Incoming Governors Embrace Frugal Inaugurations

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December 30, 2010

Incoming Governors Embrace Frugal Inaugurations

The New York Times reports that incoming governors are grappling with a major decision just moments after they take the oath of office: how big their inauguration parties should be.

"It is always a tricky call. Penny-pinching can convey pessimism and impotence. Lavish celebrations may telegraph triumphalism and insensitivity in these budget-crunched times. But after an election rife with messages about voter anger and mistrust, the risks of an off-key bash are higher this inauguration season, and the governors-elect have starkly different answers to the question of how much party to put into party politics."

"The extremes seem to reflect the uncertain economic times: shoppers may have returned to their prerecession ways this holiday season, but state budget deficits are ballooning, and there are persistent mutterings about the deep repair work that is needed to fix the economy."

Inaugurations this time around range from Florida Gov.-elect Rick Scott's (R) parade featuring 26 marching bands and a black-tie dinner for 2,100 people, to California Gov.-elect Jerry Brown's (D) rent-free reception and planned post-oath visit to a cookout where he will snack on hot dogs and potato chips.

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Taegan D. Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites.

Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.

Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country, including the Washington Post, USA Today, Boston Globe, San Francisco Chronicle, Chicago Tribune, Philadelphia Inquirer and Christian Science Monitor.

Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.

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December 30, 2010