White House request to remove tress costs Springfield, IL $17,000.00. . .

[wndycty]

. . .however it was not done for security purposes as thought.

Security no issue in trees' removal
White House worker was after better photos of museum

By CHRIS WETTERICH
STAFF WRITER

The Secret Service never asked the city to remove trees, light poles and traffic signals in preparation for President Bush's visit last month.

The request came from a White House advance man not affiliated with the Secret Service, Kent Gray of Springfield, and was made for aesthetic, not security reasons.

The city, under the impression that the changes were a Secret Service requirement, spent $17,000 to take down the poles and uproot the trees, many of which had been installed only days earlier for the dedication of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum on April 19.
-snip-

"I was sitting at my desk when Erik Nelson called me and said, 'Tim, you're never going to believe what the Secret Service is wanting us to do.' I said, 'Look, Erik, if we gotta do it, we gotta do it,'" (Mayor) Davlin said Thursday.

Nelson and Davlin believed Gray was ordering the removals on behalf of the Secret Service, Davlin said.

At the time, city spokesman Ernie Slottag told reporters that the streetlights, traffic signals and trees near Union Square Park, site of the dedication ceremony, could obstruct the view of government snipers protecting the president.

"I'm disappointed. I'm ticked," Davlin said Thursday. "I wish I had my money back."
-snip-

http://www.sj-r.com/Sections/News/Stories/54908.asp

[peacetalksforall]

1. This destructive admin keeps on destructing. Not nice, Geroge. n/t

[pinto]

2. this is one of those telling incidents....the Photo Op President. (ugh).

[mopinko]

3. drunk with power

these f*ers are just plain drunk with power. can you just imagine how much money these people have pissed away. mayor davlin should sue for these costs. anyone got a pitchfork? my head is going to explode.

[wndycty]

6. How do you think Kent Gray portrayed his request to Springfield. . .

. . .I bet he definately implied it was a security issue at the time.

[wakeme2008]

4. Cities have to learn the hard way

When Bush comes to town.. Get out their Credit Cards because they will be spenting a lot for his photo ops.

[bigendian]

5. Bill them.

When * cancelled his visit to the Smokies the state of Tennessee said they were going to bill the WH for the overtime, etc. It came to about $50K!

[flordehinojos]

7. THE CONSPIRACY OF THETREE S REMOVAL:is the flat cojonessless man a/k/a W

beginning to hide his flat scared to the death cojones?

Just like they need to prove that my GORE AND KERRY VOTES COUNTED. They also need to prove that this advance white house man who now claims he wanted better pictures, was not in fact asking for the trees
removal etc PRECISELY FOR SECURITY REASONS TO PROTECT THE FLAT COJONESSLESS MAN IN THE WHITE HOUSE.

[mopinko]

11. you could be right

these guys lie so much, that there is just no telling who said what and why. in the heart of blue, to get away with this crap- :wtf:
they are the party of personal responsibility, tho. don't forget that. :sarcasm:

[rocktivity]

8. Another city stuck with another of Bush's bills!

The Secret Service had nothing to do with it, and everything was removed to make the libary look better? Like hell!

:headbang:
rocknation

[Inland]

9. "We think the museum would look better OVER THERE."

Is that next! Who ARE these people to issue orders, and how dumb are we to assume that there is a valid reason for anything they do?

[carnie_sf]

10. Those darn

terrorist-supporting trees..

[Stinky The Clown]

12. Eh ... Fuck 'em ... Illinois is a blue state .......

[wndycty]

13. Kick

:kick: