Jones’ security detail: Questions remain
Don Long / Times-Dispatch
Mayor Dwight C. Jones
The Richmond Police Department spent $11,586 on security for Mayor Dwight C. Jones during President Barack Obama's inauguration last month.
The department sent six officers at various times and three vehicles to Washington, according to its response to a Richmond Times-Dispatch request under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act.
Officials provided no further details, citing security reasons.
However, Jones' press secretary, Tammy D. Hawley, said most of the costs were for hotel accommodations for the officers and that Jones traveled at his own expense.
The average hotel room in Washington cost $605 on the night of the inauguration, according to The Associated Press based on information from Smith Travel Research.
Police Chief Bryan T. Norwood directed the newspaper on Jan. 27 to file a request under the state's open-records law in response to questions about an announcement that day that the executive-protection unit was being cut significantly from levels provided under L. Douglas Wilder when he was mayor.
The number of officers was slashed from seven detectives and two supervisors to a base level of one detective and one supervisor. However, two additional detectives may be assigned to the unit temporarily based on security needs.
Overall, the cuts are expected to allow $452,750 in personnel costs to be saved for other police programs.
The department's response to the Freedom of Information request yesterday shows that:
"The reductions and the costs savings are a result of the mayor's request to minimize the cost of the security detail. He's pleased with the changes," Hawley said.
Contact Will Jones at (804) 649-6911 or
.
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Reader Reactions
so things are the same or WORSE with Jones he makes Wilder look humble. Should have elected GREY folks!
Why did they need to stay overnight in Washington DC, it is only 100 miles away. I know there was a ton of traffic, but $605 per room?? Why did ther mayor of Richmond need to be at this event? I must have missed that part. I saw it just fine from the television in my living room.
99% of the people would have no idea who he is. What does a preacher know about running a city again? Somebody tell me what his qualifications are again?
Bob let me correct you , i did wish for George Bush to succeed .It’s like this as i said before failure for one means all .Look at the war in iraq ,how stupid it would be for this country not to have succeed even if the war is wrong ,still the United States is whats important.And no BOB i haven’t read the entire 1500 pages and really i doubt if you have .I will say i’m not here to argue or call names ,put down one party or another .What i will say is Pray for what you believe in and may God answer all Prayers some way some how.
I wonder how President Obama, Hitler, and Paplin get in a discussion about Jones expensive security.
I understand Wilder needing security because he is a former governor. Jones has no need for this added expense.
He seemed to have tried to make Wilder look bad by saying he was saving on the expense for security but he is spending just as much.
Who are you protecting Jones from now that he didn’t need protection from six months ago?
That money should go to the schools so they can have some decent buildings, enough textbooks and supplies, and enough teachers for our children.
A story that involved Mayor Jones has again been flipped to our President Barack Obama . It has not been thirty days and for all we know the President’s plans may work .One thing you should realize is if the current administration fails we all suffer .So whats important to you ,would you rather he fail and your family suffers,just so you can say i told you so ?.I believe regardless of what party you belong to we all need to Pray for guidance for the President and all that may be able to pull this economy back from the brink of disaster.
Obama is keeping his “income redistribution” promise. The stimulus bill is mostly welfare related spending. Taking from those of us who work and pay taxes and gives to those who don’t. Socialism at it’s finest.
Food stamps, tax breaks for poor in stimulus bill
WASHINGTON (AP) - More than 37 million Americans live in poverty, and the vast majority of them are in line for extra help under the giant stimulus package coming out of Congress. Millions more could be kept from slipping into poverty by the economic lifeline.
People who get food stamps - 30 million and growing - will get more. People drawing unemployment checks - 4.8 million and growing - would get an extra $25, and keep those checks coming longer. People who get Supplemental Security Income - 7 million poor Americans who are elderly, blind or disabled - would get one-time extra payments of $250.
Many low-income Americans also are likely to benefit from a trifecta of tax credits: expansions to the existing Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit, and a new refundable tax credit for workers. Taken together, the three credits are expected to keep more than 2 million Americans from falling into poverty, including more than 800,000 children, according to the private Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
The package also includes $3 billion emergency fund to provide temporary assistance to needy families.
There are other, more indirect ways that the stimulus package is likely to benefit poor people.
For example, cash-strapped states will get an infusion of $87 billion for Medicaid, the government health program for poor people, and that should help them avoid cutting off benefits to the needy. In addition, more federal dollars will flow to high-poverty areas for education programs and preventing homelessness.
Ah L. Johnson - we could indeed go on all day. So I’ll end by saying “smart” is proven by actions, not degrees(althoug I have 2 myself). So let’s look at Obama’s actions so far. So far your man has used threats and scare tactics to get his spendulus bill passed before the January figures came out. Why? Because he wanted his spending spree approved before America had a chance to see what every newspaper today is reporting: lower foreclosure rates, lower unemployment, and higher retail sales. No wonder he was in such a hurry. He’s smart alright. Too bad voters weren’t.
L. Johnson
Those who are ignorant of history are doomed to repeat the evil in the future.
Obama fooled slightly over 50 percent of American voters which means almost 50 percent saw him for what he is.
Four years of him could be a disaster we may never recover from.
Thanks for the advice hjackson, but I’m going to take my chances on this one. I don’t know much about Hitler, so I’ll take your word for it. Lets just hope Obama use his Hitler like methods for good instead of evil.
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