The world's 7th largest army does not come cheaply. It's going to cost the NYC Marathon more to pay Mayor Michael Bloomberg for his world's 7th largest army. Entry fees for the marathon have increased about $60, or between 25 to 40 percent, to between $216 and $347, depending on the runner.
According to Mayor Mike, the NYPD's chief priority has become fighting terrorism. And private citizens must subsidize this cost.
"We would like to have more big events, but at the same time, with a limited budget, the police department's first priority has to be making sure that we keep terrorists from attacking us and keep street crime down," Bloomberg said. "Our objective is to get it to zero."
Since when? Since when is a municipal police department's first priority 'fighting terorism'? Since the militarization of the police department and the gradual descent of our democracy into a virtual police state?
And why is the budget limited? Is it because millions of dollars have been wasted in harassing and brutalizing the citizens of New York who wish to protest against the vastly unfair income inequality that has occurred over the last decade?
Running in New York City just got more expensive. Actually, it won’t get more expensive until 2012. According to The New York Times, effective January 1, 2012, the New York City Police Department will increase what they charge organizers of the ING New York City Marathon along with other race companies. Police commissioner Raymond W. Kelly broke the bad news at a City Council Public Safety Committee budget hearing.
The increased fees paid by race organizers will go to controlling traffic and other services resulting from shutting down streets in the city.
Kelly said that the marathon, always held on Sunday, results in $3 million in overtime payments. “It’s always on Sunday, that’s our most expensive day, and I think it’s reasonable to ask the organizers who make a significant amount of money on events like the marathon to pay for some of the city costs,” he said.
Somehow the NYPD is able to directly bill the organizers of the NYC Marathon apparently, which in itself seems very questionable. How would an individual municipal department charge a private organization? Under municpal accouting this seems like it would be a convoluted and difficult thing to accomplish.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg had no apologies for the organizers of the New York City Marathon, who say they have to raise entry fees because the New York City Police Department is going to start charging them for event security.
And here the mayor makes a very peculiar analogy between public transit, a public service, and a private function of a marathon.
The mayor said New Yorkers are regularly asked to pay for many services that the general public subsidizes, for example, subway rides.
"Some people pay with their Metro Card, but they also get taxpayer subsidies, which are paid by people who don't use mass transit, as well as those that do," said Bloomberg.
And when it comes to the police, Bloomberg says the city has to use its resources wisely.
"We would like to have more big events, but at the same time, with a limited budget, the police department's first priority has to be making sure that we keep terrorists from attacking us and keep street crime down," Bloomberg said. "Our objective is to get it to zero."
Bloomberg said charging event organizers for police security is another source of revenue for the city, and he says the city only imposes the costs on event organizers who can sustain the financial cost.
Entry fees for the marathon have increased about $60, or between 25 to 40 percent, to between $216 and $347, depending on the runner.
The NYPD did not immediately respond to a request for comment on what events in the city have required private individuals to share security costs.
Terrah, terrah, terrah. The reflective use of 'terrorism' to justify every increased cost is nauseating. Granted the NYC Marathon with hundreds of thousands of people streaming over the Verrazano Narrows Bridge could be expected to be a terrorist target. But isn't that what Homeland Security is for? And hasn't HS forked over enough billions of dollars for fighting terrah? That we have to pick on poor runners to help fight terrorism? Will New Year's revelers be asked next to pay admssion to congregate in Times Square?
Or perhaps OWS protestors will next be asked to pay for being policed, in addition to learning their free speech rights in exchange for having charges dropped.