$80,000,000 Party?

[large]

Today's Inauguration will cost $80 Million Dollars according to the newsies . . which is truly OBSCENE . .

I thought in 2004, Bush's inauguration, at $48 million was way out of line and approaching obscene, but times were better and according to sources, Private enterprise paid for a lot of it . . not so this time though, again, according to the newsies . .

Sure, I suppose it's a historical event, but it's also the most expensive in the history of the country, at a time when that amount of money could be spent for better things . . certainly a lot of long term things could be affected instead just a song and a dance . .

And yeah, what's $80 Mil when we discuss "Chump Change" amounts like $25 Billion, you say?

That's the problem . . we have become totally shockproof, apparently!

[Bob Nattering]

Today's Inauguration will cost $80 Million Dollars according to the newsies . . which is truly OBSCENE . .

I got to wondering how much of that is from the federal budget and how much is private. It's difficult to determine exact figures because it all depends on what you include or don't include and whether or not the Feds acquiesce to what DC, Virginia and Maryland are asking for to pay their estimates for security costs.

The following two sources seem to be viable sources and somewhat agree with each other:

tampabays10.com (Channel 10 Tampa Bay) (http://www.tampabays10.com/news/columnist/story.aspx?storyid=98442&catid=79)

livemint.com (internet financial news partnered with Wall Street Journal (http://www.livemint.com/2009/01/20140724/Obama8217s-inauguration-lik.html?h=A1)

To summarize:

The current Federal Budget for Inaugural Event: $49M, which includes $15M to pay for Secret Service and pay District of Columbia for security costs.

In addition, Federal funds of $3.5M for platform construction and chairs plus $1.2M for swearing in and luncheon.

Presidential Inaugural Committee Budget: $45M, which is a bipartisan committee that utilizes monies raised from private sources with a max of $50K per donor. (funds are not accepted from corporations or lobbyists). The $50K donors obviously get the best seats.

There is an additional rough estimate that Virginia, Maryland and DC are requesting an additional $75M to defray their costs for security. I have no clue as to how much, if any, of this the Gov't will actually pay. These entities are getting one hell of a lot of income from this event (hotels, restaurants, transportation etc)

So if you include security, we're over $150M.

That said, this is America. I'm watching a ton of Limos coming up Pennsylvania Ave right now on TV. As much as I sometimes question whether Congress, the Executive Branch and the Judicial Branch are worth a plug nickel combined, it wouldn't look good for them to arrive in 1998 Tauruses like the one in my driveway. When you're talking Limos, police, Secret Service, thousands of sanolets, etc, it starts to sound like real money. In perspective, it's about the same cost as rebuilding the Broadway bridge on I-25 in Denver. The State knew the bridge had to be replaced, but hid that from the public until T-REX was approved by voters. I was much more angry about that.

[large]

I

So if you include security, we're over $150M.

That said, this is America. I'm watching a ton of Limos coming up Pennsylvania Ave right now on TV. As much as I sometimes question whether Congress, the Executive Branch and the Judicial Branch are worth a plug nickel combined, it wouldn't look good for them to arrive in 1998 Tauruses like the one in my driveway. When you're talking Limos, police, Secret Service, thousands of sanolets, etc, it starts to sound like real money. In perspective, it's about the same cost as rebuilding the Broadway bridge on I-25 in Denver. The State knew the bridge had to be replaced, but hid that from the public until T-REX was approved by voters. I was much more angry about that.

And I thought $80 mil was obscene . . $150 Million for song and dance is even worse!

As for your statement about them arriving in limos and not Tauruses, why not? That's what they demanded of the Execs from Detroit . .

But the hypocritical part of that, both Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid shuttled back and forth from their districts and DC in private Biz Jets until the Bailout hearings . . and then Nancy wanted her own "Air Force One" . .

As for T-Rex and "Hidden funds" . . The State funded a good share of T-Rex with highway dollars from us poor bast*rds down here . . and still haven't told us . .

I'm also wondering about how many "celebrations" tonight will turn into riots . . Just a passing comment . . Based upon "celebrations" of Sports Events recently . . .

[Bob Nattering]

As for your statement about them arriving in limos and not Tauruses, why not? That's what they demanded of the Execs from Detroit . .

Oops!! That bunch is hard to defend.

[large]

Lemme back track a little . . Actually, Nancy was demanding a military jet wayy last winter, when someone in the government started talking about "Congressional Ethics" (a real oxymoron) and quite a few of the members of Congress had to do some footwork regarding their travel methods back and forth to DC from their districts and their playgrounds . . And I believe Harry was using a jet that belonged to a mining Company that had interests in Nevada . . or to put it another way, probably more likely, a Jet was provided when needed . .

A lot of that came to a screeching halt after the Jack Abramhof deal . . quite a few of those thieves got pretty shy after that deal . . .

Also, Nancy was squealing about having to fly commercial, as it didn't befit her royal title and duties . . . and she only wanted a Boeing Biz Jet, y'kno, a Blue n' White 737 . . .

[Sandra]

First thing he does as President is slaps the taxpayers in the face by throwing an 80+ million dollar party right in the beginning of what promises to be a lengthy recession and possibly depression.

And he wants to be like FDR???

The only thing Roosevelt like about him is that he's a marxist socialist.

At least Uncle Frank was a US Citizen, though...

[west4567]

I'm fine with the size and cost of the Obama inauguration. Bush's in 04 actually cost more than $100 million; this one will cost twice as much, but the '05 inauguration only drew 400,000. '09 is at ~2,000,000.

While the election of our first African American President isn't that big a deal to me, we have a group of 40 million of our fellow citizens who have historically been discriminated against (what an understatement) and find special joy in an event that they didn't think was possible, even in America (although I suspect most of us never doubted Her).

I'm disheartened that so many Americans actually believed that vestigial racism would keep us from electing a minority, but if this is what it takes to restore their faith in their country, so be it. Perhaps this is one of the necessary steps we must take for some on the left to admit they live in the best place in the world.

That so many wanted to be there is a good thing - not a bad thing. And that costs money.

[west4567]

That's not to say that I'm not getting a bit tired of it, though.

I'll have to watch House reruns tonight.

[Sandra]

pfft...he's just as much white as he is black, why are you referring to him as African American? Is he only one race or the other?

He's not even a legal citizen, he's still a legal citizen of Indonesia, he should have NEVER been elected in the first ****ed place. He's ILLEGAL.

[west4567]

pfft...he's just as much white as he is black, why are you referring to him as African American? Is he only one race or the other?

He's not even a legal citizen, he's still a legal citizen of Indonesia, he should have NEVER been elected in the first ****ed place. He's ILLEGAL.

- "Negro" and "Black" became less acceptable a few years ago. It's not important. I'm open to calling anyone what they like.
- He is multiracial.
- I suspect he's legal. If he ain't, it's close - Maybe closer than McCain.
- I suspect he's claimed Indonesian citizenship a few times in the past, but having been a citizen of Indonesia (if he was) wouldn't necessarily preclude an individual from being President.
- I might, at some point, agree that he should not have been elected. Doubtful, but possible. Voters decide these things. They did. They're smart.
- House is on channel 242 if you have Directv.

[Sandra]

West, he's a legal citizen of Indonesia. He was never naturalized.

He was born in Kenya, for one thing, that makes him illegal right there. His mother forged a document and claimed he was born in Hawaii.

Even if that were so, any US Citizenship that he DID have was gone when he became a citizen of Indonesia.

In order to become a US Citizen, he'd have had to be naturalized. When you expatriate, you don't renew your citizenship, you have to go through the naturalization process as if you were never a citizen to begin with. Obama did not do that, and I think that the reason why he didn't salute the flag was because of his Indonesian citizenship.

Hillary Clinton has this on him, why she never pursued that legally I don't know, but it makes her an accessory. She had a slip of the tongue which got the ball rolling to investigate him in the first place.

He is not legal.

McCain would have been more legal because he was born on US Military occupied soil while his parents were overseas serving their country. Obama's mother was not overseas serving the country, she was actually rebelling against the US at the time. Big huge major difference.

Both of McCain's parents are US Citizens, that wasn't the case with Obama's parents.

This was brought before the USSC who refused to hear the case (all 14 of them) for fear of the riots that the blacks were promising if Obama wasn't allowed to take the Presidency.

I say they should have called in the Army, then, because Obama has no business being our President because first, he's not a natural born citizen and second, he's not a citizen at all. He's unqualified according to the US Constitution.

- I suspect he's claimed Indonesian citizenship a few times in the past, but having been a citizen of Indonesia (if he was) wouldn't necessarily preclude an individual from being President.

Yes it would - read the US Constitution. By law, Obama is supposed to be a natural born citizen of the US in order to be legal to be President. He's not, and even if he were, he gave up that citizenship and into adulthood had retained his Indonesian Citizenship. That precludes anything, he's not qualified.

[Sandra]

- I might, at some point, agree that he should not have been elected. Doubtful, but possible. Voters decide these things. They did. They're smart.

You remember that the next time you bash Bush...

[Dean.Barnett]

"Voters decide these things. They did. They're smart."

You remember that the next time you bash Bush...GW, who won the White House while losing the popular vote (http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0781450.html).

[Dean.Barnett]

. . . He is not legal.Here, Sandra, you can add this (http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/2009/01/20/obama_oath/index.html) to your denial-list:
On Fox News, Chris Wallace just speculated that President Obama might still legally be regular ol' Barack Obama, because his botched oath doesn't count.

Wallace was referring to the one slip in today's otherwise flawless ceremonies, which came at the most important moment: Chief Justice John Roberts said and President Obama repeated back to him: "I, Barack Hussein Obama, do solemnly swear that I will execute the office of President of the United States faithfully." The oath's actual line (which is in the Constitution) goes, "I [Barack Hussein Obama] do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States."

[west4567]

You remember that the next time you bash Bush...

I never bash Bush, because I believe he is a truly good, honest man. The most despicable part of the inauguration was the crowd booing Bush and Cheney.

"President Bush’s arrival on the giant TV was greeted with intense booing. "Thirty-more minutes," one man shouted; he was joined by others. A section of the crowd began singing, 'Nah, nah, nah, nah, hey, hey, hey, goodbye.'
The most shocking moment was the appearance of Vice President Dick Cheney in a wheelchair. The crowd laughed with menace."
http://www.news8.net/news/stories/0109/587394.html

I think these events didn't get much press coverage because even the loonies realize how low-class such behavior was.

[west4567]

I also am one who thinks Bush may yet be regarded as a great president. With a bit of perserverence, success in Afghanistan will be locked in, and Bush will have been responsible for liberating 50,000,000. (I don't think it will be possible for Obama to screw up Iraq at this point). If Iraq remains stable, the war will have been a monumental victory that few thought was possible 2 years ago.

Bush is also responsble for 1.4 million Africans received AIDS medicine. Before Bush the number was 50,000 receiving such assistance from the U.S. Both Bush and the U.S. are loved in most of the continent.

Many in Europe don't like him, but all of eastern Europe treats him like the protector of liberty that he is.

He's highly respected in India and China, with whom are relationships have never been better, at least in my memory.

And most important of all, the feat that none of us thought possible, the performance for which I will always be grateful, and in awe of: No terrorist attacks since 9-11.

[Sandra]

"President Bush’s arrival on the giant TV was greeted with intense booing. "Thirty-more minutes," one man shouted; he was joined by others. A section of the crowd began singing, 'Nah, nah, nah, nah, hey, hey, hey, goodbye.'
The most shocking moment was the appearance of Vice President Dick Cheney in a wheelchair. The crowd laughed with menace."
http://www.news8.net/news/stories/0109/587394.html

I think these events didn't get much press coverage because even the loonies realize how low-class such behavior was.

And you think voters are smart? This behavior that you described is not smart.

Most people voted the way the press enticed them to, just like they fell for the tactics of the press concerning the Bush administration. The media clearly didn't like Bush and they did everything in their power to make him look bad to the People, and this is the end result.

It's a dangerous game. Kiss your freedom goodbye, West, because if there's any one person who wants to nullify the US Constitution, it's Obama.

Don't you think it's a bit dangerous that he seems to have cavorted with terrorists for most of his adult life? Don't you think it's dangerous that his Harvard Education was paid, in full and in cash, by a terrorist??

Why do you think Hamas wanted Obama to win the Presidency? How is it that strings were pulled for him to become Senator in Illinois in the first place? The man has friends in high places, and these are not the kind of friends that are friendly to the US.

There's motive there, and the ignorance of the people have elected that negative motive into office. The US has basically committed suicide, there's no hope for us now.

I realize everyone really wanted to have a black president and it was the politically correct thing to do, but to choose one who isn't even a US Citizen and who has so many terrorist ties is going to be the death of the US as we know it.

We've voted a black Hitler into office. Mark my words.

[large]

-
- I suspect he's legal. If he ain't, it's close - Maybe closer than McCain.

Don't go there . . McCain sacrificed time and health for your freedom . . anyone serving this country in time of combat , if they were'nt a citizen when they signed up, should deserve citizenship and all the privileges that go with it after . . Unless you have, you have no right to even make that statement!

-Voters decide these things. They did. They're smart.

Fewer than 40% of the voters can be considered "Smart" . . if they were, neither of the candidates would have received anywhere near the votes they got, and we would have a completely new Congress, not an incumbent among them . . Hell, a percentage of them cannot even fill out a legal ballot!

[west4567]

Don't go there . . McCain sacrificed time and health for your freedom . . anyone serving this country in time of combat , if they were'nt a citizen when they signed up, should deserve citizenship and all the privileges that go with it after . . Unless you have, you have no right to even make that statement!

McCain's citizenship is not in doubt. Neither is Obama's. But the qualification for President is not mere citizenship. It is "natural born" citizenship, which is not really defined anywhere but is generally accepted to mean born in the U.S. - McCain was not. Canal Zone is close enough for me, and I voted for him.

As for questioning my right to make a statement: Huh???

[west4567]

I think voters are very smart and rarely make mistakes. And when voters decide that the pendulum is swinging too far in one direction (which they may soon discover), they adjust the direction.

So far, it looks to me that President Obama will be sticking with many of the same policies Bush established. With respect to national defense, that's good. With respect to fiscal policy, not so much.

[large]

VOTERS ARE DUMB AND CONTINUE TO RE-ELECT THIER MISTAKES!

As a glaring example, let's take the Colorado Voter fr'instance . . We elect a State House and Senate, then we put about 20 laws on the ballot, some being Amendments to the State Constitution, and some of those dictate certain fiscal matters "Forever" . . and then we further vote to forever modify what we have enacted, often putting one amendment or modifiers in direct conflict with another . . Why do we do that? BECAUSE WE WEREN'T SMART ENOUGH TO ELECT A REPRESENTATIVE WE COULD TRUST TO DO THE PUBLIC'S BUSINESS! AND WE'RE NOT SMART ENOUGH TO SEE WE ARE BEATING A DEAD HORSE . . The legislators we elect love it though . . they have to take NO blame . .

So much for the smart voter . . or are you just defending your own vote?

As for your summation of Obama's policies . . Does he really have a choice? Remember, he has to deal with Harry and Nancy and their agendas . . The next two weeks and the "New" Bailout bill is gonna leave blood in either the hallowed Halls of Congress, or the Oval Office . .

If that doesn't happen, it will mean that Obama backpedaled on his promise to cut spending by earmark and general pork . . Because the "New" Bill has plenty of both . .

[Sandra]

McCain's citizenship is not in doubt. Neither is Obama's.

Obama's citizenship IS in doubt, West. In fact it's been challenged at the legal level but the United States Supreme Court refused to hear the cases because they were afraid of riots that were being threatened by the black community.

Justice was has not prevailed here, our Court Justices are a bunch of freaking cowards! They SHOULD have heard these issues, there were 14 challenges brought before the USSC because Obama IS a legal Indonesian Citizen, and there is proof that he wasn't even born in the US.

So yes, his citizenship IS in question. That the courts failed to address that doesn't make it any less of a question to We The People.

[large]

As for questioning my right to make a statement: Huh???

Unless you are a 10 point vet and have drawn combat pay for even one month, John McCain is a one step better citizen than those who haven't. It's that simple . . He has made a lifetime investment that those who have never defended this country cannot claim to have made no matter what they have done other . . So one cannot say that John McCain's citizenship, no matter where he was born is equal to that of Obama . . Obama has never served, and even when he's served his time as POTUS, he still will not have approached the qualifications that John McCain and Millions of other servicemen will have attained!

Respect those who have truly served this country!

On the other hand, who you voted for is your business and privilege.

[west4567]

Obama's citizenship IS in doubt.


So, Obama may not even be a citizen of the U.S.? Even though Indonesian citizenship doesn't preclude U.S. citizenship?

I think we've reached the point where we simply disagree.

The "natural born" part of the requirement is hazy, as it was for McCain. But I'm not convinced at all that Obama is not a citizen.

[large]

So, Obama may not even be a citizen of the U.S.? Even though Indonesian citizenship doesn't preclude U.S. citizenship?

I think we've reached the point where we simply disagree.

The "natural born" part of the requirement is hazy, as it was for McCain. But I'm not convinced at all that Obama is not a citizen.

Another of those "Grassy knoll" deals . .

The paper trail seems to be complete, as far as Constitutional and The Courts are concerned. It will probably be a talking (or arguing) point hereafter . .

Me? I have no idea . . But, consider this . . without Obama, you have Biden . . let's keep Obama . . the alternative is really scary!

[west4567]

So much for the smart voter . . or are you just defending your own vote?

The voters pretty much overruled me on every candidate on the ballot.

[Sandra]

So, Obama may not even be a citizen of the U.S.? Even though Indonesian citizenship doesn't preclude U.S. citizenship?

Try again, West. It's not about who precludes whom citizenship wise, Obama has never been a US Citizen, although he was thought to have been because of a fraudulent act committed by his mother.

At most he may have been considered dual, but at the time that he became an Indonesian citizen, that became invalid. In order to patriate to Indonesia, his mother had to denounce her US Citizenship, which she did on behalf of her and her son, who was adopted legally by his stepfather.

Indonesia doesn't recognize dual citizenship, it's against their laws.

That fact that Obama was not even born on US soil invalidates him from being legal to serve as US President. The fact that he isn't a US Citizen at all also makes it illegal. He should not have been allowed to take the oath, and at any time during his Presidency, he can still lose that and be taken into custody and end up in Prison for lying to the American people about his citizenship.

Why do you think he fought so hard to keep his records from Harvard private? It's because those indicate that he is Indonesian, because that is how he identified himself to his school - that's part of how he got accepted, he was in some kind of program for non-US Citizens.

It's common knowledge now how he traveled around on his Indonesian passport to areas where US Citizens were not allowed, so we can see by his actions that when he became of age, the country he chose to remain a citizen was Indonesia, not the US.

Even if he had changed his mind, the fact that he expatriated in the first place means that he would have to go through the naturalization process in order to become a US Citizen. He has not done that, and even if he had, that still nullifies any previous citizenship status he may have had before expatriating.

The fact that he has "friends" in high places overlooking things on his behalf only places them in the criminal position of "accessory". I hope they're all rounded up and thrown in prison where they belong for committing treason against the US, because that's exactly what it is: Treason.

[Sandra]

Large, at least Biden is legal.

[large]

Legal is one thing . . Dumber'n a post is another . .

As I've opined before, rat'chere in this forum, "Joe would be a hell of a guy to sit and drink beer, tell stories and stuff like that, I'd bet . . but as a constitutional scholar or even just a second rate ambulance chaser, he's got a long ways to go" . . Thus as a President who must have a grasp of the situation on hand . . with Joe, I'll pass . .

Obama, on the other hand, came up in politics through all the things you argue, and also through the Cook County Cesspool of Politics, and makes anyone in the past who might have had the ability to seem "Teflon Coated" look like magnetic velcro, so he's got to be smart, if nothing else . . How that works out for him . . And us . . we'll have to see . .

Get over it, he's our President for at least four years . . although he may be a pariah after about six months if he doesn't get a handle on the World/US economies . . He can only blame Bush for so long . . then it becomes his burden . .

[Sandra]

I won't get over it, Large. The US has been let down in so many ways by putting that idiot into office.

All I can do is hope for the best, but I know that's a false hope.

[large]

Sandra, the Democrats and Republicans have been "letting this country down" for over 60 years, but since about Reagan's last term, "Gotcha Politics" has reached new highs . . with neither party nor their candidates being particularly Patriotic . . Kind of "Party first, country third or fourth" . .

And no matter what is said, nothing's going to change much, I think . . .