President Barack Obama’s Four Vacations to Hawaii
It seems there is no fiscal crisis with the president. Instead of being an example of frugality to a country suffering staggering unemployment and economic hardship,
President Barack Obama’s four vacations to Hawaii since becoming president may cost taxpayers “in excess of $20 million, and possibly much, much more,” the White House Dossier reports.
In a recent breakdown of presidential vacations by the Hawaii Reporter, trips in 2009, 2010, and 2011 cost about $4 million, much of it for Air Force One.
That does not include major costs such as flying in advance teams and separate flights Michelle Obama twice took.
The Fiscal Cliff Deal
When Obama returned from Hawaii earlier this month to concentrate on the fiscal cliff deal, he then jetted back to Honolulu. Incredibly, the second round trip flight added about $3.24 million to the tab, bringing the 2012-2013 vacation to over $7 million, the Reporter said.
Is this fiscal responsibility as the president lectures the American people about?
“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,” said the Dossier’s Keith Koffler.
Saving Taxpayers Millions
Koffler went on to add, “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.”
It can be justified that these enormously expensive trips are due to the fact the president was born in Hawaii, but as Koffler says, “How many of us get to go visit our roots for a two week vacation every year?
In the mind of the First Family, they can justify the trips being creatures of habit. But this expensive routine is costing taxpayers millions of dollars that simply are no longer in the treasury.
Barack and Michelle Embarrassed?
You would think Barack and Michelle would be embarrassed. But with a compliant mainstream media in their corner 24/7, it’s nice to know the ink for such trips is sorely lacking.
