President’s Decision to Return to Hawaii Will Cost Taxpayers Another $3 Million

By
Malia Zimmerman
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51
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President Barack Obama arrives with first lady Michelle Obama, top, and daughters Malia, top left, and Sasha, bottom right, at Honolulu Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Honolulu, for the start of their holiday vacation, Saturday, Dec. 22, 2012.

BY MALIA ZIMMERMAN – President Barack Obama’s decision to rejoin his family on their Hawaii vacation will cost taxpayers another $3.2 million for an already pricey holiday stay.

After arriving in Hawaii on December 22, Obama left First Lady Michelle Obama and their daughters Sasha and Malia on December 26 to return to Washington DC to continue negotiations with Congress to avoid a “fiscal cliff.”

After Congress reached an agreement this week, Obama opted to return to Hawaii, landing at Hickam Air Force Base in Honolulu  just before 5 a.m. January 2.

The First Family’s Hawaii vacation, taken annually since Obama was elected to office 5 years ago, typically costs taxpayers more than $4 million.

The biggest expense is Obama’s round trip flight to Hawaii via Air Force One.

A Congressional Research Service report released in May 2012 said the plane typically used by the President, a Boeing 747, costs $179,750 per hour to operate. The U.S. Air Force has listed the cost of travel as high as $181,757 per flight hour.

Travel time for Air Force One direct from Washington D.C. to Hawaii is about 9 hours or as high as $1,635,813 each way for a total of $3,271,622 for the round trip to Hawaii and back.

The President will have made two round trips to Hawaii via Air Force One within a matter of days bringing the total for his air travel to more than $6.4 million, and the cost of the trip to more than $7.2 million.

After Sunset At Kailua Beach

Other expenses include the USAF C-17 cargo aircraft that transports the Presidential limos, helicopters and other support equipment to Hawaii; housing for U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Coast Guard and Navy Seals in beach front and canal front homes around where the President stays; and hotel accommodations at the Moana Surfrider in Waikiki for staff.

Oahu taxpayers pick up the tab for the Honolulu Police escorts, which usually totals around $250,000, and the city ambulance, which accompanies the President 24 hours a day through his entire visit, totaling about $10,000.

On Wednesday, U.S. Coast Guard patrol boats were back in the waterways surrounding the home where the President is staying. They also continue to guard other private homes in their Kailua neighborhood where the Obama’s friends are vacationing.

Since arriving in Hawaii, the President and First Lady attended just one public event – a memorial service for U.S. Senator Daniel K. Inouye. They have no other public appearances planned.

While no date has been announced for the First Family’s departure from the islands, the U.S. Coast Guard is enforcing a security zone around Kailua waterways until January 6.

Signs posted in Kailua on the street where the President is staying say there is “no parking” from December 21 to January 6 at 8 p.m.

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51 COMMENTS

  4. The President of the United States should have no cost limit to protecting him or her during travels, and for doing his job as a 24/7 Government Worker! Staff and Agencies around the World keep our Free World Leader informed and eventho Pres. Obama is on vacation. He really isn't in our terms of a peaceful vacation away from the job, etc.. It would be good common sense to research Pres. Bush expenses for Air Force One Travels with his Family during his (8) years in Office?
    Just for thoughts.

    • Well, apparently the president feels the same way and has no problem using our money to take lavish vacations while the average American cannot afford to take a vacation. The Bush's vacationed in Maine – I don't think it cost the same as jetting off to Hawaii and Europe at every opportunity.

    • The cost of flying the President, his family, and his secret service detail from DC to Texas is obviously not the same as flying to Hawaii. Housing the secret service in expensive Kailua Beach bungalos is above and beyond what the American taxpayer should have to be burdened with.

  6. President Obama wants everyone else to conserve fuel to prevent climate change, but it's ok for him to take this extra trip and burn up more jet fuel. Every little bit helps if you really believe in humans causing the climate change problems. But this is typical for the environmental elite…everyone else must cut back except them!

  7. Why is it that when a Democratic president takes a well-deserved vacation, the right-wing press is all over him for "taxpayer expense"; but, when a Republican president does the same thing, nary a word is said? Hypocrites.

    • Dear Liberal Loon:
      What Kool-aid are you sipping—or snorting! Read! Research! Educate yourself rather that make stupid statements like above! Do you always speak drivel?

    • Because no Democratic president ever deserved a vacation! You have to actually "work" to take a vacation.

    • President Bush spent Christmas in the White House or at Camp David, this is an absurd amount of money for anyone especially in light of our economy, this has nothing to do with his party, color, creed, religion, just another show of poor judgement on his part. Typical

  8. Bring it on! I really would like to see full disclosure and a comparison of Bush vacations to Obama, or for that matter ALL travel expenses compared. We have a right to see it! My recollection is that G. Bush spent many vacations clearing brush on his Texas ranch or with family at Kennebunkport, and I have heard that the Bush family spent time during holidays at Camp David so that more of his Secret Service agents could have the holiday off and enjoy time with their family.

    • During Bush’s two terms, the cost of operating Air Force One ranged from $56,800 to $68,000 an hour. Bush used Air Force One 77 times to go to his ranch in Crawford, TX. Using the low end cost of $56,800, Media Matters calculated that each trip to Crawford cost taxpayers $259,687 each time, and $20 million total for Bush’s ranch flights. Using an inflation calculator based on the CPI, Bush would have spent over 60M in 2012 dollars on his Texas vacations (Politics USA, Dec 2011). At 4M per Hawaii vacation X 8 years (assuming he only goes to Hawaii once-a-year during his 8 year tenure), Obama will spend 32M in 2012 dollars. Looks like he can go back and forth a few more times before he catches up with George W.

      • Let's not forget Obama's weekend jaunt ot NYC to take his wife to a Broadway show which cost us a cool $5MM and Michelle and friends heading off to Europe in Air Force One to the tune of probably well north of $5MM. But hey, Obama derserves it! Oh and I thought he was from Chicago, he has not gone home once. Conversly Bush went to Camp David and his ranch in Texas for his vacations. Obama is setting a great example for the privaledged!

      • Per Pritchard's Pen, it's now 7 million…..forgetting the NYC VL, and does anyone know how much it costs for Michelle's appearance on Oprah, & other talk shows? Add that too, closing in to George's pretty fast.

      • Good grief ~ so now, its prohibiting interaction through non-government exposure because of cost? Isn't it a good thing that we are able to view the 1st Lady in a conventional medium-setting? It enlarges our awareness of the Presidential Family social graces-clues us to their level of current issue concerns without being politically coaxed …

      • Conventional medium-setting? The media will always ask for interviews to anything she does….I'm happy of her support for healthy school lunches….and she did many interviews for that. I'm just repeating PJS post 4 days ago too….read or replied to that? NO.
        "It enlarges our awareness of the Presidential Family social graces-clues us to their level of current issue concerns without being politically coaxed … "
        Coaxed means asked, which talk shows have asked her to travel to the studios. Ms. O. could've asked them over instead…..& what social graces?

      • No Cholan ~ I've not read your quoting information source; have not seen showing on Oprah – saw once on Leno or Letterman. Convention medium-settings; meaning actual appearance on a televised show … don't understand your "Coaxed means asked, which talk shows have asked her to travel to the studios. Ms. O. could've asked them over instead…..& what social graces? " … I thought my response clearly self-explained … I don't ( neither do you) know the specifics of invitation occurence, we do understand one don't ask to be on a show – so I am assuming Oprah invited 1st Lady … social graces is how one conduct oneself while viewed in a public setting (or to be shown on a medium for public viewing), be it pictorially or hanging out in a comment forum …

      • I feel it properly gratifying for the 1st Lady to accomodate a "request" to appear on a talk show – I get to see her walk-talk-body english-comfort level-level of candidness-facial expression-style, as she is being queried-probed for insightful responses-scrutinized reactions … is how I meant " It enlarges our awareness of the Presidential Family social graces-clues us to their level of current issue concerns without being politically coaxed … ".

      • By their "unique" status of 1st's ~ I am pleased with what I've seen-read … they are gracious and thoughtful-hardly arrogant ~ mindful of other's feelings … I really like how they look!

  9. You people are unbelievable, it's not point of the vacations, all presidents, and if anyone cares, so does every hard working person in this country, the difference is we pay for our own,with the money we earn. If we don't have the money
    We don't go simple, fact. Our president seems to forget that this country is 16 trillion dollars in debt. Most leader's with a conscious, would think this might not be the best thing to to do at this time. I quote a famous president, It's not what your country can do for you, it's what you can do for your country. It's your money stupid, they'll take cash , check, or money
    order, if you think he cares, put it an envelope and send it in, and wait until you can afford your vacation.

    IT',S THE ECONOMY STUPID

  10. well i hope he takes his boogie bord for a longgggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg ride!!!!!

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