Tuesday, June 11, 2013

$450 for horse manure removal, $69.26 for Bojangles'

The first head-scratcher was a $450 bill for horse manure removal -- an expense paid to a South Carolina company called Scoop D Doo Inc. 

On Tuesday, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police released an itemized list of how they spent nearly $50 million to secure the Democratic National Convention. 

The list included a lot of things we expected  -- $2.7 million for a video management system, $1.9 million for ballistic helmets and chest protectors, $1.54 million for housing.  But as I perused the list, I kept being drawn to the (mostly) small-ticket items that seemed like quirky purchases for an event that had been designated as a potential National Security threat.

The horse manure removal was one of those things. Police paid $450 to a Rock Hill-based company called Scoop D Doo Inc. to remove horse droppings (From Scoop D Doo's website: "We've seen our customers' back yards turn from a smelly dog poo land to a thriving lush green haven in a matter of weeks.") The DNC's temporary horse paddock was set up in First Ward, but a Department of Justice Report offered some criticism: "Event attendees found horses to be impressive looking, but this event did not lend to their need."  Still, police paid $75 for farrier services (those are the people who put shoes on the horses) and $400 to pressure wash the garage after the horses were gone. 

Among the other expenses:

  • Police paid  $9,999.82 for mass arrest tracking system software, although they never made a mass arrest. 
  • $949 went for something described only as chainsaw rentals
  • $9,654 paid for shin guards for bicycle officers
  • $17,000 purchased "aerial photography of event area."
  • $103,545 went for a Porta-Jon for portable restrooms in the event area for use by officers
  • $9,300 went to Impromteau Inc. for Lanyards for DNC credentials
  • The department paid the Charlotte Neighborhood and Business services $1,680 to clean up graffiti.  
  • $1,049.70 went to Dick's Clothing & Sports for portable tents. (Were the tents for undercover officers who infiltrated the protesters' encampment at Marshall Park?)

And make what you will of what the department paid for food. Officers who patrolled the city or who worked undercover were given a per diem to eat wherever they could. The joint information center ate food from Queen City Catering and Waiter's Choice.  But most officers got three meals at the R&R Center at Central Piedmont Community College.

A sampling of what they ate:

  • $450.40 went to Chik-Fil-A, but only $69.26 went to Bojangles'.  Arby's, the purveyor of roast beef sandwiches, received $31,878.39 for food. 
  • In the sandwich category, officers ate $49,018.68 worth of food from Jersey Mike's and spent $50,073.58 on food from Firehouse Subs. Another $82,262.63 went to Jasons' Deli. 
  • Compass Group (at Johnson & Wales University) received $22,358.40 for food, while Johnson C. Smith, where most officers stayed, received $202,761.50 to feed officers. 
  • Pepsi Cola received $95,686.50 to quench officers' thirst. The city paid $9,612.69 for ice. 
The department also paid $1.54 million for housing. The bulk of that went to Johnson C. Smith, which got $726.289.97 to house officers. Johnson & Wales University received $188,333.04.  -- Cleve R. Wootson Jr.








48 comments:

  1. when is a story not a story?

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  2. All seems pretty reasonable to me?

    Not sure what you're driving at with this article but feeding officers and crime prevention seem like good expenses to have?

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  3. Should you decide to nail someone for excessive spending, then by all means... but there are way better places to start than what I see here.

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  4. 450 manure removal. We got off cheap. Removing Obama from Charlotte should of cost millions

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    Replies
    1. But of course--the way the Obama Administration covers up the real numbers--this fee along the BS fee was probably 50% of the budget.

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  5. no Krispy Kreme receipt?

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  6. Headquaters of the Famous Bo only got $69.26! I thought hometown was suppose to support hometown?!!!

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  7. somtimes it is helpful to find out where all the money is going especially when Mecklenburg has just increased taxes. South Blvd roads needs repaied and how about North Tryon dont this city need more structure we need to sit these old rich people down for achange and let us young generation began living we don't want the same things as you old tired people do and stop with the madness we all deserve too eat

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    Replies
    1. Wow! I don't think your problem is what you think.

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    2. So you do not need those rich peoples money? That is just how they made it themselves in the first place, it is great to hear you are willing to work so hard and to support others with that hard work so things are the way you want them.

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    3. old bastards are ruining our city they do what they want with money and dont use it to improve everyones life.they us it to make charlotte look like yuppyvilleor like other cities but maby we dont need a damn trolley goin up the streets those buses we haveget people from point a to b without any fancy yups out there goin well we got a trolley now whoopie!!!!fuck the trolleys n streetcars!!!waste of money!!!!!

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  8. Anon 12:04 - although your many errors make it difficult to understand exactly what your point is, I am getting that you are unhappy about "old rich people." Is this because you aren't one of them?

    Old rich people don't keep you from living.

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    Replies
    1. Yes but they can help keep you from going to have to work everyday, if you can get their money.

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  9. All yall full of shit when the white man spend money nothing is supose to be said if President Obama was to step to yall stupid asses you wouldn't say nothing but yes sir Mr. President matter of a fact he dont get a shit about you poor ass crackers your not of his caliber

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    1. Your ramblings on RACE amaze me!! Especially in the fact that I AM A BLACK MAN ALSO!!! Where does this 'race' card play into this one?? And the use of such ignorant words?? What do you think Obama would say if he walked up to you.......?? hm.....??

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  10. Fascinating!! Not really. What was the point of this article?? If it was to make the point that expenses seemed reasonable, it should have said so. That was my conclusion from looking at the expenses presented. But this article being listed under crime and punishment, I expected some kind of wrongdoing

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    Replies
    1. This is the budget from the CMPD, for the DNC coverage, so you may have missed that entirely. Or actually you may have missed the point entirely from what you have stated.

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  11. Good thing we have the usual supporters for everything the Democrats do on this comment section.

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    Replies
    1. What is it in the spending you disapprove of?

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  12. I think the whole $50M was wasted.

    We need a whole 'nother way to elect politicians. We can't afford this kind of extravagance anymore.

    As for specifics, what do you expect from spoiled boys who have a no limit allowance for toys?

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  13. Well , after living in this city for 70 years, my parents before me, grand parents, democrats at that . My dad at poles the first one to vote every election in our district, I am beginning to wonder about how both parties spend our money and conduct themselves in representing us the people.Maybe we need another party .

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    1. Amen, each party should get approval from a group of their taxpayers, in a school gymnasium before all of this goes down. Make them have a budget and stick to it, or have the citizens cross off extras off the list (i.e..horses). Giving money to a government fund without any restrictions is like giving candy to a young child. Of course they are going to use every last dime, because they can. I am tired of , politicians and government agencies, and fund raising committees having millions and either blowing it or lining their pockets with the money. The cash that is in the pockets of the oh so few rich people is nothing compared to the votes of the oh so many millions of people who can make a difference. Please vote, and If you don't like your candidate, pick another one. Do some research online and find out how they have voted in the past. Do your homework, and go out their and vote responsibly. Lets boost this nation up, not down!

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  14. Can Scoop D Doo remove the manure from healthcare.gov?

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  15. Why pay for their food? Don't they get a pay check?

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  16. i need scoop d doo to come wipe my ass im too fat to reach it they could get the maggots out for me too how much wouuld that cost hahahahaha i love all you computernuts that dont have anything better to do but push buttons and squqwk your opinions at the world we all need to slow down we only live once im crusin mine as slow as pssible wheeeeeeeee!

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  17. $1.9 million on ballistic helmets and chest protectors? That seems like the most egregious expenditure. Were they anticipating martial law or massive rioting? If so, maybe we shouldnt host events like that.

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  18. Are you serious? The amount of food that the city spent is astronomical. How do police get a per diem amount and still get to eat three meals. $9,000 for lanyards? Did they try comparing at Walmart. Was there any budget proposed in advance for this event. If so, who approved this budget? This is what is wrong with the government or the DNC. They are given money for donations, and it is squandered on things that aren't important, or are not what they seem to be. How do we know that the guys in blue (cops) aren't partners in a lanyard business and they are getting a chunk of it all. What other corrupt financial transactions were made? Do the people who make these donations even care? I know I would, if I had put my money in that pot, I would be raising hell. I don't trust them and citizens shouldn't either. All organizations and government agencies need to be held accountable. Is this a corrupt DNC that is trying to get a corrupt candidate elected? People we need to wake up and pay attention before our country is further on its ass that it already is. Lets wake up and smell the coffee and get involved. I will if you will. ( COC RAH !) Country Organizing Citizens!

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  19. Reading this discussion makes me glad I had parents who cared enough to encourage good grammar and reading comprehension skills. Most of these posts are sad. Like really sad. Like you should have finished high school sad. No one in here has any clue what they are talking about. I'm sick of uninformed yet opinionated idiots. This goes for both sides of this pointless debate. This article means nothing. If you are an extreme liberal or conservative I really feel sorry for you as you've been duped from birth by your parents and the US government to think that one side actually represents our nation's well being. The best thing you people can do is to go take a college class...on anything...politics, economics, finance, business history, etc. I really do feel sorry for you people. Go out and do something to make the world a better place please.
    -Independent

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