UPDATE, Sept. 24, 2008: City officials now say the Bush visit cost Peoria taxpayers alone over $38,000. That's real money!
Peoria councilman Gary Sandberg made the city cough up the real tab, instead of the $13,195 that the city reported in its response to my Freedom of Information Act request, dated August 28, and responded to on Sept. 17. That information is totally bogus.
So much for the integrity of the FOIA.
But good for Sandberg, who forced the city to tell the truth! He got the big ticket items, use of city street vehicles, plus all kinds of overtime costs, adding up to $38,000.
Now there are loud calls for Schock to pay up.
I'm still waiting for the Illinois State police to respond.
-- Elaine Hopkins
PEORIA -- Taxpayers in Peoria County paid over $15,000 to protect President George W. Bush, when he came only to campaign for Congressional candidate Aaron Schock.
Bush's sole purpose for the visit was private, to campaign for Schock. He did not hold any local press conferences or meet with any constituents except those attending Schock's fund raiser. But taxpayers still footed the bills.
Schock's campaign has not been billed for the costs, city and county officials said.
The city and county were asked, under the Freedom of Information Act, to determine how much was spent to provide security for the Bush visit on July 25.
Interim city manager Henry Holling, in a Sept. 17 letter, responded that the city paid $13,195 for police overtime, premium pay and other costs.
City street department vehicles were used to block spectators from seeing Weaver Farms where Bush lunched with Schock supporters, but those costs were not included in Holling's response. Nor were expenses for vehicles or the cost of paying regularly scheduled workers who would otherwise be spending their time on city business.
County sheriff's captain Dave Briggs compiled the cost for providing deputies for the event. He concluded that the county spent about $1,700 in extra pay that day for personnel.
But not included in that cost were the expenses for those already scheduled to work who were also sent to protect Bush, when they otherwise would have spent their time on other police business, he said. That would be an additional $1,702.
Briggs said his officers were deployed at the request of the U.S. Secret Service, and Schock's campaign would not be billed for the expenses.
Briggs was not apologetic. "This is the president of the U.S. I think were can handle $1,700 in overtime," he said.
These costs did not include gasoline and other vehicle expenses, he said.
The Illinois State Police also have been asked to provide their costs for protecting Bush when he was campaigning for Schock, but have not yet responded.
Schock is the Republican candidate for the 18th District Congressional seat. His opponents are Democrat Colleen Callahan and Green Party candidate Sheldon Schafer.
-- Elaine Hopkins
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