(no subject)

[windelina]

The Washington Post reports that the Bush administration, which is raising $40 million in private funds for the most expensive inauguration in history next week, wants the District of Columbia, for the first time in history, to pay all of its own expenses -- estimated at more than $17 million. In order to do so, the district will be required to divert $11.9 million from federal homeland security funding earmarked for hospitals, firefighting equipment and transit command centers.

The city's costs include $8.8 million in overtime pay for police officers, $2.7 million to pay officers being sent from around the nation to help with the event, $3 million to construct reviewing stands and $2.5 million to place the entire city infrastructure on emergency status. More than 100 square blocks of the city will be closed to vehicular traffic for this first post-9/11 inauguration.

For all previous inaugurations, Congress has made a direct appropriation to the perennially cash-strapped city to cover most or all of its costs. Boston and New York also each got $50 million from the federal government to cover costs associated with last year's party conventions, although those are private events while the inauguration is an official celebration.

Critics from many quarters have asked whether it is even appropriate to have an extravagant, boisterous inauguration, given that soldiers are dying daily in Iraq and hundreds of thousands are still suffering the catastrophic effects of the South Asia tsunami.

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I am so not surprised.

Remember: Bush originally offered 15 million to tsunami aid - less than HALF of what his inauguration will cost. I think we know where his priorities are.

Comments

[wombat-socho.livejournal.com]

You're going to pay for it one way or the other - what difference does it make which pocket the money comes out of, since it all comes from the Feds anyway? This is a tempest in a teapot.

[birdfigment.livejournal.com]

There are certainly things I'm more upset about. But how is it that we - the taxpayers of generally fucked-over DC - would pay for the inauguration anyway? I require enlightenment.

[wombat-socho.livejournal.com]

If the Feds pay for it out of their own budget, it comes out of the income taxes, excise taxes, and tariffs you pay them. If the city pays for it, it comes out of the property taxes, sales taxes, and whatever other fees you're shelling out to Mayor Williams and the rest of the crew. (Actually, the way the article describes it, you're paying for it through the feds and the city, since the Feds are handing grant money to the city which the city is then using for the inaugural expenses. So you're stuck with the cost either way, right? Might as well enjoy the party and/or go out and protest.

[birdfigment.livejournal.com]

If the Feds pay for it, then doesn't the money come from taxpayers all over the country?

And oh yes, I'll be there. ...I wouldn't miss it.

[wombat-socho.livejournal.com]

Well, sure...and that of course includes you and other taxpayers in DC.