FLORIDIANS PONY UP BIG TIME FOR BUSH INAUGRUAL

While the federal and District of Columbia governments are footing the bill for many of the security expenses for this week's inaugruation ceremonies, businesses and wealthy individuals have ponied up with nearly $40 million through the Presidential Inaugural Committee for many of the events leading up to President Bush's swearing in Thursday.

And the Orlando Sentinel is noting that Floridians are doing their part. The big monied folks include Wachovia Corporation , whose Jacksonville-based Southern Banking Group coughed up $250,000. It's main executive is Tom Coley, who was the vice chairman of SouthTrust Bank before it merged with Wachovia. For that kind of coin the bank/financial services company gets to be an "underwriter", which includes tickets to almost all inaugural events as well as a luncheon with President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.

For $100,000, one is a "sponsor" and gets tickets to balls, dinners, the swearing-in ceremony, and parade. The Florida sponsors:

Intervest Construction, Inc (ICI Homes) of Daytona Beach; Chairman/CEO Mori Hosseni.

Al Hoffman Jr. of Fort Myers, CEO of WCI Communities, Inc.

Jerome V. Ansel, Boca Raton; Developer and President of St. Andrews Realty

Vernon Buchannan, Owner/Chairman, Buchanan Automotive Group, Sarasota

BlueCross BlueShield of Florida, Jacksonville

Century Homebuilders, Inc., Miami, founded by developer and Florida International University trustee Sergio Pino

Ned Siegel of Boca Raton; Chairman, NLS Communities

Thien H. Nguyen, Redington Beach

Thomas Petway III of Jacksonville; Insurance company executive, partner in the Jacksonville Jaguars NFL team, and member of the Florida Board of Regents (former chairman)

J. Ronald Terwilliger, Atlanta/Key Largo; Chairman/CEO of Trammell Crow Residential

WellCare Health Plans Inc. of Tampa.

Donors who gave $25,000:

Charles E. Cobb, Jr.; Coral Gables. Managing Partner of real estate/development/international trade firm Cobb Partners.

Horizion Bay Management, Tampa. Major developer of residential communities for senior citizens. CEO is Thilo Best.

JM Family Enterprises, an automotive company of Deerfield Beach.

PricewaterhouseCoopers, regional office Tampa

Stanley P. Whitcomb, Jr., developer, President, Whitcomb Associates, Inc., Bonita Springs.

Corporate contributions are allowed for inaugural committies; it is one of the last major loopholes in the campaign financing law because it is after the election. And there are no limits to the amount that an individual or corporation can contribute. Presidents have always raised monies for such ceremonies; President Clinton raised over $35 million for his second inaugrual celebration. But wealthy businesspersons and companies don't do it because they want to be good citizens...they want to be remembered when it comes time for their issues to be considered within the federal government or it's agencies, and a connection or idea that they are somehow close to the sitting President of the United States usually counts for a lot.