$40 million waste

Just over a week ago, our newly reelected president issued his second inaugural address. Though I am a liberal, I will not go on one of those all-too popular, "Not MY president" tirades, even though I really want to.

No, I will support my Constitution and acknowledge that this man is, in fact, my president by virtue of a plurality vote in the Electoral College.

However, that does not mean I will ever support his fiscal actions.

At a time when jobs are scarce, money is tight and morale is down, President George W. Bush went out and spent $40 million on his victory party. Nine parties to be exact.

And a parade.

President Bush isn't the first to host an inaugural ball, nor did he spend the most money out of all other presidents on these festivities. Former President Bill Clinton owns that title, having spent over $70 million on inaugural balls after his second election. President Bush even used private donations and not federal tax money to fund his inaugural activities. So I do not call into question President Bush's right to spend this money as he sees fit.

But there are many more places that this donated money could have gone, that would have done much more good than providing for some chips and dip at a fancy to-do in Washington DC.

We're at war, remember?

There has been concern among troops abroad and their families at home, that the body armor being used by soldiers in Iraq isn't the best quality.

Forty million dollars can buy 200 Humvees with the best armor known to Americans.

Forty million dollars can buy medical supplies, and shelter for the troops in Iraq who need it the most.

It's not as if the donors don't know about the troops abroad; the balls are being held under the pretense of being a recognition of their service. Two thousand service men and women are even invited to attend them. Of course, these are not the same soldiers who are eating their rations of food in makeshift cafeterias in the battlefields of Iraq or Afghanistan, spending their time in the line of fire, defending President Bush's freedom to hold ridiculously overpriced inaugural festivities.

George W. Bush is not the only president to hold his inauguration during a time of war. Former President Franklin D. Roosevelt held his inauguration in 1945, during World War II. Mr. Roosevelt, however, felt it was not necessary to celebrate his victory in the same manner as President Bush.

Mr. Roosevelt gave a short speech, and served his guests cold chicken and plain pound cake.

In addition to military resources, there are many domestic uses for that $40 million. No matter how vehemently President Bush denies it, we are still in a recession. Our country's deficit hit a record $412 billion this past year.

Maybe $40 million wouldn't make much of a dent in that number, but if our president was able to raise that kind of money in the time he did, between November and January, think about how much money he could raise in a full year, and imagine what effect that would have on our country's deficit.

Another area of concern that our current president seems not to care about at this point is health care for children. There are currently 11 million uninsured American children. If the $40 million were used to go towards healthcare for children, it would make a serious impact on this problem for America's youth.

As it currently stands, however, President Bush's priorities seem to be parties and parades, and I hear he didn't even hire a clown.