Report: Price of Obama getaways $70 million so far, and counting

McClatchy ^ | December 17, 2015 | Anita Kumar

[Zakeet]

There was the weekend trip for President Barack Obama and his daughters to New York, including a Broadway show and a private museum tour.

The ski trip to Aspen, Colorado, for first lady Michelle Obama in February.

And lots and lots of golf in Florida, Southern California and Martha's Vineyard, Mass.

Now as the Obama family departs Friday on its annual holiday vacation to Hawaii, new estimates put the price tag of the Obamas' 2015 trips that are all or largely personal at $11.6 million for travel costs alone, according to the conservative group Judicial Watch, based on federal government records. That brings the overall cost of personal or largely personal travel to at least $70.5 million since Obama took office in 2009, according to the group's analysis.

[Zakeet]

Yeah ... it's a lot ... but you Freepers have got to admit that the Royal Idiot is worth it!

[JJ_Folderol]

What’s that, about $1 per working person for those of us that still have jobs?

[BenLurkin]

[Steve_Seattle]

$11 Million for travel costs alone"

I'm no fan of Obama, but sometimes I challenge figures that I see in news articles. I don't know what they mean by "travel alone", but I did some figuring in Excel. This is based on an estimate of a 15-day stay and an entourage of 120. I came up with the following guestimates:

$ 1,080,000 hotel costs ($600/night times 120 times 15)
$ 270,000 meal money ($150/day, per person)
$ 108,000 taxi money ($60/day, per person)
$ 960,000 air fair ($8,000 per person, round trip)
Total $2,418,000, about 1/5 what is claimed.

Maybe JD's figures are accurate, but I'd like to see the actual breakdown of expenses, because I've just outlined a pricey trip, and it's not even close to JD's figure, even if you add $200,000 extra for Obama's personal arrangements.

[Bob434]

he and his family spend $1.5 BILLION dollars on themselves every single year— before he leaves office, he will have spent around $12 BILLION dollars

[jimbug]

He should enjoy it while it lasts.Hell awaits.

[Jim Noble]

Who voted for these appropriations?

[StormEye]

"What’s that, about $1 per working person for those of us that still have jobs?"

I've been unemployed for about year and half.
The only thing good about it is that the US Government isn't getting any tax money from me. And neither is the state government too. It's been difficult at times but I take some satisfaction in the fact that I'm not having my labor taxed by the Uniparty.
Oh, and Death To The Uniparty!