Bud Norris, the mayor of Mt. Vernon, WA, decided to honor Glenn Beck last month by giving him a key to the city. Norris expected to generate $10,000 from the event, which would be donated to a local theater. The event ended up costing the city $17,748.85, mostly for 239 hours of police overtime, according to the Seattle Times.

There were 577 tickets sold that generated $14,425, before expenses.

Income from ticket sales would have been higher if 92 comp tickets hadn’t been given out.

Norris says he gave comps to Beck’s family, “community leaders, people in leadership roles. … I’m told that’s pretty common.”

So the tickets sales netted $5,746.83 — after $5,754.17 was deducted for the hall rental, and $2,924 deducted for radio ads.

Why radio ads for an event that received such free publicity and was sold out in one day?

“The radio advertising was to make sure we sold tickets. I didn’t know what kind of response we would get. I didn’t want to go through all this and have 50 people show up,” says Norris.

Original Story

Last night the Mount Vernon city council voted unanimously to distance themselves from Mayor Bud Norris and this weekend’s event honoring Glenn Beck. “This man has done nothing for the City of Mount Vernon and its citizens,” said Rhonda McDonald, of Mount Vernon. “If you want to give a key to the city, give the key to the chief of police.”

On Wednesday night, the City Council of this town of 32,000 distanced itself from Mayor Bud Norris, who plans to give the keys to the city to talk-show personality Glenn Beck on Saturday.

The seven-member council unanimously passed a resolution proposed by member Dale Ragan that stated, “Mount Vernon City Council is in no way sponsoring the Mayor’s event on September 26, 2009 and is not connected to the Glenn Beck event in any manner.”

The resolution came after two dozen people who had signed up for the public-comment part of the session spoke in often emotional language to oppose honoring the controversial talk-show host.

Shirts reading, “HATE IS NOT A MOUNT VERNON VALUE” are being sold by a local retired teacher.

Original Story

Mount Vernon City Councilman Mike Urban wrote a letter to the editor of GoSkagit.com that states that the mayor has the ability to provide what Urban calls an “imaginary key that doesn’t actually open anything” to anybody the major wants, for any reason.

Instead of honoring Glenn Beck, Urban urges residents of Mount Vernon to participate in “No Longer Underappreciated Volunteers Day” on Sept 26, which is intended to thank people for dedicating time and effort to make positive changes.

The true concern I have in respect to this situation is what has Glenn Beck done to better this community to deserve such an award? What has been done to leave our community a better place? Simply being from somewhere should not be enough to warrant an honor regardless of what one has accomplished for themselves on a personal level.

However, there are thousands of people currently making a positive difference toward the betterment of our community. These are the people unfairly being ignored.

Original Story

As you may know, Mount Vernon, WA, is giving Glenn Beck the key to the city in a few days. This has caused a pretty large backlash that may adversely affect the city’s tourism (they have an annual Tulip Festival Street Fair) in addition the current decrease in local business revenue.

Mount Vernon is located in Skagit County, which voted 68% in favor of Obama during the Presidential election. The residents are upset by the mayor’s decision to honor Beck, which can be seen in local businesses, some of which are owned by council members. While the mayor claims the public’s reaction has been 50/50, one council member claims that it’s been overwhelmingly negative.

Apparently the venue is a 680-capacity hall and only one member five members of the press will be allowed. Curiously they will be chosen and accompanied by Mayor Norris. The 680 attendees will pay $25 each, but a large part, if not all, of the $17,000 will likely go toward Beck’s expenses and the extra costs incurred by the city for hosting an event of this nature.

Original Story

Feel free to tell the Mayor’s office how you feel:

Mount Vernon
910 Cleveland Avenue
P.O. Box 809
Mount Vernon WA, 98273

Phone
(360) 336-6211
Fax
(360) 336-0623
Email
mvmayor@ci.mount-vernon.wa.us

UPDATE: Here are the email addresses to city council members: kathyco@mountvernonwa.gov, joelind@mountvernonwa.gov, johnc@mountvernonwa.gov, scottm@mountvernonwa.gov, bobf@mountvernonwa.gov, mikeu@mountvernonwa.gov, daler@mountvernonwa.gov

Apparently, Mount Vernon, WA, Glenn Beck’s home town is offering him the key to the city. Mayor Bud Norris will honor Beck, the first person to receive the key in six years, on September 26.

Protesters from the Skagit County Young Democrats walked outside city hall Tuesday with protest signs, one reading “Change the locks!”

They called it “totally inappropriate” to give a man who labeled President Barack Obama a “racist” a key to the city.

The mayor did state that he and Beck’s parents were friends and that Beck, at age 12, helped with Norris’ campaign for county commissioner.

Feel free to tell the Mayor’s office how you feel:

Mount Vernon
910 Cleveland Avenue
P.O. Box 809
Mount Vernon WA, 98273

Phone
(360) 336-6211
Fax
(360) 336-0623
Email
mvmayor@ci.mount-vernon.wa.us

Original Story