1. If you favor frugality, admit that in the last election, frugality lost. There were some frugal candidates running (the former “Tea Party favorites” but they lost to a big government “Republican” (who recently changed parties, eight years before he was an Obama Democrat) who doesn’t worry about deficits, favors “big government” (not to mention rejected a generation of pro-immigration and pro-trade Republican dogmas). If Trump keeps control of the Republican party, there might be room for a conservative policy to compete with Trumpian “Big government” populists and the now-socialists Democrats.
2. The military parade is a drop in the bucket, and most of the cost is paying for troops who get paid anyways.
Why New York is questionable because many New Yorkers are anti-military, and almost anti-American. The parade is certain to attract counter-demonstrations.