DID ALL OF YOU KNOWS: HAWAII TRIP BY OBAMAS COST NATION $7.78M ($7,781,361.30) JUST FOR THE FLIGHTS. Story by Timothy Hurley E-mail: thurley@staradvertiser Turns out the president and his family werent flight economy class when they took their 17-day vacation to Hawaii over the holidays. It cost taxpayers $7.78 million in flight expenses alone for President Barack Obamas Christmas vacation to Honolulu in December and January, according to Juridical Watch, the conservative, nonpartisan foundation. The Washington, D.C.-based foundation used a Freedom of Information Act. request to obtain air Force documents that showed the Obamas flew a total of 36.9 hours at $210,877 an hour, which comes to $7,781,361.30 in flight costs. This is an increase of $3.7 million over the flight expenses that Judicial Watch reported for the 2012-2013 Obama Christmas vacation to the islands, the foundation said. Its uncertain what caused the boost in expenses this year but it may be due -- at least in part -- to Michelle Obamas side trip to the Maui estate of Oprah Winfrey. At the time, the Maui trip was described as a birthday gift from the president -- the opportunity to spend time alone with friends ahead of her upcoming 50th birthday. The Flight costs, of course, dont include other expenses incurred during the vacation, including rent on the oceanfront Kailua house where the first family stayed or expenses on such things as staff accommodations or transportation around the island, including cars and helicopters. If you add in the overtime expenses for the Honolulu Police Department -- reportedly in excess of $393,000 -- the vacation bill rose to more than $8 million. THE COSTS TO TAXPAYERS OF PRESIDENT OBAMAS TRAVEL, ESPECIALLY HIS LUXURY VACATION TRAVEL, ARE BEYOND THE PALE Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said in a statement.
Posted on: Fri, 28 Mar 2014 20:25:46 +0000
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