Thursday, February 20, 2020
Donald Trump is in town today and people are acting crazy. I get it; it is exciting to see the president, but people have been camping out. I live near the venue Donald Trump will be speaking at today. I found out today Donald Trump is here to campaign for Corey Gardner and the vice president will be in town also (since I am writing this at four o’clock, the president and vice president are probably both here in town now).
When I rode a bus by the venue at 8:45 this morning the parking lot was already full. When I got back home today my helper told me that she heard on the news the parking lot opened at 6:00 a.m. Donald Trump does not speak until 5:00 p.m. I am sure the event must start before five o’clock if it is a campaign event for Corey Gardner and the vice president is also speaking, but seriously? 6:00 a.m.? Seven-degree weather?
I thought about trying to get a ticket when I heard the announcement on the news before the tickets were issued. I am a little interested to see Donald Trump in action. Donald Trump must have amazing charisma in person, and I would like to experience it firsthand so I can understand his fans better. Then I thought, “It is February, I do not want to go out in the cold.”, and that was the end of me wanting to see the president.
I do not think presidents should be allowed to travel much. President Obama came to Colorado Springs twice to speak at United States Air Force Academy graduations and each time the public was inconvenienced by closed streets, our police force was stretched thin, and it costs taxpayers a fortune every time the president leaves the White House. The first time President Obama came to town, I was stuck in stand-still traffic on a bus for 20 minutes because the road got closed a block in front of us as we approached.
Today’s visit required early closure for our school district. My school district includes the airport, the venue hosting the campaign rally, and all travel routes in between. Local law enforcement advised the school district to release students before streets started closing for the vice president’s trip from the airport. The parents found out about the early release yesterday. I had a wound care appointment today and would not be home by noon. Fortunately, I was able to get care for my seven-year-old, Mika, until I returned home.
I know the late notice caused many people to take unpaid time off. I live in a poor district; families here cannot afford to take time off. A president visiting our city costs us millions of dollars and I do not think it is a justified expense. If I can talk to people via Zoom to keep from traveling, so can the president.
Having seen firsthand how much a presidential visit disrupts a city, I am appalled every time I see news about a president traveling to a disaster area. Resources are already strained in the area and then the president needs to siphon off the police force for his security? I think it is inconsiderate to displace needed resources for a photo opportunity. Send more National Guard and FEMA staff, not the president
My neighborhood is now inundated by parked cars because the venue parking filled up at 9:30 this morning. When I came home at 12:45 p.m. There were cars parked on both sides of a two-lane road without any shoulders near the venue. I have since learned from the news that the road has been closed instead of ticketing all those people for illegal parking and the doors did not open until 4:00 p.m. Now the buses cannot travel in this area because that road is part of the bus route.
My piece of advice to you is to steer clear of presidential visits. Yes, it would have been cool to walk over and have Mika see the president in real life. I am happier to sit at home and stay warm. Perhaps I will check out Donald Trump if he comes back in the summer.
P.S. (written 2-21-20) The presidential visit was still inconveniencing me last night. My significant other, Donald, left to drive Mika to her piano lesson and the semi-main road at the end of our block was a bumper to bumper traffic jam. Donald called me to let me know he was turning around and I would need to walk Mika to her lesson. I took Mika because her teacher is a few blocks away and we can go faster than walking with her dad if she runs and I roll at high speed. I rolled in the street gutter beside the stopped traffic and Mika ran on the sidewalk so we would only be a little late.
On the way home Mika told me she does not like Donald Trump, so I asked her why. Mika was noncommittal so I think she has heard other people say it. I try very hard not to talk badly about politicians, but her father and political ads do not have a filter. I explained that all presidents do some activities we like and some we do not. We do not need to dislike them simply because we disagree.
Mika did tell me she wished she had gone to see Donald Trump. I told Mika I did not try to get tickets because it would be cold and promised her if Donald Trump came back this summer, we would try to come. So here I am, hoping for another presidential visit. Darn the bad luck!
Until next time,
Susanne
Please check out my GoFundMe page.
Donald Trump is in town today and people are acting crazy. I get it; it is exciting to see the president, but people have been camping out. I live near the venue Donald Trump will be speaking at today. I found out today Donald Trump is here to campaign for Corey Gardner and the vice president will be in town also (since I am writing this at four o’clock, the president and vice president are probably both here in town now).
When I rode a bus by the venue at 8:45 this morning the parking lot was already full. When I got back home today my helper told me that she heard on the news the parking lot opened at 6:00 a.m. Donald Trump does not speak until 5:00 p.m. I am sure the event must start before five o’clock if it is a campaign event for Corey Gardner and the vice president is also speaking, but seriously? 6:00 a.m.? Seven-degree weather?
I thought about trying to get a ticket when I heard the announcement on the news before the tickets were issued. I am a little interested to see Donald Trump in action. Donald Trump must have amazing charisma in person, and I would like to experience it firsthand so I can understand his fans better. Then I thought, “It is February, I do not want to go out in the cold.”, and that was the end of me wanting to see the president.
I do not think presidents should be allowed to travel much. President Obama came to Colorado Springs twice to speak at United States Air Force Academy graduations and each time the public was inconvenienced by closed streets, our police force was stretched thin, and it costs taxpayers a fortune every time the president leaves the White House. The first time President Obama came to town, I was stuck in stand-still traffic on a bus for 20 minutes because the road got closed a block in front of us as we approached.
Today’s visit required early closure for our school district. My school district includes the airport, the venue hosting the campaign rally, and all travel routes in between. Local law enforcement advised the school district to release students before streets started closing for the vice president’s trip from the airport. The parents found out about the early release yesterday. I had a wound care appointment today and would not be home by noon. Fortunately, I was able to get care for my seven-year-old, Mika, until I returned home.
I know the late notice caused many people to take unpaid time off. I live in a poor district; families here cannot afford to take time off. A president visiting our city costs us millions of dollars and I do not think it is a justified expense. If I can talk to people via Zoom to keep from traveling, so can the president.
Having seen firsthand how much a presidential visit disrupts a city, I am appalled every time I see news about a president traveling to a disaster area. Resources are already strained in the area and then the president needs to siphon off the police force for his security? I think it is inconsiderate to displace needed resources for a photo opportunity. Send more National Guard and FEMA staff, not the president
My neighborhood is now inundated by parked cars because the venue parking filled up at 9:30 this morning. When I came home at 12:45 p.m. There were cars parked on both sides of a two-lane road without any shoulders near the venue. I have since learned from the news that the road has been closed instead of ticketing all those people for illegal parking and the doors did not open until 4:00 p.m. Now the buses cannot travel in this area because that road is part of the bus route.
My piece of advice to you is to steer clear of presidential visits. Yes, it would have been cool to walk over and have Mika see the president in real life. I am happier to sit at home and stay warm. Perhaps I will check out Donald Trump if he comes back in the summer.
P.S. (written 2-21-20) The presidential visit was still inconveniencing me last night. My significant other, Donald, left to drive Mika to her piano lesson and the semi-main road at the end of our block was a bumper to bumper traffic jam. Donald called me to let me know he was turning around and I would need to walk Mika to her lesson. I took Mika because her teacher is a few blocks away and we can go faster than walking with her dad if she runs and I roll at high speed. I rolled in the street gutter beside the stopped traffic and Mika ran on the sidewalk so we would only be a little late.
On the way home Mika told me she does not like Donald Trump, so I asked her why. Mika was noncommittal so I think she has heard other people say it. I try very hard not to talk badly about politicians, but her father and political ads do not have a filter. I explained that all presidents do some activities we like and some we do not. We do not need to dislike them simply because we disagree.
Mika did tell me she wished she had gone to see Donald Trump. I told Mika I did not try to get tickets because it would be cold and promised her if Donald Trump came back this summer, we would try to come. So here I am, hoping for another presidential visit. Darn the bad luck!
Until next time,
Susanne
Please check out my GoFundMe page.