Police Chief Chris Magnus was glad the president chose to stop in Fargo, but he wasn t upset that Bush decided not to overnight. President Clinton flew in several times to campaign, debate and speak at events. When he stayed overnight, it raised havoc with our overtime budget. That won t happen in Fargo, says Magnus, who was impressed with the cooperation between local law enforcement agencies, fire departments and emergency service agencies. It all comes down to good planning and absolutely nothing is left to chance, says Magnus.
Every conceivable contingency is anticipated in advance.
One thing is certain. It costs money to keep the president on the road. The advance teams had three floors of the Radisson Hotel reserved. That s approximately 57 rooms. That doesn t include food, rental vehicles and all the other things associated with the visit.