CITY REFUSES TO PAY FOR OBAMA FUNDRAISING VISIT

The city of Medina, Wash. says it won’t be paying for President Obama’s Tuesday evening fundraising visit.

According to Medina City Manager Mike Sauerwein, prior presidential visits have cost local residents as much as $35,000 due to security related issues, but not anymore.

“We love welcoming people to what we think is one of the most attractive communities in Puget Sound,” Sauerwein told Komo 4 News. “We just don’t feel that we should be passing the costs of the events to our citizens.”

Sauerwein says the bill will instead be sent to former Costco CEO Jim Sinegal, the host of the President’s $25,000 per plate Democratic fundraiser.

“We are going to be billing the host of the event for that cost,” Sauerwein said.

The decision to bill Sinegal was made by City Council members last Monday after police overtime costs were taken into account.

“Other police departments have absorbed the costs of these visits,” Sauerwein said. “But we don’t think that’s right.”

The city, which brought in officers from the King County Sheriff’s Office as well as the State Patrol, says it is still calculating how much was spent on the visit.

Sinegal, who has long praised the President for his immigration and economic policies, has yet to comment on the city’s decision.

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.

As the President continues his West Coast fundraising tour, an increasing number of media outlets are beginning to question why the administration has refused to focus on the unprecedented issues at home and abroad.

A recent New York Times piece blasted President Obama for his absurd response to several recent geopolitical events.