Posted on 11/11/2008 8:17:51 AM PST by bamahead
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) is drafting legislation that would make it illegal to sell tickets to President-elect Barack Obama’s inauguration ceremony.
Tickets for the event are free and will be distributed through the offices of lawmakers, who will then provide them to constituents who request them. The tickets won’t be given out until days before the ceremony, but they are already being advertised on websites like eBay and Craigslist for as much as $40,000.
The legislation would charge those caught selling the tickets with a misdemeanor and a “very hefty penalty.”
“I have...asked my Judiciary committee staff to prepare legislation to make it a crime to scalp inaugural tickets," said Feinstein. "This inauguration will be the major civic event of our time, and these tickets are supposed to be free for the people. Nobody should have to pay for their tickets”
The Senate meets next week for a lame-duck session, at which time the legislation could be introduced.
Feinstein is advising her colleagues to follow a policy that she has put in place to verify the identification of those requesting tickets.
“To guard against scalpers, we are encouraging Congressional offices to establish a protocol for ticket distribution that requires people to show a photo ID in order to pick up their tickets,” she said in a statement e-mailed to The Hill.
Feinstein is also personally reaching out to websites in an attempt to curb the selling of tickets.
“In addition, I am writing a letter to sites like eBay and Craigslist that requests their help in making sure that scalpers do not use their sites to sell inaugural tickets,” she said
Charge for the damn tickets, put them all up for auction. More bailout money is needed for AIG. :)
Can’t have any riff raff showing up.
Anything that smacks of capitalism will be punished.
how log before the apply “anti-scalp” laws to Capitalism? oh it’s already done... in the works.
Liberals come up with the darndest ways to raise money for the agenda.
“Anti-free market forces, already at work. “
I don’t think they want to see 100,000 white folk and the owner of Jet Magazine, BET network and some atlethes there.
“inauguration ceremony tickets” search in eBay, currently returns no hits.
what a laugh..Who wants to go to the goons party besides the Commies,and Muslims..
The solution to this problem is the same as the solution to every other problem:
"Give a pile of money to the government."
Aw, come on. The AG has nothing better to do than prosecute enterprising people who make people happy by selling them tickets to an event they are dying to get into.
Thank goodness we have DiFi protecting us from those enterprising folks. They should be collecting welfare and food stamps instead of engaging in commerce with willing buyers.
/sarc
I, of course, don’t have or want a ticket unless I could sell it. If, by some chance, I come into possession of a ticket. I’ll give it away for free to the person who pays me $40,000 for my worn out pencil.
Anti-free market? I think selling free tickets for 40K is ridiculous and theft. I went to an inaugural ball and had a good time...why pay 40K???
Rush,I am unable to listen at work, someone let me know if he hits the topic.Sen. Feinstein has proposed that photo IDs be required to pick up inauguration tickets. What makes the validity of those attending the inauguration more important than the validity of those voting?
when inaugural tickets are criminalized, only criminals will have inaugural tickets
way to go Senator Feinstein.
We Americans can all sleep sounder tonight knowing you and your staff are “ON THE JOB”
I know, I know. . .dream on Alice - you'll get to Wonderland some day.
Isn’t an obama presidency enough of a penalization?
Yep. If they don't do something the inauguration will be who's who of rich rappers, atheletes and "stars" like Oprah.
Personally, I'd really enjoy the scene of Flavor Flav, Ray Lewis and Coolio mixing with the likes Robert Redford and Babs Streisand. They have so much in common.
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