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Its funny for the Right Ringers are all of a sudden concerned with fiscal responsibilitie after 8 years of a blank check mindset. You never hear of them say one word about Paul Bremmer, you recall that name don't you. He was the Administrator responsible for the Iraq's rebuilding efforts e.g. infrastructure and other enities. Oh and Paul Bremmer could not account for 9 Billion US Dollars, it just disappeared!
!!! Great point. This hasn't been too much in the news the last few years, has it. Well, maybe it will be someday soon.
The war is costing $720 million a day or $500,000 a minute, according to the group's analysis of the work of Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph E. Stiglitz and Harvard public finance lecturer Linda J. Bilmes.
as of Sept. 07
Quote:
In 2006, Bilmes, who was an assistant secretary of commerce under President Bill Clinton, and Stiglitz, a former chief economist at the World Bank, placed the total cost of the Iraq war at more than $2.2 trillion, not counting interest.
Which does not include "macro-economic consequences" described by Bilmes and Stiglitz, including higher oil prices, loss of trade because of anti-American sentiments and lost productivity of killed or injured U.S. soldiers.
Thats, 2,200,000,000,000
or
One trillion seconds ago – 31,688 years – Neanderthals stalked the plains of Europe
So yes, the money spent on the inauguration is a lot of stinking money but it is a drop in the bucket compared to the cost of the war in Iraq, the amount of money given to financial institutions for their bail out and any number of other things.
If folks don't like it, then take the time to look at the sticky above and write your representative and complain.
Remember the crap Bush caught for his $40,000,000.00 inauguration for the mainstream media and Democrats? Remember that? Well Obama is spending $170,000,000.00 and there is barely a peep from the left. ABC News: What Recession? The $170 Million Inauguration
So why you loose you home, cut back on you spending, do with less or without out, Obama is living high on the hog and you are going to pay for it. So is this is the sacrificed Obama asked all of us for? We sacrificed and government lives to excess.
If one actually reads the article, the monetary amount is not that shocking and is explained. And a not insignificant amount of the money being spent is from private donations.
Quote:
The actual swearing-in ceremony will cost $1.24 million, according to Carole Florman, spokeswoman for the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies.
Quote:
Washington, D.C., Virginia and Maryland have requested another $75 million from the federal government to help pay for their share of police, fire and medical services.
Quote:
"We have a budget of roughly $45 million, maybe a little bit more," said Linda Douglass, spokeswoman for the inaugural committee.
That's more than the $42.3 million in private funds spent by President Bush's committee in 2005 or the $33 million spent for Bill Clinton's first inaugural in 1993.
Quote:
The bulk of cash will actually be spent on security and logistics. ...Turnout by the general public for the swearing-in ceremony alone is likely to exceed 2 million...The mass of attendees expected will challenge fire, law enforcement, emergency medical and mass transit capabilities
I feel a little split on this one.
I mean, it is an historic moment in our history. Like it or not, but slavery has left an indelible scar on our nation and in a very real way Obamas presidency will help heal it. Also, let the guy have his day in the sun, and hopefully the big party will trickle down to a sense of optimism for the rest of the country...something we really need.
On the other hand, it does reek a tad of 'let them eat cake'.....I certainly remember the crapstorm Nancy Reagan and her new china stirred up during hard economic times so perhaps the grandiosity of these events may end up biting Obama.
I don't know.....I think he may have been wise to crank it down a notch a two, but then I am sure there are a lot of people getting paid for their services, but on the federal dime. I certainly hope that the celebrities are doing it for free, though.
Check out the facts in this thread, people. The costs are largely being paid for by private donations, the expense is less than Bush spent in 2004 (after inflation), and the $170M is about 3 hours of Iraq occupation.
It's a lot of money, but there are a lot of expenses, a lot of celebrants, and it's a drop in the bucket compared to what Bush is costing us every day. As someone said over there, it's a small price to pay for the priviledge of sending Bush back to Texas.
Its funny for the Right Ringers are all of a sudden concerned with fiscal responsibilitie after 8 years of a blank check mindset. You never hear of them say one word about Paul Bremmer, you recall that name don't you. He was the Administrator responsible for the Iraq's rebuilding efforts e.g. infrastructure and other enities. Oh and Paul Bremmer could not account for 9 Billion US Dollars, it just disappeared!
You're absolutely right!!!
Total, complete, unconditional hipocracy can be extremely funny (as it surely is in this case)!!
Republicans concerned about fiscal responsibility? - outrageously funny!!!
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