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rfh - I have read that the president's dog handler and his 'movie theater' operator both make a lot more than I could dream of!
Total Cost of All White House Elements, for fiscal year 2008: $1,592,875,254
(This total does not include classified expenses or donations)
$1.5 billion is a lot of money. $4,364,041/day, to be precise.
Here are some of the base costs of the Obama White House in 2011 according to
the Congressional Financial Services and General Government Appropriations
Act:
- Operating expenses: $13,536,000. That's about $1 million more than it was during 2008. Just slightly higher than inflation.
- The Executive Residence—repair and restoration: $990,000. Slightly less than in 2008.
- Compensation for the President: $450,000 (the same)
- Expenses for the Vice President's Residence: $307,000 (about the same)
- President's unanticipated needs: $988,000 (about the same)
(source: http://www.whitehousedossier.com/2013/01/04/taxpayer-bill-obamas-hawaii-vacations-20-million/)
As the federal government’s activities varied and broad, the first section of
the Federal Budget we are focusing on is the Total Cost of the Whole White
House. This is a tiny portion of the federal budget, but it's an important
symbolic starting point. In a democracy, accountability should include everyone
– even the president.
This includes 23 different categories:
(These categories are based on the research of the Bush White House by long time White house administrator and scholar Bradley Patterson. Read more about his work)
- Operating expenses: $13,536,000. That's about $1 million more than it was during 2008. Just slightly higher than inflation.
- The Executive Residence—repair and restoration: $990,000. Slightly less than in 2008.
- Compensation for the President: $450,000 (the same)
- Expenses for the Vice President's Residence: $307,000 (about the same)
- President's unanticipated needs: $988,000 (about the same)
Taxpayers Spent $1.4 Billion On Obama Family
Last Year, Perks Questioned In New Book -- Daily Caller
Taxpayers spent $1.4 billion dollars on everything from staffing, housing,
flying and entertaining President Obama and his family last year, according to
the author of a new book on taxpayer-funded presidential perks.
In comparison, British taxpayers spent just $57.8 million on the royal family.
Author Robert Keith Gray writes in “Presidential Perks Gone Royal” that Obama isn’t the only president to have taken advantage of the expensive trappings of his office. But the amount of money spent on the first family, he argues, has risen tremendously under the Obama administration and needs to be reined in.
In comparison, British taxpayers spent just $57.8 million on the royal family.
Author Robert Keith Gray writes in “Presidential Perks Gone Royal” that Obama isn’t the only president to have taken advantage of the expensive trappings of his office. But the amount of money spent on the first family, he argues, has risen tremendously under the Obama administration and needs to be reined in.
(source: http://warnewsupdates.blogspot.com/2012/09/how-much-does-it-cost-to-maintain-us.html) Specifically, Gray said taxpayer dollars are subsidizing Obama’s re-election
effort when he [used] Air Force One to jet across the country
campaigning.
(source: http://dailycaller.com/2012/09/26/taxpayers-spent-1-4-billion-on-obama-family-last-year-perks-questioned-in-new-book/)
(source: http://dailycaller.com/2012/09/26/taxpayers-spent-1-4-billion-on-obama-family-last-year-perks-questioned-in-new-book/)
Taxpayer Bill for Obama’s Hawaii Vacations: $20
Million
by on January 4, 2013
by on January 4, 2013
Michelle Obama recently revealed that she and President Obama don’t give
Christmas gifts to each other. They merely say, “We’re in Hawaii,” and that’s
Christmas gift enough.
But actually the present is from taxpayers, and it’s an expensive one.
The total cost to taxpayers of Obama’s vacations to Hawaii since becoming president is likely in excess of $20 million, and possibly much, much more. During a time of budget deficits that threaten the nation’s security and its future, the Obamas have chosen to maintain a “family tradition” and vacation halfway around the world instead of finding far cheaper alternatives closer to home.
The $20 million figure is based on estimates of the cost of the four Hawaii vacations the Obamas have taken during Christmastime 2009-2012. According to a detailed breakdown by the Hawaii Reporter, the annual excursions in 2009, 2010, and 2011 cost about $4 million, much of it attributable to the expense of taking Air Force One, at an hour rate of about $180,000, on an eighteen-hour roundtrip journey to Honolulu and back.
But $4 million almost certainly underestimates the true tally, as it does not include many miscellaneous items like the cost of flying advance teams out to Hawaii and separate flights Michelle Obama took in 2010 and 2011, when she left ahead of her husband, who was forced to stay in Washington to finish up work with Congress.
This year, Obama returned from Hawaii to complete a deal on the Fiscal Cliff
and then jetted back to Honolulu, where he is now engaged in Part 2 of his
vacation. The second roundtrip flight added about $3.24 million to the tab this
time, bringing the cost of the 2012-1013 vacation to
well over $7 million.
If we assume the estimates are probably quite low, then it’s likely to the bill for the combined vacations is more than $20 million.
Given that much of the cost involves transporting the First Family and its retinue, the Obamas could have saved taxpayers millions by doing what the vast majority of Americans do: taking either one trip a year, or none.
The Obamas get plenty of vacation. They have sojourned every summer in Martha’s Vineyard except for last year, when campaigning and pre-election concern about appearances got in the way. They often take a side trip somewhere else during the year, and Michelle goes skiing annually out West.
At the very least, they could spend their Christmas holidays at Camp David or at one of the many fine resorts outside of Washington, which would require only the use of the presidential helicopter to get them there.
If they must find a warm haven, a rental home on the Gulf Coast, the Atlantic shore of Florida, or even Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands could easily be arranged at a fraction of the price of getting to Hawaii.
Some argue that Obama is justified in returning to Hawaii because that is where he spent his formative years. But how many of us get to go visit our roots for a two week vacation every year?
The Obamas probably also feel they must go to Hawaii because they are creatures of habit. While there, they do the same things and visit the same places every year. But their allegiance to routine is costing the taxpayers – including those in the middle class Obama claims to care so much about – millions of dollars.
Which brings us to OBAMA 5-0.
But actually the present is from taxpayers, and it’s an expensive one.
The total cost to taxpayers of Obama’s vacations to Hawaii since becoming president is likely in excess of $20 million, and possibly much, much more. During a time of budget deficits that threaten the nation’s security and its future, the Obamas have chosen to maintain a “family tradition” and vacation halfway around the world instead of finding far cheaper alternatives closer to home.
The $20 million figure is based on estimates of the cost of the four Hawaii vacations the Obamas have taken during Christmastime 2009-2012. According to a detailed breakdown by the Hawaii Reporter, the annual excursions in 2009, 2010, and 2011 cost about $4 million, much of it attributable to the expense of taking Air Force One, at an hour rate of about $180,000, on an eighteen-hour roundtrip journey to Honolulu and back.
But $4 million almost certainly underestimates the true tally, as it does not include many miscellaneous items like the cost of flying advance teams out to Hawaii and separate flights Michelle Obama took in 2010 and 2011, when she left ahead of her husband, who was forced to stay in Washington to finish up work with Congress.
 |
| New Year's Day, 2012 |
If we assume the estimates are probably quite low, then it’s likely to the bill for the combined vacations is more than $20 million.
Given that much of the cost involves transporting the First Family and its retinue, the Obamas could have saved taxpayers millions by doing what the vast majority of Americans do: taking either one trip a year, or none.
The Obamas get plenty of vacation. They have sojourned every summer in Martha’s Vineyard except for last year, when campaigning and pre-election concern about appearances got in the way. They often take a side trip somewhere else during the year, and Michelle goes skiing annually out West.
At the very least, they could spend their Christmas holidays at Camp David or at one of the many fine resorts outside of Washington, which would require only the use of the presidential helicopter to get them there.
If they must find a warm haven, a rental home on the Gulf Coast, the Atlantic shore of Florida, or even Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands could easily be arranged at a fraction of the price of getting to Hawaii.
Some argue that Obama is justified in returning to Hawaii because that is where he spent his formative years. But how many of us get to go visit our roots for a two week vacation every year?
The Obamas probably also feel they must go to Hawaii because they are creatures of habit. While there, they do the same things and visit the same places every year. But their allegiance to routine is costing the taxpayers – including those in the middle class Obama claims to care so much about – millions of dollars.
Which brings us to OBAMA 5-0.
(source: http://www.whitehousedossier.com/2013/01/04/taxpayer-bill-obamas-hawaii-vacations-20-million/)
As the federal government’s activities varied and broad, the first section of
the Federal Budget we are focusing on is the Total Cost of the Whole White
House. This is a tiny portion of the federal budget, but it's an important
symbolic starting point. In a democracy, accountability should include everyone
– even the president. This includes 23 different categories:
(These categories are based on the research of the Bush White House by long time White house administrator and scholar Bradley Patterson. Read more about his work)
- Compensation of the President
- The Executive Residence Operating Expenses
- The Executive Residence Repair and Restoration
- The Vice President's Downtown Office
- Residence of the Vice President Operating Expenses
- The White House Office
- Office of Policy Development
- National Security Council
- One-eighth of the Office of Administration
- The President's Unanticipated Needs
- White House Center Service Delivery Team
- U.S. Postal Service, White House Branch
- National Archives Professional Support of the White House
- Value of gifts supplied by the Department of State
- White House Communications Agency
- Air Force One
- Helicopter Squadron HMX-One
- Camp David
- Salary Costs for the White House Communications Agency, Air Force One, HMX-One, and Camp David
- U.S. Secret Service
- Commission of the White House Fellowships
- National Park Service White House Liaison Office
- Cost of Detailees (who work for more than 6 months in a calendar year)
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