Parking Their Gulfstreams
Some 600 private jets have overwhelmed the airports in and around Washington, DC. It seems Barack Obama’s very well-heeled supporters are flocking to the inauguration and the festivities that follow. This may be the “most accessible inauguration ever”, but it’s considerably more accessible by private jet.
At a time when stuff is no longer cool, the best way to show status among the wealthy is through access. And nothing will turn heads at dinner parties like the line “When I met Barack at the inaugural ball….”
The presence of so many wealthy and their jets also underscores a stark reality of Mr. Obama’s election and presidency. As much as some people wish that Mr. Obama–the face that launched millions of grass-roots Internet donors–will eliminate the influence and impact of the wealthy on politics, the wealthy will always have a center table in Washington. And, of course, a prime spot to park their Gulfstreams.
Kind of funny to fly a Gulfstream to the inauguration of an avowed global warming believer, isn’t it? But hey, who said it had to make sense, right?
Seriously, if you think these people are sightseeing, you really are naive. And for all the much hyped small donors to Obama, these are the folks who expect – and will get – access to the new President.
Environment, Politics | Gaius January 20, 2009
By martian, January 21, 2009 @ 12:47 pm
Hey, it’s okay for them to do it – they’re liberals. Anything is okay as long as it’s a liberal doing it. It’s only those nasty conservative rich people who cause the problems. Liberal rich people are A-OK.
By Mockingbird, January 21, 2009 @ 3:31 pm
Hey Barack, I need a government grant to by a Gulfstream IV for my non profit corporation, Green Mockingbird, Inc.