The controversy over inaugural spending

[Gn2Dlnd]

Originally Posted by Jazzman

But that's the flaw in this argument. It is not spending by our government. If the spending is derived from contributions made by private citizens, or corporations, it is not government spending, whether the President solicited it or not. Unless the expenditures come from budgets funded by taxes, they are not government spending.

If this gala had been paid for with tax money, I’d be right there criticizing it too. But the simple fact is, it wasn’t.

No, you're right. If it was tax money I'd be out screaming for someone's head on a pike instead of just bitching to my friends. I absolutely see the difference between "spending by our government," which is what I said, and "government spending." I'm still appalled that our government solicited and spent 40 million dollars on self-congratulatory parties. "Lead by example" is, apparently, one of the courses Georgie Porgie missed when he was attending President school.

[Jazzman]

Originally Posted by Gn2Dlnd

"Lead by example" is, apparently, one of the courses Georgie Porgie missed when he was attending President school.

Now this is something that I can wholeheartedly agree with. While I personally don't see any cause for outrage over the event, I definitely do see a reason for much eye rolling and disbelief over his seeming arrogance and callous disregard in the face of so many tragedies around the world. This would have been a perfect chance for self redemption by scaling back the events and exhibiting a fair amount of the compassion which he has always sold the nation (and world) on. In this, he failed miserably and only made himself look like a big, rich doofus.