Inauguration Ends, Clean-Up Begins

by Jordan Yerman | January 21, 2009 at 06:03 am

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Now that Obama's inauguration is history(literally), the clean-up begins. Whenever I see a massively-attended event on TV, I think back on the ones I've attended, and remember looking down to see all the paper cups, food wrappers, and hastily-discarded souvenirs. What goes into cleaning up the mess? What happens to all that memorabilia? The short answers are, "A lot", and "not much".

The cleanup is underway in Washington, D.C. as crews dismantle the audio and video equipment and pick up the stuff that people dropped. Meanwhile, the overall tab has been calculated: expensive, but, considering how glitzy it all was, not as expensive as George W. Bush's last inauguration.

As you may have already guessed, the most expensive element of the inaugural event is the one you don't really see: security. Also, the Presidential Inaugural Committee spent nearly three quarters of a million dollars to keep the Smithsonian open so that the public could use its toilets. I'm not making fun of this- I think it's awesome.

The debri consists mostly of paper and plastic water bottles, newspapers, food wrappers and even American flags on the grounds of the National Mall.

Trucks hauling big septic tanks were working on porta-johns along the streets this morning. It'll take them until the weekend to get the thousands of portable toilets off the mall.

The federal government expects to spend about $49-million on the inaugural weekend, and the City of Washington and the states of Virginia and Maryland have asked for an additional $75-million for police, fire and medical services.

According to the blog Media Matters, when security and inflation are incorporated in the price tag, Mr. Obama's inauguration will actually cost less then George W. Bush's in 2005.

OK, so, bottom line: the inauguration will end up costing just over $160 million. That equates to 320 minutes' worth of Iraq War.

Meanwhile, we've all noticed the glut of Obama-related memorabilia, from the iconic to the kitschy. What becomes of it all? Some will shrink-wrap it and stick it in the attic where it will hopefully gain in value, but don't be too sure of that:

"There is so much being bought out there that we don't think there's going to be a lot of true value to these items down the road," said Michele McDaniel, President of the North Alabama BBB.

There's nothing wrong with buying the Obama-related novelties, but most memorabilia that ends up being worth the big bucks is rare. And since the sales of Obama souvenirs are soaring, production is way up.

"We're starting to see national commercials or ads in magazines for memorabilia, but we want to remind people that even if it says there's alimited edition that's been printed or published, keep in mind that if it's in a national magazine or commercial they might be targeting millions of people. So just because they say it's limited doesn't mean there aren't millions of items out there just like yours," said McDaniel.

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Uwe Paschen

at 06:11 on January 21st, 2009

I just wonder what "the Carbon foot print" impact is or was of this event?.

Marisa Olivia

at 06:38 on January 21st, 2009

Awesome.

Jordan Yerman

at 07:13 on January 21st, 2009

I used to volunteer at New York AIDS Walk (helped run their radio base/communications), and cleanup was a major element of our logistics. Whenever I think "huge event", I think "trash".

mudricky

at 08:33 on January 21st, 2009

On a seprate note here are the empty cans from a football game in Scotland in 1970

Ryan Holloway Photography

at 10:14 on January 21st, 2009

lots of trash!

Ryan

http://www.ryanhollowayphotography.com

Ryan Holloway Photography has contributed a photo to this story.

schmiddi

at 10:59 on January 21st, 2009

what i thought was interesting about the inauguration was that when it was over people asked others to make sure to clean up after themselves (it might not look like it). but people (and they weren't officials) started shouting that everyone should take what they brought and a family next to me started to pick up all kinds of trash ...

coyotedogwolf

at 11:09 on January 21st, 2009

one wonders if the post-festivities trash collectors are going to get sick of slogan "Yes We Can" after sweeping up thousands of grimy versions...

coyotedogwolf has contributed a photo to this story.

Janice Saucier

at 15:45 on January 21st, 2009

I don't understand people's ideology... At yesterday's inauguration my boyfriend and I carried our trash around for BLOCKS trying to find a garbage can. Granted, there were not many garbage cans and the ones that were there, were overflowing, but at-least we made an effort to always threw our garbage in the right place, unlike the other 2 million people who tossed their shit EVERYWHERE. Why would you be so sloppy at such an event?

billie upland (not verified)

at 22:46 on February 24th, 2009

They are the people looking to have their mortgage paid - wake up America there is half the country who hates working waiting on that change and when you see the banks owned by government you have just witnessed socialism. When the rights of the ones you don't agree with go away, you're next....ask Russia, North Korea, etc...

azzayindia

at 10:34 on January 22nd, 2009

this is the first task for OBAMA awreness towards environment

Phil V. C. (not verified)

at 12:20 on January 23rd, 2009

I've been going to DC on Memorial Day Weekend Vietnam Rolling Thunder event for the past five years. The only trash you'll see would be the over loaded trash cans. The inauguration was a disgrace especially when American flags were blowing around the grounds with all the junk. Those people who polluted the area should be ashamed of themselves for being dirty pigs and sent back to where they're from. You will never see the American flag on the ground during a military veterans event. Thank God we have good Americans who show respect to there country and flag. Unfortunately, they stayed home that day.