Posted on 01/08/2005 7:39:30 AM PST by Jenya
Billionaire Wants Bush to Trim Inaugural Party
Urges President to Send Savings to Tsunami Survivors
In 2004, Mark Cuban ranked 215th on the Forbes' list of 400 richest Americans.
DALLAS (AP) - Mark Cuban wants President Bush to downsize his inaugural ball and send the $40 million or so in savings to tsunami victims in Asia.
The billionaire owner of the Dallas Mavericks is urging readers of his Web log ask contact politicians to reset their priorities.
"Mr. President, it's time to show that leadership. It's time to set an example," wrote Cuban.
"Cancel all but the most basic inauguration requirements," he added.
Cuban did not immediately respond to e-mails by The Associated Press.
Inaugural events - paid for by private donations and not public funds - include black-tie balls, a parade and star-powered events.
"Instead of shaking hands all night and being driven from party to party, send them a thank you card letting them know that the corporate and individual donations that had been earmarked for fun was now going to help more people than they could ever imagine," Cuban wrote.
Cuban, whose past Web log entries have included his desire to start a hedge fund for professional gamblers, also criticized Congress for frivolous expenditures and chastised everyone involved with elaborate events for the Jan. 20 inaugural.
Funny, I was thinking the same thing!
Bill Clinton didn't spend that money; YOU did! Or at least it was your money before Bill Clinton took it from you, on the orders of Congress, and spent it.
Perhaps this billionnaire is not aware that it is ILLEGAL to collect private funds for one purpose and use them for another.
Most of the Inaugural is being paid for through private funds which were collected solely for the purpose of holding the parties. Therefore, it is absolutely ILLEGAL to turn around and send those funds to tsunami victims.
Make sure that your e-mail group knows this because we can't expect the MSM to report it.
Mark Cuban needs to understand that life goes on in spite
of unfortunate happenings. I hope that the President
doesn't listen to this silliness and that his inauguration
will be just as spectacular as it should be.
Ummm, he won't ge giving a thin dime, dontchaknow?
He's a lowlife, liberal-progressive-demokkkRAT-socialist-commie-nazi-fascist, and they don't donate diddly-squat. They merely encourage *others* to donate.
I'll bet that if the Mavericks won, he'd forgo the team's party, rings, oh and they can take a bus back.
Other People's Money.
Sandra Bullock put her money where her very nice mouth is!!!
DK
This isn't even taxpayer money.
I guess what the guy really wants is for all Republican campaign contributions to be donated to charity instead of being used for Republican election campaigns.
I just want you to know I am ashamed this guy is from Texas.
Cuban donated some used underwear. Where are Bubbas buddies, the Riady's? James and Mochtar are wanted in this country for all the illegal millions they donated to the Klintons and the DNC. They are Indonesian billionaires, i'm pretty sure.
Also, who gives a flying sh*t what this guy thinks? How arrogant of him to think the President should listen to his whining over the wishes of his supporters, just because he's a billionaire! (When I first read the title of this article I thought it was going to be about Soros.)
Hey Cuban, You're a billionaire. Why don't you send $40 million of your money. Otherwise, you would look like a hypocrite.
Does anything ever change? If it's not tsunami's than it's the homeless blah blah blah....
Party on!
Probably cheering like he was at a Mavs game.
Another Bozo from a Dallas pro franchise shoots his mouth off. Maybe Cuban should cut the pay of his overpayed crybabies that call themselves professionals and send the difference to the relief efforts. Cuban himself should move into a more modest home and dump his mansion and send the difference to the releif efforts. Now more than ever I hope the Spurs pound Cuban's sorry team.
The other Bozo from a Dallas franchise is of course Jerry Jones.
Why don't you send the money yourself?
M Kehoe wants Mark Cuban to downsize his fleet of cars, and send the Porsche Carrera to me.
5.56mm
Encouraging others makes them feel less guilty about themselves.
Cuban doesn't expect Bush to do this and that's precisely why he's asking for it. It's a setup for the liberals to howl about the insensitive Republicans when the inaugural goes off as planned. Get ready for it. It will be the lead news story on nbccbsabc on inaugural day.
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