When President George Bush was inaugurated for the second time the lefties went wild. They ranted endlessly about the $40 million cost as seen below.
They don't seem too upset about Obama's inauguration cost which is reportedly $159,884,933.24 (Daily Mail - UK). I mean, just think how many pounds of pot that could buy, how many protests it could fund, how many trips to Cuba or Venezuela it could pay for or just think how many solar panels like Al 'Boom-Boom' Gore has on his roof that could be purchased? Of course those solar panels wouldn't be doing squat here in Ohio as the snow and the temperature continue to fall in this coldest winter in years.
I'm not sure just how much this second coming should cost, but the real one won't cost zip.
Thursday, January 20, 2005
Shameful Inaugural Excess - the Recoronation of King George II
posted by The Liberal Avenger @ 1:03 AM
George Bush responded to criticism that the inauguration was excessive in light of the war and the tsunami by calling it a "celebration of Democracy." At least two previous Democratic presidents were able to keep it in their pants for their inaugurations in trying times (see FDR and Carter's entries below).The Progress Report has assembled a list of inauguration facts and figures "by the numbers":
$40 million: Cost of Bush inaugural ball festivities, not counting security costs.
$2,000: Amount FDR spent on the inaugural in 1945…about $20,000 in today's dollars.
$20,000: Cost of yellow roses purchased for inaugural festivities by D.C.'s Ritz Carlton.
200: Number of Humvees outfitted with top-of-the-line armor for troops in Iraq that could have been purchased with the amount of money blown on the inauguration.
$10,000: Price of an inaugural package at the Fairmont Hotel, which includes a Beluga caviar and Dom Perignon reception, a chauffeured Rolls Royce and two actors posing as "faux" Secret Service agents, complete with black sunglasses and cufflink walkie-talkies.
400: Pounds of lobster provided for "inaugural feeding frenzy" at the exclusive Mandarin Oriental hotel.
3,000: Number of "Laura Bush Cowboy cookies" provided for "inaugural feeding frenzy" at the Mandarin hotel.
$1: Amount per guest President Carter spent on snacks for guests at his inaugural parties. To stick to a tight budget, he served pretzels, peanuts, crackers and cheese and had cash bars.
22 million: Number of children in regions devastated by the tsunami who could have received vaccinations and preventive health care with the amount of money spent on the inauguration. 1,160,000: Number of girls who could be sent to school for a year in Afghanistan with the amount of money lavished on the inauguration.
$15,000: The down payment to rent a fur coat paid by one gala attendee who didn't want the hassle of schlepping her own through the airport.
$200,500: Price of a room package at D.C.'s Mandarin Oriental, including presidential suite, chauffeured Mercedes limo and outfits from Neiman Marcus.
2,500: Number of U.S. troops used to stand guard as President Bush takes his oath of office
26,000: Number of Kevlar vests for U.S. soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan that could be purchased for $40 million.
$290: Bonus that could go to each American solider serving in Iraq, if inauguration funds were used for that purpose.
$6.3 million: Amount contributed by the finance and investment industry, which works out to be 25 percent of all the money collected.
$17 million: Amount of money the White House is forcing the cash-strapped city of Washington, D.C., to pony up for inauguration security.
9: Percentage of D.C. residents who voted for Bush in 2004.
66: Percentage of Americans who think this over-the-top inauguration should have been scaled back.
What will you be doing while King George II is getting recoronated?
