Gov. Crist Footing The Bill For Inauguration Trip

WASHINGTON – Florida state taxpayers will not be paying for Gov. Charlie Crist and his wife, Carole, to attend inauguration festivities in Washington, his spokeswoman said.

For now, Crist is planning to attend only two events -- Barack Obama’s official swearing-in as president Tuesday and the inauguration parade right after, said Erin Isaac.

The governor and Mrs. Crist are flying to Washington on a commercial airline, and “on their own dime,” Isaac emphasized, in an interview Saturday.

Last week, Isaac was quoted in a Tampa Tribune story as saying that it still had not been determined who would be paying for the governor’s trip to the inauguration.

Although it is now decided who will pay for the trip, Isaac said she did not have details of when the Crists will arrive in Washington, or depart.

Why has Crist decided not to attend other events -- including an unofficial “Sunshine and Stars: 2009 Florida Inaugural Ball” set for Monday night, or the official “Southern State Ball” on Tuesday, organized by Obama’s inauguration committee?

“I don’t know,” Isaac responded. But she said Crist does think it is important to attend the “historic” swearing-in of a new president.