Frequently Asked Questions about
Not One Damn Dime Day (NODDD)

Following are our answers to the most common press questions. Please keep in mind that this is a grassroots effort and we don't claim to represent how other people will respond.
  • Who made up NODDD?
  • What organizations are backing you?

    [Attribute to Laura Carmen:]
  • How can I participate?
  • Isn't this internet-based protest a form of not really doing anything?
  • How can I make sure that I don't spend on that day?
  • What about using electricity, gas, telephone or oil heat on that day?
  • This might be hard work--what's the plus side?
  • Won't this have a negative impact on small businesses?
  • Has this kind of thing been done before?

    [Attribute to Monica Boyce:]
  • Shouldn't protests do SOMEthing rather than NOthing?

  • Not One Damn Dime home page
  • Not One Red Cent home page
    		• [Attribute to Jesse Gordon:]
  • How will you personally participate in NODDD?
  • Why do you care about this?
  • What would you consider a success?
  • Why have you focused on the press?
  • Why an economic protest?
  • Why not target specific companies now?
  • Won't you hurt small businesses?
  • What are the other objections to NODDD?
  • What about the Internet hoax aspect?
  • Why spread it by the Internet?
  • What's your viewership?
  • What's next?

    Our favorite collected quotations:
  • On small businesses
  • On effectiveness
  • On economic protest

    • Who made up NODDD?

    We don't know who first came up with the NODDD idea. Jesse's invovlement began on Dec. 15, 2004 when Laura sent him the e-mail statement you see on our main page. With Laura's enthusiasm about NODDD and Jesse's ability to employ the internet as media the NODDD web site was born. We have become spokespersons for NODDD only because few other people have associated their contact info with NODDD.

    What organizations are backing you?

    There is no organizational backing of the NODDD site. This is a grassroots movement done with personal time and finances. The popularity of the movement has necessitated vounteer recruitment beyond Laura and Jesse to those who are willing to get involved. Jesse is a board member of CPPAX and has recruited volunteers under their auspices. Although the spokespersons for the NODDD site do have personal affiliation with various political organizations the NODDD site itself does not. Our colleagues in Maine are an ad-hoc collaboration to share the spokesperson duties.

    PRESS: The rest of this FAQ page may be attributed to Jesse Gordon unless stated otherwise -- feel free to excerpt as you see fit. I'm a 44-year-old progressive activist in Cambridge Massachusetts.

    How will you personally participate in NODDD?

    I interpret NODDD as barring all cash transactions, like the Jewish restriction against spending on Sabbath. Accordingly, I won't spend anything at all, and will not carry any money with me on the 20th to avoid temptation. Pre-purchasing a mass transit token and using it on the 20th is fine, as is bringing a pre-made lunch to work.

    Others interpret NODDD as meaning one should not cause any economic activity whatsoever. That implies avoiding all paid forms of transportation, taking the day off from work, etc., which is stricter than just the no-cash interpretation. I'm not in a financial position to take a day off from work, but that would make my no-cash rule easier too.

    There are numerous other forms of protest occurring on Jan. 20th also. Many people will protest the inauguration in rallies in the Washington DC area or in their home towns. There is a plan to "turn your back on Bush" by lining the parade route and facing away when Bush passes by. Some people want to avoid all consumer spending for a week. One fellow suggested mailing bricks to the White House, to disable the postal service. Participation in any of these is synergistic -- the important aspect is to have as much protest as possible on Jan. 20th.

    In my opinion NODDD will complement the symbolism of those who turn their backs on Bush's parade just as we will be turning our backs on Bush's economy.

    Why do you care about this?

    I care because I participated in the anti-war protests before the Iraq invasion and Bush intentionally ignored us. In particular, on Feb. 15 2003, 11 million people joined in a massive protest against the impending invasion -- and Bush pretended not to notice. That total included about 5 million Americans, whom Bush had an obligation to listen to -- but he did not. Even Richard Nixon eventually had to listen to the Vietnam protestors, when the numbers got big enough -- that's my reason for caring. I want to push Bush to listen to the millions of us who have protested and been ignored. I consider Bush's intentional ignoring of millions of voices the source of divisiveness in America today. Bush's attitude encourages otherwise good people to hate us protestors, to call us unpatriotic, and to think that we protestors are somehow on the side of the terrorists.

    I'm sure other people have different motivations -- things like protesting the Iraq war in general, protesting spending $40 million on the inauguration, protesting Bush's divisiveness in general -- and I support their purposes as well. But I care most about forcing Bush to acknowledge us. The Vietnam protestors in their day pushed President Nixon to acknowledge them, by their persistence and their numbers -- that's what I consider our immediate goal.

    What would you consider a success?

    President Nixon went out to the Lincoln Memorial to talk to actual protestors and to try to understand the Vietnam war protestors. I would consider this movement a success if President Bush came out to talk to some protestors to try to understand us. Bush surrounds himself with sycophants and pretends that no one disagrees with him -- well, we do. If Bush acknowledged that we have a legitimate disagreement, I would consider that a big success.

    Of course, I would also consider that only a first step. I think the ultimate goal of all anti-war protestors is to get a US withdrawal from Iraq and prevent future wars like Iraq (i.e., based on lies). But getting an acknowledgement and a hearing from the president is a necessary first step to making any progress on this war and on avoiding future misguided war.

    I don't consider that a likely outcome, because Bush's administration is too entrenched among sycophantic support. Hence a more realistic measure of success is how many people participate in the NODDD protest. I would consider 5 million participants to be our target -- that's the same number of Americans that participated in the pre-invasion international rallies. Five million participants will cause a noticeable economic disruption, and some of Bush's cronies will mention it to him through his shield of sycophants. Then maybe at the next protest, Bush will come out to hear us. Furthermore, five million participants will persuade the press to report on us as a movement.

    Why have you focused on the press?

    The mainstream press failed to report on the anti-war protests in 2003. The New York Times and Washington Post both later publicly apologized, in print, for their failure to report fairly on the anti-war movement. That failure allowed Bush to maintain his pretense that the country was united behind him. The mainstream press silence also allowed Bush to brainwash the majority of Americans into believing Bush's myths about WMDs and Saddam's connection to al Qaeda. The anti-war protestors never believed those fabrications -- it was widely believed among the protestors that Bush was lying about WMDs and al Qaeda as a pretext to invade. (I published an article in the Cambridge Chronicle in April 2003 saying that Bush was lying on those two topics, and my stance was by no means particularly insightful -- just common knowledge). Had the mainstream press reported accurately on the common knowledge of the anti-war protestors, our fellow Americans would not have been brainwashed and our young soldiers would not be dying in Iraq today.

    My purpose in protesting Bush's inauguration is to encourage the mainstream press to report on the anti-war movement's collective wisdom, so we avoid future horrors like the current war. I care about a massive nationwide protest because I want the mainstream press to return to their traditional role of watchdog against the establishment and the administration. I consider the current failing of the mainstream press that they allow Bush to pretend that all is rosy in Iraq and that Americans are united in support of a continued war effort. Neither of those are even remotely true. I see the interest of the mainstream press in NODDD as an indication that our protest this time is widespread enough to warrant their attention. I consider that a sign that the press has learned its lesson from their post-war apologies, and as an acknowledgement that the anti-war protestors were proven right.

    Why an economic protest?

    First, because Bush refuses to listen to massive rallies. Maybe he'll listen to money instead.

    Second, because boycotts are a tried-and-true method of effective action. As the Iraq Survey Group concluded, even Saddam was affected by economic sanctions -- this is the same against Bush.

    Third, because an economic boycott can be extended beyond the inauguration. Many groups are now establishing "Buy Blue" lists -- targeting boycotts against companies which support Bush. This website will convert to a "Buy Blue" website after the inauguration -- listing which companies you should patronize to keep the movement alive until Bush and his cronies are out of power.

    Why not target specific companies now?

    Targeting boycotts against particular companies requires thought at each purchase. The "Buy Blue" lists are still being developed -- mostly based on how companies contribute to Republicans versus Democrats. Those lists are fine for the long term -- I have started to consider which gas station to patronize, which coffee to buy, and so on. A more immediate effect is to simply not purchase anything -- no preparation needed, no analysis of donations needed, no carrying of company lists needed. I think the obvious outcome of NODDD is an ongoing economic action against companies which support Bush. But we need a way to get the movement started, and a simple one-day action accomplishes that.

    Won't you hurt small businesses?

    Yup, we will, if we're effective. I think small businesses will be "temporarily adversely affected" mor than "hurt" but this criticism is valid. And I acknowledge that most small businesses don't deserve to be hurt. But if they support our movement, they can close their doors on inauguration day as their form of protest.

    Mahatma Gandhi's preferred method of protest was nationwide strikes. Those protests hurt all businesses, both those who supported the British imperialists and those who opposed them. Gandhi eventually succeeded with those protest in driving out the British imperialists. The businesses who were hurt by his nationwide strikes ultimately benefited from the "march of freedom" which Gandhi promoted. We need a similar march of freedom in America now, to fight Bush's imperialism. We're asking, as did Gandhi, for support from those innocent businesses who may be hurt by our protest.

    We make shopping choices all the time and this is an opportunity to get out of our auto-pilot buying habits. Through this reflective boycott practice we can become better consumers, aware of how much choice we have, and how our buying and spending impact the world. Even if we choose to spend money on this day, we are doing it from a greater awareness of our power as consumers and of the role that businesses play in our country's policies. We will be far better informed consumers whether we choose to spend or not.

    This protest makes people more aware of their power as consumers, and it makes people more aware of their consumption choices. In the long run, making people more aware of those things benefits small businesses. When people make conscious choices about consumerism, they choose to support small local businesses.

    Shouldn't protests do SOMEthing rather than NOthing?

    [Please cite this FAQ as Monica]:

    We wish to make a statement on the legitimacy of Bush's mandate, his policies, his competence, his WAR OF CHOICE.

    PATRIOTIC CONSUMERISM

    After 9/11, Bush essentially equated Patriotism with Consumerism.

    “Do not let the terrorists scare you, go out an buy things at your local Wal-Mart, Home Depot, mall.” (sic)

    The basic reality is that CONSUMING IS NOT PASSIVE and that THIS ECONOMIC BOYCOTT IS NOT PASSIVE.

    Not buying will strike some as UNAMERICAN when it is the most honestly American thing we can do in a society with an administration that is deaf to the dissenting voice.

    This boycott, and others to come, is the perfect instrument for American dissent because Americans have become exquisitely trained as consumers. We get the profit motive, we get debt, we get greed, all of that has been there, bathing us in this American Culture since our birth.

    These are basic truths:

    Corporate America has a direct line to Bush, they get to talk to him, they get appointed to the government, they ARE the government.

    We, the work-a-day wage earners, are most certainly not model citizens of Corporate America. The only piece of that pie that we have is CONSUMPTION.

    With this boycott, we work at the most fundamental level and say that we:

    We are a COALITION OF THE WILLING, willing to stand up for Traditional American Values like: INTEGRITY, HONESTY, and STRENGTH.

    Bush and the neo-conservatives who inform his decisions are squandering our SUPERPOWER STATUS by degrading the three fundamentals:

    On each of these fundamentals, these extremists have BANKRUPTED AMERICA.

    Be an AMERICAN PATRIOT, reject the BANKRUPT WORLD VIEW of the Bush Administration.

    PATRIOTIC CONSUMERISM can get the attention of the Corporate-run administration, do not doubt that.

    Tell the Bush Administration and Corporate America that:

    Do not spend One Damn Dime of your hard earned money on January 20th.

    PRESS: This section of the FAQ page may be attributed to Monica Boyce -- feel free to excerpt as you see fit. She is a 38-year-old scientist living in rural Massachusetts.

    What are the other objections to NODDD?

    [back to Jesse]:

    You can read them all by scanning on our comment responses for "N /" (those who answered 'no' to the first question on whether you support the boycott or not).

    The most common objection is that NODDD will not be effective -- which is a self-fulfilling prophecy. If everyone thought that it would be ineffective, it would BECOME ineffective. If enough people participate, that IS effectiveness. It's the level of participation that marks the effectiveness, not whether we make a dent in the GDP for the day.

    A related objection, the one which is most common on right-wing blogs, is that a counter-protest is to spend money on Jan. 20. I would consider anyone who intentionally spends extra cash on Inauguration Day as yielding to our protest -- we will have caused them to counterbalance us. They, too, would be participating in Not One Damn Dime Day, by making our protest more loudly heard, and more important for the press to report on, and more likely that Bush will acknowledge us. So please, right-wingers, go out and over-spend on January 20th!

    The most thoughtful objection is that NODDD targets innocent victims, particularly small businesses. I address this objection in the previous topic.

    The most thoughtless objection is that NODDD is wrong because the war in Iraq is right. While those objectors are entitled to express their opinion, they are missing the point entirely -- we want to express our opinion, and be heard and be counted -- we're well aware that people disagree with us. Our purpose is to make some of the less brainwashed war supporters notice that Bush is wearing rose-colored lenses and that there's a lot going wrong in Iraq, and the divisiveness we all see in America is based on Bush's brainwashing of half of America.

    What about the Internet hoax aspect?

    Here are some hoax interpretations: So, what exactly is a "hoax"? A hoax means you get tricked into doing something fake. In this case, even if the original author meant to trick people into doing something fake, if five million people do it, it ain't fake no more. The only plausible meaning of "hoax" is that the original intent was false in some way. But does it really matter what the original author intended? Millions of people have taken on this economic boycott as their own movement, regardless of the original intent.

    I heard several stories -- presumably from Bush supporters -- about the hoax aspect and a resultant conspiracy theory about the original author. A major news network -- CNN in some cases, or CBS in others -- broadcast a show predicting that al Qaeda would next attempt economic disruption of the United States. And an economic boycott follows exactly along those predictions! Hence, in the full conspiracy theory, an al Qaeda operative penned the original NODDD email, and sent it out to the masses to intentionally cause economic chaos. Anyone who falls for this hoax is an accomplice to terrorists, say the proponents of this theory.

    I hope that, after Inauguration Day, when the press reports that millions of people participated in this valid form of political protest, that the websites describing NODDD as a hoax will similarly describe the conspiracy theories about NODDD as the real hoax.

    I also hope that sometime before the next round of brainwashing, that people who believe that economic protest supports al Qaeda, refer to the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. The First Amendment gives us the right to petition the government for redress of our grievances and that us exactly what we are doing with NODDD. Those who oppose this form of protest are, in fact, much more in line with al Qaeda, in wanting to ban free speech and peaceful protest.

    Why spread it by the Internet?

    The Internet is particularly good at building political movements around actionable tasks that people can do themselves. That was the secret of MoveOn.org -- they provided easy-to-do tasks that people could accomplish on their own, with no research and no preparation. NODDD is very much in that same mold -- a task that people can immediately participate in, which will build participants for future political action.

    The Internet is also uniquely suited at spreading ideas fast. Everyone who has some experience in the "blogosphere" has seen numerous versions of NODDD, either on blogs or in emails from friends. The Internet has become such an informational force that the mainstream press uses it to warrant new story ideas. The more buzz about NODDD we create on the internet the more buzz the mainstream media will report on to the public and in turn that will motivate more people to get involved.

    I'm a professional Internet marketer -- both for political campaigns and for commercial purposes. NODDD is a dream-come-true for people in my field. We call things like this "viral marketing", where information spreads from person to person like a virus, by word-of-mouth (or word-of-email). The key aspect is that we send out something once, and it spreads by itself afterwards. That's a theoretical model that we use as an imagined ideal -- but one which we never really see in practice. Well, here it is -- the NODDD email is as viral as it gets, and is the most successful example of email marketing that I've ever experienced.

    What's your viewership?

    As of Jan. 19, we're getting about 45,000 viewers per day. it has been growing steadily (excepting holidays) since we established the website on Dec. 18. We estimate a total viewership, from Dec. 18 through Jan. 20, of about a quarter-million people.

    Keep in mind that we're not the only website promoting this idea. And also keep in mind that email is the much more substantive promotion mechanism. Anyway, below are our viewership statistics, by page.

    We followed the advice of one blogger who thought that "Damn" would get caught in spam filters, so we also established "NotOneRedCent.com." That website viewership has not been growing so much, a tribute to the power of alliteration. Other than the introductory pages, both websites feed to the same database and other pages. We'll update this chart regularly. 

                DamnDime  RedCent    Posted   
    Date    HomePage  HomePage   Comments
----------  --------  --------   --------
Wed Dec 22      116      49         36    
Wed Dec 29      318     101         55     
Mon Jan 3       550     236        107     
Tue Jan 4     1,031     298        169     
Wed Jan 5     1,136     190        185    
Thu Jan 6     1,107     228        187    
Fri Jan 7     1,195     233        190    
Sat Jan 8     1,216     170        241    
Sun Jan 9     1,665     284        247    
Mon Jan 10    3,888     466        603    
Tue Jan 11   17,762     468      3,066    
Wed Jan 12  >13,893    >401     >1,258    
Thu Jan 13   Viewership counter broken
Wed Jan 14   >8,598    >309       >861    
Sat Jan 15   Viewership counter broken
Sun Jan 16   >6,901    >321       >918    
Mon Jan 17   14,771     676      1,516     
Tue Jan 18   24,331     921      2,372     
Wed Jan 19   46,708   1,508      4,831     
Thu Jan 20   41,306   1,684      3,985
Fri Jan 21    8,851     355        506
    Symbol ">" indicates the viewership counter was partially counting that day (due to a broken counter or in-progress day), and the daily total is an unknown number greater than the numbers shown.

    What's next?

    In terms of the political Internet, I foresee NODDD as a great model for future action, and a great basis on which to build the anti-war and anti-Bush movement. I see the Internet as a democratizing force, one which enables protest movements to build spontaneously at the grassroots level.

    In terms of the war protest movement, I foresee an ongoing protest until the US leaves Iraq. The Vietnam war protest movement took several years to take full effect, but eventually it ended with the US out of Vietnam, the removal of the president who lied about Vietnam, and a divisiveness in America whose repercussions were heard in Kerry's campaign 35 years after the fact. I foresee the same result if Bush reacts the same way that Nixon did -- we will persevere until the US leaves Iraq, and if Bush continues to ignore us, he or his successor will leave office in ignominy and with America in crisis.

    If we don't succeed, I see no way out of Bush's warmongering attitude other than a draft and the continuing deaths of hundreds of young Americans in pointless wars. My son will be approaching his 8th birthday on inauguration day -- that gives the war protest movement nine years to succeed before he is of draft age. Compared to Vietnam, that puts us at about 1966 -- early in the protest movement. I would encourage any parents of children older than 8 years old to get involved now, before the draft starts and before it's too late for your children.

    PRESS: Please attribute the remaining FAQs to Laura Carmen. Laura Carmen's FAQs are a response to many questions sent to her via email:

    How can I participate?

    The beauty of this action is that it is open to individual interpretation. Not One Damn Dime Day can be observed in many ways and in varying degrees: for some will mean not spending a single cent on anything in order to send a clear message to Washington. For others, it might mean spending as close to nothing as possible. And if the need to buy is unavoidable, it could mean choosing to buy from businesses that are not supporting this administration. Whatever you can do, observing this day can be transformative and empowering. It will be an active way to say to the administration: we are not in agreement with your policies and your actions abroad, most especially in Iraq! By the way, the conclusion at the White House is that there were no weapons of mass destruction--and that there isn't even evidence of attempts at production of these since 1991!

    Isn't this internet-based protest a form on not really doing anything?

    Actually, it's anything but that! Although the Internet is the way that information about the boycott has spread, it is not a passive Internet action, but a very active personal one. Participating in this requires planning and stick-to-it-tiveness! This protest is individual and collective, local and national at the same time, and anyone anywhere in this country can participate. It will be a success because anyone participating will have a reminder--perhaps a greater awareness -- of the types of shopping choices that are made everyday. We are more than consumers--we are whole human beings! And as consumers we create an impact. Hopefully, this impact will be heard in Washington!

    How can I make sure that I don't spend on that day?

    The best way is to plan ahead. Buy groceries and other necessities the day before. Make a list of everything that you might need, like a token for the bus, and purchase it in advance, if possible. It might also be helpful to enlist a friend, neighbor or family member, to share experiences, support and remind each other throughout the day.

    What about using electricity, gas, telephone or oil heat on that day?

    This is a very adaptable protest. Some will try to reduce the use of electricity, and other utilities on NODDD. It may be a great opportunity to reduce your habitual uses of certain appliances. If enough people attempt to reduce their electricity and gasoline use, for example, it would make a positive impact on the environment It might make you more aware of the need to cut down on utility use, and the need for more environmental awareness in our energy consumption. In the future, this might mean making better eco-friendly choices. Turn off unnecessary lights. Put the heat down a few degrees, especially when sleeping. Try sharing resources, too. Maybe an evening spent together with family or friends means just one TV is on instead of three. Getting together with friends might mean not being on the phone. Try entertaining and not using the TV or radio at all for the evening! Get that notebook out or dust off the guitar. Learn something new. Be creative and social! Use this as an opportunity to find out more about yourself, your loved ones, your friends, and the world.

    This might be hard work--what's the plus side?

    This will not be terribly hard work, but it will require effort, mindfulness and the will to resist habitual consumerist actions. There’s more than one plus side. I will have the chance to participate in a joint effort with others around the country. Our collective voice will be heard (it has already gotten much media)! Through a peaceful, mindful action, I'll be able to express my anger and disgust about the war and this administration's policies. I'll have the opportunity to observe my habits in regards to spending--as I keep these in check. And, I will save some money (and avoid greater debt!).

    Won't this have a negative impact on small businesses?

    Although I won’t patronize business establishments on that day, I will buy the day before and after, perhaps even at a higher rate, in order to plan for NODDD. For example, I might buy extra bread and milk, or fruit the day before. Most of us can't afford to go out every day of the week! It's true that I will not be out and tip on that day--but I will likely go out on Friday or Saturday instead, so I'm merely substituting one day for another, in order to allow this collective action to have a greater impact. So, there shouldn't be much of a negative impact at all. If I need to buy anything, I will choose the small, locally owned business over the large conglomerate. I am also protesting this administration's lack of support for small businesses in favor of large corporations!

    Has this kind of thing been done before?

    Boycotts have successfully been used throughout modern history to affect government policy in the US and abroad. The simplicity movement has focused on buying local, reducing consumerist spending and energy consumption, and being creative. Religious practices such as observing the Sabbath or fasting can also be seen as models for this type of action. These practices have been effective ways to mark an observance, deepen reflection and increase our tolerance. Awareness of, and, if necessary, vocal criticism of our country's policies is an American tradition and a patriotic form of democracy-in-action. In 1918, President Theodore Roosevelt stated, "to announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public."

    Our favorite quotations

    On small businesses:

    Ken Landis, Clinton MD I owner of a retail business Clinton, MD, states, “I will support this effort and not spend any thing even for purchasing items for the business

    Arlene Leaf, owner of a thrift store in Tucson, AZ who is planning to close her store on Thursday and decorate her window in observance of Not One Damn Dime Day, citing the importance of having a government that supports small businesses and whose policies make America secure, said that “making cheap goods at Walmart doesn't help my business”.

    On effectiveness:

    Robin Gulotta of New Paltz, NY tells us “The Bush regime is turning into an Orwellian nightmare! I'm a high school English teacher, and I am doing everything I can to teach my students to be critical thinkers who question rather than accept blindly, who analyze rather than simply receive, and who (hopefully) will be both wise and brave enough to speak out for what they think is right when they are old enough to lead the world.”

    Tim Haskett of McKinleyville, CA write “The Bush presidency and the corporate takeover of American politics is shameful and un-American. The American people have been duped into believing that the policies of this administration are good for them. By not spending money for one day we put the [the Bush administration] on notice that their lies aren't believed by all”

    And David Pollack of Athens, GA says “It is shameful that in the midst of a recession, with no relief in sight and millions of dollars being spent daily on a war which has lost all justification, in a country mired in the deepest budget and trade deficit in its history, that the man elected to the presidency of the greatest country in the world would choose to spend $40 million needlessly on self-congratulation. This is the most disgustingly arrogant display of extravagance and greed in recent memory. I am appalled by the actions of the Bush administration and wholly support any means by which it may be thwarted in its desires to make war on the world and to corporatize the US government

    On economic protest:

    Rebecca Ramon of Austin, TX writes “the whole response of war in Iraq to 911 is about the stupidest thing I've ever seen. We attacked a country for their oil and money. Iraq had NOTHING to do with 911, yet those who did have not been brought to justice. Shame on our president, shame on the United States citizens for buying into the overthrow of another country for profit and shame on us all for not stopping it now.”

    Sandra Jacobson of Osage Beach, MO explains “we need to take care of what is directly in front of us. A lot of food and shelter could be given with the amount of money that his big ‘Party’ is costing, who pays for that anyway? I’m sure the common folks do. I would rather have my tax dollars make a difference in a person’s welfare than to give him such a grand party.”

    A high school student from Hudson, MA states that “although I do support President Bush because I like the fact he takes a tough stance on terrorism, I do not support his choice of spending more than $150,000,000 from federal and state funds on an Inaugural Ball and parade. Our troops are fighting without sufficient armor and protection, while the President is parading the streets of Washington. Also, I believe it is important to show corporations the consumers still have power. This is why I will not spend money on January 20th.”

    And Terry Dugan of Yorktown, NY suggests “It's about time everyone caught up with my strategy--I buy no clothes, no shoes, no cars, and nothing that is not essential and have been doing so for at least 2 years. Get the blue list of retailers and consumer goods stores and shop there when necessary. Write often to people outside of the US and let them know there are people who are horrified by this sham government.”

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