Jeannie DeAngelis writes for The American Thinker, May 1, 2014:
While the American people continue to struggle to survive in any way they can, the Obamas live like leeches on the blood, sweat, and tears of every hardworking person.
Days after taxpayers found out that the hotel tab for just two days of Michelle Obama’s eight-day China jaunt cost $222K for 144 rooms at the Shangri-La Hotel in Chengdu, educational foundation Judicial Watch released a report revealing that vacation travel costs to transport the first family around the globe have topped $40 million. According to the U.S. Air Force, just two of Barry-the-Duffer’s recent golf outings have cost “north of $3 million dollars.”
As usual, Barack used official business as an excuse to spend $2 million on flying Air Force One to California, and decided the best time to do it was while Michelle was busy skiing in Colorado.
In California there was a perfunctory meeting with King Abdullah II of Jordan and a few speeches on drought conditions and water conservation. Then, in a typical Obama move, it was off to golf at a Palm Springs oasis that is one of 124 desert courses that require one million gallons of water a day to remain green.
The cost to shuttle Barack, his golf clubs, and his saddle shoes to Palm Springs while Michelle swooshed down the slopes in Aspen: $2,066,594.
Then there was Key Largo.
Right after Michelle Obama came home from her extended Hawaiian birthday-treat vacation, and the President’s Day girls-only ski trip to Aspen and boys-only Palm Springs golf getaway, all of which took place just prior to Mrs. Obama’s multi-million dollar excursion to China, the first family spent the weekend savoring a luxurious respite at the classy Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo.
According to Judicial Watch, to join the Ocean Reef Club “members must have a minimum net worth of $35 million.” Income inequality, anyone?
Not counting the five government helicopters and a contingent of 50 Secret Service agents who accompanied the Obamas, the cost for the first family to fly Air Force One to Key Largo for the weekend came to $885,683.
The overall $40 million figure consists only of Air Force jet time. The travel expense total does not include cargo planes loaded up with limousines and helicopters, communications, staff, security and everything else that protecting a president entails. Hotel rooms such as the $8,400-a-night, 3,445 square-foot Jinmao Presidential Suite, which is where Michelle, Grandma Marian, and the Obama daughters kicked back while touring China, weren’t factored in either.
And so, in yet another example of their gross abuse of power, the Obamas continue their in-your-face, highbrow entitlement antics at the expense of a hurting nation. But what’s even more disturbing than the president frittering away millions of tax dollars on vacations and golf trips is the reality that neither Michelle nor Barack will ever be held accountable for taking advantage of the generous nature of those whose pain they ignore.
H/t FOTM’s Wild Bill Alaska
~Eowyn