Johnston Band Still Needs $7,500 For Inauguration Trip

[struggle4progress]

POSTED: 4:33 pm EST January 10, 2005
UPDATED: 4:50 pm EST January 10, 2005

JOHNSTON COUNTY, N.C. -- About $7,500 is all that stands between a local marching band and the president of the United States.

West Johnston High School was chosen to perform at the president's inauguration later this month, but it will cost $42,000 to send the band to Washington.

The band have $34,500 with less than 10 days to go.

Band members are supposed to leave on Jan. 19 and perform in the parade the next day.

http://www.wral.com/news/4068646/detail.html


The Ownership Society at its best: President Ticky-Tack will have a $50 million inaugural -- but the high school bands invited to entertain apparently have to pay their own way for the event.

[Lefta Dissenter]

1. does that mean

Kid Rock is paying his own way, as well?
.
.
... no, didn't think so... :eyes:

[buff2]

2. Why can't pRESIDENT Evil pay their way?

After all.....he has around 50 million to spend and he is SUCH a "compassionate conservative" and sooooo Christ-like..... :puke:

[WhiteTara]

7. He could just take it out of the HS fund! eom

[Synnical]

3. Why doesn't one of the women traveling from Texas

donate her twenty thousand dollar fur coat, or even her one thousand dollar boots? I was there in 2001 - protesting, mind you - and I saw furs and boots at National Airport and I knew there was no way those people were from DC.

I'll be there again in 2005 - turning my back on Shrub.

[flygal]

8. Good for you!

But they'll probably have anyone not in furs standing in the "undesirable" zone - 10 miles off the course. I hope you get on the route!! Dress like a jerk and talk about how we need to nuke a few ay-rab countries.

[bunkerbuster1]

18. He should bring his "MORANS" sign

they'll put him near the front, well within egging range.

[AwakeAtLast]

4. With all of the education "reform" in this country,

I am surprised that there is a band left to march in this country. NCLB is a bad law, but it is especially bad for performing arts. :(

[Bouncy Ball]

5. Well too bad.

It'll be pretty crappy anyway, kiddos. Save your money.

[GainesT1958]

6. Hey, couldn't Liddy Dole have taken some of that money...

Earmarked for that spanking new presidential YAGHT and spent it on some deserving kids from the Cleveland community in Johnston County--an area which, BTW, usually votes solidly Repub!?

Didn't think so...:eyes:

B-)

[FlemingsGhost]

9. Pray to Je$us. Everyone else is tapped.

Put that in your horn, and blow.

[peterh]

10. Four North Carolina donors give $250,000 for Bush inaugural

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=1139875

but a kids marching band from North Carolina is on it's own....I guess you can call it ROI....and the kids lose...

[bluestateguy]

11. That's not my problem

In fact, to tell you the truth, I rather hope that they do not come up with enough money.

The band should donate that money to tsunami victims or to the families of troops killed in Iraq. They shouldn't be partaking in George Bush's debutante ball.

[struggle4progress]

21. Eh! They're kids! I wouldn't want to go but they've been "invited" ...

... (as long as they pay their own way) and the kids do want to go.

Personally, I think they're being treated badly.

Of course, Bush should have the moral vision to redirect money for inaugural fluff to tsunami relief -- but he doesn't and he won't. I suppose it would be great, in a way, if America's high schoolers had clearer moral vision than the President, but why should we expect that?

Let's not pick on high school kids for having the dreams and vision and depth of high school kids ...

[FlemingsGhost]

12. Maybe next time the slackers will sell more candy bars.

C'mon kids ... this is GOP America now. If you are lacking, it's because you are lazy and aren't working hard enough.

Pull yourselves up by your bootstraps, and get with the program.

[pinniped]

15. LOL!...tell them life is full of disappointments and with * at the helm...

they better get used to it.

[bling bling]

13. Wow that's expensive. How many kids are in a band?

100? Even if it's 200 that's still over $200.00 per kid. Surely they don't each get their own hotel rooms.

[Skittles]

14. I would not donate anything to anyone going to that POS coronation

unless they were going to PROTEST

[0007]

16. I'll second that!

[Art_from_Ark]

17. I'll third it

[LizW]

19. Jeez, I hope my kid's band never gets invited

It's one thing to raise money to go to the Rose Parade or Macy's, but it would really gall me to have to come up with money to send these kids to a Bush coronation.

[mcscajun]

20. Man...this is breaking my heart....NOT! n/t