Fairytale Prisoner by Choice

[knapplc]

It's not a "drop in the bucket" when it's extra money being spent that's never been spent before, or in the case of Trump's golf trips, never at this rate, while at the same time we're defunding things like the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative ($40 million) and the Chesapeake Bay Restoration Initiative ($14 million).

[zoogs]

What are the figures exactly? This being a 365/24/7 thing, it can really add up. Similarly, it's the incredible frequency of the Mar-a-Lago trips that start to put them on the radar.

 

I suppose every great empire has a ruler who decides to move the seat of power. Donald Trump is a regular Diocletian.

[knapplc]

Conservative investigative journalist site Washington Free Beacon wrote a scathing article detailing the "excesses" of the Obama Administration's travels, including Michelle's, in January. Their gripe is in the headline:

Obama’s Travel Cost Taxpayers More Than $96 Million

"The Obamas' notorious abuse of presidential travel perks wasted military resources and stressed the Secret Service," said Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch. "Judicial Watch estimates that the final costs of Obama's unnecessary vacation and political travel will well exceed $100 million. President-elect Trump can immediately save taxpayers money by reforming presidential travel."

The White House did not respond to requests for comment.

 

That $100 million that conservatives were so angered by will be dwarfed by what America spends on Trump. So where's the outrage?

Trump family’s elaborate lifestyle is a ‘logistical nightmare’ — at taxpayer expense

Palm Beach County officials plan to ask Washington to reimburse tens of thousands of dollars a day in expenses for deputies handling added security and traffic issues around the cramped Florida island whenever Trump is in town.

In New York, the city is paying $500,000 a day to guard Trump Tower, according to police officials’ estimates, an amount that could reach $183 million a year.

This month, The Post reported that Secret Service and U.S. Embassy staffers paid nearly $100,000 in hotel-room bills to support Eric Trump’s trip to promote a Trump-brand condo tower in Uruguay.

“This is an expensive way to conduct business, and the president should recognize that,” said Tom Fitton, president of the conservative group Judicial Watch, which closely tracked President Barack Obama’s family vacation costs and said that it intends to continue the effort for the Trump administration.

“The unique thing about President Trump is that he knows what it costs to run a plane,” Fitton added, noting that Trump should consider using the presidential retreat of Camp David, a short helicopter ride from the White House, or even his golf course in Northern Virginia. Of Mar-a-Lago, Fitton said, “Going down there ain’t free.”

For Trump, the costs come with an additional perk: Some of the money flows into his own pocket. While Trump has removed himself from managing his company, he has refused to divest his ownership, meaning that he benefits from corporate successes such as government contracts.

 

 

The bold should be the most galling thing to any fiscal conservative. Trump controls how much travel he and his family do. He could easily mandate that Melania & Barron live in the White House, and that his children conduct business via the internet. Instead, we're paying huge amounts of money to guard this family and Trump is profiting from it.

[zoogs]

I see the author of that Free Beacon piece is busy churning out complaints about taxation and supportive fluff for President Trump.

 

It must be nice to bloviate so profusely with no convictions.

[StPaulHusker]

Michelle Obama lived in the public eye, in the White House, while raising young children. That's a preposterous excuse.

Who are you to say how someone decides to live and raise their children?

[knapplc]

So no matter what opulent lifestyle a president's family chooses, the taxpayers should just write them a blank check because it's their choice how they live & raise their children?

Think that through.

[BigRedBuster]

Conservative investigative journalist site Washington Free Beacon wrote a scathing article detailing the "excesses" of the Obama Administration's travels, including Michelle's, in January. Their gripe is in the headline:

 

 

Obama’s Travel Cost Taxpayers More Than $96 Million

 

"The Obamas' notorious abuse of presidential travel perks wasted military resources and stressed the Secret Service," said Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch. "Judicial Watch estimates that the final costs of Obama's unnecessary vacation and political travel will well exceed $100 million. President-elect Trump can immediately save taxpayers money by reforming presidential travel."

 

The White House did not respond to requests for comment.

 

That $100 million that conservatives were so angered by will be dwarfed by what America spends on Trump. So where's the outrage?

 

Trump family’s elaborate lifestyle is a ‘logistical nightmare’ — at taxpayer expense

 

Palm Beach County officials plan to ask Washington to reimburse tens of thousands of dollars a day in expenses for deputies handling added security and traffic issues around the cramped Florida island whenever Trump is in town.

 

In New York, the city is paying $500,000 a day to guard Trump Tower, according to police officials’ estimates, an amount that could reach $183 million a year.

 

This month, The Post reported that Secret Service and U.S. Embassy staffers paid nearly $100,000 in hotel-room bills to support Eric Trump’s trip to promote a Trump-brand condo tower in Uruguay.

 

“This is an expensive way to conduct business, and the president should recognize that,” said Tom Fitton, president of the conservative group Judicial Watch, which closely tracked President Barack Obama’s family vacation costs and said that it intends to continue the effort for the Trump administration.

 

“The unique thing about President Trump is that he knows what it costs to run a plane,” Fitton added, noting that Trump should consider using the presidential retreat of Camp David, a short helicopter ride from the White House, or even his golf course in Northern Virginia. Of Mar-a-Lago, Fitton said, “Going down there ain’t free.”

 

For Trump, the costs come with an additional perk: Some of the money flows into his own pocket. While Trump has removed himself from managing his company, he has refused to divest his ownership, meaning that he benefits from corporate successes such as government contracts.

 

 

The bold should be the most galling thing to any fiscal conservative. Trump controls how much travel he and his family do. He could easily mandate that Melania & Barron live in the White House, and that his children conduct business via the internet. Instead, we're paying huge amounts of money to guard this family and Trump is profiting from it.

The hypocrisy of the Trump supporters is amazing.

[TGHusker]

Michelle Obama lived in the public eye, in the White House, while raising young children. That's a preposterous excuse.

I agree - so did so many other first ladies.

[TGHusker]

Conservative investigative journalist site Washington Free Beacon wrote a scathing article detailing the "excesses" of the Obama Administration's travels, including Michelle's, in January. Their gripe is in the headline:

 

 

Obama’s Travel Cost Taxpayers More Than $96 Million

 

"The Obamas' notorious abuse of presidential travel perks wasted military resources and stressed the Secret Service," said Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch. "Judicial Watch estimates that the final costs of Obama's unnecessary vacation and political travel will well exceed $100 million. President-elect Trump can immediately save taxpayers money by reforming presidential travel."

 

The White House did not respond to requests for comment.

 

That $100 million that conservatives were so angered by will be dwarfed by what America spends on Trump. So where's the outrage?

 

Trump family’s elaborate lifestyle is a ‘logistical nightmare’ — at taxpayer expense

 

Palm Beach County officials plan to ask Washington to reimburse tens of thousands of dollars a day in expenses for deputies handling added security and traffic issues around the cramped Florida island whenever Trump is in town.

 

In New York, the city is paying $500,000 a day to guard Trump Tower, according to police officials’ estimates, an amount that could reach $183 million a year.

 

This month, The Post reported that Secret Service and U.S. Embassy staffers paid nearly $100,000 in hotel-room bills to support Eric Trump’s trip to promote a Trump-brand condo tower in Uruguay.

 

“This is an expensive way to conduct business, and the president should recognize that,” said Tom Fitton, president of the conservative group Judicial Watch, which closely tracked President Barack Obama’s family vacation costs and said that it intends to continue the effort for the Trump administration.

 

“The unique thing about President Trump is that he knows what it costs to run a plane,” Fitton added, noting that Trump should consider using the presidential retreat of Camp David, a short helicopter ride from the White House, or even his golf course in Northern Virginia. Of Mar-a-Lago, Fitton said, “Going down there ain’t free.”

 

For Trump, the costs come with an additional perk: Some of the money flows into his own pocket. While Trump has removed himself from managing his company, he has refused to divest his ownership, meaning that he benefits from corporate successes such as government contracts.

 

 

The bold should be the most galling thing to any fiscal conservative. Trump controls how much travel he and his family do. He could easily mandate that Melania & Barron live in the White House, and that his children conduct business via the internet. Instead, we're paying huge amounts of money to guard this family and Trump is profiting from it.

That is what is so disturbing. We have govt meetings being held at his Florida resort, he profits from it, We have the cost of Air Force One and all of the support staff, etc. We have the cost of the NYC 'family white house' - this is beginning to make Obama look like a pretty fiscally responsible guy in comparison - a spin thrift. But it doesn't surprise me. DT was always about DT. He co-oped the conservative mantra - smaller, less expensive govt and used it for his advantage. Yet when you look at his policies, he was never a true conservative regardless of rhetoric. After the 1st 100 days of DT - all references to past presidents, including Obama, overspending on vacations - need to be struck from the public record as none compare to what we see currently. Regarding Melania and Barron living in the WH - he could set the example of lowering educational cost with the use of remote, internet education if he wanted to be linked backed to Barron's school. He of course could afford individual torturing for this semester. Good grief - being in the white house is a history, social studies education all by itself.

DT needs to lead by example. If the budget calls for a hiring freeze and a 10% cut back in spending for many depts. (I understand this is in the works), then he needs to be the first example of controlling costs.

[JJ Husker]

So no matter what opulent lifestyle a president's family chooses, the taxpayers should just write them a blank check because it's their choice how they live & raise their children?

Think that through.

I don't have any trouble at all laying these problems (cost, waste, excess) at Trump's feet. Hopefully you didn't take what I said as this being okay. But I do have a bit of a problem blaming it on Melania. She apparently doesn't want that life. It's too bad her and the orange one aren't on the same page.

 

The only time I ever complained about Michelle was when she said it was the first time she had ever been proud to be an American. That was her statement and she can be held accountable for it. But in most cases I believe the spouses and family should be off limits as targets from what their husbands do. (Probably would've broke that rule if Billy C. had ended up back in the WH)

[knapplc]

I agree with you more than it probably seems, El D. When I said she should be open to criticism what I meant was "critique," and that's no different than anyone in her position.

 

I can sympathize with a person who doesn't want to live in the same spotlight as their spouse, but there's a reasonable financial way of looking at this, and in that sense, she's fair game. She also knew what Trump was when she married him, and while she probably never thought of this eventuality, she did understand that he was always going to be in the spotlight. So it's hard to be too sympathetic with someone who doesn't want to live in the spotlight of the White House when their spouse has always been famous. But I understand wanting privacy and (like BRB said) not wanting to live with Donald.

 

The only thing that really bothers me about it is the cost, and that's something her choice is forcing on the taxpayers, and it's far more than any other First Lady has done in the past 100 years. So that's definitely open to critique. There's no getting around that her choice is unnecessarily expensive for John Q. Public.

[JJ Husker]

I agree with you more than it probably seems, El D. When I said she should be open to criticism what I meant was "critique," and that's no different than anyone in her position.I can sympathize with a person who doesn't want to live in the same spotlight as their spouse, but there's a reasonable financial way of looking at this, and in that sense, she's fair game. She also knew what Trump was when she married him, and while she probably never thought of this eventuality, she did understand that he was always going to be in the spotlight. So it's hard to be too sympathetic with someone who doesn't want to live in the spotlight of the White House when their spouse has always been famous. But I understand wanting privacy and (like BRB said) not wanting to live with Donald.The only thing that really bothers me about it is the cost, and that's something her choice is forcing on the taxpayers, and it's far more than any other First Lady has done in the past 100 years. So that's definitely open to critique. There's no getting around that her choice is unnecessarily expensive for John Q. Public.

Agreed.

[Moiraine]

[knapplc]

[NM11046]

I wish we saw more of her if only to see these acts of defiance. Nice to see that at home he's being treated like a real live human being who is horrible to people.