w4rma]

54. Shrub should pay for it out of the $40 million he got to throw this party.

If I were running DC, I'd stonewall Bush's bullcrap.

[diamond14]

55. bush* is a FOOL !...he should NEVER piss off his security detail, NEVER

he's expecting these people to PROTECT him and his minions, yet just days before the coronation, he comes out and states that he WON'T PAY THEM.....does that make any sense at all????


bush* should read some history once in a while....most world leaders are very good to their security details, VERY GOOD...and ALWAYS make certain that security gets PAID, and PAID well....

[NYC]

57. "This is the first time there hasn't been a direct appropriation for..."

"We want to make this the best possible event, but not at the expense of D.C. taxpayers and other homeland security priorities," said Gregory M. McCarthy, the mayor's deputy chief of staff. "This is the first time there hasn't been a direct appropriation for the inauguration."

[crispini]

58. To echo many posters on this thread,

I wish that DC would tell that MF'er to take his inaugural and shove it.

NO PAY, NO PLAY!