Obama takes wife out to NYC for an night

[J pold]

I wonder if him and Michelle did it after.

[jeremywilhelm]

Originally Posted by J pold

I wonder if him and Michelle did it after.

I heard it costs the tax payers 10$ to 2 millions of dollars for them to do IT.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by newts

I'm willing to bet the cost was pushed into the upper hundreds of thousands, if not $1MM. As Cpt Crunch pointed out, the security detail was the most staggering of costs for his trip to Ottawa. NYPD for one night is going to be costly.

Regardless, he is the President of the United States, and he will probably make decisions in the next hour that will cost millions, save millions, or generate millions.

Bad example or not, expensive travel, expensive security, expensive everything...it's the nature of the beast when you've got the most important and most stressful job in the world. He is allowed his night out, and it cost a lot of money. What else is new when you're President?

There's one expectation if you want to be the president of the United States and that focuses around the loss of normal life for 4 to 8 years. It also means that your as you said your going to live an incredibly stress filled life.

I can't recall, and maybe one of you web gods can point it out, a president taking a trip like this. Most presidents are sent to pre-secured sites like Camp David, or in Bush's case his ranch in Texas or other sites in their home states. But these sites are pre-secured and separate from the general public both because of the costs involved, and because of the mass lack of control and danger presented to the secret service.

Its an unusual thing, and while I think that Obama probably has a right to do it, I agree that the optics of it aren't great, especially for a President thats barely 100 days into his presidency.

I just think of the complaints that happen when MP's up here spent $10,000 on a taxpayer funded flight.

[HOOT]

Originally Posted by newts

security detail was the most staggering of costs for his trip to Ottawa. NYPD for one night is going to be costly.

But he has these security costs whether in DC, NYC or Canada. It's not like having a night on the town in DC is any different that a night in NYC.

The only true extra costs between DC and NYC would be flight costs.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by jeremywilhelm

I heard it costs the tax payers 10$ to 2 millions of dollars for them to do IT.

It depends, if its the perfunctory 10 minutes of missionary its $40.00, a half and half is $100.00, if Hilary gets involved its $100,000, if Bill is allowed to watch its a mil, if they want Bill to participate its to much to even think about.

[jeremywilhelm]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

It depends, if its the perfunctory 10 minutes of missionary its $40.00, a half and half is $100.00, if Hilary gets involved its $100,000, if Bill is allowed to watch its a mil, if they want Bill to participate its to much to even think about.

how much for props? like say they want Bill and a Cigar?

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by HOOT

But he has these security costs whether in DC, NYC or Canada. It's not like having a night on the town in DC is any different that a night in NYC.

The only true extra costs between DC and NYC would be flight costs.

So how do you explain the 4.4 mil for a half day in Canada in a secured setting on parliament hill.

Remember that you probably had to trasport a couple of hundred secret service agents to New York both in advance of and during the trip. If they stay in the hotel, how many rooms did they need to book, how many agents were deployed there. Did they need to bring in vehicles? Because they just don't rent limo's.

This is far more expensive then a day in the white house.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by jeremywilhelm

how much for props? like say they want Bill and a Cigar?

First you would have to pay this in foreign currency. Second, they would have to break the Cuban embargo, because you can only use the finest Cuban cigar wrapped in Gold and transported by virgins.

[J pold]

Originally Posted by jeremywilhelm

I heard it costs the tax payers 10$ to 2 millions of dollars for them to do IT.

Really!? Because I herd that 4-27 million Americans LOSE THEIR JOBS!!!! every time they perform coitus.

[jeremywilhelm]

Originally Posted by J pold

Really!? Because I herd that 4-27 million Americans LOSE THEIR JOBS!!!! every time they perform coitus.

Like i said, this is what happens when you anger the Economy.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by J pold

Really!? Because I herd that 4-27 million Americans LOSE THEIR JOBS!!!! every time they perform coitus.

Somebody stop them!!!

[Azure]

I would not doubt at all that the cost of doing this would have run into the million dollar range.

Moving the President in just THAT expensive.

National Geographic had a show a while ago about the Secret Service, and what goes into protecting the President. Its absolutely insane.

As to whether or not this was a bad idea.....well, Obama thinks creating 150,000 jobs with $850 billion dollars is a 'good' thing, so I have my doubts as to whether or not he is financially competent.

That being said....this is a drop in the bucket. It probably costs thousands upon thousands of dollars to secure the President for one day in the Whitehouse.

[jeremywilhelm]

In all honesty, who really cares, 2 million dollars isnt even .1% of the money needed to turn the US of hindenburg disaster around. Whining about it proves nothing and only makes americans look more silly than we already thought they were.

[J pold]

OK Ok! Let's just say it did cost somewhere in the million dollar range, probably a bit high but whatever. Who gives a damn?! Honestly I'd rather see that money spent on him having a night out than given to failing car companies and greedy unions.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by J pold

OK Ok! Let's just say it did cost somewhere in the million dollar range, probably a bit high but whatever. Who gives a damn?! Honestly I'd rather see that money spent on him having a night out than given to failing car companies and greedy unions.

Him doing both is the problem.

The 'night out' is just something the media will overblow and sensationalize.

Just because it doesn't really mean anything, doesn't say that it wasn't extremely expensive.

[flamesfan6]

Hoz, [Mod edit] I have to disagree with you. [/Mod Edit]

Taxpayers footed the bill for the big night on the town, which included a total of at least $24,000 for the three aircraft used to ferry the Obamas, aides and reporters to New York and back. Dinner costs and orchestra seat tickets -- at $96.50 apiece -- were paid by the Obamas.
Obama's jet, a Gulfstream 500, served as a more modest Air Force One for the day in place of the customary presidential Boeing 747.

#1 it wasnt a 747 they flew in
#2 its not going to cost 1-2 million dollars for it

didnt read the rest of the thread, might of been mentioned, but seriously? put your extreme hatrid of him aside and be realistic...

[CaptainCrunch]

Nothing in there about security costs though and thats the debating concern concern. That just covers the immediate.

[flamesfan6]

also, you can throw out the whole security costs, because those costs are with him 24/7, not just for his nights out, so its no different than spending the night out in washington.

[Devils'Advocate]

No. I think they have a point. If he was down in his dungeon eating gruel, the security costs would be much lower.

Maybe he should forgo the security, take a commercial flight, walk to the restaurant and if he gets shot along the way, Joe Biden becomes president and.... maybe that's not such a good plan. I think the security is worth every cent.

[HotHotHeat]

Obviously the cost of having a president is just too great during these hard times. Let's just forget the whole 'government' thing and try not having anyone lead the free world. We can call it...reform.

This, without a doubt, is the stupidest thread I've ever seen on Calgarypuck. Other than what that thread I had about my contact lenses turned into.


...But that wasn't my fault.