Four More Years

[jackola]

And the cost?

I was starting a list of all the costs when I found this gem from AlterNet:

• $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.

Comments

[mortaine.livejournal.com]

It's the devil, I tell you! THE DEVILLLLL!!!!

[tenchichan.livejournal.com]

By the way.... why did we waste like three million dollars for an inaugrial celebration for a re-elected president when we're fighting a war, our economy is in crisis and half of Asia has just been wiped out by a tsunami.


Blech.

[jackola.livejournal.com]

I was thinking of making a post about that. In fact, I should jsut update this one with the numbers.

It's a hell of a lot more than 3 million.

[bang-fcuk-bang.livejournal.com]

those bitches are UGGGGLY!
youd think they would get plastic surgery.

[amboy00.livejournal.com]

She'd make a cool t-shirt.

[starliner.livejournal.com]

I was listening to a show this morning and they were saying that the complaints are just partisan and that no one bitched about either of Clinton's inauguration.
I called (as usual) with the comment that we weren't at war with a bankrupt government during the Clinton years. Of course they rationalized that one away too. Idiots is say.

[gifa.livejournal.com]

WAR MORE YEARS!!! :rolleyes:

[sickostrich.livejournal.com]

It also could have covered the cost of the entire international tsunami warning system (in light of recent events).

That second picture is pretty telling of the entire administration - all it needed was kid rock next to her with a bottle of High Life 40 oz.

[sisyphus238.livejournal.com]

The History channel cablecast a show on Monday about the French Revolution. It started with the marriage of the then Prince Louis to the 16 year old Marie Antoinette and followed events up to the death of Robespierre. What was interesting to me were the parallels that could be drawn with regard to pre-revolution France and the current state of the US. One fact in particular was that Louis pretty much bankrupted the nation when he decided to support the American revolution against England. Money that could have been spent improving life for his subjects was instead spent pursuing vengeance against the English. Hmmmmmmm, "We need a revolution...now."
(That's from a song from some years back. I think Judy Collins may have sung it, can't remember)

[jackola.livejournal.com]

how about Tracy Chapman - Talkin' Bout Revolution

I love this song.

[gen-kun.livejournal.com]

I thought the $40 mill was actually funded throught private donations?

[jackola.livejournal.com]

You're absolutely right. It most came from corporations.

[cupids-crash.livejournal.com]

Is Lee Harvey Oswald still alive? Can we call him?

[chicka878.livejournal.com]

it's truly a sad comment on american culture (well, at least 34% of it...) that champagne and caviar at some stupid dance is more important than providing assistance for the sick and starving people all around the world, or even in our own country