"Dallas billionaire Mark Cuban has a suggestion for President Bush: Cancel the inauguration parties and donate the money saved - some $40 million - to the tsunami victims.
The irreverent, outspoken Dallas Mavericks owner won't say how much he has given to the disaster victims, but his Dec. 31 proposal on his Web site has generated controversy - and support - on the Internet.
'My point was that this was a great opportunity for the president to stand up and say that we are committed to aid, but we need to take a first step towards austerity so we can reduce the deficit,' Cuban said Friday via e-mail.
'A great way to demonstrate that first step would be to have the inauguration, but cancel the parties and request the uncommitted donations be donated to the relief effort,' he said.
The Presidential Inaugural Committee, which is raising the $30 million to $40 million needed to cover costs from private donors, doesn't plan to cancel any of the nine inaugural balls or the three "candle light dinners" that donors of $250,000 and $100,000 get with the president and first lady. (Bigger donors get more tickets.)....
Asked if it was fair to deny Bush supporters a celebration, Cuban, who said he voted for the president, replied, 'Since when is the level of celebration defined by the amount spent?' "
I have some ideas. Why not use that $40 million in extravanganza funds to buy equipment for our soldiers in Iraq, so they feel adequately protected? Or maybe Mr. Bush could use all those strings-laden donor-base dollars to finally armor soldiers' Humvees?
Or rather than using that $40 million to feed thousands of fat-cat corporate millionaires, our self-described wartime President can use his embarrassment of inauguration riches to treat our soliders in Iraq to edible food.
Here's my question.....what would Jesus do?
No comments:
Post a Comment