The Craig Daily Press reports from the glitter-strewn aftermath of Mitt Romney’s whistlestop:
Although estimates from Moffat County will not be available until the end of next week, Vanatta said the total cost to the city and its taxpayers [of Romney's visit] worked out to be $25,649.Routt County reported expenses of $1,680 not including the sheriff and undersheriff’s time, Vanatta said.
“I never would have anticipated in my wildest dreams that I would be interacting with the U.S. Secret Service as a government functionary in Craig, Colo.,” Carwile said. “For an event of this magnitude, of this significance for the community historically, it was well worth it.”
…Considering Craig’s population is 9,464, according to the 2010 Census, hosting the event cost city taxpayers $2.71 each, [Craig road and bridge director Randy] Call said.
“I have to look at it this way – I don’t care if it had been (President Barack) Obama or anybody else,” Call said. “It’s history for Craig because we’ve never had anyone of that caliber here, so why worry about it? It all averages out.”
It’s the right attitude to have about these things, of course, and we’d agree that the exposure Craig got from Romney’s visit–particularly of its strong local economy–was well worth the expense. Even if Romney’s actual campaign might not think so in hindsight.
But in every presidential election cycle, politically stilted complaints about costs to local taxpayers for the preparations, extra staffing, and other accommodation of a candidate’s visit flow freely, perhaps even more in the case of an incumbent president running for re-election.
So remember, folks, according to this conservative Republican coal town, paying for extra cops and Port-a-Potties, and we assume waiting for motorcades, is your patriotic duty.
what exactly will become of Craig’s exposure? More people might move to Craig hearing about mining jobs but will any other industry move? It’s the state asking Craig coalers to get more environmental and stop polluting up all our beauty so doubtful any company without already existing state business is gonna plant a flag to learn the ropes. Coal, overall, is seeing a downturn due to decrease in natural gas prices. Plants closing in KY & WV, MT and Idaho looking for westward rails so they can ship to Asia but economy not helping them. So Craig coal is fighting a helluva lot more than any state regs when it comes to selling their product.
Will this visit give Craig any chance to diversify the economy into tourism or STEM jobs? I look at a job board today and I’m seeing job postings for Kum & Go, Loaf & Jug, and the Family Dollar Store which doesn’t really build a middle class community.
I truly wish them the best of luck in anything they can pull outta Mitt’s dog whistle, factless stop-by but just not sure what opportunities could be maximized by this bit of history.
because:
A) The Craig Daily press estimated it was 2000 people who attended the event, and
B) these people passed through secret service checkpoints
which automatically means, by logical extension and a little ArapaGOP majical unicorn logic:
that the secret service counted and reported that 2000 people attended the event !
Really !
that there would be no end to the pissing and moaning about how much the event cost locals.
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics…
They didn’t say a word when Bush flew to Iraq for his plastic turkey stunt.
Hypocrites.
Do you have a link for your supposed plastic turkey? Sounds like BS to me.
… that the turkey Bush was pictured holding in Baghdad was “for decoration, not for eating” – in the words of CBS, the Washington Post, and others. The turkey eaten by the troops was mass prepared, pre-sliced stuff.
That report has been misconstrued as meaning a plastic model turkey a la a Hollywood or butcher’s prop; what it apparently was, however, was a real turkey prepared by a contractor as a display piece (not meant to be eaten – edible turkeys don’t hold up too well as display pieces apparently…).
is often inedible
Thanks for the clarification Phoenix.
You never bother.
to Iraq or landed on an aircraft carrier costing millions of taxpayer dollars as a political photo op.
Good for you. A little honesty in your writing would be refreshing.