I just returned from San Francisco, where I watched the Chinese New Year Parade. While the theme of the parade is still very much centered on Chinese traditions, in some ways it felt like more of a city parade due to the number of politicians and political figures riding about. At one point of the parade, someone in the crowd rudely shouted out "Politicians suck! What do we need you for? Why don't you get a real job?". Culturally the parade wasn't limited to just Chinese organizations, but all groups within the community -- there was a group of Indian Dancers (It felt like that dance scene from Bend It Like Beckham), as well as the typical corporate sponsorship floats. Something about Ronald McDonald standing on a float with the golden arches and a money tree just seemed a bit ironic to me.
The grossest misuse of public funds I've ever seen however is the new H2 Hummer for the California Highway Patrol (CHP). Maybe they got a discount from the Governor's dealer, but honestly, does the CHP need a H2 Hummer? I've seen CHP trucks, cars, camaros, motorcycles, and they all have their uses... but a Hummer has very little practical application, particularly on the California Highways.
They also ran a cultural fair before the parade (the streets were closed anyways) where lots of vendors set up little booths and tents to peddle their wares. They also had an aisle of carnival games as well.
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