We Are One

Yesterday, HBO had a concert to commemorate the inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th U.S. president.  It cost 175,000,000, yes that is $175 million dollars if you can't count that high.  Do they realize that our country is in a recession?  This was all paid for by tax payers.  We can't afford that with our economy the way it is.

OK, I realize the "change" that is happening and I'm glad that a, dare I say, black person (or African American person) has finally made it to the white house but why make such a huge deal out of it?  I mean, OK I can understand if our economy was a lot better, if people weren't becoming homeless by the minute but it's not and people are.  First of all it's not fair that it was only on HBO.  Tax payers paid for this, they should've been able to see it on NBC or something.  They are paying for something and can't even see it.  Isn't that like stealing?

For those who were lucky enough to see it, it was a 2 hour concert starring Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, Bono, Renée Fleming, Herbie Hancock, Shakira, John Legend, Tom Hanks, Garth Brooks and I don't know who else.  There were a lot of people performing and reading and Queen Latifah and Jamie Foxx. Bishop Gene Robinson delivers the invocation.  I have to admit that it was quite spectacular.  Garth Brooks stole the show.

I'm all for celebrating someones achievement but this was way above and beyond and way too expensive.  What pisses me off the most is that my sister has been out of work since July 2008 and she can't find a job.  Why isn't this money being used to be put back into the economy to help struggling businesses so they can rehire the people that they fired?  And the Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger is denying us the tax rebate that Obama is offering the country.  How is that supposed to help me buy groceries and pay bills?  How is that supposed to help my sister get back on her feet?  All it's going to do is help get California out of debt, it won't get me or my sister out of debt.