In a show of solidarity with the American homeowner, the First Family Obama has opted to cover the cost of redecorating the White House with personal funds. While all newly elected presidents are allotted $100,000 specifically for this purpose, first lady Michelle Obama seems to have spearheaded the decision to decline this allowance, seeing that taxpayer money not be squandered on home luxuries for the ’serveant of the people.’ Nice to see she won’t be pulling a Jackie Kennedy.
While the notion means to appear a noble and modest one to Americans struggling with their own financial difficulties, it may very well be that the Obamas just wanted to drop a wee bit more than a hundred grand on their pad. They’ve hired Michael S. Smith for the redecorating job, a man who has finagled feng shui for the likes of Rupert Murdoch and Steven Spielberg. Absorbing the cost themselves means they need not disclose the amount of their expenditure.
Though we could easily doubt the good intentions behind this decision, let’s take solace in the fact that a little less of our money is being burned on stuff we don’t care about.
