BY MALIA ZIMMERMAN – KAILUA, OAHU – Residents living near the beachfront homes where President Barack Obama and First Family vacation with their friends every year since 2008 were alerted on Monday to some specifics of the Obamas’ holiday vacation plans.
The report delivered to residents living along the ocean and canal that surrounds the multi-million dollar homes at Kailuana Place where the President stays, informed them of restrictions that will be implemented for 20 days beginning December 17 and running through January 6.
In a matter of weeks, Kailua residents will see the familiar street barricades fronted by U.S. Secret Service agents and Navy Seals and the U.S. Coast Guard stationed in canal and ocean waters.
The President, who spent some of his childhood years in Hawaii, brings his wife, two daughters, Sasha and Malia, with dog Bo in tow, each holiday season. They settle into the small town community known for its spectacular sparkling beaches, warm turquoise ocean, rolling surf, country shops and restaurants and friendly people.
The homes where they stay are just a two-minute drive from Kaneohe Bay and the Marine Corps Base Hawaii, where the Obamas and friends can access private white sand beaches and military workout facilities.
While many residents welcome the First Family, others are disheartened by the restrictions put on air, water and road travel while the President and family are in town, especially because it is the holiday season and many families on vacation want to use their boats or surf and paddle in the welcoming ocean waves fronting the Kailua homes. In addition, the President’s caravan of at least 22 vehicles including an ambulance can easily overwhelm the community that typically has single lane streets.
Adding to the controversy surrounding the President’s visit is the cost of the trip.
With the staff, special forces, local police presence and equipment, the President’s visit adds up annually to at least a $4 million vacation courtesy of the Hawaii and federal taxpayers.
While the President and his friends pay for their own rental homes, taxpayers pick up the cost of security and waterfront housing for the Secret Service, Navy Seals and Coast Guard as well as staff accommodations at a plush beachfront Waikiki hotel.
TRAVEL: $3,629,622
The biggest expense is President Barack 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 cost for USAF C-17 cargo aircraft that transports the Presidential limos, helicopters and other support equipment to Hawaii has never been disclosed in the years the President has traveled to Hawaii. However, the flight time between Andrews Air Force Base and Hawaii is at about 21.5 hours roundtrip, with estimated operating cost of $12,000 per hour. (Source: GAO report, updated by C-17 crew member). The United States Marine Corps provides a presidential helicopter, along with pilots and support crews for the test flights, which travel on another C-17 flight. That is $258,000, not including costs for the 4 to 6 member crew’s per diem and hotel.
The rentals are fronted by the ocean and backed by a canal. So, the taxpayers must cover the costs for housing U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Coast Guard and Navy Seals in beach front and canal front homes around where the President stays.
Last year, that added up to about $200 per bedroom per day, or $21,600 per average home for a nearly three week period, with special forces renting at least 7 homes. Security arrives ahead of the President costing taxpayers about $176,400 for the length of the visit.
The President’s staff and White House Press Corps typically stay at one of Hawaii’s oldest and most elegant hotels, the Moana Surfrider. Besides its stunningly beautiful view of Waikiki, and its traditional Hawaiian architecture and decor, it is one of the most pricey hotels in the state and government rates are not available during the holiday season. Rooms start at around $270 but can cost as much as $370 a night for an ocean view before Christmas, and climb much higher around the new year.
A conservative estimate with rooms at $270 (excluding a 9.25 percent Transient Accommodation Tax and a 4.712 percent General Excise Tax on each bill, meals, internet charges and other charges) means the taxpayers are covering more than $129,600 in hotel bills for some two dozen staff.
LOCAL TAXPAYER COSTS: $260,000
Local police are paid over time for the President’s visit, which has historically cost Oahu taxpayers $250,000.
The city ambulance the accompanies the President 24 hours a day through his entire visit is about $10,000 to city taxpayers.
UNKNOWN COSTS
There are several costs the White House annually refuses to release, citing security.
- For example, the President’s security usually rents an entire floor of an office building in Kailua on the canal during the president’s stay.
- There are security upgrades and additional phone lines to several private homes where Obama and friends are staying. That includes bullet proof glass installed, home security systems disabled, new security measures put into place and additional phone lines added.
- There is the cost for car rentals and fuel for White House staff staying at a Waikiki Hotel.
- And there are additional travel costs Secret Service and White House staff traveling ahead of the President.
The total cost (based on what is known) for a 20-day round trip vacation to Hawaii for the President and his family and staff and security is more than $4 million.
Hawaii Reporter annually has requested details on the cost of the President’s trip, but the White House will not release any figures, citing security concerns. A spokesperson has maintained the costs are “in line” with other presidential vacations.
Hawaii Reporter has sought to determine the cost of vacations for the current president and last two presidents but the Government Accountability Office referred Hawaii Reporter back to the White House spokesperson.
Does Barack Hussein Obama ever work?
He has spent 4 weeks playing golf and how many countless days having parties at the White House for all of his new celebrity friends.
Aside from giving us 4 trillion dollars in new debt, wrecking the economy with little hope in sight, making us the laughing stock of the world, allowing 4 Americans to be murdered in Libya, what has he done to get Amercia back on track.
All he has done is complain and blames his failures on anyone and everyone else.
It's a tough job, but he wanted it. The average American would love to have 1/100th the time off this guy has taken.
Obama believes he has a 'right' to the office of the President. He is an arrogant narcissist who has always been against 'the man". His Wife's racist tirades at college and in her thesis are legendary. Had she been a republican she would have been disbarred, thrown out, probably even be brought up on charges of some kind. Had Obama been a republican he would have been impeached over benghazi. He is a monster plain and simple. I cannot wait to see how he reacts when millions of taxpayers begin to lie cheat and steal like Gheitner (sp) did. After all, its a president like THIS IDIOT in our White House who can make ordinary people become lawbreakers.
If you voted for him and you're STILL out of work, you got who you voted for.
Have a nice time on your staycation.
I’m glad OWEbummer is taking that vacation. Perhaps he’ll get eaten by a shark or choke to death on a fish or chicken bone paid for by the taxpayers.
Barry (his real name) is the definition of WASTE, FRAUD and ABUSE. This is my first comment on any site ever. I am assuming most of you are anti-liberal, meaning most liberals don't read this site, I wish I knew some liberal sites I could get on to spread the "TRUTH" to. I am from Illinois, the worst economic democratic state in the union. Unlike Oboma, I was born here ( and no he wasn't born in Hawaii either) in fact he is not only an illegal immigrant, he probably is illegitimate as well) Those who voted for him were the: lazy, greedy, ignorant, uneducated, racist (anti-white), often violent, freeloaders, immoral, ungodly and useful idiots who will believe what anything this dictator want-to-be says that gets them something free. FEAR NOT… These morons will crash and burn when reality hits them that they bought lies spun by Oboma and his mob. GOOD NEWS…The rest of us will survive them because we have what they don't have. We have assets like: education, brains, morals, skills, are employable,have lived our lives to avoid the Oboma disease. As for his vacation, I hope his plane crashes…Lets only save the dog, he is an innocent whose only brought out of the cage for photo ops. ABOVE ALL..instead of waiting another four years. …THINK…..IMPEACHMENT….AND get the Republicans to get their act together and start campaigning NOW not later.
MERRY CHRISTMAS
This is what happens when a nation of formally free people allow themselves to become weak, gullible, and mindless sheep. Four million dollars per vacation? At a time when people are starving? That's how the Muslim-in-Chief gives the entire country his middle finger. And they richly deserve it.
He is such a hypocrite . People don't have any money the economy is at its worse what kind of up bring did this idiot have ? All this money for a 3 week vacation well democrat whites , blacks, hispanics, work a little harder toay for this . YOU ALL wanted him in now you got him . And they talked about bush its in black and white read and watch open your eyes and ears . Personally you all deserve what you get don't complain you had the chance to make a change and maybe bring people together .but you can always tell a democrat , but can't tell a democrat anything they seem to know everything and follow like drones . Hope you have a great christmas i know the obama family will . I will also i planned ahead .
I am sure the Middle East crisis and ect around the world will wait while the DEAR LEADER take a month off.
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Hey thanks for your informative article. Just a heads up that I linked to it on my blog site (The D.C. Clothesline). I'm not sure what the rules are for sharing links here so I will refrain from doing that. Thanks again for the article. Like most people I am constantly amazed how much it costs Washington D.C. to do anything and how inept they truly are. I would think most of us could take that same vacation for $10,000 or less.
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