City's Gay Pride Day costs not worth the ink, or hot air

Rochester Police were all smiles as they sported the rainbow insignia on their uniforms last Saturday (Courtesy photo)

Because we heard so much push back on social media and various blogs and websites in and around the Granite State about the costs Rochester incurred putting on its Gay Pride Day last week - most of it bereft of any facts or figures - we decided to give City Hall a call and find out the skinny.

It seems the cost of the rainbow insignias worn by Rochester Police Officers came to $70 and was paid for out of the Rochester Police budget after being approved by the Police Commission.

The only other cost to city taxpayers was the hours of labor it took to put the rainbow banners up on city lampposts, about three, according to Deputy City Manager Blaine Cox.

The rainbow banners, themselves, were paid for by Main Street, a city nonprofit devoted to the preservation, growth and vitality of the downtown.

Given the hundreds of folks who turned out for the day and evening on Sept. 10, they seemed to have done their job.

Rochester Police reported absolutely no problems from the crowd, the shops and restaurants had some extra customers and Rochester showed itself to be a safe, welcome and inviting place for all of its residents.

Bravo, Rochester.

Oh, by the way, in a couple of weeks the black crow banners will be going up in the downtown signaling the start of the Halloween season. Let's hope that doesn't scare up any similar hand-wringing.