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The Hawaii Reporter compiled an estimated account of expenses for the Obama vacation and found that, before factoring in unknown costs, taxpayers forked over almost $1.5 million. Here’s how the paper broke it down:(full story at theblaze.com)
- Mrs. Obama’s early flight to Hawaii: $63,000 (White House Dossier)
- Obama’s round trip flight to Hawaii: $1 million (GAO estimates)
- Housing in beachfront homes for Secret Service and Seals in Kailua ($1,200 a day for 14 days): $16,800
- Costs for White House staff staying at Moana Hotel: $134,400 ($400 per day for 24 staff) – excluding meals and other room costs
- Police overtime: $250,000 (2009 costs reported by Honolulu Police Department)
- Ambulance: $10,000 (City Spokesperson)
TOTAL COST: $1,474,200
Then there are the unknown costs:
- Rental of office building in Kailua on canal
- Security upgrades and additional phone lines
- Costs for car rentals and fuel for White House staff staying at Moana Hotel (Secret Service imports most of the cars used here to escort the president)
- Surveillance before the president arrives
- Travel costs for Secret Service and White House staff traveling ahead of the President
Yes, the president deserves a vacation. But the paper suggests that the Obamas could have used housing on military bases to save on costs such as security and housing for support personnel.
Robert Mugabe assumes office as President of Zimbabwe (1987)
The Soviet Union is officially dissolved (1991)
Boris Yeltsin resigns as President of Russia, leaving Prime Minister Vladimir Putin as acting President (1999)
The U.S. hands Panama Canal over to Panama (1999)
d: Joseph Yablonski (1969), Michael Kennedy (1997)