Filed in, ”What the frig else,” during the peaceful transference of power to a new president, comes the fact that a State of Emergency has been declared in Washington, D.C. during the inauguration of Obama.
President Bush declared that, “an emergency exists in the District of Columbia”" in authorizing federal money to assist the District of Columbia in saving lives and protecting public health and safety during the inauguration of President Barack Obama on January 20, 2009. http://usgovinfo.about.com/b/2009/01/15/inauguration-prompts-state-of-emergency.htm
It would also seems that such a declaration would free up some FEMA funds to supplement the mayor’s spending deficit. ” FEMA will reimburse for eligible emergency protective measures performed on January 20, 2009, only if the District has expended on the Presidential Inauguration during the period of January 17-21, 2009, the $15 million appropriated to it for “Emergency Planning and Security Costs” by the Continuing Appropriations Resolution 2009, P.L. 110-329.” If FEMA is paying for it out of its budget, you can bet your sweet little last piece of delicious apple pie, that FEMA is going to be in charge. http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2009/01/20090113-9.html At least President Bush relinquished the powers and the funds effective, January 21st, 2009.
With FEMA in charge, the designated ’state of emergency’ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_of_emergency carries a whole bucketful of centralized powers. There is always the option of declaring martial law. There is always the option of ignoring and suspending the Constitution. There is always the remembrance of New Orleans with FEMA.
Gets me to thinking how Obama said in his train speech, “What is required is a new declaration of independence,…” http://ahrcanum.wordpress.com/2009/01/18/obamas-new-declaration-of-independence/
“Generally speaking, changes of government are only “emergencies” in the livelier banana republics where this week’s president-for-life suddenly spots the machete-wielding mob scrambling over the palace walls so nimbly he barely has time to dial the Liberian branch of FEMA and put in a request for extra Portapotties and a rope-line management team.” said Mark Steyn at http://www.ocregister.com/articles/federal-emergency-fema-2283617-new-government. He goes on to say that, ” Washington is one of those disaster relief cases, where they get the relief, and the rest of us get the disaster.”
This is not some banana republic, this is America where a smooth transition of power is not only expected, but taken for granted- until now. To add further insult, for the first time, 1,300 Pennsylvania National Guard soldiers and airmen are joining a team of 10,000 National Guard members providing security during the inauguration. The soldiers and airmen will get training this weekend at Fort Indiantown Gap in everything from basic first aid to civil disturbance response. http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2009/01/national_guard_assisting_in_in.html So while not quite a state of Martial Law, we again see active duty soldiers on guard on our own US soil.
Civil Disturbance Response? Saving Lives? A State of Emergency? Oh, Mr. Obama, I hardly think this is what you had in mind when you spoke of change?
Assuming that the Constitution could be under suspension when the new President takes the Oath of Office, is the newly sworn in President Obama not really our President? Anyone want to go there?
The costs emotionally and financially are staggering. Besides the actual inauguration itself there are all the balls. I do mean the dancing balls of course! President Woodrow Wilson decreed in 1913 that he would not have an inaugural ball believing that it was frivolous for a serious occasion. Later Warren Harding cancel events. Not Obama, he would never cancel such extravagance paid for by tax dollars or private dollars- even if we were at war, even if our economy was in worse shape than all the Portapotties lined up along the mall and filled with shit, sans toilet paper.
White House Chief of Staff-designate Rahm Emanuel said Sunday the inaugural address would touch on themes that call on everyday Americans, business leaders, and politicians to exercise greater responsibility in their day-to-day lives. “This is larger than the economy; it goes to a value system that has held us for 200-plus years,” Emanuel argued. http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/emanuel-says-obama-will-stress-need-for-responsibility-2009-01-18.html
A greater responsibility, eh? It has been many American’s privilege and responsibility to get up before the crack of dawn and go to work and it will continue to be, even under a redistributing the wealth policy. It has been the responsibility of Americans to vote, and vote for Obama they did. I find it appalling the level of dismissal of 200 plus years of history, let alone the thousands upon thousands who have died to protect the value system the Emanuel so easily trounces upon. What did your ancestors do for this country Mr. Emanuel? We already know the answer, his father –” a Chicago pediatrician who worked in the 1940’s with Irgun, the militant Zionist group that committed acts against Palestinian and British targets that have been widely categorized as terrorism.” http://swampland.blogs.time.com/2008/11/13/rahm-emanuels-father-problem/ Isn’t that special?
The value system that Emanuel, and apparently Obama too is already dismissing is what has made this country great and I am finding that the real state of emergency may be ahead for all of us.
In other news, thinking of reasons to love America, I am thankful for Joseph Gayetty of New York, credited with inventing toilet paper in 1857. His concept was later perfected and successfully marketed by Thomas, Edward and Clarence Scott of Philadelphia when they marketed a small roll of perforated paper. They began the Scott Paper Company by selling their product from a pushcart. From, 1001 Reasons to Love America by Hubert Pedroli & Mary Tiegreen, p, 206, c 2004. http://www.amazon.com/1-001-Reasons-Love-America/dp/1584793775
What do you want to bet that the toilet paper in all those Portapotties for the inauguration is imported from China? Maybe the real state of emergency is when there are no more squares to share- wouldn’t you say?
God Bless America.
ahrcanum.com Sunday, 18 January 09
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