The next bailout?

Apparently, it's the inauguration.

According to the article, President Bush has declared a State of Emergency in the District of Columbia so that the federal government can appropriate additional "emergency" funds to cover the skyrocketing costs of next week's inauguration. The extra money is to come out of FEMA's budget for this year. The Washington Post notes: "Officials said that the move reflected a post-Hurricane Katrina reform that allows the White House to predesignate areas that could become disasters, such as cities in the path of a hurricane."

I don't know which is funnier- having to bailout the inauguration or waiting this long before declaring D.C. a disaster area. What's more troubling is that the purported reason for bailing out the inauguration is that there's a belief that with so many people coming, D.C. will be unable to adequately protect its citizens. The White House noted that federal money will be available so that D.C. can institute protective measures "undertaken to save lives and protect public health and safety." I wonder how many cities, counties, and states will use that defense in asking for federal money to bail them out.