Politicking with high gas prices is the same as masterminding the silence on a 90 year old cheap fuel additive that everyone can make in their own cars.
If you car can make its on hho gas enabling you to run on more water than gas and save money, and you have no interest in that, heck, read Seals and the police in a gas saga triangle
Originally posted: May 24, 2008
Posted by Susan Kuczka at 12:01 a.m.
A Democratic congressional candidate who staged a campaign stunt to highlight the high cost of fuel found out Friday that the tab for police traffic control is more than twice as much.
The Lincolnshire Police Department sent a $2,200 bill to 10th Congressional District candidate Dan Seals, who on Thursday offered motorists the chance to purchase gas for $1.85 a gallon—the price of fuel when Republican U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk won his first election to Congress in 2000.
Seals, who is making his second run against Kirk, offered to pay the difference between the $1.85 per gallon and $4.14 per gallon pump price at a Lincolnshire gas station with a 10-gallon limit per car.
Campaign officials estimated 50 cars made it to the pumps during the hour-long event that created a 1.5-mile line of cars that created a massive traffic jam during the busy lunch hour. The campaign had to turn away scores of motorists seeking the bargain-basement price.
A campaign spokeswoman said workers were still tallying the gas bill Friday, but assuming each of the 50 motorists squeezed at least 10 gallons of gas into their cars, Seals’ gas bill would have totaled $1,145—or $1,055 less than what it cost for about two dozen police officers and village Public Works employees to direct traffic around the event for about three hours.
Police Chief Randy Melvin said the village had to scramble to set up the traffic-control operation because the Seals campaign did not touch base with the village before hosting the event. It was only after several residents called Village Hall to ask about the promotion that the Police Department contacted the Seals campaign and learned about it, Melvin said.
“Our Public Works Department really jumped on it,” Melvin said. “They literally had to drop everything they were doing to help.”
Campaign spokeswoman Elisabeth Smith said even Seals was surprised by the huge turnout at the pumps.
“We’re going to fully reimburse the Police Department,” she said. “We greatly appreciated their help.”
in 10th Congressional District | Permalink
Comments
Is candidate Seals suggesting with his stunt that gas prices would be lower if he had been the Congressman instead of Kirk? I wonder how?
Posted by: Rich | May 24, 2008 11:48:00 AM
The police department seems unfair in asking people to pay for control of traffic. I do not believe that the police will charge for traffic control for something completely personal like a wedding party. Highlighting this issue is an important civic function. Lincolnshire police seems to be caught playing politics here.
Posted by: H Shah | May 24, 2008 11:47:04 AM
Good for Lincolnshire. Dan Seals needs to take is cheap Chicago style politics back to Chicago. Dan Seals does not live in the 10th District and does not understand the people of the 10 District. The votes of most of the voters (Republicans, Democrats & Independents) are not for sale and cannot be bought by tactless and insulting political tactics. Buying votes may work in Chicago but not in the 10th District.
Posted by: Depot Jim | May 24, 2008 10:56:24 AM
This is just silly
, so now any retailer who decides to have a really good sale has to worry about paying for traffic cops? Ridiculous, those cops were on duty and doing their jobs, we pay enough damned taxes and now they want to send out bills? What about all the ridiculous tickets they write? doesn't that generate enough revenue? No wonder half this country is fed up with law enforcement.
Posted by: bad precedent | May 24, 2008 10:14:44 AM
Source: ChicagoTribune
