By MATT APUZZO, Associated Press Writer Matt Apuzzo, Associated Press Writer
Sat Jan 17, 1:23 pm ET

WASHINGTON – Unemployment is up. The stock market is down. Let’s party.

The price tag for President-elect Barack Obama’s inauguration gala is expected to break records, with some estimates reaching as high as $150 million. Despite the bleak economy, however, Democrats who called on President George W. Bush to be frugal four years ago are issuing no such demands now that an inaugural weekend of rock concerts and star-studded parties has begun.

Obama’s inaugural committee has raised more than $41 million to cover events ranging from a Philadelphia-to-Washington train ride to a megastar concert with Beyonce, U2 and Bruce Springsteen to 10 official inaugural balls. Add to that the massive costs of security and transportation — costs absorbed by U.S. taxpayers — and the historic inauguration will produce an equally historic bill.

In 2005, Reps. Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y., and Jim McDermott, D-Wash., asked Bush to show a little less pomp and be a little more circumspect at his party.

“President Roosevelt held his 1945 inaugural at the White House, making a short speech and serving guests cold chicken salad and plain pound cake,” the two lawmakers wrote in a letter. “During World War I, President Wilson did not have any parties at his 1917 inaugural, saying that such festivities would be undignifie

Quote from salon.com/opinion/feature/2009/01/17/sirota/

“Obama sells out to Wall Street

The president-elect’s support of the bank bailout is payback to his wealthy Wall Street supporters.” By David Sirota

{Quote: “Amid paeans to “new politics,” we’re watching old-school paybacks from a politician who raised more Wall Street dough than any other — a president-to-be whose inauguration festivities are being underwritten by the very bankers who are benefiting from the bailout largesse.

“Or maybe before attempting more sleight of hand, Obama should take a moment away from studying Lincoln’s speeches and Roosevelt’s fireside chats and recall the irrefutable sagacity in one of the most (in)famous Bushisms of all.”

“There’s an old saying in Tennessee,” the outgoing president said early in his first term. “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me (twice) — you can’t get fooled again.” …End Quote}

Encouraging individual celebrations and supporting community ones is very smart.

We are opening up our kitchen/family room Monday, and again on Tuesday on a smaller scale, to Inaugural Blinis n’Martinis – a variation on Vodka & Latkes which is always fun where everybody contributes.

I am featuring Maine Sweet Potato and Yukon Gold Blinis and inviting people to bring the ‘toppings’ from caviars, cured/smoked salmon, smoked trout, creme fraiche/herbed sour cream, homemade salsas and ‘marmalades’, cheeses, and roasted vegetables – whatever they can come up with that’s festive ie ‘non-schlock’.

We are planning to do some BBQing on Tuesday because people are coming here right from work etc and then we’re going to all watch the swearing in etc, together, on video.

To me, we are at a dangerous crossroad in this society. When we say something is O.K. because “our” guy is doing it, even though if someone else did it, we would protest, then we are following a person, a cult of personality, not our Constitution.

I still mainitain that it does not take 50+ million dollars to celebrate the end of cheneybush or the election of Obama. A celebration is not money dependent. It is like saying people who have the most expensive wedding will have the best marriage.

Let there be joy or celebration. It doesn’t need to cost that much ever, and especially not in hard times. After the celebration it is more important than ever to keep our heads, pay attention to what is being done, and demand that our newly elected president do what is right, not what is politically expedient.

$350,000,000,000 has already been spent on Wall Street under TARP, That much again has been released this week, and more than three times this much has been spent on the Financial Crisis outside of TARP. The Washington Post has estimated the cost of the war in Iraq – leaving the war in Afghanistan aside – at over $340, 000,000 per day.

$160,000,000 – the high estimate – is less than twelve hours of the war in Iraq. If $160 million per working hour had been spent on Wall Street by Hank Paulsen, it would have taken more than a year to spend half the TARP funds – but it’s gone in about two months.

Yes: Hank Paulsen has spent enough money to hold an Inauguration every hour of the day.

Where’s my invite? Where’s yours? Hank? Did you forget someone?

And look at it this way — it’s cheaper than a revolution.

A lot of the money is security for Obama— but a lot of it is for the people who are going to attempt to get to inauguration. I say try, because it’s going to be impossible. For example, every single bridge from Virginia into DC is closed to normal traffic. The metro will be running on “rush hour” schedule, but they anticipate “crush”
levels. Yes, that is exactly as scary as it sounds.

The federal government didn’t spend money preparing for Katrina, and we aren’t happy they saved the money. Declaring the DC Metro area a free-for-all zone except immediately around Obama would save a lot of money too—- but it would also result in a National Tragedy.

http://mediamatters.org/countyfair/200901140010

Compared to the $700 billion bailout this local economic stimulus is chump change! (pun intended for benefit of trolls: W=chump O=change)

Time to celebrate – let the party begin!

Remember 2001:

Come on, we’re nothing like ancient Rome; our aqueducts are all underground.

I thought Clinton’s coronation was over the top and now he’s just a piker. This is such a hard time for so many. Why not go small, dignified, and acknowledge that wretched excess got us into this problem in the first place. Why not give the money to the poor?

Second, a lot of this is probably security costs.

Third, a lot of this is paid for by non-government funds.

Fourth, the best rationale for this chunk of change is that it means that Bush is out of Washington — now that’s priceless.

I thought I was the only one this happens to.

That money (the $160M) is going into the economy, it’s buying security, utilities, musicians, venues, party clothes, etc, etc.

And it’s not like it will be alone, either. There will be tailors and sales staff selling the party clothes. People will be setting up and cleaning up the Balls. The hordes coming to the Inauguration are not ALL going to be sleeping on the floors of friends in the area, and eating PB&J’s they’re bringing from home — SOME of them will be staying in hotels and eating in restaurants… which means work for wait-staff, cooks, dishwashers, maids and laundry folk, dry-cleaners, cabs, and on and on.

It’s the same exploding head I get every time somebody says “the space program money was wasted”.

As much as I consider this inappropriate and wasteful spending, I think it is more about an expression of what the people want and need after an 8-year political drought.

Eh, I’ll have to concede the “celebrate the defeat of Bush” point.

However, I think that the majority of people have had 8-years of nothing whatsoever to celebrate; therefore, let the masses, and the world, exult in the ‘defeat’ of the Bush et al. corruptness and mismanagement that has led us to the brink of complete financial destruction. Furthermore, this might be one of the last opportunities for such financial extravaganzas.

Additionally, it’s a great service to the public to include the A/V equipment so that those not lucky enough to get a ticket to the event can be included in this moment, not to mention the expenses of the necessary things like toilets.

So, maybe $160 million is too much- but I won’t pass final judgement without seeing where all that money is going.