Just in Oregon:
The Clinton campaign owes tens of thousands to Oregon public schools.
BY
JAMES PITKIN | jpitkin at wweek dot com
[June 4th, 2008]
As Sen. Hillary Clinton’s bid for the Democratic presidential nomination flames out, her campaign leaves behind more than $40,000 in unpaid rental costs and overtime fees at Oregon public schools where she and ex-President Bill Clinton spoke.
With nearly $20 million in declared debt as of April 30, it’s little surprise the Clinton campaign is behind on its Oregon bills. Most school officials we spoke with expressed confidence they’ll be repaid, even as the Clinton campaign tottered into the final primaries on Tuesday.
Clinton has already coughed up more than $150,000 to pay Portland-based West Coast Event Productions for organizing most of the campaign’s Oregon events. But at a time when education is a staple issue, her failure to pay public schools as promptly surprised some.
“It really, really disappoints me,” says Diane Zaske, building coordinator for the Oregon City School District, which has invoiced the Clinton campaign twice for the $1,440 it’s owed after Bill Clinton spoke April 26 at Oregon City High School.
(We also checked with many Oregon venues where Sen. Barack Obama spoke and found that his campaign—which declared $46.6 million in hand as of April 30—had paid its bills promptly.)
The list here, from five trips to Oregon by the Clintons, does not include two schools the Clinton campaign paid. Nor does it include several schools that have not yet billed the campaign or did so only recently—including McMinnville School District ($1,700), North Bend School District ($600), Redmond School District ($450) and Corvallis School District ($150). Besides schools, we included the Jackson County Fairgrounds, another publicly supported agency owed $6,500.
The Clinton campaign in this already tough week didn’t return calls seeking comment.
* * * * *
$16,428
OWED TO: Oregon Health & Science University
WHAT FOR: A talk by Bill on March 31 in the OHSU auditorium and an invite-only event with Hillary on May 9 where she promised better health care for sick kids she left waiting outside for more than an hour.
WHAT IT WOULD BUY: Tickets for 4,107 rides on the aerial tram.
* * * * *
$8,308
OWED TO: Hillsboro School District
WHAT FOR: A rally April 5 with Hillary in the Liberty High School gym with Gov. Ted Kulongoski, U.S. Rep. Darlene Hooley (D-Ore.) and a crowd of 3,500. Prominently displayed in the gym: an athletic honor code sign promoting fair play.
WHAT IT WOULD BUY: Used trumpets for 28 members of the school marching band.
* * * * *
$6,500
OWED TO: Jackson County
Fairgrounds
WHAT FOR: A May 8 Hillary rally with 1,200 people in Central Point, where she urged Obama supporters to hold off casting their ballots and “keep thinking.”
Hill's Bills
