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View Full Version : Who Will pay For Obama's Costly Inauguration?



red states rule
11-22-2008, 12:03 PM
In light of Obama's spread the wealth concept he seems to subscribe to, then he should come up withthe money it will cost for his inaugural celebration.

What would be so horrible if they scaled back the celebration? Of course that would not fit Obama's huge ego


Will D.C. be stuck with record-breaking inaugural bill?

Skyrocketing costs expected to accompany huge crowds in town for the Jan. 20 inauguration of Barack Obama could stick cash-strapped D.C. with a record-breaking bill for services.

Security and capacity measures recommended by D.C.'s congressional Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton and others will almost certainly surpass the $15 million the federal government gives to the District each year to defray the cost of events, Norton said.

In 2005, with an estimated 300,000 in attendance, the second inauguration of President Bush cost the city more than $17 million, some of which was reimbursed with federal funds. This year, officials estimate nearly five times that many people for the swearing-in of President-elect Barack Obama.

Police Chief Cathy Lanier expects to use an additional 4,000 police officers from all over the country in addition to her 4,000-member force, she said earlier this month. The city's inaugural budget allows for only 3,000 extra uniformed officers.

"There will be an additional amount necessary to handle the unprecedented crowds, and I am now working with my colleagues to deal with that amount," Norton said, adding, "It's an outrage to have costs incurred for federal events."

Norton recommended to the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies the opening of private sites off the Mall, such as Verizon Center and Nationals Park, to accommodate visitors without a ticket to the official events.

"There will not be even standing-room-only space on the Mall," she said. "We have to throw away the old book on organizing the inauguration." Use of Chinatown's 23,000-seat Verizon Center could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to Tasha Rios, a contracts manager for Plano, Texas-based Women of Faith. Rios' group used the facility in July for a more than 12,000-person conference.

Basic rent, she said, cost her organization about $200,000. But it varies by group size, she said, and does not include expenses for staff, security, medical services, insurance and add-ons such as the use of giant display screens that would be needed in the event of an inaugural broadcast.

Verizon Center has blocked off Jan. 18 to 21 for "inauguration-related activities," said spokeswoman Sheila Francis. She declined to offer details.

Northeast's 45,000-seat RFK Stadium and the 10,000-capacity D.C. Armory have discussed a variety of events "mostly with third-party organizations," said spokeswoman Teri Washington. In the past, the venues have inaugural balls.

A spokeswoman for Nationals Park said no calls have yet come in requesting use of the stadium.

http://www.wtop.com/?nid=596&sid=1520338

DragonStryk72
11-22-2008, 09:51 PM
And of course, Bush put up his own money for the event, oh wait, no, he used federal funds for his part of the bill. Why even bother putting up an article that picks itself apart? It's just too easy to waste much time on.

stephanie
11-22-2008, 10:16 PM
they'll have people standing at the entrances with coffee cans asking for donations...

I'm sure the DEAR LEADERS subjects won't mind forking over a few bucks to get a chance to catch a glimpse "THE ONE", or at least get to say they stood on the same ground he walked on...

:thumb:

manu1959
11-22-2008, 10:29 PM
private donors foot the bill.....

emmett
11-23-2008, 04:45 AM
Well..... I'm busy that day!

krisy
11-23-2008, 10:09 AM
I don't have a problem with the norm being spent,what is spent on every other inauguration. Technically,it's not his fault if so many are expected to show up,but, to help with the extra costs in this horrible economy......couldn't he use leftover campaign funds? From what I understood there was a lot of money left over. Just curious.

red states rule
11-24-2008, 09:52 AM
private donors foot the bill.....

Seems local officials in DC is unaware they will be be paid for the added the costs

red states rule
11-24-2008, 09:53 AM
I don't have a problem with the norm being spent,what is spent on every other inauguration. Technically,it's not his fault if so many are expected to show up,but, to help with the extra costs in this horrible economy......couldn't he use leftover campaign funds? From what I understood there was a lot of money left over. Just curious.

Unless Obama flip flops, like most liberals, he wants others to spread their wealth around - while keeping his

Binky
11-24-2008, 11:53 AM
I suspect we, the people, will be doing the paying. (in more ways than one, I might add) We're paying hell for the mess our illustrous leaders have gotten us into over the years. We're paying hell for the fianancial mess, the housing mess, and the auto mess. And I daresay, we will be paying for more messes as they seem to keep on coming. It seems to be the norm for others with power to make the messes and then we, the people, have to step in and clean them up.

red states rule
11-26-2008, 07:19 PM
I suspect we, the people, will be doing the paying. (in more ways than one, I might add) We're paying hell for the mess our illustrous leaders have gotten us into over the years. We're paying hell for the fianancial mess, the housing mess, and the auto mess. And I daresay, we will be paying for more messes as they seem to keep on coming. It seems to be the norm for others with power to make the messes and then we, the people, have to step in and clean them up.

Wait until late Jan or early Feb when the DC government cries how they are short on cash due to the added costs of secuirty and cleanup