RNC Bus Snags: Florida GOP Hires Own Transportation
Fed up with problems from RNC-provided buses, the Republican Party of Florida hired a charter bus company to transport its delegates.
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The Republican Party of Florida is hoping delegates will have a smoother ride for the rest of the convention, now that the organization has chartered a bus company to provide transportation.
On Tuesday, delegates were late to the opening day of the Republican National Convention because RNC-contracted buses were not sent to pick them up. Then the delegates were stuck on buses for hours Tuesday after the convention ended for the evening.
"It was an absolute mess up," said Florida delegate Pat Fahey of Daytona Beach. Fahey did not arrive back to Palm Harbor's Innisbrook Resort & Golf Club until after 3 a.m. Wednesday.
"Nobody knew where the buses were located when we came out of the convention. Everybody was sending us to a different place. Then when we finally got on the buses, we ended up waiting about 35 or 40 minutes on the road, just to get in to the ballpark. It was just a total screw-up," she said.
Tuesday's incidents annoyed RPOC Chairman Lenny Curry. "Our delegates have had a hard time getting in and out the first day to the convention center and that's frustrating for me. I want this to be a good experience for them," he said Wednesday afternoon.
"I will tell you that last night, I almost sent a tweet out that said, 'First it was the guest passes, then it was the hotels, now it's the busses,' but I restrained myself," he said chuckling.
Curry rode one of the RPOC-contracted buses from Innisbrook to the Florida delegate's lunch and tour of Tarpon Springs Wednesday. Curry says he's been using the buses when his schedule allows it.
The RPOF was quick to switch to its own transportation after Tuesday's bus snags.
"RPOF has been providing our own bus transportation to take delegates and guests to and from our own events," said RPOF Press Secretary Kristen McDonald.
"However, so our delegates and guests do not have to worry about any future transportation issues to and from the (Tampa Bay Times) Forum, we have decided to extend our own bus service to include trips there, in addition to the RNC supplied buses."
McDonald said that as of Wednesday evening, transportation provided by RPOF contracted buses has been problem-free.
FL Born
1:28 pm on Thursday, August 30, 2012
Thank you for the recap. I'm still tring to find out what bus service was initially suppose to pick them up and why didn't they??? Anyone know?
Brian J ames Waugh
6:24 am on Friday, August 31, 2012
They used a company out of Orlando "Mears' who used buses from all over the USA, never contacted local company's located in Tampa. That is totally wrong. I know where my vote will go too..
Rnactivist
2:26 pm on Thursday, August 30, 2012
Not to worry this is just a foretaste of what the whole country will be like under Robme and Ryan. Aka pinocchio
Michelle Arnold
10:04 am on Saturday, September 1, 2012
"Like"
Walt Kowalski
7:26 pm on Thursday, August 30, 2012
Notice not a "short bus" in sight........ as opposed to next week in Charlotte. Speaking of "Charlotte" don't get caught up in the web of lies you're about to hear about their supposed shining record starting Monday.
Swiffer Wet Jet
7:46 pm on Thursday, August 30, 2012
Now Walt, you know that's not politically correct, right? I could grow to like you :)
Brian J ames Waugh
6:00 am on Friday, August 31, 2012
Why didn't they use a local company? we had buses sitting. we are not happy .
No RNC for me
11:48 am on Friday, August 31, 2012
Maybe this was karma and the RNC was not suppose to come to Tampa. It was not worth it and a lot of money was dished out. Shame on us for not listening. The RNC just needs to go to Calif and visit the Eastwoods.
Walt Kowalski
12:41 pm on Friday, August 31, 2012
Anyone miss Oprah? Me either!
Bob Doyle SR
1:28 pm on Friday, August 31, 2012
RNC BUS kerfuffle pales to Delegate Vote loss of 50 due to FL primary date...too early ?? Bye Bye RNC.
Dan Pressler
9:18 am on Saturday, September 1, 2012
RPOF broke the rules - they knew there would be penalties
John P.
9:22 pm on Friday, August 31, 2012
Here is a short video that explains Mormonism. http://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=annotation_938881&feature=iv&src_vid=7q6brMrFw0E&v=n3BqLZ8UoZk. Joseph Smith the founder of the Mormon faith was a false prophet; in fact in the 1800’s he was known as a conman and was a convicted of such crimes by the state of New York. How anyone could prescribe to such nonsense is mindboggling.
Rollo Tomasi
9:55 pm on Friday, August 31, 2012
Yes unbelievable not like Christianity which is the belief that a cosmic Jewish Zombie who was his own father can make you live forever if you symbolically eat his flesh and telepathically tell him you accept him as your master, so he can remove an evil force from your soul that is present in humanity because a rib-woman was convinced by a talking snake to eat from a magical tree.
Walt Kowalski
10:15 am on Saturday, September 1, 2012
Rollo, I've been looking that passage for weeks - THANKS!
Bulldog
3:23 pm on Saturday, September 1, 2012
Darn Rollo that could have saved me years in sunday school :)
Bulldog
8:28 am on Sunday, September 2, 2012
The change has been Fantastic! Things are so much better in the world the past 4 years with no Bush or Republicans in the White House, now if we could just get rid of the republican, teaparty, right wing, christian fundamentalists, perverted, greedy, corrupt obstructionists in congress, along with all their twin democrat counter parts- think what a wonderful world it would be :)