‘YOU HAVE TO PAY FOR THAT’: CALIFORNIA CITY BILLS OBAMA $35K AFTER CAMPAIGN FUNDRAISER

With California’s current deficit woes, it has seemingly become difficult to justify the tens of thousands of dollars it can cost the taxpayer in extra security measures for Obama’s campaign stops.

That is why, according to the Los Angeles Times, Newport Beach has billed the president $35,043.04.

The L.A. Times continues:

City Manager Dave Kiff said the invoice was his idea.
“I think it is appropriate to treat it like a private event — if another private event that large and which required that much police presence occurred, we would bill the event sponsor,” he said in an email. “If the president was here on presidential business, we likely would not have billed for that.”
[...]
The expenses include costs for a police lieutenant, sergeant, two officers, a reserve officer, a senior dispatch officer, a community service officer plus overtime.
CBS analyzed the bill, and interviewed locals on the matter: