HOW HE SEES IT Republicans should save some inaugural cake for the troops

By PHILIP GAILEY
ST. PETERSBURG TIMES
In the spirit of the season, President Bush has called on Americans to extend a helping hand to war-weary soldiers and their families. Speaking last week to thousands of Marines at Camp Pendleton, Calif., the commander in chief said, "The time of war is a time of sacrifice, especially for our military families. I urge every American to find some way to thank our military and to help out the military family down the street."
Since Bush has raised the question of sacrifice, I would like to suggest that he could set a splendid example for the rest of us by making his second inauguration a less extravagant event, which seems appropriate in a time of war. I'm not trying to be a party pooper. The re-elected president is entitled to his inaugural celebration. Let Bush have his parade down Pennsylvania Avenue after he is sworn in for a second term in front of the U.S. Capitol with pomp and great fanfare, including a 21-gun salute and the Marine Corps Band playing "Hail to the Chief." And let the Republicans have their glittering inaugural balls.
I'm just saying a little restraint might be in order on the home front.
Unseemly display
What concerns me is what will be an unseemly display of wealth in Washington in the days immediately before and after the president's inauguration on January 20. It's not just Republicans who indulge in inaugural excess; Democrats lay it on just as thick.
What's different this time is that the nation is at war. U.S. soldiers are dying and being wounded nearly every day in Iraq. Back home, many military families are financially stressed because their main breadwinners had to leave civilian jobs and ship out for Iraq for a year or more with their National Guard and reserve units.
I read that the Bush inaugural planners figure a proper bash will cost about $40 million, a record.
Maybe they could cut back on the festivities and donate half of the money to a fund that helps military families facing hardships. I would think you could put on a dazzling inaugural celebration for $20 million.
The money for Bush's inauguration is coming from corporations and wealthy donors who think nothing of paying up to $250,000 for tickets to the best balls.
The president should include them in his call to sacrifice. If nothing else, he could ask the big spenders to forgo conspicuous consumption, especially when it comes to some of the luxury packages being offered by Washington's priciest hotels.
Bob Dart, a reporter for Cox Newspapers, has described some of the obscene deals that hotels are offering Republican revelers. He wrote: "Consider the Mandarin Oriental's 'Presidential Privilege' package Jan. 17-21. A private jet will ferry a couple from anywhere in the continental United States to the 3,500-square-foot Presidential Suite.
The suite has 14 rooms, including a gym, a kitchen, a game room with leather walls and a parlor with 25-foot ceilings, and, of course, its own butler. To get around, the couple will have a choice of a Hummer, a Maybach or a Rolls Royce, with a chauffeur on call 24 hours a day."
The cost is $200,500.
Ritz-Carlton
It will be interesting to see whether there are any takers for this package, or the one being offered by the Ritz-Carlton for $150,000. These prices may be a little too rich even for the Republican elite. There are, of course, cheaper packages in the $15,000 to $25,000 range for those on a tight budget.
So what kind of sacrifices am I talking about? Does every big Republican donor really need a limo? They could take a taxi and donate the difference to a fund for military families. The same goes for Republicans who will fly in and out of the nation's capital in private jets. Maybe, if asked, they would be willing to make a sacrifice and fly commercial -- first class, of course. Is that asking too much at a time when U.S. troops in Iraq are sacrificing their lives riding in unarmored Humvees and trucks?
If the president's inaugural guests don't want to show spending restraint, they could donate the equivalent of what they spend on lavish hotel suites and limos and private jets to military families in need.
I'm not naive. It's not going to happen. It's just a thought.
X Philip Gailey is editor of editorials of the St. Petersburg Times. Distributed by Scripps Howard.