I usually choose not to write indignant Bush and friends stories on this blog...there are enough of those already floating around. But this inauguration spending is too much to leave alone. You thought in a time of war and following the tsunami, paratying to the tune of 40 million bucks was a bit ostentatious? There's more. According to the Washington Post this morning, the District will be expected to fork out $17.3 million for the costs associated with the inauguration which the Inaugural planning gang and Bush refuse to cover. These are costs for grandstands, extra and overtime police coverage and other upgraded security requirements, garbage collection, etc. etc. The estimated costs are more than double the same kinds of costs in 2000 when they were $8 million. Of course, 9/11 has something to do with that. You'd think with the rest of us struggling through the possibly useless inconveniences of airport travel, etc, etc., the Bush gang might show a little restraint and not be making demands that they be allowed to party hearty without restraint.
Some facts and figures:
The District has available $5.3 million of the expected $17.3 million in expenses from a special fund to cover the extra costs associated with its unique status in the country. That's it. The District failed to get from Congress an increase in funds to $25 million to cover security for the Inauguration. In contrast, New York and Boston each received $50 million to cover additional security expenses for the national conventions this past summer.
The Inauguration requirements will result in the diversion of $11.9 million from its Homeland Security funds (and these are already inadequate). The funds the Administration thinks it would be appropriate to use for its partying have already been delegated to projects such as increasing hospital capacity, equipping firefighters with protective gear and building transit system command centers.
The REPUBLICAN Congressional Representative from Virginia who is the chairman of the committee which overseas the District is opposed to the Administration's use of District funds to cover these Inauguration expenses. His spokesman, David Marin, said, according to the Post, "the Bush administration's position is 'simply not acceptable.'" He continued, "It's an unfunded mandate of the most odious kind. How can the District be asked to take funds from important homeland security projects to pay for this?"
For the full story, see: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A63896-2005Jan10.html?
