It's actually 40,000 and the cost is enormous.Compare previous inaugurations "Obama’s inaugural committee is in the midst of raising roughly $45 million in private funds, exceeding the $42.3 million President Bush spent in 2005. In 1993, Clinton spent $33 million when Democrats returned to the White House for the first time in 12 years." Much of the cost will be in security. Obamas total will be $160 million.talking about security. Why does the man need 9,000 more troops/police/etc. to guard him than there are troops in Afghanistan?""The Secret Service will be in charge of the protection service of all "sub-groups" providing security for BHO's inauguration. Current numbers stand at:7500 ACTIVE DUTY REGULAR MILITARY10,000 National Guard25,000 Police, Secret Service, CIA, DEA, ICE etc Officers.this totals 40,000 "troops" on the ground - or should I say "boots on the ground" in Wash DC from Sat the 17th through Wed the 21st of January - at a cost exceeding $75 MILLION dollars! Secret Service says that they are prepared for any event from a "lone wolf assisin" through a terrorist attack - as the swearing in of the first Black President of the US makes it a vunerable target (I wonder if the "it" they were discussing is HIM?) - also apparently there have allegedly been more death threats against him and his family than ANY Pres-Elect in the history of our country.""http://www.resistnet.com/forum/topics/31000-troops-in-afghanistan