Who pays for this? I'm asking
 

Seriously, who does pay for these parties? I'm curious is all. I'm not trying to pick on Obama, since the article clearly states that this has been going on since the 1800's. I'm just wondering who foots the bill, and if it is indeed the taxpayer, why?

The Associated Press: CAPITAL CULTURE: Obamas big on White House gigs

Re: Who pays for this? I'm asking
 

This is the theme of our governmental culture these days.

Re: Who pays for this? I'm asking
 

I'm unsure of what you mean by the "it" in "who pays for it?"

Do you mean who pays the artists? It looks like the artists volunteer - all the articles I could find seemed to say there's an overabundance of volunteers - it's free publicity and great PR and some of them even think it's an honor to be chosen.

The cost of throwing a small party for those invited to come listen to the artists perform, that I don't know.

Re: Who pays for this? I'm asking
 

The "it" would be the cost to throw all these parties. There are people working, a room to decorate and set up, staff to coordinate, food to buy, security to hire, etc. Who pays for this stuff? Why does the gubmit need to throw musical parties on the taxpayers dime? Apparently this has been going on since the 1800's, so it's not a specific problem I have with one person. I'd love to see how many millions are wasted on crap like this annually. Oh, and you know they aren't ordering pizza's, or serving hotdogs and beans.

Re: Who pays for this? I'm asking
 

He has an expense account, for all this stuff... believe he wanted to "open" the white house again to various genres of music, no issue here... it is one of the perks of the office.

Here is the info from Wikipedia.. the only source I can find.. not sure if the money comes out of this account, or if there are other accounts..

President of the United States - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Re: Who pays for this? I'm asking
 

50,000, What the hell is that gonna get you? Oh yeah, not much. I'm pretty sure we are paying bill.

Re: Who pays for this? I'm asking
 

Not arguing for or against, except I know this stuff has been going on for quite a long time... this is in a somewhat different format.

Re: Who pays for this? I'm asking
 

Once we stopped following the delegated powers listed in the US Constitution it really doesn't matter any more.

I agree with Dr. Walter Williams in this month's Imprimus by Hillsdale College: seventy-five percent or more of taxation is theft.Taking from the productive and given to the more numerous improvident and lazy.

Democracy is propelled by envy, doncha know. Bertrand Russell said something very similar to this.

Re: Who pays for this? I'm asking
 

Funny how you only bring this up when Obama is President.

Re: Who pays for this? I'm asking
 

That entertainment is not for what's being done here. That expense account is most likely an account he can use to pay for a dinner with an associate, or taking a client out to a ball game. The parties are something totally different.