Obama's inauguration is most expensive ever at $160 million

[True blue (and gold)]

Excuses for excess in this economy doesn't get it for me, TB&G.

 

I'm going to admit ignorance here, but besides pure numbers, what is excessive?

 

I will stick by the numbers issue. I'll stand by this now and for future elections. Any citizen that wants to attend inauguration festivities should be allowed to take part...for both sides of the aisle.

[cch5432]

Which ceremony are you talking about? Weren't today's festivities MLK Day related?

Yesterday's.

[Run To State]

I'm going to admit ignorance here, but besides pure numbers, what is excessive?

 

I will stick by the numbers issue. I'll stand by this now and for future elections. Any citizen that wants to attend inauguration festivities should be allowed to take part...for both sides of the aisle.

From what I heard on the radio today, I believe it was reported that $125 million of it is from the tax payer. That's excessive to me, as a tax payer I'm not a bit happy. This whole thing since he's been elected is really grating on my nerves. If he was a Republican, we wouldn't see this love affair from the media. I'm sick to death of the hype.

[True blue (and gold)]

From what I heard on the radio today, I believe it was reported that $125 million of it is from the tax payer. That's excessive to me, as a tax payer I'm not a bit happy. This whole thing since he's been elected is really grating on my nerves. If he was a Republican, we wouldn't see this love affair from the media. I'm sick to death of the hype.

 

So, it's the money that is the bottom line for you? There are no specific details that you feel are excessive?

 

I can understand this being something as a taxpayer that you don't want to foot the bill on. I felt that way on one of Bush's major policies. However, I guess we don't individually get the choice on this one.

[Run To State]

So, it's the money that is the bottom line for you? There are no specific details that you feel are excessive?

 

I can understand this being something as a taxpayer that you don't want to foot the bill on. I felt that way on one of Bush's major policies. However, I guess we don't individually get the choice on this one.

In this economy? Yes. It really should be for everyone, it's wasteful in a time we can't afford the waste.

[ladiesbballcoach]

If the economic times were not so bad, I don't have problems with it.

 

But if the Big 3 leaders are going to get lamblasted for flying a private jet to DC, then this is over the top too.

[Clyde]

From what I heard on the radio today, I believe it was reported that $125 million of it is from the tax payer. .

 

Until someone tells us what makes up the $125M (parties vs security) its hard to make an intelligent decision.

 

As I said in another thread, unless you are going to tell 2M people they are not allowed to show up then its going to cost a lot to provide security and essentials.

 

I've heard that the "fun stuff" will cost about $50M. Sounds like a lot but I've also read that about $45M if not all of that has been raised through private funds ie no tax payer $$.

[Hoot Gibson]

Change, or more of the same? I wonder what kind of seat George Soros gets for his $250,000 donation? All animals are equal but some fat multi-billionaire animals with felony convictions are more equal than others.

 

On the Money Trail: Inauguration Perks Go To the Rich

VIP-seating at the "We Are One" Concert Among the Benefits for Big Donors

 

President-elect Barack Obama billed his inauguration an event "for all Americans." But in the nation's capital this long weekend, wealthy visitors are finding themselves a bit more equal -- and warmer -- than others.

 

Most Americans here to see President-elect Obama make history crammed onto buses and trains, slept on floors and fought crowds and cold. But the wealthiest Americans coming to see the event are enjoying all the perks their money and power ever warranted.

 

For CEOs and stars arriving by private jet, local airports have shut down entire runways to serve as parking lots for their planes. Officials are prepared to handle hundreds of private aircraft for the long weekend.

 

Limousine companies have been busily shuttling the somebodies around town in style. Shirlington Limousine's Chris Baker says he has seen a spike in business for this inauguration, as he has for the past five. (Democrats seem to be more last-minute than Republicans, he said. "The GOP has much more advance, prior planning.")

[True blue (and gold)]

Change, or more of the same? I wonder what kind of seat George Soros gets for his $250,000 donation?

 

What's the story here? Only liberals can land at these airports? These airports have whole plane "parking lots" and that they are instead planning on shutting down runways to use as parking lots? Republicans don't usually allow private jets to land at local airports during their inaugurations? Those with more money have purchased better hotel rooms and better seats at concerts? Some VIPs got warmed up in a heated tent?

 

Or...that ABC news is running a not so complimentary article about the Obama inauguration?

[Hoot Gibson]

What's the story here? Only liberals can land at these airports? These airports have whole plane "parking lots" and that they are instead planning on shutting down runways to use as parking lots? Republicans don't usually allow private jets to land at local airports during their inaugurations? Those with more money have purchased better hotel rooms and better seats at concerts? Some VIPs got warmed up in a heated tent?

 

Or...that ABC news is running a not so complimentary article about the Obama inauguration?

I see that you carefully excluded my Animal Farms reference and my reference to the fact that Soros is a multi-billionaire felon who has probably purchased more access to Obama and other top ranking Democrats than any man or woman on the planet. Maybe the answer you seek can be found in the omitted portion of the quote.

[True blue (and gold)]

I see that you carefully excluded my Animal Farms reference and my reference to the fact that Soros is a multi-billionaire felon who has probably purchased more access to Obama and other top ranking Democrats than any man or woman on the planet. Maybe the answer you seek can be found in the omitted portion of the quote.

 

I did not "carefully exclude" anything. I am just tired of those who search for any way to twist every single little thing into something that has meaning based on their preconceived notions that support their own agenda. And no...just because "the media" says it's a story doesn't mean it is. I thought we couldn't trust the liberal media? :lol:

[Hoot Gibson]

I did not "carefully exclude" anything. I am just tired of those who search for any way to twist every single little thing into something that has meaning based on their preconceived notions that support their own agenda. And no...just because "the media" says it's a story doesn't mean it is. I thought we couldn't trust the liberal media? :lol:

The most disappointing thing to me about the campaign that resulted in the election of Obama has been the total disregard by liberals of the type of characters that Obama has surrounded himself with. If you cannot see any problem with Obama accepting millions of dollars worth of direct and indirect financial support from a low-life like George Soros, who was previously convicted of insider trading, and who made billions in currency speculation, I doubt that Obama will be able to do much wrong at all in your eyes in the next four years.

 

Given Soros' history as a currency speculator and his manipulation of the British pound and his close association with Obama, every American should be concerned about the access that Soros has bought to Obama. Our current economic crisis makes Obama's acceptance of large sums of donations from a man who undoubtedly has a vested interest in the fate of the dollar even more disturbing. The question is, has Soros placed his bets on the dollar collapsing or on a US economic recovery?

[FootballisKing]

WOW! This is funny. I am listening to people who decried everything that Bush said or did, rationalize any negative comments about their man.

 

Hypocrisy at its finest.

 

Funny Stuff!

[H]

Much of the $40 million spent on Bush's 2005 inauguration was spent on security and much of the money spent then was privately raised but it AP reported the Bush expenditures as exorbitant. $160 million v. $40 million. So what is your point?

 

2005 inauguration attendance: 300,000

2009 inauguration attendance: 1.5-2.0 million

 

2005 inaugural cost/head = $40 million / 300,000 heads = $133/head

2009 inaugural cost/head = $160 million / 1,500,000 heads* = $107/head

 

*conservative attendance figure

 

 

The Bush 2005 inauguration cost/attendee was 25% higher. Relatively speaking, you could argue that few bothered to come see W get sworn in a second time, but the ones that did make the trip must have been lavished with $26 of extra "W Still the President" stickers.

 

Is a relative lack of popularity a virtue to be heralded now?

[Hoot Gibson]

2005 inauguration attendance: 300,000

2009 inauguration attendance: 1.5-2.0 million

 

2005 inaugural cost/head = $40 million / 300,000 heads = $133/head

2009 inaugural cost/head = $160 million / 1,500,000 heads* = $107/head

 

*conservative attendance figure

 

 

The Bush 2005 inauguration cost/attendee was 25% higher. Relatively speaking, you could argue that few bothered to come see W get sworn in a second time, but the ones that did make the trip must have been lavished with $26 of extra "W Still the President" stickers.

 

Is a relative lack of popularity a virtue to be heralded now?

I see that we now have a precise and statistically sound calculation of the cost of both the 2005 and 2009 inaugurations. :lol:

 

Of course, we both know that precision and accuracy are quite different, eh? There are attendance estimates floating around from 800,000 to 3 million and none of them have the type of statistical validity to justify the type of calculation that you did above. Your calculation may be accurate within a margin of error of plus or minus 50 or 100 percent but it is certainly a far cry from the authoritative final word.

 

BTW, you could inflate your numbers further by correcting the cost of the Bush inauguration. That cost was at least $57 million. I corrected the number that you cited in another post that you apparently did not read. The cost of security was apparently not included in the $40 million and according to the AP, the cost of security for the event was more than $17 million.

 

The bottom line is that in this economy, Obama should have shown some more leadership and scaled back the size of his coronation. He missed a golden opportunity to show the kind of shared sacrifice that liberals are so fond of talking about where Republicans are concerned. Obama missed a chance to walk the walk.