Medina to bill former Costco CEO for Obama visit costs

Just to lighten the mood this article gave me a bit of a chuckle.

Medina to bill former Costco CEO for Obama visit costs

MEDINA, Wash. -- The city of Medina says its taxpayers won't be footing the bill for President Obama's visit to former Costco CEO Jim Sinegal's home as part of the president's whirlwind fundraising tour Tuesday afternoon across the Seattle and Eastside areas.

Instead, they're going to send the bill to Sinegal, according to Medina City Manager Mike Sauerwein.

Seems fair enough to me, all these big cheeses want to get together, clog traffic, have their shindig and then stick the locals with most of the costs. Not this time. Go Medina!

Of course someone was going to throw in a political jab.In this case it's the IntelliHub site.

While Wash. state Democrats call Medina’s decision to charge Sinegal politically motivated, the idea is likely to catch on with cities across the country. IntelliHub..

In fairness I could not find anything that support the part about "politically motivated complaints" but I sure hope the idea catches on across the country. Regardless of what party these are affiliated with.

I think it's a fabulous idea as well. I don't want Obama anywhere near my city, I sure as hell don't want to have to pay for his visit more than I already do.

If he wants to visit his chums or they want to visit him, they can pay for it 100% just like the rest of us lower class citizens have to do when the inlaws come in for the hellidays.

Would be Awsome if politicians stoped leeching off tax payers, no need for our taxes to pay for there partys.

Yeah well he's a 'one percenter' he can afford it ! ! !

For the win!

Meanwhile I wonder what caters, and serving staff make on the hour.

originally posted by: dukeofjive696969
Would be Awsome if politicians stoped leeching off tax payers, no need for our taxes to pay for there partys.

Politicians by definition are "leeches" Some are bigger leeches than others of course. When I think of Obama and his wife and her mother, I think of mutant leeches, the kind that are also parasitic leeches that kill the host.

Currently, if left unchecked, the leeches we have for politicians right now would deplete those they leech from just like those creatures in the movie "Lifeforce" that leave a shrivelled, smoking carcass of smoldering flesh in it's place.

a reply to: Kangaruex4Ewe

If he wants to visit his chums or they want to visit him, they can pay for it 100% just like the rest of us lower class citizens have to do

I'd really like to see this catch on as a trend, forever. Nobody should have to suffer the headaches associated with these type "official" visits and then be charged for the privilege.

Not like Obama is going to a summit to discuss Gaza, Ukraine, the southern US border, Iraq, Syria or anything else that may be important. Nope just padding out the old pocket book.

a reply to: Bassago

Beautiful response.

a reply to: Bassago

I live in Corvallis,Or. Current home of Michelle Obama's brother. I wonder if the same thing can be done when she visits.

a reply to: th3dudeabides

I live in Corvallis,Or. Current home of Michelle Obama's brother. I wonder if the same thing can be done when she visits.

Always worth a try. Email the story to the city council with the suggestion what's to lose...

... unless she orders a drone strike on you.

Be careful what you ask for. There are principles at stake here which go far beyond your basic hatred of politicians and "the rich." Your anger is misplaced.

Let's see if they collect. Medina receives property taxes from its residents. In fact, it receives a LOT of property taxes because the residents are well off and the houses are worth millions, so Medina the city is also relatively well off. These taxes are collected for the purpose of serving the residents of Medina with police and fire protection, etc.

In other words, the residents have already paid. I know of no provision in the law that allows a city to collect extra just because a resident has utilized city services they have already paid for. If you call the cops, do you have to pay extra? If you tell the city to fix a pot hole in front of your house, do you need to pay extra? Of course not. That's what you pay property taxes FOR.

Understand that Medina is a VERY SMALL city which surrounds this rich area and siphons off these high property taxes at the expense of the greater surrounding area of Bellevue, which, though not exactly poor, is much less well off than Medina. Think of where you live. What if the residents of the rich part of town decided to "become their own city" and remove themselves from the city in which you live, collect their own high taxes, and to hell with you? That's what medina did a long time ago, before any of the current residents moved there. They've got their own high-paid police chief, their own city manager, their own cadre of highly paid civil service workers with nice pensions, a little mecca of their own making and a complete and unnecessary duplication of services. It's a perfect example of bloated government gone wild.

If I were this CEO, I'd tell all the pencil-necked civil servants who work for Medina to take a hike. Let's see the city spend some taxpayer dollars on lawyers and sue to collect and see what happens.

a reply to: schuyler

Be careful what you ask for. There are principles at stake here which go far beyond your basic hatred of politicians and "the rich." Your anger is misplaced.

This has been a "presidential" problem for a long time. The bigger the entourage they bring with them the worse it becomes. I don't hate the rich though I will admit to having zero use for politicians of all strips. As I mentioned above it's not like Obama is going to summit or something.

If you tell the city to fix a pot hole in front of your house, do you need to pay extra?

Pretty sure if I called them up and they came out to find me with a backhoe digging the pothole they would send me a bill.

originally posted by: Bassago
a reply to: Kangaruex4Ewe

If he wants to visit his chums or they want to visit him, they can pay for it 100% just like the rest of us lower class citizens have to do

I'd really like to see this catch on as a trend, forever. Nobody should have to suffer the headaches associated with these type "official" visits and then be charged for the privilege.

Not like Obama is going to a summit to discuss Gaza, Ukraine, the southern US border, Iraq, Syria or anything else that may be important. Nope just padding out the old pocket book.

Agreed. For EVERYONE who is in government/public service. Not just Obama. If it's not business, the tax payers should not have to pay one red cent. And golf trips, beer summits, etc. should not be considered business either.

One would think that they would have some sort of shame about doing these lavish things while the economy is in the crapper... But here we are. I suppose shame has gone the way of the dodo.

Just empty rhetoric from the "conservatives."

Let me see if I have this straight. It was perfectly fine when President George W. Bush used Air Force One in a completely political manner to raise money for the Republican National Committee. It was perfectly above board for Ronald Reagan to campaign for reelection on the taxpayer dime back in 1984.

(from 2012)

Bush traveled extensively on Air Force One for RNC fundraising, but no one threatened to sue or bill the president over it, it was just paid for by the taxpayers without much complaint. But when Obama follows suit, out come the lawsuits and threats.

Taxpayers pay for Bush's campaign travel (circa 2006)

Presidential sojourns expected to increase as November elections near.

WASHINGTON — Bankrolled almost entirely by taxpayers, President Bush is roaming far and wide on Air Force One to help Republicans retain control of Congress and capture statehouse contests in high-stakes midterm elections.

In 15 months, including back-to-back fundraisers Wednesday in Little Rock, Ark., and Nashville, Tenn., Bush has collected $166 million for the campaign accounts of 27 Republican candidates, the national GOP and its state counterparts across the country, according to the Republican National Committee.

High-dollar Washington galas headlined by the fundraiser-in-chief brought in a big share of the total. The president also has scooped up campaign cash in 36 cities, travels that have taken him as near as McLean, Va., in the Washington suburbs and as far as Medina, Wash., 2,800 miles to the west. On Thursday, Bush adds yet another locale to the list: Salt Lake City.

Not one city back then claimed it would sue the president for the costs associated with providing services (such as police), nor did the DNC ever try to sue or threaten investigations over the practice. The only thing that's changed is now we have a democrat in office.

Too bad the FEC and campaign finance reform is all but dead - you can thank your 1%'ers like the Kochs and the Roberts Supreme Court for that dubious achievement.

a reply to: Blackmarketeer

Just empty rhetoric from the "conservatives."

What is so empty about it ?

The left vilifies rich people.

Yet we have lots of rich left wingers.

Funny they don't practice what they preach.

The icing on the cake ?

The 'common man' president hob knobbing with the 1% !

a reply to: neo96

The icing on the cake ?

The 'common man' president hob knobbing with the 1% !

No doubt. For mister "get that filthy money out of politics" Obama is sure swimming in it with the elites. I'm sure he's hating every minute of it. Ha.

a reply to: schuyler

Agreed...
Politicians from BOTH major parties go around the nation and overseas at the tax payers expense.

What's new?

Haven't they done that since the "revolutionaries" rebelled against taxation and started TAXATION?

Oh yeah...I forgot. They were "represented". By people voted on by land owning white men of age.

Seems fair.

a reply to: Bassago

A left wing liberal is someone that lives in a gated community but says a border fence won't work.

originally posted by: MarlinGrace
a reply to: Bassago

A left wing liberal is someone that lives in a gated community but says a border fence won't work.

Yeah like that guy who works at the White House behind a fence.

originally posted by: neo96

originally posted by: MarlinGrace
a reply to: Bassago

A left wing liberal is someone that lives in a gated community but says a border fence won't work.

Yeah like that guy who works at the White House behind a fence.

Yes and take away guns from citizens while he has armed guards. Why don't we just let Rosie O'donnell decide what we eat as well.

originally posted by: the owlbear
Oh yeah...I forgot. They were "represented". By people voted on by land owning white men of age.
Seems fair.

To be fair at the time nearly all property was owned by rich white men. It stands to reason that those individuals with the most skin in the game should have the loudest voice.

Noncontributors are overrepresented as it is. No need to give them a bigger megaphone.