Better ways to spend the money

Re “Governor raises $640,000 for his inaugural,” Dec. 16

Is anyone else outraged to see that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has raised $640,000 to “cover part of the costs of his two-day inaugural celebration next month”? Of course, by now we are all used to the fact that he raises massive amounts of money from lobbyists and backers, even though in his first campaign he said that he would not. But why a large, expensive party for the second time around? How ironic that on the same day, elsewhere in The Times, it was reported that George Clooney is using his position and fame trying to actually accomplish something meaningful -- helping the desperate people of Darfur. Why doesn’t the governor use these funds for such an effort, or for one of a myriad of significant causes worldwide, in our country or in our state?

BOB JACOBS

Playa del Rey