While Rome burns
There's big inauguration happening in DC later this month, but there's another going down this weekend in Raleigh. The Dome has been all a-twitter with coverage of the extravagance, the red dress, and the happy dancing to be had.
A few weeks ago, Rob Schofield captured my own opinion about the grand affair.
None of this is to imply that there isn't a place for ceremony and celebration at important moments of institutional renewal in our democracy. No one's saying we shouldn't fire some guns or have a nice parade. But if such celebrations occur they ought to belong to all of us and be conducted with some eye toward the tenor of the times. At this point, next month's celebrations look like they will amount to nothing more than business as usual in a dreadfully unusual time.
The phrase "fiddling while Rome burns" seems to perfectly fit the bill.
Meanwhile, pundit Gary Pearce is quoted in the Dome post:
Several cocktail parties, musical performances from notable North Carolinians and the traditional inaugural ball Friday night should draw more than 4,000. "For people who gave her money, who have worked for her, it's a big deal," said Democratic consultant Gary Pearce.
I'm one of those people. I gave Perdue money and I worked for her. And I can say without equivocation, it is indeed a big deal to me. A big, bad deal. I took Perdue at her word that "business as usual" would not be business as usual.
I'm sure the new governor will say some moving words about how these are hard times for regular people. We're hearing a lot of that these days. But from where I sit, those "regular people" don't have much to gain from the hundreds of thousands of dollars companies are spending to get plugged into the inaugural bash. One of those "regular people" is a friend of mine who just filed for bankruptcy because of mounting medical bills. Another friend is working 80 hour weeks in two jobs to keep his house. The list goes on and on and on and on, while the new governor dances in her fancy red dress.
As you might imagine, I declined my invitation.
Tagged:
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First woman Governor
Excuse me if I don't share your outrage. My only complaint is that the Junior League has shut out the volunteers who only had time to give and no money.....but then they've always shut out the regular folk. (Disclaimer: I'm a former member of the Charlotte and Cincinnati Junior League organizations.) My understanding is that the Junior League took over more than just the inaugural ball which I guess means more private money is going to pay for the festivities. I don't have a problem with that at all.
I don't see the Obamas slapping on burlap and cancelling the inaugural balls in D.C. Give Bev her parties.
The Junior League might not think much of my volunteer hours, but Elaine Marshall invited me to her traditional biscuit breakfast. Oh...and the real cool thing is she used Facebook as one of the ways to send her invitations.
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Vote Democratic, the ass you save may be your own.
You're excused
I never expect anyone to share my outrage.
By the way, I feel the same about the Obamas. They're doing a few things to let the little people in, but it would have been easy for them to dial down the extravagance in light of trillion dollar deficits.
Sure a lot of it is private money. But just because corporations want to pay to get in good with the governor, doesn't mean elected officials should take their money.
This has nothing to do with being the first woman governor. It has everything to do with setting the tenor of an administration that could very well be tone deaf.
Not sure how big the list was
but I got an invitation to all that stuff. I tossed it a couple of days ago, since I didn't feel like dropping a bunch of money to feel/look important.
Let's party while we are still broke?
but I got an invitation to all that stuff. I tossed it a couple of days ago, since I didn't feel like dropping a bunch of money to feel/look important.* SPLib
The best thing the local Democrat establishment can do is simply walk down to the State Capital in sackcloth, rub with ashes from the State's Pine trees, mutting " Save us ole lord from this stupid parade of idiots, navie fools, suck up political fools, and a 3 billion state shortfall budget.......
Repent fools, before the Comet strikes Raleigh and wakes up the Republican party!!!!!!!!
I agree with Betsy.
(My browser automatically filled in the subject; that can't be good. :) )
I agree on both counts. The first woman governor of North Carolina should be celebrated - it's an important milestone in NC History, and is as important as the first African-American President. But volunteers who donated a lot of time to Perdue and not money should have received invitations as well. That would make it NOT business as usual.
And here's something I will never understand. You get an "invitation" to spend more money. Wonderful. That's not an invitation to be a guest.
As for Mrs. Perdue, she should take a look at Mrs. Obama, whose daughters told us proudly, "Mom shops at Target all the time!". Yeah, and she looks great doing it, too.
Well.....here I go again
"as important as the first African-American president"......
Isn't Barack Obama half white?
This is a dichotomy, isn't it?
I'm gonna get a ration of crap over this post...I know. But.....
The best thinking is independent thinking.
No, only half a ration of crap;-)
The white side of him has already been important before.
Progressives are the true conservatives.
loftT...why didn't I expect that from you?
HAHAHAHA...I hear ya, mi amigo.
The best thinking is independent thinking.
The Ball
$125 per person, no discounts for any of North Carolina's half million plus unemployed. Paul Krugman says we are entering the second Great Depression. Dont the elites of Raleigh get it?
$125?
I wish I still had my invitation. $125 was about the cheapest option. I think for $125 you got to see the inauguration on TV at home. Options went into at least a couple thousand to hobnob at certain receptions and sit a certain tables.
Rome indeed
Another republic evolves into an empire and eventually implodes. History repeats itself.
Inaugurations are only one step removed from the crowing of new kings and emperors. At least our governors aren't appointed by Washington D.C. - yet. Instead of wasting millions of dollars in elections to choose between two establishment puppets, we should just do a coin toss. That way at least neither of the establishment factions could cheat.
PS: Paul Krugman is also a Keynesian who thinks that trillion dollar "stimilus" packages will "jump-start" the economy by giving it a "boost." If a class of second graders were given the task of solving the economic crisis they would come up with the exact same proposal: just send money to everyone! Hahaha he won a nobel peace prize /facepalm
PPS: This Colin Powell video is still linked at the bottom of the site, so you might want to remove that unless you think that a war criminal's endorsement is a good thing for Obama.
Indeedly-doo-doo
Inaugurations have been happening since the beginning of the republic. George Washington's inaugural was in New York of course, before the city that bears his name today never started appointing governors.
PS: Mr. M. Friedman's lil' boy Bernanke has failed miserably with monetary policy. The false liquidity, as I'm sure you'd call it, is sitting in bank vaults and not serving the populace. A Keynesian try is in order. Surely paying money for a product, like a bridge or ferry, is something even a libertarian can think is a public good.
PPS: Powell's endorsement was good for Obama - a Sunday morning "nail in the coffin" according to one GOP operative. Getting advice from American libertarians on how to be successful in politics is such fun.
Mixed Emotions but Pride
I have mixed emotions about all of this, but ultimately I am proud. Proud of my state. I remember when there were serious, non-prejudiced people worrying about what the effect of having an African-American and two females at the top of our ballot here in North Carolina. Everyone knew people wanted change, but how much would they be ok with?
The answer? A lot. And the citizens of this state stepped up and voted for significant progress.
So yeah, the details might still cause some annoyance, but for at least a few hours anyway I am going to ignore all of that and be proud.
"Keep the Faith"
I am pleased with Perdue as my Governor
not because she is the first women, who cares. Not because she is Democrat, who cares. I am pleased because I thought she was going to be different then mickey was. That she was going to stop the elitist attitude.
From my perspective now, it is business as usual in Raleigh. Not sure who or were this money is going for this inauguration, but dam, to spend that kind of money for the "privilege" to shake her hand and break bread with her? That is mickey again.
She surely has sent the message that if you want to talk to me, you better have some serious $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$. If not, sorry. Use the service entrance from the ally. OOOO, dam, I forgot, we got rid of the ally last year. O well, guess you don't need to talk to me if you cannot buy your way through the front door.
Granted, this happens "all the time". But why does it happen all the time. Why is it only the elitist and rich get to hobnob with the snobs? Why cant she open up the lawn in front of the mansion, pay for a few cows and pigs, have a good ole shindig, bring your own soda and just enjoy some music or something? She walks the lawn in normal casual clothes? Greets the people she will be governing? She might actually shake the hand of a repug, who cares. She represents them also. Her entire cabinet is out there. That is not business as usual and is not catering to the elite money of the state.
From an ethics point of view, these inaugural shindigs are improper. Throwing that kind of money around with "donations" of over $25 is inappropriate.
She is not even governor yet, and she is already sticking out her palms to be greased. Even if she shuttles that money to a worthy cause, that has the perception of being called laundrying.
With Butterfield expressing the country is going to be experiencing economic PAIN shortly, either she does not get that, or she realizes that the rich have nothing to fear about this pain. Sounds like "let them eat cake!" is being heard again, only this time its from the Govs mansion in Raleigh vice the Bastille of France.
Yea, I know, she never really said that, but she lost her head anyways for that attitude.
This is my perception of her right now. I still want to be proud of her as my governor because she claims she is not business as usual. I hope she gets off that road she has put her big toe on. I don't want to have to wait 4 years to be thankful she is gone, like I am with mickey.