President Barack Obama flew into San Francisco International Airport Tuesday night for a short fundraising visit Wednesday in the South Bay.
Obama was slated to arrive on Air Force One around 9 p.m. Tuesday, ahead of a Wednesday reception and luncheon to raise money for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee at the Los Altos Hills home of Judy and George Marcus.
George Marcus is the founder of the real estate brokerage firm Marcus & Millichap.
Other dignitaries expected at the 10:15 a.m. fundraiser include House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Palo Alto, and DCCC chairman Steve Israel.
According to an event invitation, ticket prices started at $10,000 for lunch and a photo with Obama. A $32,400 ticket includes entrance to a VIP reception, lunch and a photo.
Protesters supporting net neutrality plan to demonstrate outside the presidential visit between 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. Wednesday.
The group, organized by MoveOn.org, is urging Obama to support unrestricted, equal access to the Internet.
Organizers have said they are demanding Obama keep his promise to preserve the "open Internet" and publicly state that he supports the Federal Communications Commission treating the Internet as a public utility.
Net neutrality advocates have been rallying against FCC chairman Tom Wheeler's proposal to create a two-tiered system that would allow service providers to offer faster connection speeds for fee-paying content providers and a second, slower speed for others.
Obama will continue onto Los Angeles on an early Wednesday afternoon flight from SFO to end a three-day West Coast fundraising trip.
Comments
Downtown North
on Jul 22, 2014 at 3:08 pm
on Jul 22, 2014 at 3:08 pm
Burning more carbon fuel. Not to mention tieing up traffic.
Los Altos
on Jul 22, 2014 at 3:36 pm
on Jul 22, 2014 at 3:36 pm
There are many crisis US faces, but fundraising is not one of them.
Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Jul 22, 2014 at 3:57 pm
on Jul 22, 2014 at 3:57 pm
I saw Marine One (the presidential helicopter) followed by a V-22 tilt-rotor flying in a SSW direction over College Terrace at about 2,500' around 11:40am yesterday. Then about 30 minutes later I saw two helicopters painted like Marine One followed by a V-22 flying NW over Palo Alto.
Probably rehearsing for tomorrows event.
Image Marine One: Web Link
another community
on Jul 22, 2014 at 4:31 pm
on Jul 22, 2014 at 4:31 pm
Dottie and John Yu
Bush (and candidate Romney) burned a lot of fuel to raise $$$ for their party also. Each party goes where the $$$ is, and Silicon Valley is where it's at.
As for world events.....the President, no matter who he is, is never away from his "desk" wherever he is.
University South
on Jul 22, 2014 at 5:13 pm
on Jul 22, 2014 at 5:13 pm
Is the event being catered by Evvia?
Crescent Park
on Jul 22, 2014 at 5:23 pm
on Jul 22, 2014 at 5:23 pm
Sure, both parties take advantage of rich folks desire to buy influence and satisfy their own egos, That's the "American Way", and there's nothing wrong with it technically or legally speaking.
What IS wrong is that all of the traffic enforcement costs get borne by the local agencies and come out of the Police Department budgets, usually by increasing overtime costs. In other words, we all get to subsidize these political fund raisers.
Here's a thought - how about those folks hosting the events have to get a permit and pay a fee to cover the local agency costs? You know - kinda like a mega block (political) party event.... That fee amount could be included in the per person cost for "dinner" Surely anyone who can afford a $10,000.00 meal could just as well pay $11,000.00.
An added bonus would be that they then wouldn't have to complain about the wasteful spending of local governments on public safety over time!
Naw - never gonna happen!
Palo Verde
on Jul 22, 2014 at 5:50 pm
on Jul 22, 2014 at 5:50 pm
In absolute dollar amounts, I suspect these people fund much more of the Police Department budgets than I do.
@Jetman, thanks for the heads up to watch the skies for interesting aircraft. Temporary Flight Restrictions begin in about 3 hours, through tomorrow afternoon. That'll put a dent in local general aviation revenues.
Southgate
on Jul 22, 2014 at 5:57 pm
on Jul 22, 2014 at 5:57 pm
I saw two military helicopters and an Osprey ( military plane) flying NW above PA yesterday. People driving on Alma northbound were pulling over to stare. I feared this was a military response to some Russian threat at the time. Then I heard these aircraft were seen over Emerald Hills in RWC. A friend in Half Moon Bay saw them turn around over the coast. What is up with that waste?
An acquaintance who works for the DOD intimated that Hillary was in town, also. However, I have not heard that verified. I have, though, been told by a relative in Sunnyvale that there has been a LOT of activity over Moffett since Saturday evening. How much is this costing taxpayers? Does Obama REALLY need to come here so much, especially since the REAL money is in SoCal?
Registered user
Fairmeadow
on Jul 23, 2014 at 11:28 am
Registered user
on Jul 23, 2014 at 11:28 am
they were wastefully using the ospreys this morning as well...i just drove by the protest on the corner of Page Mill and 280...and some of those folks are going to attempt to head up black mountain road to protest [portion removed]....saw one overhead...IF i had the time (i couldn't do it in time today) i would have LOVED to have organized a horse-back protest....if i tried to get up there myself right now..i'd miss him...i would have definitely been able to get you a contingent of riders to meet at that 280/page mill spot had i had enough notice...i just rode by that exact spot yesterday....
Registered user
Fairmeadow
on Jul 23, 2014 at 11:30 am
Registered user
on Jul 23, 2014 at 11:30 am
OH...and you can find video of the Ospreys (I think 4 of them plus that other helicopter) the other day...circling the Los Altos Hills golf club (and kind of over the Hewlett Packard house at the top of the Arastradero preserve) the other day [portion removed.]
Registered user
Crescent Park
on Jul 23, 2014 at 1:48 pm
Registered user
on Jul 23, 2014 at 1:48 pm
If you are at all familiar with security measures, then you would not be ranting/venting about the number of times you've seen the USMC airships in the area.
In simple terms - it's called practice. From the practice they learn issues and then adapt their plan, then practice again. That's why the Secret Service and the Marines are good at what they do.
Registered user
Palo Alto High School
on Jul 23, 2014 at 1:50 pm
Registered user
on Jul 23, 2014 at 1:50 pm
My God, what whiners here. If not here, it would happen elsewhere. Everyone knows government tax dollars are mismanaged. It's amazing that Obama and past presidents and world leaders choose to visit Palo Alto. Maybe moving elsewhere - like North Dakota or Montana - would suit you better if you want an anonymous city.
I don't understand the protesters - do they really think Obama will see them and take them seriously? 50 people's opinions versus the entire nation?
Registered user
Fairmeadow
on Jul 23, 2014 at 5:33 pm
Registered user
on Jul 23, 2014 at 5:33 pm
[Post removed.]
Registered user
another community
on Jul 23, 2014 at 6:06 pm
Registered user
on Jul 23, 2014 at 6:06 pm
Our country and world is in crisis (Mexican border, Israel/Gaza, Russia/Ukraine, food stamps, citizens on disability -- just to name a FEW) and this poseur holds fundraisers in Seattle, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Los Angeles. So glad someone called out SiliConMan on the streets of Los Altos before his visit. Web Link
Most independents and conservatives are intimidated to express their disgust with the president, but the more he divides our country and the longer the media filters the "news," the stronger the voice of the people will get.
Registered user
Community Center
on Jul 23, 2014 at 8:58 pm
Registered user
on Jul 23, 2014 at 8:58 pm
It is unsettling that the Prez chooses to hang out with his plutocrat cronies for 3 days in this very moment. The White House press secretary says the Prez has "cabin fever" in Washington. He is a lame duck with 2 1/2 years to go. Going to Chipotle, drinking beer and playing pool was OK, but attending his 400th fund raiser as Prez while the world is burning is weird.
He is also obsessed with his presidential library. I am worried our local fat cats will sell him on Palo Alto as a location. I hope it stays in Chicago or Hawaii.
Registered user
Palo Alto High School
on Jul 23, 2014 at 11:19 pm
Registered user
on Jul 23, 2014 at 11:19 pm
Re the comment, "Our country and world is in crisis . . . and this poseur holds fundraisers", when is America and the world NOT in crisis? There's always something going on.
Obama inherited a lot of the issues when he took office. He has a tough job and is being unfairly targeted, perhaps because he is black? It's so easy to be an armchair quarterback.
I thank God that Hillary wasn't elected. Our health care would have really gone to pot because she wants nurses to take over because they are cheaper than physicians - true story - she visited a famous health institution and did not invite the physicians to her meeting. She is pure evil and I still wonder about Vince Foster's death.
Registered user
Leland Manor/Garland Drive
on Jul 23, 2014 at 11:35 pm
Registered user
on Jul 23, 2014 at 11:35 pm
So close to the Veterans Hospital but did not even visit. Pretty sad.
Registered user
East Palo Alto
on Jul 23, 2014 at 11:36 pm
Registered user
on Jul 23, 2014 at 11:36 pm
Thank dawg for the rational comments by Crescent Park Dad and iSez.