After reading the article in Wednesday’s Times, “$1M donations wanted for Obama inauguration,” I am appalled and so angry. With our country in tremendous debt, Americans hungry and some homeless and Social Security being threatened, how dare President Barack Obama ask for $1 million to have parties? Why spend all this money on some parties?

I know, I know, it’s tradition, but would it not be a great thing to cancel all the folderol and simply say, “We can’t afford it?” Would it not be a great big feather in Obama’s cap if he would say just that “America can not afford this?”

And these donors would be given special access, so stated in the article. What happened to Obama’s pledge to change how business was done in Washington? He has criticized pay-for-access privileges in the past, but now in exchange for big donations, the donors will be given “special access.”

When do we, as a nation, come to grips with having to live within our means? We as the “common man” have to live within our budget. We have no capabilities to just print more money so we can go on spending. When does it stop?

Miriam Gilberg
Gainesville