It’s an honor to be visited by a sitting president, but these days security concerns are so overwhelming that it is often very uncomfortable for those residents and businessmen that live nearby. And with Obama’s visit to the Iowa state Fair one small businessman ended up losing $25,000 in income due to the President’s visit.
Small businessman Mike Cunningham runs the Bud Beer tent at the state fair but saw the Secret Service shut him down for several hours at a peak sales time when the President came to town.
The Bud Beer tent is known as the center of the evening festivities at the state fair, but as Obama visited the fair, the beer tent was shut down to accommodate the needs of the Secret Service sent there to protect the President. Mr. Cunningham is a third-generation owner of the tent, which has been a fair staple for 65 years.
U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley apparently spoke to the Bud tent operator after the President’s visit and tweeted that he lost $50,000 in sales as a result. Grassely’s Tweet said: “How does PresO justify havin secret service shut down the bud tent @ the state fair nd the owner told me he loses 50,000 n 1 nite.”
However, Cunningham disputes that figure by about half.
Cunningham said that the more accurate figure for what he likely lost in sales Monday night is $25,000. He appreciated that fellow fair vendor Barksdale allowed him to set up a Bud beer station near the amphitheater stage and recoup some dollars from those Hairball fans [a rock band].
Mr. Cunningham admitted that he wasn’t a supporter of the President before and won’t change his mind this time out, either.
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