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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Some interesting numbers sent to me by a friend.
JW</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>A look at this
week's festivities by the numbers:<BR><BR><?/x-tad-bigger><?color><?param 0000,4444,BBBB><?x-tad-bigger>$40
million<?/x-tad-bigger><?/color><?x-tad-bigger>: Cost of Bush inaugural ball
festivities, not counting security costs.<BR><BR><?/x-tad-bigger><?color><?param 0000,4444,BBBB><?x-tad-bigger>$2,000<?/x-tad-bigger><?/color><?x-tad-bigger>:
Amount FDR spent on the inaugural in 1945 ... about $20,000 in today's
dollars.<BR><BR><?/x-tad-bigger><?color><?param 0000,4444,BBBB><?x-tad-bigger>$20,000<?/x-tad-bigger><?/color><?x-tad-bigger>:
Cost of yellow roses purchased for inaugural festivities by D.C.'s Ritz
Carlton.<BR><BR><?/x-tad-bigger><?color><?param 0000,4444,BBBB><?x-tad-bigger>200<?/x-tad-bigger><?/color><?x-tad-bigger>:
Number of Humvees outfitted with top-of-the-line armor for troops in Iraq that
could have been purchased with the amount of money blown on the
inauguration.<BR><BR><?/x-tad-bigger><?color><?param 0000,4444,BBBB><?x-tad-bigger>$10,000<?/x-tad-bigger><?/color><?x-tad-bigger>:
Price of an inaugural package at the Fairmont Hotel, which includes a Beluga
caviar and Dom Perignon reception, a chauffeured Rolls Royce and two actors
posing as "faux" Secret Service agents, complete with black sunglasses and
cufflink walkie-talkies.<BR><BR><?/x-tad-bigger><?color><?param 0000,4444,BBBB><?x-tad-bigger>400<?/x-tad-bigger><?/color><?x-tad-bigger>:
Pounds of lobster provided for "inaugural feeding frenzy" at the exclusive
Mandarin Oriental hotel.<BR><BR><?/x-tad-bigger><?color><?param 0000,4444,BBBB><?x-tad-bigger>3,000<?/x-tad-bigger><?/color><?x-tad-bigger>:
Number of "Laura Bush Cowboy cookies" provided for "inaugural feeding frenzy" at
the Mandarin hotel.<BR><BR><?/x-tad-bigger><?color><?param 0000,4444,BBBB><?x-tad-bigger>$1<?/x-tad-bigger><?/color><?x-tad-bigger>:
Amount per guest President Carter spent on snacks for guests at his inaugural
parties. To stick to a tight budget, he served pretzels, peanuts, crackers and
cheese and had cash bars.<BR><BR><?/x-tad-bigger><?color><?param 0000,4444,BBBB><?x-tad-bigger>22
million<?/x-tad-bigger><?/color><?x-tad-bigger>: Number of children in regions
devastated by the tsunami who could have received vaccinations and preventive
health care with the amount of money spent on the inauguration.<BR><BR><?/x-tad-bigger><?color><?param 0000,4444,BBBB><?x-tad-bigger>1,160,000<?/x-tad-bigger><?/color><?x-tad-bigger>:
Number of girls who could be sent to school for a year in Afghanistan with the
amount of money lavished on the inauguration.<BR><BR><?/x-tad-bigger><?color><?param 0000,4444,BBBB><?x-tad-bigger>$15,000<?/x-tad-bigger><?/color><?x-tad-bigger>:
The down payment to rent a fur coat paid by one gala attendee who didn't want
the hassle of schlepping her own through the airport.<BR><BR><?/x-tad-bigger><?color><?param 0000,4444,BBBB><?x-tad-bigger>$200,500<?/x-tad-bigger><?/color><?x-tad-bigger>:
Price of a room package at D.C.'s Mandarin Oriental hotel, including
presidential suite, chauffeured Mercedes limo and outfits from Neiman
Marcus.<BR><BR><?/x-tad-bigger><?color><?param 0000,4444,BBBB><?x-tad-bigger>2,500<?/x-tad-bigger><?/color><?x-tad-bigger>:
Number of U.S. troops used to stand guard as President Bush takes his oath of
office.<BR><BR><?/x-tad-bigger><?color><?param 0000,4444,BBBB><?x-tad-bigger>26,000<?/x-tad-bigger><?/color><?x-tad-bigger>:
Number of Kevlar vests for U.S. soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan that could be
purchased for $40 million.<BR><BR><?/x-tad-bigger><?color><?param 0000,4444,BBBB><?x-tad-bigger>$290<?/x-tad-bigger><?/color><?x-tad-bigger>:
Bonus that could go to each American solider serving in Iraq, if inauguration
funds were used for that purpose.<BR><BR><?/x-tad-bigger><?color><?param 0000,4444,BBBB><?x-tad-bigger>$6.3
million<?/x-tad-bigger><?/color><?x-tad-bigger>: Amount contributed by the
finance and investment industry, which works out to be 25 percent of all the
money collected.<BR><BR><?/x-tad-bigger><?color><?param 0000,4444,BBBB><?x-tad-bigger>$17
million<?/x-tad-bigger><?/color><?x-tad-bigger>: Amount of money the White House
is forcing the cash-strapped city of Washington, D.C., to pony up for
inauguration security.<BR><BR>9: Percentage of D.C. residents who voted for Bush
in 2004.<BR><BR><?/x-tad-bigger><?color><?param 0000,4444,BBBB><?x-tad-bigger>66<?/x-tad-bigger><?/color><?x-tad-bigger>:
Percentage of Americans who think this over-the-top inauguration should have
been scaled back.
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