Taxpayer Luxuries
The Presidential and Official portraits may be going by the wayside. According to this story, Official Portraits Draw Skeptical Gaze, in the Washington Post by Christopher Lee, is the cost to the taxpayer justified?
Official portraits can range from about $30,000 – $70,000. That’s about right considering the length of time to paint one — average 6 months. The article suggests that perhaps a nice photo would do. I have to weigh in here. I really appreciate portrait as well as other photography, but the painting can capture more than the snapshot. For the labor and the importance of historical tradition it is well worth the cost – particularly for Presidential portraits. Being a practical and spend thrifty person, I might question, however, whether every official needs to have a painted portrait. I like how Elliot Richardson, Secretary of Commerce under President Ford, painted his own self portrait in 1978, explaining the cost was too expensive otherwise. Now that’s a government official who takes his fiduciary responsibilities to the American public and taxpayers seriously.
While we’re at it, should we question other luxuries like the expense to cover redecorating the White House every time a new tenant moves in, from the oval office rug to china and décor? Granted a lot of these expenses are paid with private donations. Were they necessary? While no, not necessarily so, they have contributed to the sense of character and style that identifies each presidency.
casart
I'm an artist, wife and mother of two boys. I started my illustration business, The Occasional Palette over 35 years ago, when my oldest son was an infant. Once my children were in school, I began painting decorative, faux finishes and murals through my second business, Casart, now over 30 years old. My third business, Casart Coverings, is a springboard from my second. Click on the link on the sidebar to see innovative, custom, designer wallcovering, removable and reusable wallpaper and coordinating decor.
