Economic downturns and the $170 million Inauguration

With working-class Americans struggling to stay a float as the country prepares to fall off of the proverbial “fiscal cliff,” one may wonder why so much money was spent on the 57^th Presidential Inauguration ceremony and if it all was even necessary.

According to the United States Constitution, the only mandatory event on Inauguration Day is the President must make the oath of office before he can enter on the execution of the office of the presidency. Which leaves many to wonder, if the country has such a poor economic outlook, why spend money on elaborate parades, balls and other ceremonies? In a time where working-class Americans have to cut back in order to survive financially shouldn’t the government have made the choice to cut back on all of the elaborate celebrations?

This years Inauguration festivities were a four-day event. A private swearing in ceremony occurred on Sunday, January 20^th, followed by a public ceremony the next day with parades, lunches and balls.

According to ABCnews, the 2013 presidential inauguration cost 170 million dollars. A significant increase from the 75 million dollars spent in 2009.

As the years pass by, the inauguration ceremonies seem to get longer and longer with a larger price tag. The long 2009-inauguration day activities featured the collapses of two prominent Senators. Senator Edward Kennedy and Senator Robert Byrd both collapsed during the luncheon. Senator Kennedy’s collapse during the event was later attributed to exhaustion. Which also makes one wonder if all of the ceremonies have created too long of a day that endanger the participants and public. President Ronald Reagan’s inauguration was the coldest on record with a noon temperature of seven degrees.

President Obama stated in his inaugural address Monday, “An economic recovery has begun.” With the American working-classes taxes increasing all over the country while the government argues over money and spends 170 million, it may not seem to many that recovery has begun.  

“We believe that America’s prosperity must rest upon the broad shoulders of a rising middle class,” said President Obama in his inaugural address. “We know that America thrives when every person can find independence and pride in their work; when the wages of honest labor liberate families from the brink of hardship.” 

If prosperity rests upon the shoulders of the middle class and working class then shouldn’t they be rewarded for their hard work and not have their taxes rise? The 170 million dollars spent on the various ceremonies could have been spent to help absorb some of the tax increases on hard-working Americans.

 A simple recitation of the oath of office used to be the only event featured on inauguration day. It was quick and to the point without excessive spending. Today it just seems like more and more money must be spent in order to turn the day into a massive spectacle.

Monday’s inauguration day featured a morning worship service, procession to the capital, vice president’s swearing-in ceremony, presidential swearing-in ceremony, inaugural address, inaugural luncheon, inaugural parade and several inaugural balls. On inauguration day in 2009, President Barack Obama attended ten official balls.

Is it really a necessity to attend ten inaugural balls? The day exists to officially start the presidential term. However, with all of the lavish events, it seems more like a giant party instead of getting down to business and running the country.  

With all of the pageantry, I feel that Inauguration Day has lost its true meaning. Yes the President gave the oath but then the rest of the day is one big party. While the president’s inauguration speech outlined several points to address and correct over the next four years, including financial crises, the pageantry is what people remember the most at the end of the day.

If American citizens spent money the way the United States government did for the excessive events, they would be homeless with not even a single cent to their name. Yet the government can keep spending money like it’s going out of style and expect the hard-working middle class to suffer with tax hikes and a smaller paycheck. It seems as though Washington, D.C. has an endless supply of money to help themselves and have fun while the working-class cannot.

If United States Presidents in the future were willing to save money by reducing the number of ceremonies and even get the ceremony back to what it was originally, just the oath of office, then average, working-class Americans may feel that politicians are more like them, willing to take cuts when necessary. The working-class people are always the first ones to suffer during an economic downturn and if the government shows it is also willing to make sacrifices then I believe the country as whole would function more smoothly.

Four years later we will probably be right back in this same situation though, unfortunately it will more than likely come with a bigger price tag. The American people will continue to suffer and pay for whatever the United States government wants to spend money on, even if it big parties that take away from the true meaning.

While all of the pageantry may offer a nice break from the every day life and only occurs every four years, given the country’s current financial and economic situation, I feel less money and time should be spent on inauguration ceremonies.  The focus should have been on the country’s financial difficulties and the pressure being placed on the hard-working middle class.  

Is it really fair to ask hard-working Americans to help foot the bill for such a lavish events when they can barely afford food for their families? I don’t think so. Maybe the next time politicians want to spend so much money on events that aren’t even necessary they should remember the nations history and the simple oath. That oath used to be enough but yet it isn’t any more. Why is that? Because we’re a country obsessed with constantly having to have the newest, most expensive everything. I think it’s time we got back to our roots and focus on our history. Return to the simpler ways when everything seemed to run more smoothly.