Maher on Obama Library: "Couldn't that money be better spent on something else? Who's going to go to this?"

[EdmondDantes_]

182. I've never watched Maher, but I don't think it's an absurd question to ask if that's a good use of money

The George W Bush presidential library was only $330 million in 2023 dollars. $850 million is a lot more. Most people here bash the tech billionaires for donating a couple of millions to Trump's inauguration fund, but Bezos donated $100 million to this. How many people could have been fed with that money? Sure Bezos wasn't going to donate $100 million to feeding people, but if so many of us don't like the issues inherent in wealth inequality, then there's a question to be asked. Sure Maher isn't asking this in the best of faith, but it seems that if asking the question invites derision, maybe we're putting partisanship over values.

People here are pointing to the center being privately funded, but there was something like $175 million in public sector spending to support it, there's virtually no endowment to support the center so if it doesn't make money there's no backup other than the public. And it's effectively giving a big chunk of an existing public space to a private enterprise.

It's definitely not a traditional presidential library as the Obama presidential library is in Maryland and is under the National Archives.

Local residents have concerns about gentrification, the environmental impact, if being so close to the wealthy Hyde Park is the best place to promote the economic revitalization of the south side of Chicago.

Maybe it's going to be a positive thing for Chicago, but given the cost and uniqueness of the center instead of a traditional presidential library, it's not a certainty. And all that's without getting into the right wing "criticisms" of the building's appearance or it's about Obama's ego.

I get it, it's easier to just rally around the Democratic hero, but there are legitimate questions about choices made. There always are because life is complicated like that.