Obama Campaign Snubbed Bristol, Va., Leaders For Visit Prep
By Earl Neikirk/Bristol Herald Courier
Lights are installed on a platform with will be lifted to the ceiling of the gym at Virginia High School for the Obama townhall meeting on Thursday.
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Published: June 5, 2008
Updated: June 5, 2008
BRISTOL, Va. – Long before Barack Obama arrives in Bristol today, his advance team stepped on the toes of some city officials.The city, which is hosting the town hall meeting inside Virginia High School and providing police, fire and emergency medical personnel to staff it, has largely been left out of the loop on planning the hastily arranged event, City Manager Bill Dennison said
“There are any number of things we could have done to assist with this,” Dennison said. “But they [campaign advance team] did not see fit to request our assistance or inform anyone – other than [VHS principal] Ina Danko. Most of what I know about this, I learned from the news media.”
Dennison said he began hearing rumors about the visit Tuesday morning, but was never contacted by anyone from the campaign.
Members of the Obama advance team working inside the high school gym Wednesday said they couldn’t comment on the record about anything.
The city would have rearranged its bus schedules to help the elderly and handicapped have better access to the event or offered other assistance, Dennison said.
In a Wednesday afternoon phone interview, Dennison said he hadn’t been notified that Long Crescent – the street in front of the gym entrance – would be closed during the event.
The city manager said he has complained to the Secret Service, who contacted police Chief Bill Price to have the department assist with security.
“We would have done it. But to have a third party calling to use our officers on overtime was a mistake,” Dennison said. “I told the Secret Service that the chain of command starts at the top.
“The event puts the spotlight on the city and gives people a chance to meet one of the candidates, which are good things. But it certainly could have been handled better from the standpoint of local participation,” the city manager said.
All 2,000 tickets for the event were given away by about 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, prompting a flood of phone calls to the high school.
“A lot of people were calling and asking for tickets,” Danko said. “Whole groups of people came this morning [Wednesday] trying to get tickets, but I understand they were all gone early.”
Distributing tickets was only the tip of the iceberg as about 20 electricians and workers spent hours preparing the “Bearcat Den” for today’s event, under the watchful eyes of the campaign advance team and Secret Service agents.
Outside the building, parking is expected to be at a premium, police Capt. Maynard Ratcliff said.
“People should plan to get here early in order to get a close parking place,” Ratcliff said. “There are plenty of lots around the school, but if you don’t get here early you might wind up walking quite a ways.”
Anyone not attending today’s event is asked to avoid the area around the high school.
One lane of Long Crescent will be closed starting about 7 a.m. and both lanes will be closed during the event, Ratcliff said. Parking won’t be allowed along the south side of the street and people parking along other streets should avoid fire hydrants, driveways and not park on street corners. Violators will be ticketed or towed.
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Reader Reactions
The Idea that the musslim teachings involve hate is just insane. I am a full blooded educated presbyterian that has been exposed to many different faiths. The only one that I have found to be extremest beoynd any other are the religions I find in the Southern USA. If you are going to bash other ideas, religion or beliefs please back them up with some facts. We as a nation have wasted too much time fighting philosophicaly than with the real issues facing real people every day. America was founded because a group of people did not want to be forcefed religious beliefs, but wanted everyone to be able to freely express there own thoughts and religous beliefs. It seems like this dream may be dying….
Well Oxy is easy stop prescreibing it.
Doctors can give people 600 mg Ibprofen it works just as good only you have to cut them in half.
I have been handed scripts for Oxy several times and the Doctors and Dentist wanted to argue with me that I would need it.
I refused even went and bought my own IB. If you have some surgery like pulling teeth take 2 -600 mg and then every 2 hours take 1 more. To keep the pain at bay.
No Need for OXY period!
Well the shorter lifespan is a problem all over the USA. Except for the wealthy who have preventive health care. The USA has a high infant death rate than many 3 rd world countries too. Soon the homeless problem is going to really be hitting the USA. To many without homes, jobs, or a way to get a job. No mass transit except in cities. No high speed rail because the Airlines need to protect their income.
I am installing a windmill generator to run the heat and maybe Air conditioner. I know we can’t afford the heating oil that is $3.59 a gallon. So my 78 year old mom will be really hurting since she can’t get warm in the winter. Been cutting wood like a mad man to prepare for winter.
But I agree Mc CARZY is not ther answer.
I would like to know how BOTH are going to solve the problem that women in the Southwest Virginian region are now living shorter lifespans then they did five years ago, how they expect any of us to continue to drive if gas continues to increase a dollar every 7 months, and how they are going to curb Oxycontin and other addictive prescription pills from disproportionally effecting our community, and how are they going to help our infrastructure. Yes I am black—but I am going to vote on issues that affect me. If McCain doesn’t want to change whats going on I am not voting for him and if Obama is only talking about change without specifics then I am not voting for him.
Setting aside the Democrate/ Republican rhetoric I’d love to see our city officials as enthusiastic about taking care of our general population in Bristol, VA as they are wanting rub noses politically. We have needs in Bristol, VA that aren’t being met. Check out the street falling apart on Sycamore Street I did major damage to my car hitting pot holes there, traffic issues on Lee Hwy around exit 7 that are ridiculous, handicap accessibility downtown, employment for our citizens besides retail and fast food (no one can feed a family on that much less pay taxes), we could use some improvement in our school system for our kids and well as adults and the list can go on.
Spend your efforts on things that will enhance living for the population of Bristol, VA and maybe that will impress as well as just rubbing noses politically with those you wish to impress. Bristol is a"good place to live”, but there is room for definate improvement.
My husbands family is in education and there is not a liberal among them…Citizen X that was an incorrect generalization for sure.
I think that the city of Bristol should be proud to host a presidential candidate instead of just Nascar twice a year. The city manager is just whining for press coverage.
So the secret service is compeltly out of the loop? Yeah right.
The principle does make the decision in most areas of how any group can use a school. If we have different rules then PUBLISH THEM!
So all the teachers are horrible liberials to you Citizen X?
Well I am sure they will be glad to know they have your support when they are working 12 and 14 hour days 6 days a week after school returns. Many cah think of that of that 1 - 30 min break they get all day! Even common Laborer get a 15 min break every 2 hours.
Sure they will be glad your in thier corner.
Got here late on this topic….yet it seems so far that everyone missed a great opportunity here, so I take it. CONGRATULATIONS TO DAVID McGEE for getting to the real story behind Obama’s visit and reporting what most media outlets will not. Obama went past the city and straight to the school principal to get approval for this event. Knowing that nearly every teacher is a bleeding heart liberal, they knew that that course of action would be the most favorable for their cause. With such short notice, I seriously doubt that the School Board had a chance to discuss the use of the facilities. Wonder if there was any compensation for the use of the facilities? Find out for us Dave. You had a principal and a Superintendent that are both retiring at the end of this month making the decision about this. That’s just WRONG. Was this truly an unbiased opportunity for education? NO. Thus, this event should have been held somewhere else. I would say the same if it were McCain. Vote “None of the Above” in November.
If Middle names scare you then Please don’t travel. 1/3 of the worlds population will have a muslium middle name.
Wow.
First of all, since when are the Obamas racist? I must have missed that headline.
Second I am a reasonable thinking person (I was born unto this earth just like every other person and my race does not matter) and I can guarantee I will not be voting for McCain. He is just another puppet being controlled by the Republican machine and that machine is what is driving this country into a deep, dark hole.
Third, there is violence in men and it is completely ignorant to assign that violence to a specific religion. The most important figures in the Islamic religion have condemned violence in the name of Allah. I’m with D Local….have you read the Q’uoran?
The job of the Secret Service is to protect the candidate. One would think that your city would be thrilled to have a presidential candidate bring his campaign to Virginia High School. How exciting for Bristol youth to be part of the national political process. The comments posted here reflect ignorance and prejudice. Are you a Christian community that really lives its faith? Do you want to continue to live in an economically depressed area where your children must move away to succeed financially? I have lived there and I know that there are good people in Bristol; they need to speak up! Anyone reading this board would never dream of coming to your town.
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