The $50? Million Dollar Inaugeration

The source of your criticisms is telling. Sorry if we assumed you read and recite from sources that you agree with.

The news has not been critical but you found all that critical stuff to put in your first post. Where on earth did you find that criticism Fox if the news hasn't been critical? Of course, you are going to pretend you have no dog in the fight and would never pass along partisan BS. So tell us truthfully Fox, where DID you find the criticism?

Yep. I've read reports that the FBI has already investigated more threats against him than any other president before him and he hasn't even taken the oath yet.

It will be a minor miracle if he makes it through all the exposure during the events.

Here's a pretty good article on the security detail around Obama.

Drudge.

if you are a little short on money ... you could do it the canadian way .

1) elect new government
2) governor general goes to parliament to deliver "the speech from the throne" .
3) prime minister (sitting on left) gets bored .
4) all go home .



sorry ! no parades .
perhaps some skating on the frozen rideau canal in front of parliament buildings (on the left of picture)



if you got a few "loonies" in your pocket , you can buy some "beavertails" and hot cider at one of the booths - sorry , no booze !

By the way, just to put the money in perspective...

$10 million Federal Funds
$50 million private funds
----------
$60 million
divided by
3 million people

equals $20 per person

and if only 1 million people show up
it still is only $60 per person.

That doesn't count all the people viewing it around the world nor does it count the money that will be recouped by the sale of the tickets to the various balls, most of which are $150 per person.

Foxfyre, I agree that some pomp and circumstance is necessary to the office...

...but I, for one, could do with a lot less of it.

The money could be used in wiser ways.

But, I guess that's always the case.

I gotta get way up on New Hampshire Ave to some of them rib joints and get me a half order and watch the inauguration on the tube. I wanna see them lesbians march, and the synchronized lawn mower drill team.

Canajun sewicide rates must be through the roof on inauguration days.

Too much. Inappropriate. Won't be watching.

I don't dig the big American foofarah.

That's a lot of money that could be put to much better use. Actually, to my way of thinking, almost anything would be better than four days of political parties.

I feel the same way about all the money that will be spent on February 1st for all the superbowl parties and commercials.

I won't be part of that either.

That's the thing.....how the money is spent when there is so much need.....

But if nobody ever bought a Monet or Rembrandt because they weren't 'practical' or if we didn't plant roses just because they are beautiful as well as corn necessary to feed the people, I think it would be a much more gray and dismal world. And that's exactly where I am conflicted. Perhaps something as important as using great fanfare to install the leader of the free world into his lawfully elected position has implications like planting seeds that reap benefits greatly exceeding the cost? We can always hope.

There are going to be those who disagree with or get ticked off about something regardless though. The examples of criticism I initially posted were ALL criticisms from Obama SUPPORTERS. I doubt very seriously any will be anti-Obama people because of their bitches about the inaugeration.

I asked once and didn't get a reply. Now that you have claimed all the criticisms came from supporters, I feel you need to provide your sources.

I have seen no one claim Obama got money from corporations other than you. What is your source?

It sure is cheaper to have a king or queen - no coronation in Scandinavia since 1906 as the kings did not want to spend so much money belonging to the people and a king sits for life. No big spending every fourth or eighth year.

Another way to look at it is that all of that money being spent is going somewhere.

1) Porta Potty comapany / Porta Potty employees
2) Convention Centers / employees
3) Waiters
4) Staff
5) Food Service throughout the Metro area
6) Hotels - Food, cleaning personel, front desk personel, etc
7) Airlines - Imagine all the people flying in! Pilots, attendants, bagage handlers...
8) Buslines - I imagine most of the bands are coming in by bus
9) Staging
10) Lighting
11) Event Planners
12) Taxi Drivers
13) Rail System
14) Clean-up crew
15) Florists

All the way down to the moving company taking out Bush stuff and moving the Obama's in. Even big oil wil benefit by all the people that drive into DC for it from all over the country.

Hundreds of thousands of people will receive paychecks over the next week that contain funds related to this event. It isn't as if the money is being flushed down the toilet. It still exists and is being passed around.

Even though I am conflicted on the pros and cons of American excesses here as previously expressed, I rather think I would nod approvingly at the Canadian way of doing this.

I wish I could be there to see all those marching bands...that's gonna be incredible.
But yeah- even though it's Obama and historical and I'm psyched...that's too much money- no need for it and it does seem a little bit hypocritical.

Still, I'd have loved to have been able to be there. If I were in the states - I'd be one of the people lining that street.

And I'd like the Canadian ice-skating party (if they had brass bands) just as much I think.

What a huge ******* waste of taxpayer money!

BH Obama could have set a frugal example for all Americans to follow,
but it's not his money and he does not care about the American people.

Disagree H2O. Yes he could have set a frugal example for all Americans to follow and he would have received huge heaps of praises from me if he had chosen to do so. But as others have mentioned, right or wrong the inaugeral extravaganza is a sort of tradition in this country and Obama isn't doing it any differently than his predecessors have done. Well, he might be trying to impress by doing it bigger and better which seems to be his style, but if that translates to 'not caring about the American people', then neither did any of our other past presidents going back for some time.

However, I think about Lyndon Johnson being sworn in as President on Airforce One and there was zero fanfare when Ford took over after Nixon's resignation. Were they considered any less presidential because there was zero hooplah noting the event? I think not.