Laura Bush has unveiled two sets of china she has chosen for the White House, both paid for from private funds, I understand. The fancy set (320 14-piece place settings, at $492,798--that's $1539.99 per place setting) cost much more than the estimated worth of our current house (even before the housing market crash), and the casual set (75 seven-piece place settings, at $74,000--that's $986.66 per place setting) cost more than we paid (each, not combined) for our first and second homes, and, if I remember correctly, our third home, as well.
According to a story from ABC News, "only two term presidents have time to order custom china," so I guess it takes a long time to have the custom china made. I have two responses to this event, one negative, one positive:
1) Ummmm.....why spend that much on china, especially when the country is in terrible financial difficulties? The Bush administration inherited a budget surplus and is leaving the White House with over a trillion dollars in budget deficit: U.S. BUDGET at the beginning of the Bush presidency: +236.2 billion (2000, Congressional Budget Office); and now: -$1.2 trillion (projected figure for 2009, Congressional Budget Office). (h/t to Steve Benen) Okay, Okay, the President of the United States hosts state dinners that should be elegant. Also, what's half-a-million dollars compared to the billions spent in our government? Still. . . .
2) On the other hand, Laura Bush demonstrates a practical turn of mind which I can admire (while not particularly admiring the cost) in deciding that the family of the president needs a "casual" set of china for everyday use rather than the formal state services.
2 comments:
What does the cost of your house's have to do with anything?
The money paid for the china was from private funds. Are you telling me that people should not spend their own money the way they want to because you think what they are buying cost more that you would spend? Shame on you.
Oh, well, then.... shame on me.
I was thinking more of the power of symbolism than anything else. While hundreds of thousands of Americans are losing their homes to foreclosure and their jobs to a terrible economy, their President and First Lady unveil expensive china at the White House. Nothing more than that. So mentioning the costs of homes was a reference to the current times. It seems I wasn't obvious enough. And the President and First Lady aren't just "people."
I don't care what "people" do, but I do care what the leaders of my country do, and I do care about the powerful symbolism of actions.
But, hey....this is the President who told us all to go shopping after 9/11 and the slowdown in the economy, so I guess the china expenditure makes sense.
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