Just ANOTHER EXAMPLE of HOW OUT-of-TOUCH and ELITIST Washington -- and AmeriKan politics -- have become!
Oh, yeah, BAILOUT FUNDS went for it!
"Seven officials from Citibank, which has received federal bailout funds, gave a combined $139,475"
"Inaugural fund-raising exceeds $53m; Obama gala committee set $45m budget" by Brian C. Mooney, Globe Staff | January 30, 2009
President Obama's inaugural committee raised far more than its fund-raising goal, taking in well over $53 million, much of it from 458 elite donors who kicked in $50,000 apiece.
I could live for years (at least, right now) on that. How come they ain't cutting me a check?
Overall, the committee reports it has received at least $48 million in donations from about 217,000 individuals, most of whom gave small amounts, plus more than $5 million in television fees and other revenues.
The committee set a budget of roughly $45 million for the gala events last week, meaning there could be a surplus of at least $8 million in donations from individuals. The White House press office and the Obama inaugural committee, a nonprofit corporation, did not respond to calls from the Globe requesting information about the disposition of a potential surplus. The committee, which is not required to report its expenditures, effectively shut down late last week.
They gonna KEEP IT -- as they SPEND THIS COUNTRY INTO A BOTTOMLESS CHASM!!!!!!!!
The Clinton inaugural committees generated surpluses in 1993 and 1997, though the amounts were never disclosed publicly. However, last month in releasing a list of its donors, the William J. Clinton Foundation, which oversees the presidential library and philanthropic projects, reported receiving between $1 million and $5 million from his inaugural committee.....
Welcome to the SECOND CLINTON ADMINISTRATION, Americans!!
Aaaaah, CHANGE!!!
*******************
Roughly half the total - $22.9 million - was in $50,000 donations, the limit set by the Obama committee, which also barred donations from corporations, political action committees, lobbyists, and labor unions. But the array of contributors reflects the diversity of support for Obama, whose campaign shattered fund-raising records using an extensive Internet network.
Somehow the grass-roots and Internet didn't seem to matter much with Ron Paul (or Howard Dean. for that matter). STINK!
Donors ranged from law firms, special interests, and regulated industries that deal with government to celebrities, philanthropists, activists....
In other words, SPECIAL INTERESTS and GLOBALISTS!
Entertainment industry figures contributed several million dollars, including a total of $275,000 from Steven Spielberg and four others from Dreamworks companies, and $50,000 each from directors Ron Howard and George Lucas, actors Denzel Washington, Tom Hanks, Jamie Foxx, Will Smith, Halle Berry, Samuel L. Jackson, and Sharon Stone, and singer-record producer Sean Combs.
I wonder how much Mass. taxpayer money was kicked back that way.
After all, we are "flushing . . . millions of dollars away supporting a highly profitable industry" when it comes to $300 million in taxpayer dollars for Hollywood as we pay for their television commercials.
And.... "Town officials... are trying to decide how much of a property tax break to offer and how they can secure state funding for infrastructure improvements.... although it could take several years for the studio to realize its potential"
Also see: Hollywood, Massachusetts
Hollywood (East) Disses Veterans
More Mass. $$$ to Movie Makers
I don't want them here.
Other major sources of contributions are employees of Google (21 donors, $166,000),
A review by the Globe also identified executives and employees of about 45 firms that do significant contract work for the federal government and who donated a combined $646,000 to the inaugural committee. Most of the companies are in the Washington area, many are minority-owned, and they provide technical or support services to military and civilian agencies.
Earl W. Stafford, founder and CEO of Unitech of Centreville, Va., a provider of training and simulation exercises to the armed forces and other agencies, not only donated $50,000 to the inaugural committee but spent about $1 million from his charitable foundation to pay for hotel rooms and other amenities so that 300 disadvantaged supporters of Obama could attend the inauguration.
"My donation to the Inaugural Committee had absolutely nothing to do with business," said Stafford, whose company was purchased by giant defense contractor
But THAT had NOTHING TO DO with BIDNESS, uh-huh!
Don Smith, founder and head of Hard Light Consulting Group in Washington, which does government contract work, said he gave $50,000 because "I wanted my family and friends to be there with me and be a part of history." Officials in the Obama campaign, he said, "don't know me as Hard Light, they know me as Don Smith." He said he and his children knocked on doors and made phone calls for Obama during the campaign.
Except for a ban on money from foreign nationals, there are no statutory limits on the amounts or source of contributions for inaugural ceremonies....
Of course, I DOUBT that includes ISRAELIS!!!
AIPAC DOES NOT HAVE TO REGISTER as a FOREIGN LOBBY!
--more--"
You gotta give 'bamer credit, though; he can talk out of both sides of his mouth and be slicker than anyone I've seen in a long time -- and that includes the feel-good master Big Bill Clinton!
WASHINGTON - President Obama yesterday scolded Wall Street bankers who received millions of dollars in bonuses last year, calling the payouts "shameful" while some of the firms received taxpayer bailouts, and chiding the executives for a lack of personal responsibility at a precarious time for the nation's economy....
This as he TAKES THEIR MONEY for his PARTIES!!!!
The president said he was reacting to a New York Times report yesterday about Wall Street executives who had given themselves about $18 billion in bonuses in 2008, the same amount they received collectively during the much more bullish 2004. The article was based on a report by the New York state comptroller's office that said last year's total of Wall Street bonuses was the sixth-highest ever, despite the poor economic performance of the firms....
Samuel Palmisano, chief executive of International Business Machines, made $24.35 million in 2007, the last year for which numbers were compiled by Forbes magazine.
And MY STATE just gave them $5 MILLION dollars that they didn't even want:
"$5m in tax breaks going to IBM for Littleton project
The Massachusetts Economic Assistance Coordinating Council approved $5 million in state and local tax breaks for IBM Corp., which recently began a $63 million expansion in Littleton. IBM vice president Bob McDonald said the company plans to create 42 jobs at the site over the next decade. McDonald said the computer giant, based in Armonk, N.Y., has already begun renovating a building and hopes to move into it next month. McDonald said the tax incentives were important, but the company would have gone forward with the expansion without them. IBM has 4,000 employees in Massachusetts, including about 2,000 in Littleton (Boston Globe October 30 2008)."
(Blog author exhales a sigh)
That included $5.8 million in bonuses. David Cote, the CEO of
--more--"
Of course, NONE of this should be SURPRISING!
"Recession-proof lobbyists were paid $3.2b in '08
There could be one truly recession-proof industry, at least in the nation's capital - lobbying.
A watchdog group reported yesterday that various interests paid Washington lobbyists $3.2 billion last year, more than any previous year and a 14 percent increase over 2007.
The Center for Responsive Politics says that's more than $17 million for every day Congress was in session, and that's even with corporations in the finance, insurance, real estate, and automotive industries slowing their lobbying spending overall last year, relying instead on trade associations to represent them.
--more--"
What could YOU DO with $17 million a DAY, Amurkn?
