OK it was paid for with private money, but it sure makes me suspicious when the private sector is giving government rulers this much money. The Jan Brewer silver coins with her image on the coin makes the Arizona Governor sound like a royal roman emperor!

Source

Brewer spent about $65,000 on inauguration

by Ginger Rough - Feb. 4, 2011 06:06 PM

The Arizona Republic

Gov. Jan Brewer spent roughly $65,000 on her January inauguration, according to a breakdown of expenses released by her office Friday.

The costs, released to The Arizona Republic and other media outlets in response to a public-records request, were paid via in-kind and cash donations, according to spokesman Matthew Benson. A list of donors is expected to be released Monday.

No taxpayer or general-fund dollars were expended during the mid-day event at the Arizona State Capitol, Benson said.

One of the largest expenses was for silver inaugural coins handed out as a souvenir to each of the event's attendees. The coins, which cost $13,311.82, feature an etched photo of Brewer on one side and a raised state seal on the other.

Other expenses included:

• $24,372.84 for overtime and regular pay for Capitol Police officers and General Services Division employees.

• $6,426.32 for table and chair rental, set-up and tear down.

• $5,966.75 for printing of flyers.

• $3,000 for music.

• $2,500 to relocate roses to make room for risers and chairs for guests.

The governor began soliciting donations for her "inaugural fund" in December, a few weeks before the event, Benson said. Once all expenses are paid, there will be a balance of about $130,000 in the account, he said.

Corporations and individuals who donated to the fund were told that the office could use any remaining funds for "office refurbishment," Benson said.

"There is a general feeling that we may replace the carpets up here," said Benson, referring to the eighth and ninth floors of the Capitol's Executive Tower, which houses the governor and her staff.

Brewer's January event, while somewhat subdued compared to years past, did have some of the trappings of a typical inaugural - including a flyover of F-16s - but that ceremonial detail came at no cost to the state, Benson said. The crowd was estimated at about 1,700.

"This was an exceptionally modest and lean inauguration in the context of the kinds of expenses that other inaugurals have incurred . . . there was no inaugural ball, or anything like that," Benson said, adding that the Governor's Office didn't think it was appropriate to have a lavish ceremony given the state's ongoing economic woes.

By comparison, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who is now in his third term, is estimated to have spent about $2 million on his inauguration.

And New Mexico governor Susana Martinez - another Republican who was just elected to her first full term - spent about $861,000 on her January inauguration, according to media reports.

Martinez raised more than $966,000 from corporations and individuals, according to a list of donors published on her transition website.

She plans to donate $105,800 in leftover money to safe houses for abused and neglected children in New Mexico, according to news media.

Reach the reporter at ginger.rough@arizonarepublic.com

Source

Feb. 4, 2011 8:24 PM ET

Ariz. gov's inauguration expenses near $65,000

PHOENIX (AP) — Gov. Jan Brewer spent roughly $65,000 of donated money on her Jan. 3 inauguration, leaving an additional $130,000 of contributions available for refurbishing the Executive Tower offices of Brewer and her staff, Brewer's office said Friday.

Responding to a public records request by The Associated Press, Brewer's office released an itemized list of inauguration expenses totaling $64,713.54.

The largest single expense was $24,372.84 for salaries and related expenses of Capitol Police officers and General Services Division employees.

Other major expenses included $13,311.82 for souvenir inauguration coins distributed to attendees, $6,426.32 for renting tables, chairs and tents, and $5,966.75 for printing.

The governor's office says the expenses are being paid from an inauguration fund of money donated by corporations and individuals. A report on the donations was being prepared for release Monday, Brewer spokesman Matt Benson said.

Donors were told that any leftover money could be used for refurbishing the offices of the governor and her staff, he said.

Benson said refurbishing will include replacing carpeting as well as additional work. "We're not just talking about her room," he said.

The midday inauguration was held on the plaza in front of the Old Capitol. An afternoon reception followed in nearby Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza. The ceremony itself featured swearings-in of Brewer and five other statewide officials elected in the Nov. 2 general election.

Previous inaugurations received $50,000 of state funding, with donations reportedly pushing spending higher at least once before. Gov. Janet Napolitano spent a total of $150,000 on her 2003 inauguration, including $100,000 raised from corporate donations, according to a story published by the East Valley Tribune in 2003.

But this year's event received no state money, Benson said.

"I don't think there's any question that this was a modest and lean inauguration, something that we thought was fitting for the economic times that we're living in," he said.

The Arizona inauguration was a toned-down affair compared with those of at least two other Republican governors who were newly elected or re-elected in nearby states.

New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez spent about $861,000 on her inauguration, which was funded by donations of up to $25,000 from corporations and individuals. The inauguration included an outdoor ceremony, a reception at a state museum, a free children's ball and a $100-per-ticket ball at a convention center. Martinez planned to donate about $105,800 of surplus money to safe houses for abused and neglected children.

The inauguration for re-elected Texas Gov. Rick Perry cost about $2 million. Toned down with the absence of a parade, it still featured university marching bands, a free barbeque on the Capitol lawn and an evening dance with high-profile entertainment.

Associated Press