ABC News reports the government
and donors are spending $170 million on Obama’s inauguration.
While
the swearing-in ceremony will cost a mere $1.24 million, security and all those
parties and Port-a-Potties are the really big-ticket items.
A
Presidential Inaugural Committee spokeswoman, for estimates the overall party
bill at $45 million—$2.7 million more than Bush’s 2005 bash budget.
The
federal government is picking up $49 million, and Washington and neighboring states have asked
for a reported $75 million. Donors are picking up the rest of the tab, among
them Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer and Bill Gates, both of whom gave the maximum
$50,000.
It's the security, parties
and countless Porta-a-Potty rentals that really run up the bill.
This will be the "most open and
accessible inauguration in history," with members of the general public
able to participate on a greater scale than ever before.
Among the expenses: a Bruce
Springsteen concert, the parade, large-screen TV rentals for all-free viewing
on the national Mall, $700,000 to the Smithsonian Institution to stay open and,
of course, the balls, including three that are being pitched as free or low
cost for the public.
But there are plenty of rich donors
willing to pick up the tab.
"They are not the $20 and $50
donors who helped propel Obama through Election Day," said Massie Ritsch,
communications director for the Center for Responsive Politics. "These are
people giving mostly $50,000 apiece. They tend to be corporate executives,
celebrities, the elite of the elite."
The donors will get some of the best
seats in the house for the inauguration, as well as admittance to some of the
best balls and other events.
Despite all the donations, Obama's
team has made donations much more restrictive than in the past.
Obama capped donations at $50,000 per
person, which is still more than 10 times what individuals could give to his
campaign, but a lot less than the $250,000 cap President Bush had at his last
inauguration. Contributions from corporations, labor unions, political action
committees and registered lobbyists are not being accepted by Obama.
In a letter to members of Congress,
the governors of Maryland and Virginia, and the mayor of Washington said that their combined costs
could exceed $75 million. That's on top of the $49 million the federal
government is spending, again mostly for security.
"The historical significance of
inaugurating the first African-American president of the United States alone makes the event unprecedented," they wrote. "Given its
political significance, we expect that the event will be attended by hundreds,
if not thousands, of elected U.S.
government officials and foreign dignitaries. Turnout by the general public for
the swearing-in ceremony alone is likely to exceed 2 million. Transportation
officials estimate that roughly 10,000 charter buses will enter the District
with approximately 500,000 riders alone, a number which nearly matches the
city's population."
The emergency managers for the three
jurisdictions said they expect this to be the most complex and challenging
inaugural in history.
"The mass of attendees expected
will challenge fire, law enforcement, emergency medical and mass transit
capabilities," the governors and mayor wrote. "Moreover, the high
volume of buses/traffic, weather factor and other threats will create
additional demands."
Was it worth it? ABSOLUTELY!
