In his short period as President, Obama has made some waves with the announcement of the plan to close Guantanamo, the new stimulus package, interviewing on Al-Arabiya, writing a letter to Ahmadinejad, and the reopening of funds to international agencies who support abortion. That last I have moral outrage over, but it was to be expected. The others, I am pretty happy with. But what is frustrating me is the extravagance through all of this. Every decision comes with a party that the American taxpayer foots the bill on.
It seems like Washington has party after party where the price for the meal and drinks for one person are more than I would spend to have a party for thirty. Maybe I am just cheap, but it seems to me that it is the responsibility of the President to set an example on not wasting money during these rough times.
In 2004, wagyu steak cost $100 for sixteen ounces. Wagyu steak is part of the appetizers for the latest stimulus package celebration at the White House. Now true, $10,000 (that's a guess and it might be very low) to throw a party is nothing compared to the $900 billion that is spent on the stimulus bill they are celebrating, but it is a sign of the irresponsible use of money that permeates the federal government and the politicians in Washington.
If Obama wants to change government waste, he needs to start with himself. He needs to start living more frugally in the White House and expect others in the federal government to do the same. It is really easy to indulge when it is not your money. There is this disconnect that government officials have with government money. If a business or a family is struggling financially, they start making cuts in the way they are living. It is time for the government to do the same.
