Billing Trump for visit penny wise and pound foolish

When Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller decided to flout precedence and bill the Trump campaign more than $200,000 for the cost of the president’s visit to the City of Vision next door, plenty of Albuquerqueans probably would say that’s just fine. But has anyone at City Hall taken the long view? It’s not a question of whether President Trump’s visit cost Albuquerque money. As Journal reporter Jessica Dyer wrote Thursday, there were clearly major expenses for multiple government agencies — from the Albuquerque police officers who stepped up to provide extra coverage before, during and after the event, to the public employees who had to vacate their offices in the area around the hotel where Trump stayed. The Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office, New Mexico State Police and the city of Rio Rancho all were affected, as well, but apparently have no intentions of invoicing the campaign.

It’s the first time Keller’s — and if memory serves, any — mayoral administration has sought reimbursement from a presidential campaign. Ultimately, the taxpayers get stuck with the bill, be it out of their city or federal pocket.

Is Keller, a Democrat, planning to bill all presidential campaigns that come through town? If he cares about fairness — or at least the perception of it — he must; he does represent all Albuquerque taxpayers, Republican, as well as Democrat.

And that opens up a whole new box of Pandoras, as Gov. Bruce King used to say. Because there’s really no better way to redefine New Mexico as a flyover state than to start nickel-and-diming every candidate who wants to court our votes. We only have five electoral votes. We’re comparatively poor and largely rural. All reasons a presidential candidate on either side of the aisle might skip a visit. Throw in a bill for law enforcement and other expenses, and guess who’s not coming to that fundraising dinner?

And at the end of the day, who really suffers? New Mexico voters who want to become better informed before casting a ballot.

Remember, more than 10,000 strong showed up last month to see President Trump during his campaign rally in Rio Rancho. (It’s worth noting that many of the attendees came from outside Albuquerque, spending money in the Duke City and bolstering the city’s coffers.)

It doesn’t matter that classifying Trump as a visiting “dignitary” stretches the meaning of the word like Silly Putty. Keller might get political points from progressives for sending Trump a bill, but if he is fair and equitable across the board, and makes this practice a policy, all of New Mexico stands to lose from it.