WRCOG Calls On Former President Bush To Be Keynote Speaker

Former President George W. Bush will speak on leadership and international issues to Riverside-area government leaders in June, with local businesses picking up a fee estimated to top $100,000, it was reported today.

America's latest former president is slated to address the Western Riverside Council of Governments' (WRCOG) 22nd annual General Assembly on June 13, the Riverside Press-Enterprise reported.

According to the newspaper, Bush will be the keynote speaker.

Seventeen cities, two water districts and the Riverside County government belong to the council. Among the local cities that belong to WRCOG are Canyon Lake, Corona, Lake Elsinore, Murrieta, Temecula, and Wildomar. The delegates will get to ask Bush questions touching on how international affairs affect western Riverside County, executive director Rick Bishop told the newspaper.

Bush's contract prevents the government agency from disclosing his speaking fee, Bishop said. No taxpayer funds will be used to pay him, he told the Press-Enterprise.

The newspaper reported that Bush has earned at least $15 million in speaking fees since leaving the White House, and charges between $100,000 and $150,000 per event.

The speech will be at the Morongo Casino Resort & Spa, the newspaper reported. It counted nine presidential trips to the Inland Empire during the younger Bush's presidency. --City News Service and Toni McAllister contributed to this report.