ot: is this really true? ( warning: this is political)
Rogerman
this is true all of us US citizens should revolt, this is nuts!
http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/us-to-spend-200-mn-a-day-on-obama-s-mumbai-visit-64106
Underspin
> I warned ya so don't complain! I just seen this and almost freaked! If
> this is true all of us US citizens should revolt, this is nuts!
>
I can only imagine that it gets more expensive every year, but it is
what it is. Presidents, both Dem and Rep need to travel abroad to
meet with heads of State. It's part of the job and I frankly don't
have a problem with the cost of it.
I do have a problem with a 19 year old soldier in Iraq being paid $10
an hour to guard an American oil contractor making $2500 a day.
That's an argument for another time.
Rogerman
your serious? you don't have a problem with it? well partner, your
exactly what's wrong with this country!
theefxman
All the government workers, security, secretaries, liasons, that
travel with any president, government official get paid premium
salaries. You would be hard pressed to find any government worker than
makes less than $12 a hour for a low end job , $22 a hour for a mid
range job and $40+ a hour for a high end job.
Blame the game, not the players...
Underspin
I'm really not what's wrong with the country, Rog...with all due
respect. I look at that number and cringe, I do....I hate how much it
costs for the guy to travel. It's not in my power to tell him not to
travel because it will save money. If you want to talk numbers and
get pissed off (and I hope this pisses you off), the Federal
Government allocated 18% of its ENTIRE INCOME to interest on the
national debt. 18% is a huge chunk of the pie. If Uncle Larry took
18% of the pumpkin pie at TGiving we'd all give him sh*t for it
wouldn't we? That money ($164 Billion) went to pay interest only.
Didn't touch the principle, did nothing to help us dig out. Interest
only. Money...Gone...Forever
Rogerman
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the point is he's in controL here! he does not have to travel to India
right now! this country is a mess! take care of this country first!
let's get the economy rolling again and get people back to work. THEN
WORRY ABOUT INDIA!
Underspin
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I too would like Obama or any President to concentrate on Domestics.
I, like you am selfish in an "us first" kind of way. Presidents have
to travel though. Bush did it, Clinton did it, Bush 1 did it, they
all do it and have to.
If I could get your thoughts on a US soldier guarding an overpaid oil
contractor I'd appreciate it. The interest on the debt too I'd like
to hear your thoughts.
Pinball Plus
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Well said Rogerman. I wonder if OBAMA has heard about Skype? It would
be alot cheaper.
Rogerman
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I don't care who did it before him he ran on the premise that he was
different, CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN! REMEMBER? The only thing that has
changed is our deficit! It has tripled! So what's another 4 billion to
go see India? PLEASE SPIT OUT THE KOOL-AID, ITS KILLING THIS
COUNTRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Underspin
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Roger. It's 2010 and the cost of Presidential travel has just now
come to light for you? "Change we can believe in." That's funny
since both parties are owned. They're powerless. You know it and I
know it.
I'm a registered independent. I've got some crazy Tea-Bag views
though, check it out. Here's change we can believe in.
1. I would disolve Social Security effective immediately. I don't
give a shit about you, me, Grandma, how much you paid in. It's a shit
program...goodbye
2. I would reduce the size of Governement by 40%
3. I would make it illegal to run an annual deficit
4. Universal Health Care would not exist
5. I would repay the National Debt within 15 years
Rocky
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Time for a change,I thought he was speeking of change in the goverment
not the other way around.
Underspin
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You mentioned that the deficit has tripled under Obama. Could you
look at this graph and point out where the trippling is? I don't see
it. I do see that the worst President in history, Jimmy Carter had
the lowest numbers by far. Interesting.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:US_Federal_Debt_as_Percent_of_GDP_by_President.jpg
pinnut
india is a huge country with an economy growing in leaps and bounds.
we desperately need places to export goods to, and india is the prime
candidate. do any of you guys, who bitch about the cost, do any kind
of sales for a living? do you think you could make a living selling
via skype? face to face forges relationships, not skype. when working
people complain about what other working people are paid, they play
right into the hands of the "man" , trying to keep you down. they
want you to drive other peoples wages down, and lower the bar for
everyone. then there is more for themselves. people need to stop
bitching about what other people make and use that energy to raise the
wage and standard of living for all. real wages since 1980 are in
the toilet, we are being fooled that we are doing well. when i was a
kid , my father bought a 1969 LTD ford, a very nice car for the time.
it was 3500.00 . he was an iron worker in NYC, one of the top paying
blue collar jobs that have ever existed. i remember him making 20,000
that year. now, that same class of car is well over 35,000. do you
think my dad would be making 200,000 today? no way. our house, a nice
house, was worth maybe 30,000 that year. its now 350,000. do the
math, we have been getting f*cked the past 30 yrs. in 1969, a guy
who ran a huge company made 10-20 times what a worker made, and lived
very large. now they make 1000's what a working guy makes. its
bullshit. most of he tea party people are irate, feeling
disenfranchised thru job loss, or business setbacks, yet they support
the very people who got them there. big business , who want to turn us
back into a nation of serfs. i honestly believe that the decline in
real wages is inversely proportional to the rise of the religious
right ( a smoke screen for big business) since 1980. prosperity
churches? if you arent doing well, its because you arent right with
God? they love you to believe that, instead of the fact the green
light has been given to have the middle class( largely created by
progressive ideas) trampled back to the time when we were indentured
servants of big business. pat robertson? could give a crap about
anyone but himself, the biggest , slickest operator out there, conning
people out of their money while he builds a business empire . its
sad. all the gains made since the end of WW2 and 1980 are gone. all
the laws put in place, lessons learned from the great depression,
gone. thats why the economy blew up in 2007. wake the hell up and
smell the coffee, stop believe the nonsense that is so eagerly lapped
up by the very people hurt the most by it.
Rogerman
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lol, your funny! i'm so glad your so happy with your 'savior' mr
Obama. I'm sure your be first in line in 2012 to vote him back in
office. good for you, glad he's making you so happy and proud to be a
liberal, good luck!
Underspin
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>
> lol, your funny! i'm so glad your so happy with your 'savior' mr
> Obama. I'm sure your be first in line in 2012 to vote him back in
> office. good for you, glad he's making you so happy and proud to be a
>
> - Show quoted text -
You haven't read anything I've said Roger. I didn't vote for
Obama...and explain to me how liberal I am getting rid of Social
Security. Your thinking is obtuse at best.
On second thought, stick to being pissed off about the cost of
Presidential travel. I'm done here.
Rick Swanson
> this is true all of us US citizens should revolt, this is nuts!
>
OK... I usually stay clear of these sorts of topics, but I used to be
a government employee in the "Presidential Protection" business. What
this article doesn't really mention is that virtually all those people
who support the President's travel are full time employees of the
government so they get paid the same whether he is in India or sitting
in the Oval Office. So, really, you have to take all of those
people's salaries out of the equation. Also, there is a tremendous
amount of military support associated with Presidential travel and
that too is a fixed cost. In fact, my educated guess is that 98% of
that $200,000,000 number is associated with fixed costs.
Rick Swanson
cargpb6
beepnutz
> this is true all of us US citizens should revolt, this is nuts!
>
I like pinball !
Bob
Jim D. in TN
> In fact, my educated guess is that 98% of
> that $200,000,000 number is associated with fixed costs.
That makes a lot of sense but a quick Internet search using the phrase
"incremental cost of presidential travel" brought up GAO reports
including one that stated a 1998 presidential trip to Africa had
incremental costs of $48 million.
wesley
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When Clinton left office, the national budget had a surplus. 8 years
and 2 wars later, under Bush the national debt was at a record high.
He seemed unable to try and do anything to help end the waars or to
get the budget rolling. He was a lame duck president. Obama has been
President 20 months which doesn't excuse any excessive spending on his
side but the Republican talk that only the Democrats are big spending
is B.S. Both parties are spending lots of $, not just one party. I'm
concerned that neither party really has good answers and plans in
getting this country out of the mess. it seems like partisan politics
on both sides is taking precendent. In the sad and sorry scenario
where Palin gets elected president in 21012, I believe it will be even
worse.
joobie
>
> > > - Show quoted text -
>
> > lol, your funny! i'm so glad your so happy with your 'savior' mr
> > Obama. I'm sure your be first in line in 2012 to vote him back in
> > office. good for you, glad he's making you so happy and proud to be a
> > liberal, good luck!- Hide quoted text -
>
> > - Show quoted text -
>
> You haven't read anything I've said Roger. I didn't vote for
> Obama...and explain to me how liberal I am getting rid of Social
> Security. Your thinking is obtuse at best.
>
> On second thought, stick to being pissed off about the cost of
> Presidential travel. I'm done here.
He obviously lacks the mental capacity to have a real conversation.
What's wrong with the country? A good place to start is all of the
nitwits constant screaming drowning out the voices of those with
actual solutions to actual problems. All we're left with is a bunch
of morons yelling at each other.
wesley
>
> > > > - Show quoted text -
>
> > > lol, your funny! i'm so glad your so happy with your 'savior' mr
> > > Obama. I'm sure your be first in line in 2012 to vote him back in
> > > office. good for you, glad he's making you so happy and proud to be a
> > > liberal, good luck!- Hide quoted text -
>
> > > - Show quoted text -
>
> > You haven't read anything I've said Roger. I didn't vote for
> > Obama...and explain to me how liberal I am getting rid of Social
> > Security. Your thinking is obtuse at best.
>
> > On second thought, stick to being pissed off about the cost of
> > Presidential travel. I'm done here.
>
> He obviously lacks the mental capacity to have a real conversation.
> What's wrong with the country? A good place to start is all of the
> nitwits constant screaming drowning out the voices of those with
> actual solutions to actual problems. All we're left with is a bunch
>
> - Show quoted text -
Sad how many morons and people yelling there are regardles of whether
they are liberal, moderate, conservative, Democrat, Republican,
independent, etc. I agree we need more solutions and less pointless
screeching.
Lloyd Olson
(I can see the poster in the oval office now. "You can sleep tonight, Rick
Swanson is on the job )
"Rick Swanson" <rns...@charter.net> wrote in message
news:8f67b4e1-62d9-42a9...@k22g2000yqh.googlegroups.com...
>
> but I used to be a government employee in the "Presidential Protection"
> business.
> Rick Swanson
> cargpb6
John Bigbooty
Not the least bit shocking. Is it acceptable, HELL NO!
I have no problem with the president needing to travel. Some things
are best done face to face.
However, I think the number of people traveling with him and the
comfort of the accommodations could be reduced to save money.
A trip to India by the president can actually make money for the U.S.
However, the government NEEDS to take a hardline approach to cutting
costs across the board. No entitlement should be safe.
I don't care what party a politician belongs to. Until they wake up
and cut expenditures, they aren't doing their job.
I fully expect to be having this same discussion 20 years from now.
Just how many non non-Democrat, non-Republicans got elected this week
when so many people were upset with both parties? What's that saying
about doing the same thing and expecting different results?
Mark
Atlanta
Bill
I don't know about worse. I think the big issue is that both parties
are beholding too much to special interests. I don't think anything
good will get accomplished until the WAY they handle elections and
business in Washington is changed.
Nothing gets through congress anymore unless it suits the particular
businesses affected by that particular legislation. Heck it seems like
now most of the legislation is actually written by the business group
or their lobbyist-PACs So, I don't believe it's a "liberal" or
"conservative" issue. I think it's an American issue.
Unfortunately, big business controls our media and they would rather
have us all beating up on ourselves than addressing this core issue.
And both parties are happy with this scenario. It's what now butters
their bread.
Expenditures need to be controlled in the future. Whether "fixed" or
incremental. And whether being spent by a Democratic administration or
Republican. It will happen one way or the other. Our country can not
sustain the current trend that's been going on in the last ten years
by BOTH parties.
It shouldn't be an "Obama" thing to anybody. It should be a "can't we
all be a little wiser" thing. I'm sick of the retoric from Limbaugh,
Olberman, Palin, Maddow, Fox News, MSNBC, etc. . . None of them offer
any solutions. They just like to rip "the other side" forgetting that
we are Americans first. FYI Obama has not tripled the debt. But the
debt will have tripled since the Clinton years under Obama
administration . A result of both parties fiscal irresponsibility.
pmwolf
wildly off the mark.
Pete
wesley
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Good insights and well said!
Bill
> I'm sure nobody really cares about the truth, but that estimate is
> wildly off the mark.
>
>
> Pete
I do
Thanks Pete
Rick Swanson
By my math, 2% of $200 million per day is $4 million per day. That 12
day trip to Africa was reported to have an incremental cost of $48
million, or $4 million per day. The weakness of that GAO report is
that the bulk of the total costs (something like $37 million) was
military aircraft fuel costs. That presumes that none of the aircrew
of those aircraft would have flown training missions during that time
in order to maintain their aircrew proficiency. If so, the costs of
their training mission fuel would have to be backed out of the number.
Rick Swanson
miracleman
Ceegary
> I'm sure nobody really cares about the truth, but that estimate is
> wildly off the mark.
>
>
> Pete
Right on...What I am sick of is partisan nuts spewing mistruths
recklessly spread as gospel while offering no real solutions. So much
of the so-called facts used in political propaganda and arguements is
not accurate at all. BTW, the problem with this country is people
telling others they're what's wrong with this country.
GRY