Comparative Messiahs: A Cost/Benefit Analysis

I have been thinking about doing this for awhile now. The Disgruntled Taxpayer blog. An electronic soap box for rants and raves. Happy Happy Joy Joy.

Actually, there is so much to be angry about for taxpayers these days: bailouts, Senate seats going to the "lowest bidders," inept government officials who catch a bye from the local and national media because they have liberal views regarding bioethics, or whatever the latest liberal shibboleth is.

The next few years should be good times for those of us who like to comment about stuff. And who loathe the Nannystate.

President Obama should be good for some belly laughs. Without even stepping into the Oval Office we already have Cook County Boys providing comedy relief through Blago-gate. His desire to move into Blair House two weeks early is also good for some titters, as the permanent staff was aghast by this breach of protocol (tradition has it that the President Elect stays in Blair House from 1/15 through to 1/20, Obama wants to roll into town on 1/2). Maybe the Obamas catch a bye on this one because his kids need to start school.

But what is this about taking a train from Philly.... stopping in Delaware to pick up Biden ..... and then stopping in DC for his inauguration? One can only imagine how many millions in taxpayer dollars will be wasted on the pageantry. An entire train has to be secured to ensure the President Elect's safety. This seems expensive.

Why can't he just take the Presidential Limo he just secured with the armor plates and all of that good stuff from Blair House to Inaugural? And where will the President Elect celebrate MLK Day? In Philly? In DC? How much money is this "Messianic Entrance" into Washington going to cost us. Will only those who earn more than $200,000 per year have to shoulder the cost of this nonsense. Besides, doesn't this trip to Philly kind of defeat the idea of a smooth transition of the children into Quaker School?

The real Messiah had it right. He was born in a manger, and rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. And his well wishers paid for their own palms. Not only that, but his well wishers even saved the palms for nearly a year, and recycled them on Ash Wednesday. Jesus of Nazareth was a fiscal conservative. He feed 5,000 people with a couple of loaves of bread and some fish. He fed 4,000 on another occasion. He saved money on boat fares across the Sea of Galilee by walking it. And then he actually gave up his lives for our sins. The real Messiah didn't play GQ in some fancy suits, chain smoke like a bulimic supermodel, and pay homage to the Mayor Daley Machine.

Now, I am not asking for anything big. Just a little humility for the tasks that are ahead. It is bad enough that the "Messiah of Change" is an apostle of big government, and that instead of change, he hired all of the Clintonistas, including Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State. I am just hoping that the American people elected an adult, or someone who may become an adult, to be President.