The entire idea of paying someone to attend a funeral sickens me.

Here's the thing, kiddies: I have no problem with police officers going to a memorial service/funeral for anyone.

But I have serious heartburn over paying them to do it.

Local police help honor fallen Oregon reserve officer

By Emily Gillespie, Columbian breaking news reporter
Published: November 14, 2013, 8:38 AM
Updated: November 14, 2013, 7:37 PM

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Local police are joining area law enforcement officials to celebrate the life of Oregon  Local police are joining area law enforcement officials to celebrate the life of Oregon City reserve police officer Robert Libke. The procession is scheduled to start at 10:45 a.m. and the service at 1 p.m. (Evan Bell, KATU News)

Local police officers joined Oregon public safety officials Thursday in the celebration of life for Oregon City, Ore., reserve police officer Robert Libke in Portland.

A motorcade procession including family and emergency response vehicles began at 10:45 a.m. in Oregon City and traveled to the memorial service, which began at 1 p.m. at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum, 300 N. Winning Way in Portland.

The Clark County Sheriff’s Office Honor Guard, which includes six members, was in attendance, according to Sgt. Duncan Hoss. Overtime cost for the event was expected to amount to $1,610.

Four members of the Vancouver Police Department Honor Guard were also attending the celebration, spokeswoman Kim Kapp said. The four people are the only personnel authorized for overtime to attend, but Kapp said she would not know how much overtime they would accrue because some of the members could arrange their schedules so that the shift did not go into overtime.

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Commenters on this article are outraged that the democratian would actually print something like this, because many of them neither understand that our money does not grow on trees or that "honoring" Officer Libke is not a function of wasting taxpayer dollars.

Here's the thing: you want to attend a funeral to honor someone?

Swell.  But do it on your own time... not mine.

And to the fringe left nutters who are unable to see the waste in this or any other expenditure, it would seem?  Obviously, tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars were wasted on this.... badly needed dollars that could have made a difference elsewhere in a way that would matter... instead of being a "paid mourner" reminiscent of a New Orleans show funeral.

Tough noogies.  Wasting what appears to be thousands of dollars to go to a function like this is not an honor any more than it's an honor to take out the trash.

It's an honor when you show up out of a sense of personal... and not financial... obligation.

Anything else is spin, smoke and mirrors.