Va. man spends $1 million on inaugural package for disadvantaged

[ailsagirl]

I looked for this article in DU but couldn't find it-- hope this isn't a dup. :)

washingtonpost.com
updated 5:48 a.m. PT, Thurs., Dec. 4, 2008

WASHINGTON - It was billed as the biggest, most eye-popping of the inauguration hotel packages: the JW Marriott's $1 million "build-your-own-ball" offer. You get 300 rooms, four suites, $200,000 worth of food and drink, and a primo site overlooking the Pennsylvania Avenue parade route.

And it was snapped up within hours of Barack Obama's election as president by a customer the hotel declined to identify.

This morning, the Marriott is scheduled to announce that the buyer is a Virginia businessman who wants to bring to the inauguration disadvantaged people, terminally ill patients, wounded soldiers and others down on their luck.

Earl W. Stafford, 60, of Fairfax County, the founder of a Centreville technology company who grew up as one of 12 children of a Baptist minister, said he will provide his guests lodging, food and special access, as well as beauticians, gowns and tuxedos, if necessary.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28050405/

[ailsagirl]

1. kick

[PaDem]

2. class act..........

my hat's off to this guy. Very nice gesture.

[IndyOp]

3. Sounds good. He made his money from the war industry.

"We've gotten away from those core values that made America great," he said yesterday at the headquarters of his company, Unitech, which provides weapons simulation systems to the military. "We just need to get back to caring about one another."

Not as good as it sounds at first. :(

[Mike Daniels]

5. What is your problem?

This guy basically opens up the inauguration to people who would never have a chance to attend and you piss on him because of one source of his income.

Jesus, there are people here who are no better than posters on another partisan site.

[IndyOp]

6. "Piss on" - no. Thinking more deeply about where we are as a nation,

this man's industry is part of the problem. His kindness is part of the solution and I am grateful that he has done what he did. I didn't piss on anyone.

Your attacking me as being "no better than posters on another partisan site" is a tired, old complaint.

[cali]

15. he makes SIMULATION software.

Now if the guy's business manufactured actual weapons, you might make some sense instead of just sounding sanctimonious. Look, here we have a company that manufactures socks specifically for the military. Aren't they just as "guilty" as this guy? Sorry, he ain't manufacturing cluster bombs.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

7. While I agree that our military is guilty of horrible excesses

And our foreign policy has sucked for a long time, we still need to have a national defense and not everyone involved in it is automatically an asshole. Hey, I served in the U.S. Navy for 10 years, so it's fair to say that I made my money from the "war industry" while I was in their employ.

[IndyOp]

11. National defense implies defense -- we have over 850 military bases in over

130 nations around the world. Nothing you or anyone else can say can convince me that we need over 850 bases in over 130 nations for defense. I haven't seen military bases of any other nation in our country -- why don't other nations need 100's of bases around the world to defend themselves?

While this man is not an asshole (automatically or non-automatically), he is making a profit on war. When my father served in the Navy during World War II any businessman who made a profit selling goods to the U.S. military was considered lower than dirt. Truman launched investigations DURING the war to slap down businesses that were trying to make money on the war. I don't believe this man is an asshole, but I do believe that he is profiting from the war industry and that we need to critically examine our attitudes about this and stop it.

Why can't we end the occupation of Iraq? Because it is outrageously profitable.

Why did the occupation of Iraq start in the first place? Because it is outrageously profitable.

Peace.

[RollWithIt]

9. Learn 2 Read 101.....

"simulation"

That means he creates a computerized simulator. Not weapons. Simulators. Reading is fundamental.

[IndyOp]

10. The purpose of simulators is to help people learn to use the real weapons

and, perhaps, to desensitize people to gory consequences of using weapons.

I read the article. I thought about the purpose of simulators. I concluded that making profits from simulators used to train people for war is part of the war industry.

Peace.

[RollWithIt]

12. Please.... so some guy that creates a computer simulation is the same as the guy designing a bomb?

That's not sound reasoning.

[Uzybone]

4. kick...good man

[Barack_America]

8. I think this is a wonderful gesture.

Though I am shocked, SHOCKED, to hear that the military is big business in Virginia. :eyes:

[ShortnFiery]

13. Now that's one person of wealth who does not exude arrogance and greed.

What a thoughtful gesture.

KUDOS to Earl W. Stafford! :yourock:

[ailsagirl]

14. Thanks-- that's how I feel :)

:hi: