The great inauguration bailout

January 15, 5:39 PMDallas Libertarian ExaminerGarry Reed

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Another four years and another public coronation.

Except Americans like to call it "inauguration."

And, every four years, newspapers publish reports about how the crowning event will be paid for by private donations from the country's corporations.

This time around, however, Obama's official inaugural team claims they won't accept donations from corporations, political action committees, federal lobbyists or non-citizens, and all donations are capped at $50,000 per person.

Political tradition: swear to "observe and
protect the Constitution" today, violate it
tomorrow. (from AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

So where will the cash come from? According to one source, from private individuals like Steven Spielberg and wife Kate ($50,000 each), Halle Berry "listed as working for her Bumper Inc production company," Google CEO Eric Schmidt, Google co-founder Larry Page, Google vice-president Marissa Mayer, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and wife ($50,000 each), former basketballer and businessman Earvin "Magic" Johnson, and five family members of billionaire financier and philanthropist George Soros, totaling $250,000. (Yes, you can give more than the $50,000 cap if you have lots of different names to list on lots of different donation cards.)

Local Texans pitching their pelf into the pot include Amy Fikes of Bonanza Oil; Mark Iola of Stanley, Mandel & Iola; and Cappy McGarr of McGarr Capital Holdings, all of Dallas.

And where did all these private individuals get their big gobs of gelt?

From the corporations they ran, of course.

Yes, this is part of the "change" Soon-to-be-President Obama promised us during his campaign: don't accept money from corporations, but do accept money from the millionaire and billionaire owners and CEOs of corporations and the foundations set up with the profits from those corporations.

The rest of the money comes from America's continually trod upon taxpayers.

Bush's second swearing-in shindig, so said The Examiner, cost the taxpayers of Washington D.C. over $17 million with 300,000 revelers in attendance. This time officials are estimating five times that number of Obama acolytes will make the pilgrimage to the seat of power, requiring thousands of additional police for security and crowd control. The federal government only reimburses the city for $15 million, which could leave D.C. taxpayers with a budget-breaking bill for the Obama bash.

The District’s congressional delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton noted, "It’s an outrage to have costs incurred for federal events."

Which is why Soon-to-be-ex-President Bush declared a state of emergency, which allows the FedGov to dig way down deep into every taxpayer’s pocket in the country so the fandango can be funded beyond the usual $15 million pittance.

Call it the Inauguration Bailout.

After warning in a recent speech that government (meaning the taxpaying public) is likely to be left with "trillion-dollar deficits for years to come" you'd think the Man of Change would have arranged a simple ceremony in the Capitol rotunda where he could swear on the Bible to "observe and protect the Constitution" (which every oath-taker immediately ignores) and have done with it.

But, no. It's the same old political party partying as usual.

Libertarians are still waiting for the change Mr. Obama promised us.
 

Special Report: Inauguration Day 2009

• Official Inaugural Events
• Neighborhood Inaugural Ball project
• Examiner.com Inauguration Roundup
• Examiner Coverage: Inauguration Day 2009
• The Obama Administration at a glance