The National Taxpayers Union Foundation has added up the public costs of the presidential election. It found that of the nearly $700 million spent, taxpayers paid almost half.

• Nine of the 11 presidential candidates in the primaries took a total of $61 million from taxpayers to run their campaigns -- with George W. Bush and Libertarian candidate Harry Browne rejecting public funds.

• The GOP convention in Philadelphia cost taxpayers $46.5 million, and the Democrats' convention in Los Angeles cost another $53 million..

• As for the general election, 37 percent of the $184 million Bush raised was public money -- while 62 percent of Al Gore's $133 million came from taxpayers.

• Then there is the $7 million that will be spent on the inauguration.

Source: Editorial, "Our Publicly Financed Election," Investor's Business Daily, December 14, 2000.