Florida Pastor Who Vowed to Burn Korans Billed for Security; Says Church Would Go Bankrupt
Gainesville Will Bill Terry Jones at Least $200K; Preacher Says Church Will Move
The controversial Florida pastor who threatened to burn Korans on the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks is expected to be billed at least $200,000 by the city of Gainesville for costs associated with the stunt.
Pastor Terry Jones, who got international attention with his on-again, off-again plan to burn 200 copies of Islam's holiest book, said the costs would essentially bankrupt his 50-member church, the Dove World Outreach Center.
"That would be impossible for us to pay," Jones said. "That would bankrupt us, of course."
Jones, 58, vowed to fight the security bill in court and said he plans to move his church to Tampa because of what he called a lack of support in Gainesville.
Still, the security bills from the Gainesville Police Department and the Alachua County Sheriff's Office alone are estimated at $180,000, according to a police spokeswoman. And that figure will rise when costs are added from the Gainesville fire and public works departments, as well as other agencies that responded to an event that drew international attention to the city of 125,000.
"In the 10 years I've been with City of Gainesville government, we've not had a situation that has occurred like this before," said Bob Woods, a city spokesman. "The city manager has made it clear that he will provide a full accounting of our expenses to the Dove World Outreach Center."
Law enforcement agencies spent more than a month working on security plans to ensure the community surrounding Jones' church was safe, Gainesville police spokeswoman Cpl. Tscharna Senn said. Jones also told authorities he received numerous death threats because of the planned protest.
"We've had nothing that I can remember that involved this much planning and the use of this many resources in the 17 years I've been here," Senn said. "We have 286 sworn officers and almost every one was working, either at the Dove Center or at other soft targets." Officers secured malls in the region, the University of Florida's football stadium and neighborhoods surrounding the church in the days leading up to the planned event.
"His church is in the middle of very large residential communities and our number one consideration was the safety of the residents," Senn said. "We could not risk having their protection compromised. We did not want to be caught off guard."
meh i think thats bullshit.
good
Eh.. I have mixed feelings on this. On one hand, yeah, I hate the guy, and it would be funny, but on the other hand, he was never told he would have to, and there are plenty of other people who stage stupid protests that use public security, so why don't any of them have to pay for it?
Isn't that what our tax dollars are paying for? Should a football team have to pay the police force for coming out to do riot control after they win the super bowl? They caused the riot didn't they? Why should my tax dollars go to pay for something the football team caused? It's the same thing.
Gainesville City Manager Russ Blackburn said he doesn't know how much legal authority the city has to force the church to pay.
actually, the more I think about this, ...it sounds like the city is finding a way to collect back-taxes on his commercial property, since it has become quite obvious that he is not running a church. he's been scamming the city with his tax shelter ploy, and now the city wants revenue.
Seems like a legit way to go about it: take his money, piss him off and drive him into Tampa, where I'd think even less people will tolerate his shenanigans.
fuck you Terry Jones, fuck you. Maybe you'll think twice next time before making an ass out of America.
You can't burn books in America any longer? Spelling Amerika with a k now, are we?
So wait, he does not have $200k to pay the fine but he has the potential $50-100k to fight this?
Why not settle with the city for $100k, instead of $50k for lawyers & $100k for the city later?
Kind of the way I feel. The whole Quran burning scheme was incredibly tasteless, but if this is being used as a way to punish the guy, I don't really think that's right. As others have suggested, seems like more of a media stunt for the Gainesville city council to distance themselves from Jones and make it clear that the city doesn't condone his beliefs.Eh.. I have mixed feelings on this. On one hand, yeah, I hate the guy, and it would be funny, but on the other hand, he was never told he would have to, and there are plenty of other people who stage stupid protests that use public security, so why don't any of them have to pay for it?
Isn't that what our tax dollars are paying for? Should a football team have to pay the police force for coming out to do riot control after they win the super bowl? They caused the riot didn't they? Why should my tax dollars go to pay for something the football team caused? It's the same thing.
Eh.. I have mixed feelings on this. On one hand, yeah, I hate the guy, and it would be funny, but on the other hand, he was never told he would have to, and there are plenty of other people who stage stupid protests that use public security, so why don't any of them have to pay for it?
Isn't that what our tax dollars are paying for? Should a football team have to pay the police force for coming out to do riot control after they win the super bowl? They caused the riot didn't they? Why should my tax dollars go to pay for something the football team caused? It's the same thing.