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| Sunday, 9 January 2005 |
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Bush urged to send inaugural funds to tsunami victims WASHINGTON, Saturday (AFP) A Dallas billionaire has a tip for President George W. Bush: cancel his inaugural balls and donate the 40 million dollars saved to tsunami victims. Mark Cuban is the irreverent, outspoken owner of the Dallas Mavericks basketball team. He will not say how much he has given to the disaster victims, but the December 31 proposal on his website has generated controversy - and support - on the Internet. "My point was that this was a great opportunity for the president to stand up and say that we are committed to aid, but we need to take a first step towards austerity so we can reduce the deficit," Cuban said Friday via e-mail. "A great way to demonstrate that first step would be to have the inauguration, but cancel the parties and request the uncommitted donations be donated to the relief effort," he said. The Presidential Inaugural Committee, which is raising the 30 million to 40 million dollars needed to cover costs from private donors, does not plan to cancel any of the nine inaugural balls or the three "candle light dinners" that donors of 250,000 and 100,000 dollars get with the president and first lady. "This unique celebration of American principles will not detract from the relief that president Bush has proposed and the American people are providing for the victims of this disaster," said Jill Willis, spokeswoman for the Presidential Inaugural Committee. "The inauguration is an American tradition that we should continue to honor and celebrate." |
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