I wonder how many people will receive a paycheck because of security, transportation, full hotels, banquet set-up, food service, etc.... If this puts people to work and they are getting paid for providing such services, then I don't have a problem with it.
On Jan 18, 7:27 am, Cold Water <[email protected]> wrote: > Obama hosting pricey party in a dicey economy > By MATT APUZZO, Associated Press Writer Matt Apuzzo, Associated Press Writer > Sat Jan 17, 1:23 pm ET > WASHINGTON – Unemployment is up. The stock market is down. Let's party. > > The price tag for President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration gala is > expected to break records, with some estimates reaching as high as $150 > million. Despite the bleak economy, however, Democrats who called on > President George W. Bush to be frugal four years ago are issuing no such > demands now that an inaugural weekend of rock concerts and star-studded > parties has begun. > > Obama's inaugural committee has raised more than $41 million to cover events > ranging from a Philadelphia-to-Washington train ride to a megastar concert > with Beyonce, U2 and Bruce Springsteen to 10 official inaugural balls. Add to > that the massive costs of security and transportation — costs absorbed by > U.S. taxpayers — and the historic inauguration will produce an equally > historic bill. > > In 2005, Reps. Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y., and Jim McDermott, D-Wash., asked Bush > to show a little less pomp and be a little more circumspect at his party. > > "President Roosevelt held his 1945 inaugural at the White House, making a > short speech and serving guests cold chicken salad and plain pound cake," the > two lawmakers wrote in a letter. "During World War I, President Wilson did > not have any parties at his 1917 inaugural, saying that such festivities > would be undignified." > > The thinking was that, with the nation at war, excessive celebration was > inappropriate. Four years later, the nation is still at war. Unemployment has > risen sharply. And Obama pressed Congress to release the second half of a > $700 billion bailout package in hopes of rescuing a faltering banking > industry. > > Obama's inauguration committee says it is mindful of the times and is not > worried people will see the four days of festivities as excessive. > > "That is probably not the way the country is going to be looking at it," said > committee spokeswoman Linda Douglass. "It is not a celebration of an > election. It is a celebration of our common values." > > Douglass said the campaign sought to keep costs down by having the same > decorations at each of the 10 balls, eliminating floral arrangements and > negotiating prices on food. > > "Those at the Obama administration are trying to be reflective of the > climate," McDermott's spokesman, Mike DeCeasar, said Saturday. > > The festivities began Saturday with a speech at Philadelphia's historic 30th > Street train as Obama's trip began. > > Sunday's concert at the Lincoln Memorial includes performances by Sheryl > Crow, Stevie Wonder, Garth Brooks and others. Denzel Washington and Queen > Latifah will read historic passages. HBO paid $2.5 million for the exclusive > rights to broadcast the concert. > > Monday, the inaugural committee is hosting a national day of service, > followed by three "bipartisan dinners" and a concert at the Verizon Center > honoring military families. The Disney Channel will broadcast the concert, > which includes performances by teen stars Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers, > as part of a $2 million deal that also gave ABC the exclusive rights to > broadcast one inaugural ball. > > The television deals allowed the committee to recoup about $5 million of the > $15 million production costs for the televised events, Douglass said. > > Security and transportation costs are being paid by taxpayers. And with > millions of tourists expected to descend on Washington for Tuesday's > inauguration ceremony, Bush declared a state of emergency, allowing the > district to recover some costs for the event. > > The inauguration committee is paying for 10 stadium-style screens to > broadcast the inauguration ceremony on the National Mall. It is also hiring > garbage and recycling services and renting thousands of portable toilets for > what one supplier called "the largest temporary restroom event in the history > of the United States." > > Obama has pledged transparency in his inauguration fundraising. He has > disclosed inaugural donors as the fundraising continued, though he is not > required to do so until after the ceremony. > > Many of the fundraisers are well-known moneymen and women in Democratic > circles. Those leading the list raised at least $300,000. They include two of > Obama's top campaign fundraisers: Louis Susman, who retired this month as > vice chairman of banking giant and government bailout recipient Citigroup, > and billionaire Hyatt hotel heiress Penny Pritzker. > > http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090117/ap_on_go_pr_wh/inauguration_spend... --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. * Read the latest breaking news, and more. -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
