Obama inauguration passes sell for $2 000
2013-01-10 18:57
Washington - Tickets to President Barack Obama's
inauguration this month are supposed to be free, but they're being sold on eBay
and Craigslist for up to $2 000 apiece.
Efforts by congressional offices and the Presidential
Inaugural Committee, which are distributing tickets to inaugural events,
haven't stopped online entrepreneurs.
"These tix are going like hot cakes, and for far
more than I am listing them for on here," boasted one anonymous seller in
a post on Wednesday on Craigslist.
The seller, who did not return an email from AP, offered
two seats to the 21 January swearing-in at the Capitol for $4 000.
Even though enthusiasm isn't as high as it was for
Obama's historic inauguration four years ago, memories of the incredible crowd
for that sprawling outdoor event seem to have driven up prices for this year.
The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies
issued some 250 000 tickets for officials to give out however they see fit.
Scalping the tickets is not illegal.
But the committee's chairperson, Senator Chuck Schumer,
says he is encouraging members of Congress to distribute them fairly.
Unlike congressional tickets, tickets distributed by the
Presidential Inaugural Committee can't be resold without permission of the
committee.
Although tickets for the swearing-in ceremony are free,
some other inaugural events charge admission.
The presidential committee is sold out of $25 tickets to
the inaugural parade down Pennsylvania Avenue and $60 tickets to one of its two
inaugural balls.
The committee says it's contacting ticket brokers and
websites where tickets are being sold and asking that they be alerted to
scalping efforts.
Even with the warnings, the Internet marketplace is
thriving.
Online ads on sites like Craigslist, eBay and StubHub
offered ticket packages on Wednesday for upward of $4 000 to presidential
committee events.
- AP
