Michelle Obama's Luxury Spanish Vacation - On The Tax Payers Dime... Again!

[Warph]

The Tax-Payer.  Anything the gummitt does when it comes to spending money, it comes out of your pocket, Guns.


Anger mounts over Michelle Obama's £150k Spanish holiday bill... footed by U.S. taxpayer


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1300852/Anger-mounts-Michelle-Obamas-150k-holiday--footed-U-S-taxpayer.html#ixzz0vqYNIJ9p


Another little quote from CBSNEWS:  http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20012789-503544.html

CBS News White House correspondent Mark Knoller reports the C-32A (757) the First Lady used to fly to Spain - one of the planes that usually serves as Air Force Two, and sometimes Air Force One - operates at a Department of Defense reimbursement rate of $11,351 per hour.    

Warph: This is "HorseShit" as usual from liberal CBS News.  With four General Electric jet engines, each capable of 56,700 pounds of thrust, the bird can fly at 630 miles per hour (Mach 0.92) and run 7,800 miles without that in-flight refueling or fuel stops. It also weighs 833,000 pounds.  So figure $68,000 per hour.... x 6.5 to Spain and 6.5 back, 13 hours = $884,000.  and that's just for fuel according to 2009 stats.  

Perhaps the most widely known flagship of the fleet is "Air Force One,'' which happens to be whatever aircraft is carrying the president.  There are two specially configured Boeing 747-200B's -- tail numbers 28000 and 29000 - assigned to the task.  The Air Force calls them VC-25A's - the big difference between these aircraft and the basic 747 being its navigation and communications equipment and capability for in-flight refueling.  M.Obama (in her eighth vacation this year as some reporter said from the Chicago Sun Times) is using "Air Force Two".... So, yes, it costs the tax payer a hell of a lot to get it off the ground and keep it there.

Also, don't forget the cost of 70 plus secret service agents and lodging for them.

[greatguns]

Exactly!!!  So why the hell would I care who goes on the ride?  I can assure Jarhead and others this didn't just start with Michelle Obama, nor will it end with her.

[Wilma]

Does anyone remember the many vacations that Jackie took, with and without her children?  Or what a globe-trotter that Eleanor Roosevelt was?  Those are just the ones that I remember.  How many other first ladies travelled that the media didn't make a big deal out of?

[srkruzich]

Does anyone remember the many vacations that Jackie took, with and without her children?  Or what a globe-trotter that Eleanor Roosevelt was?  Those are just the ones that I remember.  How many other first ladies travelled that the media didn't make a big deal out of?

NONE of the other First ladies took 27 assitants with them.  Sorry but this woman is way out of line! 

[Diane Amberg]

 I poked around a number of sources and came up with 14-22 "assistants" for Laura Bush, about the same for Hillary and 22-26 for Michelle Obama. Some numbers include the social secretaries and some don't. Sounds like a lot of people for all of them doesn't it? There are lists available of their names and duties.

[Wilma]

None of the others needed that many.  First lady travels are as much more complex today as everything else is.  I am not sure that Eleanor even had to have Secret Service travel with her.  

With the way that the media messes up everything else, why would anyone believe this one?  I am not going to get into a snit because Michelle wanted to take her youngest daughter on a vacation.  Other mothers do it all the time.  Do you think she really enjoys being surrounded by restrictions all the time?  Would you?

[srkruzich]

I poked around a number of sources and came up with 14-22 "assistants" for Laura Bush, about the same for Hillary and 22-26 for Michelle Obama. Some numbers include the social secretaries and some don't. Sounds like a lot of people for all of them doesn't it? There are lists available of their names and duties.

What i found was 1 for laura bush, and 3 for hillary, 1 for barbara bush, 1 or 2 for mrs reagan.  

What is really galling is that we the taxpayers paid for 70+ people there to eat a 66 dollar a head dinner.  PLUS around 2k a room jn that lavish hotel.  It wouldn't be so bad if they bunked up everyone 4 to a room. That would make sense.

[Diane Amberg]

Where is your source and what did they define as "assistants?'' That is 'way too low for any of them ! Somebody is playing with numbers to make Michelle look bad and that isn't right. They ALL had a bunch of people who worked for them. If they are going to fake numbers at least make it look reasonable.

[Diane Amberg]

Ok, here is the list for Laura Bush. I'm not picking on her, I really liked her, ya know,one of us "socialist'' teachers and all. My point is fair is fair. All the way back to Jackie there has been an increasing interest the the first ladies and all they do. Hence more mail, more publicity and more people hired to help. Roslynn Carter was one of the few who managed to make her life mostly off limits and that was before the ravaging 24 hour a day news coverage fighting for tidbits.

Anita Mc Bride, Chief of Staff for LB, Cherie Harder, Project Director for LB   Sally Niemiec Press, secretary for LB,   Sonja Miller, Dep. Chief of Staff for LB,  Deanna Ballard, Director of Sheduling for LB, Carrie Underwood, Director of Programs and Projects for LB  Charity Wallace, Director of Advance for LB, Misty Marshall, Director of correspondence for LB, Marisa Etter, Dep. Director of scheduling,  Kristina King, Dep. Director of Advance,  Lindsey Lineweaver, Special assistant and Personal aide to LB,  Kimberly Rawson, Assistant to the Chief of Staff to LB, T. Donohue, Dep. Press Scretary to LB,   Campbell Vogel, Dep. Director of Correspondence. Johnathan Black, Assistant Press Secretary   
   $1,083,700.00

[Warph]

Obama takes Marine-One chopper for 6-mile trip


President Barack Obama left the White House this morning for a six-mile trip to a sign factory on the Maryland-D.C. border. But instead of taking the presidential motorcade, he took Marine One — the presidential helicopter.

A quick map search shows the drive would have taken at least 20 minutes, but the helicopter trip took just eight. And, according to one unofficial estimate, it was the 300th trip Obama has taken in Marine One since taking office 20 months ago.

The Secret Service declined to discuss any details about the president's travel plans, which they say fall under "ways and means"— information that, if made public, could threaten the president's safety. Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton said Obama decided to fly instead of drive to the sign factory "probably because it's easier than [taking] a motorcade through the city in the middle of the day."

Tom Schatz, president of Citizens Against Government Waste, says that it is impossible to calculate how much presidential travel costs or even how much energy is consumed.

Schatz says that whether by motorcade or flight, the cost of transporting the president includes factors such as the use of local police details, military staff, fuel and even the cost of inconveniencing travelers on the road.

"There's not a lot to say about how presidents travel and how much it costs because nobody knows," Schatz says. "You can't really say, 'Oh, if he took the motorcade, it might be less money.' " Obama has traveled by motorcade — each of which features Secret Service vehicles, an ambulance, a bomb-squad detail and several police motorcycles for traffic control — for short, in-town trips, including a visit to a community center in Washington's Anacostia neighborhood for a Father's Day speech.

Still, "It would be very helpful to the taxpayers if there was a distinct White House travel budget, and everybody could look at it," Schatz added. "Is it really a state secret to know how much is being spent on his travel?"

The travel between the White House and Andrews Air Force Base and back likely accounts for most of the 300 Marine One flights that Obama has taken since assuming office. From there, the president will board Air Force One to travel longer distances.



Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0810/40771.html#ixzz0vwdowHXs