Liz Smith | 01/12/2009 11:00 pm

Liz Smith on How Obama Should Have Spent the Inaugural Cash

In response to: Given the economic climate, should Obama and his administration downscale when planning this unprecedented Inauguration?

I can’t wait for it to be over. I consider it a delay in forging ahead and I honestly feel it would have been great for Obama to have offered the money it will all cost to some needy charity or group of persons. I know people need to celebrate but not to the tune of millions. The economic climate demands a downscale, I believe.

Click here on this text to read my New York Post column.

7 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment

I think, despite the economic challenges, that it is important for the nation to celebrate Obama’s historic inauguration. It is the one bright spot in an otherwise gloomy 2009 picture. Yes, we can always think of worthy recipients of the money spent on the inauguration, but Obama and his family deserve to celebrate and so do the rest of us. We’ve made some bad collective choices for leadership in the past. Now we’ve taken a giant step forward and it’s important to acknowledge that as fully as we can.

By Rebecca Scarborough on 01/13/2009 9:41 am

e-mail alert

My thoughts exactly, Liz Smith. Perhaps there are those who would consider anything less than the standard garishness of a presidential inauguration a slight to the first elected African American President. President Elect Obama, however, recognizes the economic challenges our country faces as well as the example he sets for the nation. I say let’s put the politicians rather than the fashionistas to work early January 21st. Let headlines begin to reflect a new America, not what the new Americans were wearing the night before. Peace and grace

By beth willis on 01/13/2009 11:15 am

e-mail alert

And let the money saved go toward a caude omportant to President Obama and to Democracy: scholarships, The President Barach Obama Schorlarships. Peace and grace

By beth willis on 01/13/2009 11:20 am

e-mail alert

Oops, got my tongue caught on my ‘eye’ teeth and couldn’t see what I was saying: cause……….important

By beth willis on 01/13/2009 11:28 am

e-mail alert

I disagree with everyone that has written against the inauguration as it is planned. This country needs to heal from the travesty of the past 8 years. What better way to make this happen than to have a grand celebration? Frankly it bores me when people make assumptions that it is the “fashionistas” that will be capturing the attention of most of the public after the inauguration. After working so diligently to bring intelligence back to the White House, perhaps young and old of all ethnicities and races will begin to read the paper again with an eye toward what is being done on Day 1 in Washington.

By Jillian Hershberg on 01/14/2009 4:30 pm

e-mail alert

I still believe that Wednesday, January 21, will find massive coverage of the balls. Others on the page do not agree with me either. Isn’t that the beauty of wOw. Let’s join together for the positive change we’ve worked so hard for over the last 2 years. Thank you for your response. Peace and grace

By beth willis on 01/14/2009 5:36 pm