Op-Ed: Where Do You Want Your Tax Dollars To Go?

Obama did a fundraiser for the Democratic Party in Atherton a few weeks ago, which is currently at Atherton's expense.  Meanwhile, the Atherton Dames are looking at doing an event to raise money for our park and they are being quoted a price tag. This is not right.

It is apparently a privilege to have Obama come to your city according to a San Francisco official.

Atherton needs to take a stand on making the fundraisers pay for what your normal tax payers dollars are now going to. This would set a huge precedence for future fundraising events.

Fundraisers should pay for their events, not taxpayers. 

Last time Atherton submitted a bill when Obama came to town they were told to go pound sand. More politely put, our government officials said: "It's great to have a dignitary like that coming through your community; you should be welcoming their visit as opposed to requesting reimbursement; and I'm sorry, but no, we're not going to reimburse you for the expense."

Now compare Atherton to San Francisco and San Jose. Neither city charges for beefed-up security for dignitaries. San Francisco police spent $62,000 on the president's visit earlier this month.

"We do not seek reimbursement for the service provided; he comes with a large security detail anyway," San Francisco Police Chief Greg Suhr said.

"With all the safety precautions that we're cognizant of these days, we want to provide that," San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee said. "And the public wants to see it. If the pope came in, I'm not so sure we'd be charging everybody. We welcome a lot of our international leaders, as well as our president," Lee said.

I personally called the Atherton Police Department on where, and when he was landing. I was told I could not be advised because of security reasons. The difference is these events are not open to the public, and with our country in a major financial crisis, why should we have to pay for fundraising for political parties?

I don’t care what party you represent. I care about America, and our tax dollars. Do you feel our tax dollars where best spent on raising money for one political party?

Shouldn’t The President of the United States unify us as a people?!  Where does “We the People” register with "I am spending your money/ raising it for one political party/ Don’t care about who died for our country to make this happen?"

How do you think the mother whose son died for our country feels if they belong to a political party that is spending our tax dollars on travel for the other political party? 

Freedom isn’t free. All presidents of the United States of America should remember they represent more than just us. They represent those that have died for this country for our freedom. Our freedom represents all of us. Not one party.

I would hope in the future no president would spend my tax dollars on something as shallow as making an appearance in my city, or anyone's city for that matter, and spend tax payer dollars on teachers, children, people that have fought for my country, animals... not travel, and the Secret Service.

The Secret Service in my understanding was put in place to protect who “We the People“ voted for to keep him safe so he/she could continue to aid in keeping us safe from financial ruin, and make this country a better place.

This is about more than just Obama. This is about what we want to spend our tax payers dollars on, and who do we want our taxpayers to represent.

I want any president to represent “The United States of America."