 Former U.S. president Bill Clinton waves to onlookers as he heads to a speaking engagement on the waterfront in Halifax on Thursday, May 28, 2009.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan
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TORONTO -- There are still several dozen tickets left to hear former U.S. presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton speak at the Convention Centre today, starting at $229 and going for as much as $500.
The question is how much would you be willing to pay to hear two former U.S. presidents speak?
"I am not going, so nothing," says a friend of mine.
Not so fast. You don't bring two former presidents into town without the taxpayers getting a bill.
"There's nothing easy about it," admits one law enforcement source on the very concept of whisking both Bush and Clinton into town for an event. "The cost of the security for them being here for a few hours will be in the hundreds of thousands."
So who pays that?
Marwa Atallah of Canada's protocol office in Ottawa said when it comes to security of former presidents "we treat them as if it's still a president coming here and everything would be paid."
There are too many security concerns to do anything else, she said.
"Inside security would be the event co-ordinator's responsibility," added a source. "Outside would be the taxpayer."
The close protection on Bush and Clinton would be provided by U.S. Secret Service, the RCMP, OPP and the Toronto Police VIP Squad.
The event is billed as a "conversation" between presidents at the Toronto Convention Centre and as of last night all but "a few dozen" of the original 6,000 tickets had been sold.
For the money they are being paid, believed to be in the hundreds of thousands, there better be one of them with a swollen lip at the end of the event, which goes on between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m.
If it's calm inside, then there will be some hollering outside on Front St.
"We expect several hundred," says James Clark, of the Toronto Coalition to Stop the War, which is calling for Bush to be tried for war crimes and has plastered W.'s mugshot all over town with the slogan -- "War criminals not welcome here."
The Tamil protesters say there are no plans to move their vigils from outside the U.S. Consulate so if the Gardiner gets closed down this time, you won't be able to blame them.
Getting close will not be easy. To move the presidents from the airport to the venue will also be the joint team's job.
There was an extensive meeting and walk through of the detail yesterday and no stone for safety is left unturned. Dogs have been on the premises and each person attending will face a tight security check.
"It's particularly sticky for Bush," said one contact. "Not so much so for Clinton." Word is both presidents will fly in on separate planes and then fly straight out after their appearance.
One person pumped is Toronto paparazzi Richard Budman, whose popular website HoundsTV.ca is the place to go for local celebrity sightings.
"It's all about getting into that right spot and if you do, you can get something because both of them are very nice guys personally," says Budman, adding the security personnel on presidents and prime ministers are no problem because they are "very professional."
So are you excited to have the two former presidents here?
"We have to pay them hundreds of thousands of dollars to even come here so why would I be excited," said my friend sarcastically.
She raises a good point.
Since it looks like the taxpayer is on the hook, I invite both Bush and Clinton to stick around and visit and not just walk away with large money.
There's lots going on in town -- including the Boston Red Sox playing the Blue Jays.
"Forget it, Scrawler," says my friend. "Let them go because it costs the taxpayers too much to have these guys around."
JOE.WARMINGTON@SUNMEDIA.CA
