Headlines On This Date 4 Years Ago: "Republicans spending $42 million on inauguration while troops Die in unarmored Humvees" "Bush extravagance exceeds any reason during tough economic times" "Fat cats get their $42 million inauguration party, Ordinary Americans get the shaft" Headlines Today: "Historic Obama Inauguration will cost only $170 million" "Obama Spends $170 million on inauguration; America Needs A Big Party" "Everyman Obama shows America how to celebrate" "Citibank executives contribute $8 million to Obama Inauguration" Oh, yeah, now THERE's some (loose) "CHANGE" i can believe in! $170,000,000 minus $42,000,000 = $128,000,00 Guess Obama just couldn't think of anything better to do with all that money. Too bad about those folks that starved to death, that night. And the one's left out in the cold that froze to death. And i feel certain that the needy elderly were just weeping with joy while eating their cat/dog food. i didn't hear Obama say one flippin' word about, "No way, No how ~ the people of America are going without ~ i can go without." DID YOU?!?!? Didn't think so.
Obama's inauguration costs were largely corporate donations and private interests. So it's not like it was taken away from the taxpayers.
It might not have been taken away from tax payers, but SURE could have been GIVEN to tax payers! Ari? Didn't you start that thread about Laura snubbing Michele? And bitching over the amount the china cost? Same principle here. Obama could have said, "No. You know what? i want a BUNCH of these monies to go to homeless kitchens. Let's us NOT eat at the Ball, and feed them!" THAT would have made a statement, AND been a clear example of a charitable president, who truly believes in what he says.
http://www.tampabays10.com/news/columnist/story.aspx?storyid=98442&catid=79 Lakeland, Florida -- It happens every four years, and gets more expensive each time. Just look at the increase in costs from Bill Clinton to George Bush: in 1993 the inauguration was $33 million. By 2005 it jumped to $42 million. But after Barack Obama takes the oath office Tuesday, the final bill will be staggering, somewhere between $150 to $170 million. Beth Moore who runs a Lakeland plumbing business with her husband Rick, has been struggling like so many others in the rough economy. She asked for a breakdown of the costs. $150-170 million -- Estimated cost of entire inauguration activities, from the parades and galas to the port-a-potties and streamers. $45 million (or more) -- Budget of Presidential Inaugural Committee. The committee is a bipartisan team created in November to organize the inaugural festivities. All of this money comes from private donations. The committee does not accept money from corporations or lobbyists and individual donors cannot give more than $50,000. (In past inaugurations, contributions could run as high as $250,000.) The Presidential Inaugural Committee is responsible for Tuesday's inaugural parade, the 10 official inaugural balls and Sunday's concert at the Lincoln Memorial. The committee also paid the Smithsonian $700,000 to stay open longer during the activities. $49 million -- Total cost of inauguration to the federal government (according to the Office of Management and Budget.) This includes a $15 million appropriation to the District of Columbia to help pay for the inauguration expenses and to pay for Secret Service during the inaugural ceremony and military personnel for the parade following the swearing-in. $75 million -- Estimated cost in a letter to the federal government from the governors of Virginia and Maryland and the mayor of the District of Columbia for transportation and law enforcement. D.C. figures it's share will be $47 million. This number would be addition to the $49 million the federal government is spending. Last Tuesday, President Bush declared a state of emergency for the District of Columbia, making more funding available for "emergency protective measures that are undertaken to save lives and protect public health and safety." $3.5 million -- Construction of platform in front of the Capitol for Tuesday's ceremony and rental of chairs. This comes from the Department of the Architect of the Capitol. $1.2 million -- Cost of Tuesday's swearing-in ceremony and luncheon. This was budged by the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies. But Moore says with the unemployment rate running more than 7 percent in Florida, and with one out 22 homes in foreclosure in the state, she would rather see the money spent on the economy than the inauguration. Moore asks, "How about using that money to help people being thrown out of their homes or small businesses?" And while she didn't vote for Obama, Moore says that's not the point. She says she would be upset if McCain spent the same amount of his inauguration if he had won
Fyre? No, that wasn't me. *coughs* you were the one who was ardently defending Laura Bush and her choice to buy China. And now you say it's the same principle and that Obama shouldn't pay for his own party? FFS. Get a clue. Buy a vowel.
Obama didn't pay for his own party/inauguration. What makes you believe that? I just provided the breakdown of the numbers above. The overwhelming majority came from state and federal government.
Oh, c'mon, you can do the math. The numbers are right there. I'm too tired tonight, even though I hardly worked this week.
Exactly. I can do the math, and I just did. Less than 1/4 was paid by the federal government, but it was a nice try.
I said federal and state government. $45 million (approx) came from contributors. The rest came from government (state or federal). Where do you get 1/4 from?
Sorry ~ you were the most viable usual suspect! And, WHAT A SHOCK! i changed my mind about it. It WAS a disgusting expenditure at this time. The difference is: While Laura could have just passed, she wouldn't have held the reins on where those monies would go, if NOT spent on the china. Obama, just by refusing to participate IF this, that, or the other wasn't done, WOULD HAVE been able to redirect the monies. ps. Ari? Buy a vowel? The day i can't out spell / out speak you will be the day i start mainlining H, baby!
I can read and think with my brain. It's a very neat parlour trick. I'll have to show you it sometime. Nighty.
ROFLMAO!!! i started a post saying that while thinking might be something of a parlor trick to Ari, the rest of us have been at it, constantly!
Can you supply a source for those headlines please? Also can you tell me if the figures your cite for the Bush inauguration include security costs? Thanks.
MSNBC, originally, and here is a link to the story: http://mediamatters.org/items/200901180003 i stand corrected, and i'm sorry that the whole thing was bogus.
Alrighty then. Thanks Fyrenza. Rat would you consider withdrawing this insult since it turns out you're the retard who believes whatever "the media" tells them?
Maybe you should realize that your source estimated the total costs for the inauguration were $150-$170 million. You think it's cool to misplace $20 million and speculate on it? What else is your source speculating on?
