State holiday decorations take a turn for the cheap

<p>The state Capitol is decked out with garland and poinsettias, and if most of them are made of plastic, blame the economy.</p><p>State spending on Christmas decorations is down about 22 percent this year, as budget cuts have taken some of the sparkle out the decorations fund.</p><p>Many poinsettias are fake now in the six state government buildings decorated by the Georgia Building Authority. Most of the foil wraps they sit in are reused from last year.</p><p>And the penny-pinching extends all the way to Gov.s Mansion in Buckhead, which costs more to decorate than all other Capitol-area buildings combined. There are only 12 live trees inside the house this year _ an extravagance by most standards, but a big change from the 30 or so live trees hauled in last year.</p><p>Overall, state government spent $33,488 on holiday decorations this year, down from $43,024 last year. A GBA spokeswoman, Alisa Pereira, says numbers from previous years arent available, but that last years price tag may have been higher than usual as officials started investing in reusable plastic decorations.</p><p>State agencies have been asked to cut 5 percent of their budget for next year, after trimming 2.5 percent last year, because of an economic downturn that has left Georgia strapped for cash for the past two years.</p><p>At first glance, the holiday trimmings at the Capitol and other state office buildings in Atlanta dont appear much different from years past.</p><p>Five live Christmas trees are set up in the Capitol Rotunda, an annual donation from a Covington tree farm, with live 6-inch white and red poinsettias at the feet of statues of Georgia notables such as state founder James Oglethorpe.</p><p>There are garland swags, too, dotted with red bows. In the James A. Sloppy Floyd office building a block away, home to many state departments, poinsettias and bows are in ample supply. Oddly, the state owns two open sleighs adorned with a state seal, one black sleigh and one white, which are hauled out there and filled with poinsettia plants each December.</p><p>Even the cafeteria in the Legislative Office Building has a tiny plastic tree and red tinsel swags.</p><p>But state officials say the yuletide decor is less extravagant than in years past. GBA Director Ray Crawford, on the job since March, said he had to start planning for holiday decoration last spring. Right away he ordered more fake poinsettias.</p><p>Theyre nice. They dont look like the plastic stuff in cemeteries, Crawford said. They look pretty good. Hopefully itll save a bit of money.</p><p>Holiday trimmings make up a small part of the GBAs $74 million budget to keep up state buildings, money that comes from rent paid by government agencies.</p><p>But the GBA never considered doing away altogether with the decorations, Crawford said.</p><p>I think its expected, he said. No one ever said, Why do yall do Christmas decorations? But I think theyd say something if we didnt.</p><p>The most expensive decoration project continues to be the Gov.s Mansion, which plays host to holiday tours this time of year. A private Buckhead decorator is hired to deck the mansion, at a cost of $19,766.87 this year. It cost $24,725.86 last year.</p><p>First Lady Mary Perdues interior decorations include a 12-foot Fraser fir adorned with stuffed pheasant and quail, a nod to Gov. Sonny Perdues love of hunting. Mrs. Perdue also put on display her collection of nativity scenes.</p><p>About the only decoration that cost more this year was the tree in the governors front yard. Last years 32-footer cost $500, but a bigger tree was ordered this year. Its 35 feet tall and cost $600.</p><p>But a spokesman for the governor said an effort was made to trim holiday costs.</p><p>Given the very tight budget, it is important to identify ways to save money, and the cost of holiday decorations is an area where expenses were reduced, Shane Hix said.</p>

http://accesswdun.com/article/2003/12/180740