Seeing the Queen

[NYTomcat]

That's an innocuous way of saying $57.8 million a year. Money that could be much better spent. And what of the cost of having an extra royal layer of quasi-government in Canada and other Commonwealth countries? And what of the cost to the ideals of true democracy in favour of upholding quaint tradition? I am no one's subject.

 

Agreed Now compare how much of that is spent on employement within the household and the tourist dollars. they upkeep the national landmarks that here we pay far more for. In fact in washinton DC we spent over 250 million last year just washing the monuments.

 

You are No one's subject... thats a statement of fact whether you have a monarchy or not. They are no more than a quaint tradition and we all know it. But one that I feel is worth maintaining if for no better reason than the sense of living history they represent. Again... just my 2 cents as I am sure yours are just as correct.

[Guest greatness]

hmm

 

What a waste of money.. I could have washed all the monuments with less than 1 million. It's not big or small government that is the problem. It's inefficient spending and waste. It's everywhere..

 

In fact in washinton DC we spent over 250 million last year just washing the monuments.

[+ ArVaGuy]

What a waste of money.. I could have washed all the monuments with less than 1 million. It's not big or small government that is the problem. It's inefficient spending and waste. It's everywhere..

 

Greatness, dear, you have no idea of the number of monuments involved or the shear size of most of them. The Washington Monument, Lincoln, Jefferson, or WWII alone would be the single largest monument in most other cities. Just maintaining these structures from the beating they receive from daily visitors is a Herculean task for the NPS.

 

There's also the continual refurbishment and restoration as well. For instance, most of the Mall is reclaimed land from the Potomac River. Consequently, the ground is not all that stable. Thus the Jefferson Memorial after barely 70 years since its construction is sinking.

 

And let's also remember that these monuments and the entire Smithsonian complex of 14 museums are open free of charge to citizens and international visitors. Just this weekend I acted as tour guide to friends in from Rhode Island amazed by the scale of DC. We spent nearly two hours in the National Gallery of Art, which covers more than three city blocks alone and only viewed about one quarter of the collection.

[KMEM]

That's an innocuous way of saying $57.8 million a year. Money that could be much better spent. And what of the cost of having an extra royal layer of quasi-government in Canada and other Commonwealth countries? And what of the cost to the ideals of true democracy in favour of upholding quaint tradition? I am no one's subject.

 

Au Contraire, MG. You are very much the subject, at least on this MB. Gawking, reading, appreciating, etc.

 

It has been postulated before that ex-colonists aka US citizens are more in favor of the British monarchy than the Brits are. However, they only indirectly help pay for the "honor" of same. We do dash over there from time to time and convert our USD into Pounds Sterling and generally leave them behind for local use.

 

The effect of nostalgia seems to come and go; therefore it ultimately is up to the voting British public to decide up with what they will put.

 

Best regards,

KMEM