Obama’s Inauguration Cost Set to Pass $150 Million, Becoming Most Expensive Inauguration Ever
Wednesday, January 21st, 2009Obama’s inauguration cost is going to become quite expensive. The cost of President-elect Barack Obama’s presidential inauguration is rumored to cost between $150 and $160 million to pull off. Having such a high cost for the Obama inauguration of course brings to mind comparisons between Obama’s and that of past Presidents of the United States. The last inauguration, which took place in 2005 for President George W. Bush cost only $42.3 million, whereas the 1993 inauguration for President Bill Clinton totaled $33 million.
The cost of the enormous budget is only partly to blame for inflation and a rising cost to product in the economy, but mostly it will be because of the extreme differences planned to take place at this inauguration that weren’t quite as needed in the past. The reasoning coming from Washington, is that most of the new federal funding that has been dedicated from the White House to help with soaring costs is due to the expected attendance. It is being reported that the huge influx of people to the area of Washington is estimated at between 1.5 to 2 million people.
To deal with all of the people coming to Washington for the inauguration, President Bush even took the step of declaring the District of Columbia in a state of emergency. This is something that is typically only done when something like a disaster takes place, and is most seen when floods or fires take place. Now Washington is being declared in this state of emergency simply because so many people are expected to want to witness the inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama. The hope now is that the weather holds out, and that there isn’t snow on the day of the inauguration, because that could cause costs to grow even more, and could lead to more emergency funding being needed.
One of the things that have to be on the top of everyone’s agenda for planning this inauguration is the importance of safety and making a smooth transition. It seems like an immense expense that could be spent better elsewhere on one hand, but also a scary thought that it takes this much money to help not only protect the incoming President of the United States but the millions of people in the audience. With such a hefty price-tag, the American people are going to expect (rightly so) quite a show when the parade and inauguration take place, and the promise of a new direction for the country should soon follow.
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