Obama to Visit Culver City for Fundraiser

President Barack Obama will head back to the Southland for a re-election campaign fundraiser at Sony Pictures Studio in Culver City.
 
The trip is scheduled for April 21.

The visit will mark Obama's sixth trip to Southern California as president. Previous trips included a rally at USC, town hall meetings in Costa Mesa, and an appearance on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno."

Tickets for the event range from $250 for general admission to $2,500 for VIP seating and $100 for those under 40 years old.

Obama announced April 4 that he is running for re-election, the same day the fundraiser in Culver City was announced.  

Obama's visits to Los Angeles have often created disruptions and traffic headaches. During a visit in August to Hancock Park, several major streets were closed for security reasons. Motorists crept along and found themselves facing blocked streets and searching for alternate routes already filled with frustrated drivers.

Teachers at Culver City High School have been told class schedules will be rearranged to allow students and parents to depart the campus at midday Thursday, just before the President is to arrive at nearby Sony Studios.

Culver City High usually releases its pupils early on Wednesdays to accommodate teacher development and testing. Next week, the early release has been moved to Thursday because of presidential traffic concerns, teachers have been told.

White House Deputy Communications Director Jen Psaki said this week, officials work to minimize traffic impacts when the president travels.

"Presidential travel is more complicated with more pieces than most people are aware of," Psaki told reporters. "We certainly do everything we can to minimize any negative impact it could have to any community. Our hope is always we can keep any disruption to a minimum."