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How Much Did It Cost?

nunnnunn Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 36,085 ******
edited September 2006 in General Discussion
In taxpayer dollars, that is.

The following article is about our PD's involvement in this little escort. What it doesn't say is that we had 18 officers on overtime taking care of this, and that we probably will not be reimbursed by the Feds.

This is just our part. Cities all along the route from Dallas to Paris and back had to do the same.

The motorcade had around a half-dozen limos and a dozen or so DPS cars. It was escorted from above by a helicopter and a twin-engine plane, black on the bottom, running on one engine, criss-crossing the route.

I would like to see what the total outlay was for this little side trip.

Pakistan presidential motorcade causes interstate congestion

By JANELLE STECKLEIN
Herald-Banner Staff

The president of Pakistan passed through Greenville and Hunt County twice on Saturday causing mild congestion, said a Greenville Police Department sergeant.

Greenville Police Department Sergeant Steve Holman said Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf passed through Greenville around 9:40 a.m. on his way from Dallas to Paris, Texas. His then passed through Greenville again around 3:30 p.m. on his way back to Dallas.

"Greenville Police Department assisted the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Secret Service with escort of a motorcade that was carrying the president of Pakistan,"

All the overpasses and underpasses, as well as, the entrance ramps to the highways were blocked while the president's motorcade passed causing mild congestion, Holman said.

"As far as we're concerned, it went quite well," he said.

Greenville Mayor Tom Oliver told people attending the Daughters of the American Revolution meeting Saturday morning that Musharraf had flown into Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport on Saturday morning and was visiting a friend in Paris, Texas.

The Associated Press reported that Musharraf underwent "routine testing" with his doctor Saturday during an unannounced visit to Paris.

Musharraf, 63, whose surprise appearance came a day after visiting President Bush in Washington, was "found to be in excellent health," according to a statement from Paris Regional Medical Center.

Pakistani Ambassador to the U.S. Mahmud Ali Durrani told The Associated Press he had been asked about rumors that Musharraf, 63, had undergone heart surgery in Texas. He said Musharraf visited a friend who happens to be a cardiologist and that the friend suggested he be examined.

"He went through that," Durrani said. "All systems are go. Everything is fine. He is as fit as a horse."

After leaving the hospital, Musharraf attended a private luncheon in Paris.

The Greenville Police started planning for Musharraf's visit Friday, Holman said.

Comments

  • dolfandolfan Member Posts: 4,159
    edited November -1
    I don't see it as a waste of money, Nunn.
    Musharraf is an ally in the war on terror and a marked man by the Islamafascists. He's already survived a few assassination attempts in his own country. It is the obligation of the US, as a host country, to protect him.

    A real waste was all those trips Klinton made to play golf at the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, FL (my town). Who knows how much of my tax dollars went to pay for his rounds of golf. What a waste!

    BTW, maybe Musharraf will reimburse you guys with all the royalties from his new book.[;)] I wouldn't hold my breath, though.
  • nunnnunn Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 36,085 ******
    edited November -1
    OK, I changed it a bit. Maybe not a waste, but costly to be sure.
  • hicap47hicap47 Member Posts: 516 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Whatever happened to that big sign that was over the main drag in Greenville?.......The one about the 'blackest dirt & whitest people'.
  • nunnnunn Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 36,085 ******
    edited November -1
    You mean this one?

    thesign2.jpg

    thesign1.jpg

    I never saw it. I moved here in 1981. I heard it was taken down in the 1970s, and is stored somewhere.

    Greenville is famous, or maybe infamous, for this old sign. Some people say it had nothing to do with racism, and that may be true, but I can see where others might find it offensive.

    I post it here as a matter of historical fact, and to help answer a question. Personally, I think the sign was a bad thing, and it it good that it is gone, but it should have never been there.
  • nunnnunn Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 36,085 ******
    edited November -1
    Of course, that sign is not the only thing Greenville is famous for.

    murphy01.jpg
  • KrisWKrisW Member Posts: 633 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Nunn isnt that statue of Audie Murphy actually in Sulphur Springs? Along with the museum? Seems like I passed it around there last time I went to Richardson.
  • nunnnunn Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 36,085 ******
    edited November -1
    NO!

    The Audie Murphy statue and museum are in Greenville. In Sulphur Springs there is a statue of a giant cow.
  • kristovkristov Member Posts: 6,633
    edited November -1
    It seems like not long after I moved here to Newport Beach, Pres. Bush (Bush #1) came here to meet with a high level Japanese minister, perhaps the prime minister, to discuss trade issues. The meeting took place at one of our cities many fine resort hotels and the entire city was paralized during this period of time as every member of the PD, fire department and probably even the life gaurds were mobilized. The CHP escorted the Japanese minister south along the I-405 freeway from LAX and traffic was stopped dead for nearly an hour while the motorcade made it's way into Orange County. I'm not sure how the meeting went (I was not invited to attend [:0]) but I was treated to reading in the newspaper the next day about the local politicos lining up for a chance to bow and scrape before the president in an effort to advance their own careers by claiming to have associated with him.
  • KrisWKrisW Member Posts: 633 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Lol yeah i knew they had that big cow up there. I couldnt remember where the museum was tho. I did make the comment to my wife that we were gonna have to go visit one weekend.
  • bigdaddyjuniorbigdaddyjunior Member Posts: 11,233
    edited November -1
    What war did the giant cow fight in?
  • KrisWKrisW Member Posts: 633 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by bigdaddyjunior
    What war did the giant cow fight in?
    Had to have been the Great Chicken War of 1948.
  • bigdaddyjuniorbigdaddyjunior Member Posts: 11,233
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by KrisW
    quote:Originally posted by bigdaddyjunior
    What war did the giant cow fight in?
    Had to have been the Great Chicken War of 1948.


    I heard they were udderly wiped out.
  • dheffleydheffley Member Posts: 25,000
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by nunn
    In Sulphur Springs there is a statue of a giant cow.


    There is also a nice granite bench on the square in Sulphur Springs donated in memory of the Vietnam veterans in Sandy's mothers name after she died two years ago. Imagine that![:D]

    Their Korean war statue has a real M1 Garand in the soldiers hands that has been bronzed over!
  • TxsTxs Member Posts: 17,809 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by nunn
    The Audie Murphy statue and museum are in Greenville. In Sulphur Springs there is a statue of a giant cow.

    You need to get out more, Dave.

    On their city square they have a very large statue of a WWII soldier armed with a Garand. Very detailed, very cool.
  • mowartmowart Member Posts: 1,392 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I was told that while Bush Sr. was president, his visits and motorcades brought the traffic in Montauk Point, Maine to a halt. Locals got so fed up that many started giving the procession the one finger salute.
  • TxsTxs Member Posts: 17,809 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    From what I hear there were actually a total of around 30 vehicles involved in this convoy, plus the aircraft Nunn mentioned. Consider also this was only what was apparent to the casual observer.

    Not that I'm a huge fan of Musharraf or Pakistan's policies, but I agree with taking all possible security measures while he's in our country. If he were to even stub a toe here the fallout could end up being outrageous for us all. We owe it to the rest of our country, including our troops, to take good care of him.

    I also heard a few interesting details about his time in Paris,Tx. In addition to going to the hospital he went to his friend's home, which basically tied up the entire subdivision where he lives. Musharraf reportedly went around the neighborhood on foot with his security detail and introduced himself to the residents, apologizing for any inconvenience his visit was causing them. I realize he's got a book coming out, but it does sound as if he was actually trying to be gracious.
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