Pay Up: Tab for Nixed Quran Burning is $200K

[sabra]

Source: CBS News/AP

Anti-Muslim Event Was Canceled, but Gainesville Officials Say Pastor Terry Jones Must Still Cover Security Costs

(CBS/AP) Authorities say security for last weekend's canceled Quran (Koran) burning at a central Florida church cost around $200,000. City officials say they expect the church to pay.

Police Maj. Rick Hanna said more than 200 officers were on duty last weekend patrolling the church, the University of Florida football game and "soft targets" like the mall. Another 160 sheriff's deputies were also working because of the planned protest at Dove World Outreach Center.

Gainesville City Manager Russ Blackburn said he doesn't know if the city has legal authority to compel the church to pay.

Terry Jones, the anti-Muslim pastor who entered the national spotlight as he touted the event last month, abruptly cancelled it just days before the Sept. 11 anniversary when it was scheduled to take place.

Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/09/22/world/main6890157.shtml?tag=stack

[MousePlayingDaffodil]

1. The constitutionality of this action is . . .

. . . to say the least, questionable. See, e.g., Forsyth County, Georgia v. Nationalist Movement, 505 U.S. 123, 134-35 (1992):

"Listeners' reaction to speech is not a content-neutral basis for regulation. See id., at 321 (opinion of O'Connor, J.); id., at 334 (opinion of Brennan, J.); Hustler Magazine, Inc. v. Falwell, 485 U. S. 46, 55-56 (1988); Murdock v. Pennsylvania, 319 U. S. 105, 116 (1943); cf. Schneider v. State (Town of Irvington), 308 U. S. 147, 162 (1939) (fact that city is financially burdened when listeners throw leaflets on the street does not justify restriction on distribution of leaflets). Speech cannot be financially burdened, any more than it can be punished or banned, simply because it might offend a hostile mob. See Gooding v. Wilson, 405 U. S. 518 (1972); Terminiello v. Chicago, 337 U. S. 1 (1949)."

[COLGATE4]

9. There is no restriction on speech here. Merely passing

on the costs of providing security for an event they wanted to have.

[MousePlayingDaffodil]

12. I suggest you read the Supreme Court decision in question . . . .

. . . for it should illustrate for you that the distinction you perceive is illusory.

[Qutzupalotl]

14. Please quote the relevant passage that supports your argument.

Thanks.

[MousePlayingDaffodil]

19. I thought I had . . .

. . . but if you punch "505 U.S. 123" into Google Scholar, you can pull up the decision yourself and read it in its entirety. The majority opinion isn't all that long.

[NoNothing]

2. Under what possible legal theory could the compel payment?

That sounds like a lot of crap to me.

[flyingfysh]

3. even stupid speech is protected by the First Amendment

The city has no basis for this.

[VermeerLives]

5. Agree

It sounds to me like a strategy to appease "inflamed" Muslims. After all, if someone threatens to burn a Bible, you don't see Christians around the world threatening violence. Neither do you see threats of violence when someone burns the U.S. flag. So if in fact that is the case, then it is nothing more than bowing to Sharia law. Beware and wise up.

[AlbertCat]

6. you don't see Christians around the world threatening violence.

Prove it.

[Soylent Brice]

8. lol

:popcorn:

yer funny.

[Iggo]

11. Thank you.

:rofl:

[COLGATE4]

10. Again, this has nothing to do with speech.

[Xithras]

17. Again, you're wrong, and the Supreme Court has already ruled you wrong.

The state cannot impose mandatory costs associated with the use of your constitutional rights. If that were permissible, we'd rapidly end up in a situation where people were only free to exercise the rights they could afford, and only the wealthy would have the right to use them all.

Imagine that you and 20 friends staged an anti-war protest by waving signs and banners on a street corner in your hometown. The chief, who doesn't agree with you, "fears violence" from his peers, and dispatches 20 police officers to provide security. You didn't ask for it and you don't want them there, but they're present anyway. After the protest, you and your protest buddies receive a massive overtime bill for those 20 officers (in excess of $10,000) and the costs associated with putting them there.

Would you be willing to stage another protest the following weekend and risk another bill? Probably not. Your right to protest has now been infringed by the cities decision to bill you for the associated costs.

And to better paraphrase the Gainesville situation, imagine that you post up on your FaceBook page, "Hey, the mayor is a crook! We should all go protest next weekend!". Nobody is interested, but the local PD steps up patrols anyway just to be "safe". Afterward, you are sent a bill...for merely proposing the idea.

The potential for abuse is massive, which is why the USSC has already ruled these kinds of billings to be illegal.

[NoNothing]

20. And poll taxes have nothing to do with voting.

Right?

[CanonRay]

4. You're probably right

but it looks good to the voters there.

[Bragi]

7. Maybe they should bill Molly Norris for the FBI's advice

Seattle cartoonist Molly Norris is now in hiding because she too lawfully exercised her right to free speech, for which she has received death threats.

She has been given no government financial support or protection to keep her safe from the terrorists, but did go into hiding based on the advice of the FBI.

Maybe she should be sent a bill for the FBI's advisory services.

Maybe anyone who engages in free speech that riles someone should be charged the expense of being protected.

It's not like we would have any luck sending the bill to the terrorists, so let's go after their victims instead.

[sammyscout]

13. That death threat issue

Not taking sides here, I discriminate against everone equally but...

It was like the death threat issue for South Park (TV Show) that later turned out to be an ex-jewish guy who had converted to Islam a few months earler, ran a website and sent out those death threats.

We are way past that. Did the CIA not admit to releasing fake Osa ma videos. So what's a few fake death threats here or there to spice up the news story.

Anything to get some attention is fair game..

http://willyloman.wordpress.com/2010/04/23/the-radical-muslim-group-the-threatened-south-park-creators-was-run-by-joseph-cohen-a-former-israeli-radical-who-used-to-live-in-a-settlement-in-the-west-bank/

[NightWatcher]

15. if you're going to put on a circus, you've got to pay to clean up the elephant poop

[Donald Ian Rankin]

18. But if your opponents threaten you with a circus, you shouldn't have to. N.T.

[uncommon]

16. Free speech is irrelevant here - they planned an event which could presumably draw a very large

crowd. Why should the gov't foot the bill for security required for something like this?

[PBS Poll-435]

21. I think the relevant question here is whether he asked for said security

If he didn't, then they should send the bill to the media.

[uncommon]

22. Good point.

I would have to agree with that.