I don't have time to do all the blue clicky's but here is something I was sent and am passing along..xx..e) AMERICAN PROGRESS ACTION FUND The Progress Report by Christy Harvey, Judd Legum and Jonathan Baskin with Nico Pitney and Mipe Okunseinde www.progressreport.org 1/20/2005 Inauguration: Lifestyles of the Rich and Heartless Due to $17 million worth of inaugural security -- paid for by the city of Washington, D.C. -- the Progress Report is unable to access its office. Never fear -- it takes a lot more than that to keep us down. We put this list together for you ahead of time. Your regularly scheduled Progress Report returns tomorrow. A look at this week's festivities by the numbers: $40 million: (http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/ny-uscost0118,0,4726940.story?coll=ny-nation-big-pix) Cost of Bush inaugural ball festivities, not counting security costs. $2,000: (http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0119/p03s01-uspo.html) Amount FDR spent on the inaugural in 1945...about $20,000 in today's dollars. $20,000: (http://www.ritzcarlton.com/hotels/washington_dc/overview/pressreleases/inaugural_amenities.html) Cost of yellow roses purchased for inaugural festivities by D.C.'s Ritz Carlton. 200: (http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=544&u=/ap/20050114/ap_on_go_pr_wh/inaugural_price_tag_3&printer=1) Number of Humvees outfitted with top-of-the-line armor for troops in Iraq that could have been purchased with the amount of money blown on the inauguration. $10,000: (http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews/news/local/10678137.htm) Price of an inaugural package at the Fairmont Hotel, which includes a Beluga caviar and Dom Perignon reception, a chauffeured Rolls Royce and two actors posing as "faux" Secret Service agents, complete with black sunglasses and cufflink walkie-talkies. 400: (http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0119/p03s01-uspo.html) Pounds of lobster provided for "inaugural feeding frenzy" at the exclusive Mandarin Oriental hotel. 3,000: (http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0119/p03s01-uspo.html) Number of "Laura Bush Cowboy cookies" provided for "inaugural feeding frenzy" at the Mandarin hotel. $1: (http://kutv.com/topstories/topstories_story_014105652.html) Amount per guest President Carter spent on snacks for guests at his inaugural parties. To stick to a tight budget, he served pretzels, peanuts, crackers and cheese and had cash bars. 22 million: (http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=544&u=/ap/20050114/ap_on_go_pr_wh/inaugural_price_tag_3&printer=1) Number of children in regions devastated by the tsunami who could have received vaccinations and preventive health care with the amount of money spent on the inauguration. 1,160,000: (http://www.worldonfire.ca/donations.html) Number of girls who could be sent to school for a year in Afghanistan with the amount of money lavished on the inauguration. $15,000: (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4282216) The down payment to rent a fur coat paid by one gala attendee who didn't want the hassle of schlepping her own through the airport. $200,500: (http://www.usatoday.com/travel/hotels/2005-01-06-inauguration_x.htm) Price of a room package at D.C.'s Mandarin Oriental, including presidential suite, chauffeured Mercedes limo and outfits from Neiman Marcus. 2,500: (http://news.bostonherald.com/politics/view.bg?articleid=63696) Number of U.S. troops used to stand guard as President Bush takes his oath of office 26,000: (http://www.oregonlive.com/letters/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/editorial/1106139753241490.xml) Number of Kevlar vests for U.S. soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan that could be purchased for $40 million. $290: (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4187023.stm) Bonus that could go to each American solider serving in Iraq, if inauguration funds were used for that purpose. $6.3 million: (http://www.citizen.org/pressroom/release.cfm?ID=1860) Amount contributed by the finance and investment industry, which works out to be 25 percent of all the money collected. $17 million: (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4187023.stm) Amount of money the White House is forcing the cash-strapped city of Washington, D.C., to pony up for inauguration security. 9: (http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0119/p03s01-uspo.html) Percentage of D.C. residents who voted for Bush in 2004. 66: (http://abcnews.go.com/images/Politics/972a1BushPreInaugural.pdf) Percentage of Americans who think this over-the-top inauguration should have been scaled back.
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