And you thought SBH was EXPENSIVE???

NYCFred

Senior Insider
With More Vacation Days and Separate Travel, Price of Obama’s Annual Hawaiian Holiday Rises

BY MALIA ZIMMERMAN - KAILUA, OAHU - The U.S. Secret Service has arrived, street barricades are in place, and the U.S. Coast Guard has stationed itself in the waters surrounding Kailua, Oahu.

That is a sure sign President Barack Obama’s security team is preparing for the first family to arrive in the small beachside community as early as Friday night for what is expected to be a 17-day vacation.

The President and his family are traveling separately to Hawaii because he wants resolve the payroll tax cut issue before leaving Washington – and his wife does not want to wait.

But the advanced trip and the cost that comes with it – as much as $100,000 (flight and security) – adds to an already expensive vacation for the taxpayers.

Hawaii Reporter research shows the total cost for the President’s visit for taxpayers far exceeded $1.5 million in 2010 – but is even more costly this year because he extended his vacation by three days and the cost for Air Force One travel has jumped since last assessed in 2000. In addition, Hawaii Reporter was able to obtain more specifics about the executive expenditures.
The total cost (based on what is known) for the 17-day vacation roundtrip vacation to Hawaii for the President, his family and staff has climbed to more than $4 million. Here's why.

TRAVEL: $3,629,622

The biggest expense is President Barack Obama’s round trip flight to Hawaii via Air Force One, a cost the GAO office estimated at $1 million in the year 2000. Contacted today, the GAO confirmed there is no report the independent office affiliated with Congress has prepared since 2000 to operate Air Force One and Air Force Two.

However, the U.S. Air Force provides the most current numbers of $181,757 per flight hour. Travel time for Air Force One direct from Washington D.C. to Hawaii is about 9 hours or $1,635,813 each way for a total of $3,271,622 for the round trip to Hawaii and back.

The cost for USAF C-17 cargo aircraft that transports the Presidential limos, helicopters and other support equipment to Hawaii was not made available. However, the flight time between Andrews Air Force Base and Hawaii is at about 21.5 hours roundtrip, with estimated operating cost of $12,000 per hour. (Source: GAO report, updated by C-17 crew member). The United States Marine Corps provides a presidential helicopter, along with pilots and support crews for the test flights, which travel on another C-17 flight. That is $258,000, not including costs for the 4 to 6 member crew's per diem and hotel.

Mrs. Obama’s early flight to Hawaii costs about $63,000 (White House Dossier), but add security and personnel for a total of about $100,000.

HOUSING: $151,200


The President and his family pay for their own beachfront rental (they are not staying in the Winter White House this year but rather a house on the same street further to the ocean point).

The Kailua rentals are fronted by the ocean and backed by a canal. So, the taxpayers must cover the costs for housing U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Coast Guard and Navy Seals in beach front and canal front homes in Kailua.

That costs about $1,200 a day ($200 allocated per bedroom per day). Since security arrives one day early, homes are rented for 18 days.

That is about $21,600 per home for approximately 7 houses rented at a total cost of $151,200 for security to stay nearby.

HOTEL: $72,216


The President’s staff and White House Press Corps stay at one of Hawaii’s oldest and most elegant hotels, the Moana Surfrider. Hawaii Reporter confirmed they are again staying there this year. Besides its stunningly beautiful view of Waikiki, and its traditional architecture, it is one of the most pricey hotels in the state.

Government rates are $177 per night, but that only is available during certain times a year.

Rooms typically start at $250 but can cost on average as much as $450 a night, and are even higher during the holidays. Hotel spokeswoman Marsha Weinert said she could "neither confirm nor deny" the president's staff is staying there.



A conservative estimate with rooms at the government rate of $177 per day (excluding a 9.25 percent Transient Accommodation Tax and a 4.712 percent General Excise Tax on each bill, meals, internet charges and other charges) means the taxpayers are covering more than $72,216 in hotel bills for an estimated 24 staff.

LOCAL TAXPAYER COSTS: $260,000

Local police over time for the president’s visit has historically cost Oahu taxpayers $250,000 but may be more expensive this year with the extended vacation.

The city ambulance the accompanies the president 24 hours a day through his entire visit is $10,000, according to city spokeswoman Louise Kim McCoy.



UNKNOWN COSTS

There are several costs the White House annually refuses to release, citing security.

For example, the president’s security usually rents an entire floor of an office building in Kailua on the canal during the president’s stay.
There are security upgrades and additional phone lines to several private homes where Obama and friends are staying. That includes bullet proof glass installed, home security systems disabled, new security measures put into place and additional phone lines added.
There is the cost for car rentals and fuel for White House staff staying at Moana Hotel.
And there are additional travel costs Secret Service and White House staff traveling ahead of the President.

The total cost (based on what is known) for a 17-day round trip vacation to Hawaii for the President and his family and staff and security is an estimated $4,113,038.

Hawaii Reporter annually has requested details on the cost of the President’s trip, but the White House will not release any figures, citing security concerns. A spokesperson has maintained the costs are "in line" with other presidential vacations.

Hawaii Reporter has sought to determine the cost of vacations for the current president and last two presidents but the Government Accountability Office was able to provide those costs and referred Hawaii Reporter back to the White House spokesperson.

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Maybe we should sell Camp David. Doesn't appear to be getting a lot of use under this administration....
 
geez, fred, help me with the math on this, will ya?

our family of 4 had a very nice 8 day vacation on Long Beach Island in New Jersey for around usd4,000 including meals, booze, and so on.

so, for usd 4 million, the price of one presidential vacation, we can pay for 1,000 X 8 day vacations on LBI, that's 8,000 vacation days. Here's where I need your help, I can't find my calculator. 8,000 vacation days is about 22 years or so. I'm 58 years old so for the cost of one presidential vacation I can take my family of 4 on permanent vacation until I'm 80 years old, correct?

Of course, that usd 4 million does not include the Martha's Vineyard summer vacation, or Michele Obama's vacation in Marbella, Spain a year or two ago.

While the country suffers under almost 9% unemployment (quite higher IMHO when you factor in those workers that have given up looking for a job) - there is clear disconnect between this President and the Americans he pretends to lead.

Maybe President Obama needs to consult with former President Bush to find out how to take a more economical vacation at a ranch in Crawford,
Texas lol.

Looking forward to the Obama lovers in this forum to rationalize this clear excess in Presidential perks.
 
At this point in his presidency, Obama has taken about one third of the vacation days as Bush. I'd put more stock in your blather had you shown the same indignation when Bush went on vacation shortly after going to war in Iraq but, of course, you didn't...
 
Numbers are such great fun!

If W's little hunt for the non-existent WMD's cost $4,000,000,000,000 as is often estimated, the eight year event works out to around $1 million a minute.

Talk about presidential excess. We can only wish he would have stayed in Crawford.

Presumably, Obama's vacation won't result in the death of thousands of U.S. soldiers and more than 100,000 Iraqis, as well as alienate an entire region.

This number crunching on the cost of presidential vacations is silly. Surely the opposition can come up with something better than that. Maybe it would be more effective looking into whether Obama might have been born in Kenya or something like that.
 
Yeah... The tea baggers should just be glad he didn't go to his "real" home- Kenya or Indonesia. That would have cost some real coin...
 
and all while the GOP stops the payroll tax extension going through. They really care about this country....really? Lord, forgive them. they do not know what they do. Or maybe they do. It's hard to tell
 
infi said:
Lord, forgive them. they do not know what they do. Or maybe they do. It's hard to tell


neither..they re idiots....keep the expectations low....this way you wont be disappointed
 
Mike R said:
neither..they re idiots....keep the expectations low....this way you wont be disappointed

I can't get much lower in the expectation sense but ruining the country in a partisan power grab and inciting the weak-minded and gullible to anger about the actions of one man in a complex global economy is just beyond! The President took a Xmas break woopity doo.
 
eddie said:
At this point in his presidency, Obama has taken about one third of the vacation days as Bush. I'd put more stock in your blather had you shown the same indignation when Bush went on vacation shortly after going to war in Iraq but, of course, you didn't...


Sshhh- don't tell George- he thinks it's typical.
 
Looking forward to the Obama lovers in this forum to rationalize this clear excess in Presidential perks.

As they have, George, as they have. LOL

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Yes, Fred, just what I expected. The justifications the "I hate Bush", "Bush did this or that", "the Iraq war" and of course the use of the word "stupid" directed at me, or you, or the writer of the article you posted, or the Tea Party or anyone that dares to criticize the anointed one.

And, in the replies to my post, I note that my point is missed. Here I thought that my skills in the written English language were pretty good, especially considering that english is my second language. So, let me reiterate my point in the hopes that it will be understood by our friends on the leftie side of this forum.

We in the USA are in an economic recession as bad as I've seen in my 58 years, with an official unemployment rate of 8.6%, but an actual unemployment rate that is probably twice that when you factor in the workers that have given up looking for work.

This country has how many millions unemployed? They are living day to day, no vacation, a lousy Christmas because they have no money.

The POTUS of the USA, in fact the leader of any organization, needs to lead by example. The citizens of the USA are being asked to make sacrifices.

This includes the premise that the "rich" (not sure what criteria is used to define the "rich") should pay more in taxes, that they should pay a "fair" amount of their income in taxes (not sure what the definition of "fair" is in this context).

For the POTUS to take a vacation in Hawaii costing the taxpayers usd 4 million in these economic conditions is ludicrous. I am not surprised that you lovers of Hopey-Changey are not outraged. I am surprised that you lovers of Hopey-Changey are not at least a little bit disappointed in your anointed one. To me, IMHO and all of that, speaks volumes. No, sorry, I'm stupid, it screams volumes.

Take this opportunity to wish you all, lefties and righties, a Merry Christmas and a healthy, happy and prosperous new year.]

kind regards,
georgedp
 
Silly use of the term "anointed" to describe an elected POTUS. Probably more accurate description of how W was "anointed" by the SCOTUS, non?
 
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