"Dear Mr. President" (CBSnews)

[Catchawave]

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/01/12/opinion/garver/printable666408.shtml

An Open Letter To President George W. Bush:

Dear Mr. President:

Like millions of Americans, I was moved by your appeal to open my heart and wallet at this time and think about the victims of the tsunami in Southeast Asia. Now I'm appealing to you to hold a more modest inauguration celebration so that money can be used for a more appropriate cause.

Currently, the celebration is estimated at a cost of between $40 and $50 million. It's scheduled to go on for four days, and will include nine official balls, countless "unofficial parties," and a parade. I know the dollar isn't worth what it once was, and the price of those little hot dogs keeps going up, but a four-day, $50-million party? Considering what's going on in the world, these plans make Marie Antoinette's "Let them eat cake" attitude seem like the height of sensitivity.

Cont'd.........

[stray cat]

1. Tax payers are also paying nearly 30% of the costs.

If the inaguration costs 40 million and security costs that the federal govenment is making tax payers absorb is 15 million. It is clear that Bush is making tax payers pay nearly 30% of the total cost of the inaguration.

The inauguration is not being paid for by corporate donations if tax payers are forced on contribute 30%.

Since the money is to come out of D.C.s homeland security budget from the federal government - all of us are paying and not just D.C.

[Tace]

2. An Orgy Of Excess -- Like So Much Of Modern America

This story does not have a happy ending.

[AgadorSparticus]

3. this whole inauguration is just grotesque. makes me sick to witness

such obscene gluttony.

[cry baby]

4. Wrote to Mr. Garver and thanked him. I feel dirty as an american

seeing this excess come to be. I need a shower!