I should just keep my mouth shut, but...

I read a news story today that really upset me. I don’t usually get into debating governmental or political stuff, but this one really made me wonder where this country is headed. (Read the story here.)

Apparently, our President has declared a state of emergency in Washington DC for the President-Elect’s inauguration! Why does this bother me? It bothers me because this event is already costing $15,000,000 in federal funds, and declaring a state of emergency allows the District to tap into FEMA funds, if needed. Apparently, they want to have the funds available in case they need assistance protecting the public, since their current resources could be expended due to the large crowds expected.

I realize that this is a historic event, and I realize that there is much excitement, high energy, and many expectations surrounding it. However, does the government really need to spend that much money (with the option of tapping into more) when so many people all over the nation are losing homes, jobs, etc. due to our economy’s downslide? With the state of our economy, I don’t see how anyone can justify spending that much money on a party...and that’s really what it is.

Whatever the reasoning behind it, I still think it's crazy. Not that I think $15,000,000 would really change our economy, but it would sure buy a lot of food!