It seems a few individuals are upset about the $25 million spent on behalf of President Bush during his inauguration. It wasn’t made clear where this 25 mil came from, but it is clear that they don’t believe it appropriate for these resources to have been spent in such a manner when we face such large deficits and budget problems. They believe the president should have made a personal sacrifice, rather than accepting this legitimate reward due to his high office. But this is the heart of our deficit problem. Each of us is eager to cut back resources spent on the other guy, but reluctant to cut back ourselves. Yet with our Democratic form of government, the burdens should be shared. They have been incurred by our elected officials on our behalf. If we really felt threatened by our huge debts, we would have elected a Congress bent on balancing the budget, along with a president who would cooperate, but we didn’t.

If one lives by the Golden Rule, an attempt is made to reach some sort of moral high ground before preaching to others. In terms of how this relates directly to us as college students, before condemning President Bush we’d burn our financial aid forms, start working the additional hours necessary to pay our way through school, and encourage our parents to take some of the taxes saved from mortgage interest write-offs and our other middle class tax loopholes and help us pay for school. I think most of us understand that this magical change isn’t coming any time soon. We are not willing to adopt the thrifty, self-sacrificing, altruistic characteristics needed to support policies necessary for balancing the budget and building for the future. When I see us, the future leaders of our world, making these changes, I will believe it is possible. Until then, I’ll not begrudge President Bush his $25 million. The office of the president deserves better and George Bush has earned it.

Michael J. Murvihill

senior

political science