Casting In Our Abundance

What Would Jesus Do?:

12:41 And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much.
12:42 And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing .
12:43 And he called [unto him] his disciples , and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury:
12:44 For all [they] did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, [even] all her living.

What Would Jesus Our Super-Christian-God-Appointed-Preznit Do?:

Here is what is cast:
...The announcement brought the United States' total aid package to $35 million so far, and Bush administration officials said that much more would be sent...


And Here is the abundance:

Four days of festivities will culminate January 20 with Bush’s swearing in ceremony at the US Congress, his parade to the White House and nine inauguration balls. The final bill for all the celebrations will be a cool 40 million dollars — a record in US history — mostly financed by donations.
[...]
In addition to the 40 million dollar inauguration bill, slightly higher than in 2001 when Bush first made it to the White House, there is the undetermined cost of the biggest security operation for the first post-9/11 inauguration.
The tax payer will pick up that tab. The most popular events include the January 18 "Saluting Those Who Serve" gala honoring the US armed forces and the January 20 "Texas-Wyoming Ball," where country singer Lyle Lovett will perform and a proper attire of tuxedo plus cowboy boots is recommended. Tickets for these events are already fetching several thousands of dollars at internet auctions.
[...]
The most spectacular events will be fire works and a grand parade through Washington of 10,000 people, including musical bands from 50 US states and close to 300 horses. Rooms at Washington’s top hotels are completely booked up despite their requirement of reserving a minimum of four nights and a no-money-back policy.

The richest and luckiest will have the run of a presidential suite at the Ritz-Carlton costing 150,000 dollars that includes a personal butler to tuck away the guests’ belongings and a 20,000 dollar gift-set of luggage. "We are sold out. The package (presidential suite) has not been sold yet," said Ritz-Carlton spokeswoman Coleen Evans.

The tens of thousands of ordinary citizens who want to see the parade up close will have either have to be frisked or pass through metal detectors. To reinforce thousands of local police patrolling the events, some 4,000 troops will be deployed, as well as bomb-sniffing dogs and hazmat units capable of dealing with chemical, biological or radiological attacks.

What gets me is the part about the $40 million...it's not even taxpayer dollars, it's all freakin' donations. From big donors. What's stopping Bush from just taking the money and using it as a donation to help those countries needing it? Hell, how about cancelling the huge love-fest completely and saving a few of our hard earned tax dollars (4,000+ deployed troops for an inauguration? Holy Crap!)

I believe this is a case of "Talking the talk, but not walking the walk".