# My first Bush bashing - inauguration costs and DC
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-bush-bashing-inauguration-costs-and-dc/285170
**Category:** The BBQ Pit
**Created:** [January 17, 2005, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-bush-bashing-inauguration-costs-and-dc/285170 "2005-01-17T08:39:59Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2005, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-bush-bashing-inauguration-costs-and-dc/285170/1 "2005-01-17T08:39:59Z")
From tonight’s [Face The Nation](http://www.cbsnews.com/htdocs/pdf/face_011605.pdf):
> [@Bob Schieffer](#):
>
> …for the first time those of us who live in the District of Columbia will be paying a big chunk of the inaugural costs, nearly $12 million for such things as police overtime and building reviewing stands along the parade route. In the past, the federal government has reimbursed the District government–read that, DC taxpayers–for those costs. But this time the administration has informed DC authorities they’ll have to absorb the cost and suggests that they use federal funds that had earlier been earmarked to fight terrorism. That means money that would have been used to expand hospital capacity here and buy protective gear for Washington firemen must now be used instead to build parade grandstands where, incidentally, the president’s supporters get first dibs on the seats.
My goodness, the irony just drips off of this story.
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### Author:  [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2005, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-bush-bashing-inauguration-costs-and-dc/285170/2 "2005-01-17T08:43:59Z")
That’s what you get for voting blue, you ungrateful peasants.
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### Author:  [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2005, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-bush-bashing-inauguration-costs-and-dc/285170/3 "2005-01-17T10:39:44Z")
I really, really wish that DC would tell the Fed to fuck off. What are they gonna do? Hold back their payment? (That’s right, payment for hosting the Fed.) They already do that at their whim, whenever the District does something so untoward as to attempt self-determination.
It’s seems almost as if the Bush administration is trying to start a civil war, sometimes. Seriously, and this isn’t just a Bush-bash, but honestly, has there ever been an administration in modern times that has acted with this level of hubris?
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### Author:  [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2005, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-bush-bashing-inauguration-costs-and-dc/285170/4 "2005-01-17T13:04:26Z")
I have the strangest feeling that ole Bush ain’t gonna last long. Some way off-kilter person (like the ones who go around with conspiracy billboards all over their vehicles, or do they only have those here?) is out there in America, likely more than a few. Ones who, similarly to people posting here after the election, but magnified 1000 percent, were greatly angered by the election of Bush.
I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if something pretty awful happened during the inaugural. And not something from middle eastern terrorists either, something from a bush hater who let him/herself get pushed over the edge by the election.
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### Author:  [@MrFantsyPants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrFantsyPants)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2005, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-bush-bashing-inauguration-costs-and-dc/285170/5 "2005-01-17T13:06:51Z")
Wow, what a complete fuckhead.
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### Author:  [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2005, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-bush-bashing-inauguration-costs-and-dc/285170/6 "2005-01-17T13:30:54Z")
And now it looks like Sarbanes and others are going to push through a bill reimbursing the city.
I would criticize this if it weren’t part of a pattern crossing administrations. The city of Washington is always ticked off whenever the federal government imposes a charge or fee or maqndate upon them, and are always threatening to react.
No big whoop here. Incidentally, I work in the District, and have seen this struggle up close for a few years now.
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### Author:  [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2005, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-bush-bashing-inauguration-costs-and-dc/285170/7 "2005-01-17T15:23:33Z")
From what I hear, the President’s themselves despise these balls. Their boring, dull, ennui-inducing, and they skip out as fast as possible. But it’s become a tradition, so it has to happen.
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### Author:  [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2005, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-bush-bashing-inauguration-costs-and-dc/285170/8 "2005-01-17T15:32:24Z")
Why do we even need an inauguration ceremony? What purpose does it serve? Why not just have the little fucker show up for work like everybody else? Is there some reason we need to watch the guy swear to a magic sky pixie that he won’t break any laws?
I hope he gets the fuck egged out of him again.
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### Author:  [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2005, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-bush-bashing-inauguration-costs-and-dc/285170/9 "2005-01-17T15:34:06Z")
So Bush says “screw the war on terror, spend the money on honoring me.” I’m not terribly surprised. I’d like to see a return to simple inaugurals. Make a speech, have a parade, and go home. Take the money spent on lavish balls and feed the hungry.
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### Author:  [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2005, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-bush-bashing-inauguration-costs-and-dc/285170/10 "2005-01-17T15:54:55Z")
> [@CanvasShoes](#):
>
> I have the strangest feeling that ole Bush ain’t gonna last long. Some way off-kilter person (like the ones who go around with conspiracy billboards all over their vehicles, or do they only have those here?) is out there in America, likely more than a few. Ones who, similarly to people posting here after the election, but magnified 1000 percent, were greatly angered by the election of Bush.
>
> I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if something pretty awful happened during the inaugural. And not something from middle eastern terrorists either, something from a bush hater who let him/herself get pushed over the edge by the election.
Whoever it is is going to need a complex strategy and a deep reload capacity, given the succession list.
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### Author:  [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2005, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-bush-bashing-inauguration-costs-and-dc/285170/11 "2005-01-17T15:55:22Z")
Spare me. If it were Kerry getting sworn in, there would be no calls for simplicity here. Folks here would instead be clamoring for tickets and renting tuxes.
Both of Bill Clinton’s inaugurations were lavish affairs costing about the same amount of money as this one. I recall no great outcry then, even in 1993, when the economy was regarded as being troubled.
If you win, you get to dance. This is a pretty well established tradition, and one I hope the Democrats will take full advantage of again, if they ever get their act together and win.
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### Author:  [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2005, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-bush-bashing-inauguration-costs-and-dc/285170/12 "2005-01-17T15:58:28Z")
> [@Diogenes the Cynic](#):
>
> Why do we even need an inauguration ceremony? What purpose does it serve? Why not just have the little fucker show up for work like everybody else? Is there some reason we need to watch the guy swear to a magic sky pixie that he won’t break any laws?
>
> I hope he gets the fuck egged out of him again.
It’s constitutionally mandated that before the President enters into the exercise of his office, he take the oath. It’s not mandated that it be done with panoply, a parade, etc. Calvin Coolidge took his first oath in his father’s living room, his father being a Justice of the Peace who could and did administer it.
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### Author:  [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2005, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-bush-bashing-inauguration-costs-and-dc/285170/13 "2005-01-17T16:02:04Z")
> [@Polycarp](#):
>
> It’s constitutionally mandated that before the President enters into the exercise of his office, he take the oath. It’s not mandated that it be done with panoply, a parade, etc. Calvin Coolidge took his first oath in his father’s living room, his father being a Justice of the Peace who could and did administer it.
Well, that’s what I’m talking about. The oath can be taken in the Oval Office first thing in the morning with no press, no crowd, no speeches and no ceremony other than the bare oath itself. It would take les than five minutes, cost nothing and everyone could get back to work.
Bush seems to think this is all about _him_.
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### Author:  [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2005, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-bush-bashing-inauguration-costs-and-dc/285170/14 "2005-01-17T16:08:32Z")
Editorial by [Mitch Albom](http://www.freep.com/sports/albom/mitch16e_20050116.htm) about the same thing ya’ll are talking about.
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### Author:  [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2005, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-bush-bashing-inauguration-costs-and-dc/285170/15 "2005-01-17T16:16:22Z")
> [@Mr. Moto](#):
>
> The city of Washington is always ticked off whenever the federal government imposes a charge or fee or maqndate upon them, and are always threatening to react.
The Pubs used to think “unfunded mandates” were a _bad_ thing.
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### Author:  [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2005, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-bush-bashing-inauguration-costs-and-dc/285170/16 "2005-01-17T16:20:35Z")
> [@Mr. Moto](#):
>
> Spare me. If it were Kerry getting sworn in, there would be no calls for simplicity here. Folks here would instead be clamoring for tickets and renting tuxes.
>
> Both of Bill Clinton’s inaugurations were lavish affairs costing about the same amount of money as this one. I recall no great outcry then, even in 1993, when the economy was regarded as being troubled.
>
> If you win, you get to dance. This is a pretty well established tradition, and one I hope the Democrats will take full advantage of again, if they ever get their act together and win.
Yes, and after awhile, you have to dance with them what brung ya. That corporate contributors can give up to a quarter of a million dollars apiece means that corporate contributors get a little more influence than thee or me when it comes to policy decisions.
Albom makes some good points. While Bush wraps himself in the flag and pretends to salute our troops overseas, these same troops are squatting in the desert, eating sand, and praying this is the night they don’t get killed. Of course, this is the same thing they do every day they’re over there.
While Bush dances at nine different “official” balls, millions of Americans are going to spend their time looking for a job to replace the one they had that went overseas or just disappeared. Something tells me he’s not going to be thinking about them.
Given Bush’s _L’etat est moi_ attitude, if the constitutional amendment limiting the president to two terms is repealed to allow him to run for a third term, I am leaving the country.
Robin
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### Author:  [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2005, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-bush-bashing-inauguration-costs-and-dc/285170/17 "2005-01-17T16:44:22Z")
> [@MsRobyn](#):
>
> Given Bush’s _L’etat est moi_ attitude, if the constitutional amendment limiting the president to two terms is repealed to allow him to run for a third term, I am leaving the country.
I think it’s more like je suis l’etat. But yeah, point taken. And I agree with Diogenes. Give him a cubicle in a cheap, rented storefront and auction off the mansion (and its contents).
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### Author:  [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2005, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-bush-bashing-inauguration-costs-and-dc/285170/18 "2005-01-17T17:44:59Z")
Can’t agree with that, sorry. The trappings of office have their obvious place.
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### Author:  [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2005, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-bush-bashing-inauguration-costs-and-dc/285170/19 "2005-01-17T17:51:58Z")
> [@Diogenes the Cynic](#):
>
> Bush seems to think this is all about _him_.
Not the greatest fan of Bush either, but if it’s about him, then it’s also about all the other Presidents who have celebrated in this same fashion. I blame tradition.
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### Author:  [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2005, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-bush-bashing-inauguration-costs-and-dc/285170/20 "2005-01-17T17:57:23Z")
> [@Mr. Moto](#):
>
> Can’t agree with that, sorry. The trappings of office have their obvious place.
In this case, their place is just a few blocks from [N Street Vilage](http://www.nstreetvillage.org/).
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