As part of a nationwide tour of swing states, members of the satirical political group Billionaires for Bush, arrived in Tucson today and will campaign on the UA Mall tomorrow.
As part of the "Get on the Limo" Swing State Tour, members of Billionaires for Bush dress as billionaires, go by pseudonyms and show their disapproval for President George W. Bush by pretending to support his policies, which they say favor the wealthy.
Billionaires for Bush "is a do-it-yourself street theater and media campaign that uses humor to flush out the truth about the Bush administration's disastrous economic policies," said Claire Houston, public relations coordinator of the limo tour whose "'Billionaire" pseudonym is "Delta Betterhand."
"By using humor and satire, we aim to illustrate how the very, very wealthy have benefited from Bush's tax cuts, his administration's relaxed environmental regulations and the no-bid contracts for the Iraq reconstruction," Houston said.
Marco Ceglie, whose "Billionaire" name is "Monet Oliver d'Place," coordinated the national limo tour and is one of five "billionaires" participating in the campaign.
Though it is called a limo tour, the Billionaires for Bush do not travel in a limo.
"The four on the tour are actually traveling by a more fuel efficient van, and use a rented limo only in certain circumstances," Houston said.
A network of artists and activists in New York and Los Angeles founded Billionaires for Bush in 2003, according to billionairesforbush.com. There are now over 85 chapters nationwide.
Billionaires for Bush consist of "artists, musicians, activists, teachers, authors and other middle-class folks who feel this is the most effective way to get a message across," Houston said.
After joining the organization in January, Joyce Kelly has been the co-leader of the Tucson chapter of Billionaires for Bush since May.
"The purpose of the limo tour is the help spread the word of how wonderful Bush's presidency has been if you're a billionaire," said Kelly, aka "Joyls Furoyl."
The tour kicked off in Los Angeles Sunday, Sept. 26 and traveled to Las Vegas, Flagstaff, Sedona and Phoenix before arriving in Tucson.
At each location, Billionaires for Bush set up tables, hand out fliers and chant slogans as they hold up picket signs and mingle with people in each town.
The Billionaires for Bush will be on campus today from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. then will tour Fourth Avenue before having dinner at Mi Nidito Restaurant on 1813 S. 4th Ave. at 6:30 p.m.
The Billionaires for Bush will set up a table on the UA Mall tomorrow from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. There will also be a book signing of Billionaires for Bush's "How to Rule the World for Fun and Profit," at Antigone Books, 411 N. 4th Ave.