March will cost a minimum of $50K (UPDATE from earlier today)

[William769]

FORT MYERS: Leaders with the city of Fort Myers and Lee County are trying to determine how much "The Great March" cost taxpayers. The city of Fort Myers attorney sent a letter to organizers on Friday stating they would be responsible for all costs involved in the event. The organizers say they shouldn't have to pay because they have a right to protest. For just the city of Fort Myers' overtime costs, the bill is $50,630.

On Friday, the Fort Myers city attorney sent a letter to Luis Ibarra, Director of the United Latin Immigrants of Florida as well as the Mexican Consulate in Miami.

The letter stated, "The city is unaware if you have taken any steps to provide for the event and therefore will incur significant taxpayer dollars to provide what the organizers of the event are supposed to provide. As a result, the city will be seeking reimbursement for these services and will hold your organization responsible to the greatest extent of the law."

Ibarra says he never received the letter and it's the first he's heard about the possibility of receiving a bill for the march.

"We are a non profit organization and we shouldn't have to pay anything to anyone. This is freedom of speech and we have the right to protest and march as immigrants. Who says we have to pay? That's ridiculous," said Ibarra.

http://www.nbc-2.com/articles/readarticle.asp?articleid=6625&z=3&p=

Link from earlier story.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=904064&mesg_id=904064

[Dogmudgeon]

1. Freedom of Assembly now has a price tag on it

This is still America, right?

Just checking.

I've been having to do it a lot more often lately.

--p!

[jilln]

2. cities have been trying this for a while

and pretty much not getting away with it.

[MercutioATC]

3. I think these marches supporting illegal immigrants are ridiculous...

...but Ibarra is right. U.S. citizens have the right to protest...WITHOUT being charged for it.

[sinkingfeeling]

4. Did the organizers ask for the city's services? If not, then I don't see

where they owe anything. If the city government decided they needed to increase the presence of police or block off streets or whatever, then the government should pay.

[400Years]

6. exactly

[elehhhhna]

5. Still cheaper than a visit from Bush

[Sydnie]

7. I will admit that I don't know the specifics of this march but

If they asked for and received a permit for this march, they may well be liable for the bill. I say that from personal experience. I asked for and received a permit to hold a "march" through my town about 10 years ago. As a condition of receiving the permit, we were required to "hire a detail" of police to block the streets and "maintain traffic control" during the march. We were a small group too and we raised the money for the required detail.

Don't know if this group wasn't told that they could be liable or not but I think the permit process is the place to look for the answer.

edit typo

[formercia]

8. It's nothing compared to how much the protesters lost

in pay and benefits for taking off work to attend.