Watch VideoSecret Service shuts down Pueblo businesses for Obama rally
Story By: David Ortiviz
Source: KOAA
Published Fri Oct 31, 2008, 06:43 PM MDT
Updated Fri Oct 31, 2008, 08:54 PM MDT
Barack and Michelle Obama will be in Pueblo Saturday. They will hold a rally at 3 p.m in the Union Avenue district. But the doors to some of those businesses will be closed.
For security reasons the secret service has ordered some of them to shut down from 10 a.m. To 5 p.m. Saturday. But some owners say they lost money Friday, too, because of construction work to build platforms and stages.
"You shouldn't just meet Joe the plumber, meet Julie the salon owner, who is mad that you closed me and ten of my girls down for two days," said Julie Aragon, owner of Studio 127 salon on Union Ave. Aragon and other business owners estimate they'll lose hundreds of dollars Saturday because of the secret service restrictions.
"I can't even open my door tomorrow," said Rhonda Murry, the owner of an antique shop on Union Ave. Murry spent $150 to attract customers in town this weekend for a large antique fair. "This was a big antique weekend and we've lost our revenue for basically two days," said Murry.
The small business owners in the area wanted to know--"Who planned this?" said Aragon.
According to the city of Pueblo, the Obama campaign selected this site. The campaign office wouldn't comment on their site selection process, but members of the Obama campaign gave the affected business owners VIP tickets to the rally to make up for the inconvenience. For some, that wasn't enough. "Although it may be a nice picture on the wall, how is that going to change our financial status, it doesn't," said Terre Heath, owner of Studio 127 salon on Union Ave.
But the rally could help businesses like this coffee shop, further down the street, where hundreds of supporters will be standing. The owner, an Obama supporter, says the exposure is well worth any restrictions. "You could even say I'm Charles owner and I know that things will be better if he's in office so anything we can do to help out we're there," said Charles Sole, owner of the Daily Grind.
