Bushist Outrage of the week

Ok, so it took Bush a few days to go further than his initial US$15 million to relief work in the Indian Ocean. That's a fumble that almost didn't get caught.

But the big fumble is that the budget for his second inauguration is $40 million. This, at a time when they say there's not enough money to pay for schools or health care or AIDS treatment programs.

But even more outrageous: they tell the District of Columbia that they have to suck up $17 million worth of security related costs out of their general budget. That's $17 million the District didn't have. Of course, the Republican-controlled Congress and White House won't appropriate any funds for this. GOP certainly won't pay for it. Set aside that they paid 10 times as much for NYC security during the GOP convention.

So what do they do? The reach a so-called compromise. What is it? Basically, DC is to divert $11.9 million from emergency regional security emergency funds to pay for things like parade review stands and presidential security.

Add to this that these same parade review stands are not open to the public. The Inaugural committee is charging $60 a pop for a seat at these stands. Where is that money going? Who knows.

That's money that is earmarked for paying for hospital services in case of regional emergency, transit emergency planning, security and safety equipment for first responders, etc. This is not just DC money, it's regional money. Northern VA and suburban MD.

So, basically, those of us living within miles of Nucklehead-in-chief must give up money allocated for our safety and health in case we are attacked so nucklehead can have a second party that costs more than what he initially allocated for aid to a part of the world that is a hotbed of antiamerican hostility based on our inaction and empty posturing.

Simply outrageous.