Tough Economy, Toned Down Inauguration For Perry
AUSTIN (AP) - The traditional parade is off and black tie is being traded for no tie at Gov. Rick Perry's inaugural celebration next month.
Planners are scaling back the Jan. 18 festivities in light of the estimated $20 billion budget shortfall Texas is expecting to face.
Perry's third inauguration festivities will still include a swearing-in ceremony and barbecue on the Capitol lawn, but they will be cheaper than his 2007 inauguration, which cost more than $2 million, and will be funded entirely from private donations, said Sarah Beck, a spokeswoman for the inaugural committee.
Starting Monday, Texans will be able to buy tickets to the afternoon festivities that will include an $8 plate of barbecue.
For the invitation-only evening celebration, guests -- who must also pay for their tickets -- are being asked to dress in business or cocktail party attire for a celebration to replace the formal black-tie ball that capped the 2007 festivities.
For that soiree, which was tempered by an unusual Austin ice storm, a cavernous hall at a downtown convention center was transformed into an elegant ballroom. Massive chandeliers hung overhead, mimicking the frigid weather with crystal icicles. The room was decorated with hundreds of jewel-toned roses, including two centerpieces anchoring a spread of fruit and pastries. Mary Wilson, a former member of the Supremes, country singer Clay Walker and rocker Ted Nugent performed.
Beck said there will be live music at this year's barbecue, but acts have not yet been announced.
Perry, the state's longest serving governor with a decade in office, has campaigned on fiscal conservatism and is still promoting his book, a best-seller that rails against excessive government spending.
Perry has been criticized for his luxurious lifestyle. He lives in a $10,000-a-month mansion with a full staff while the traditional state residence undergoes renovation.
Inaugural celebrations in Texas have traditionally included a parade up Austin's Congress Ave., though the parade for Perry's last inauguration was cancelled because of the weather.
This year's theme is "Texas: Where Opportunity Still Looms Large."
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
