Coronation

Tuesday January 20th will see the costliest and most extensive presidential inauguration in history.

It is easy to forget that we will witness the swearing in of a new president instead of a King or Tsar. Thorough media coverage, the presence of tens of thousands, concerts and who knows what else will accompany the ritual agreement to preserve and protect the Constitution. Presidents are supposed to be something like a temporary version of the original Roman ideal of princeps, or First Citizen. This celebration is more like that to mark the rise of a dominus, the imperial title claimed by the autocratic Emperor Diocletian. This word means "master" or "owner."

All this over exuberance is over one of forty four men who have held the position of president as of tomorrow, not a demigod despite the desire of some to continually portray him as The One.

To his credit, Obama had the grace to look displeased at the inauguration concert when U2 insisted on politicizing the event.

We all must remember that this is a President of the United States, not a ruler of the people, but their servant.

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Hopefully Governor Manchin, with his inauguration behind him, can forge ahead with cutting West Virginia's bloated state government. With anemic population growth and the amazing capabilities of modern technology, surely we can find ways to shrink and make more efficient our state government.

Cutting the size of our bureaucracy should be a priority over the next four years. This will contribute to our continued fiscal strength.