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.
Remember when the lap dogs in the media questioned every trip Bush made to his own ranch?
Not to mention the dead body count in Afghanistan and Iraq (now record casualties under Obama), camping outside Karl Rove (Susan Rice must be thrilled), the never-ending questions about WMD in Iraq (Bengha-what?), the 7% unemployment (now close to 9%), the 2.7 GDP growth in 2007 (now 2.2%), the nomination for different departments (today czars run the show) etc etc
But hey it's good Marie Antoinette gets to keep blowing our money while her devoted zombies keep drinking the Kool Aid.
Excuse for interrupting this rant but I have to go to work to pay for Michelle's lovely vacation and the millions of phone her husband gave to parasites in exchange for votes.
Maybe we'll be lucky enough to have a very narrow band tsunami come ashore whilst the fraud and his entourage are enjoying the beach…..
I understand Obama likes to body surf.I am wondering if there is a way to communicate with Great White sharks?
No better way to stir resentment Mr. President…jerk.
All of you folks that voted for this a..h….should be proud. You get your food stamps, unemployment pay and year long vacations are just as bad as him. I realize that some folks are legitimate, but others are trashy and lazy. The only thing that will save this country is term limits on the power hungry politicians in Washington.
WELL ITS OFFICIAL NOW IF YOU VOTED FOR OBAMANATION IN 2012 YOU ARE A BIGGER P.O.S. THAN HE IS.
ONLY A COMPLETE SELF CENTERED D.H. WOULD SPEND OUR HARD EARNED TAX DOLLARS TO TAKE
THAT SELF CENTERED B- – – – OF A WIFE ON A VACATION WHILE THE REST OF THE COUNTRY SUFFERS.
JIMMY CARTER IS SAFE NOW BECAUSE OBAMANATION WILL GO DOWN IN HISTORY AS THE WORST PRESIDENT EVER. HE IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF WHY WE STILL NEED ABORTIONS TO PREVENT THINGS
LIKE THIS HAPPENING TO THE REST OF US IN THE FUTURE.
Please, when is Bush going to be left alone. Ridiculous he did not come close to spending the kind of money Obama has or running up the kind of national debt your BO has.
Why would Bush be left alone? He's one of the worst presidents ever. And he ran up more debt than Obama, you idiot.
NOT.
WELL ITS OFFICIAL NOW IF YOU VOTED FOR OBAMANATION IN 2012 YOU ARE A BIGGER P.O.S. THAN HE IS.
ONLY A COMPLETE SELF CENTERED D.H. WOULD SPEND OUR HARD EARNED TAX DOLLARS TO TAKE
THAT SELF CENTERED B- – – – OF A WIFE ON A VACATION WHILE THE REST OF THE COUNTRY SUFFERS.
JIMMY CARTER IS SAFE NOW BECAUSE OBAMANATION WILL GO DOWN IN HISTORY AS THE WORST PRESIDENT EVER. HE IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF WHY WE STILL NEED ABORTIONS TO PREVENT THINGS
LIKE THIS HAPPENING TO THE REST OF US IN THE FUTURE.
if someone told me they were spending 180,000 per hour to operate an airplane, I would tell them that they are laundering money. period. That's 3000 dollars per minute. I know in flight drinks are expensive, but come on… anyone who believes that a plane costs that much to operate would probably pay 6,000 dollars for a toilet seat. oh wait, US gov already did that. Tell me again why ANYONE should take this sham of a world economy seriously…
We can always pray that there is a massive off-shore nearby oceanfloor earthquake that causes a huge tsunami which is sufficiently large enough to wipe this POS and the rest of his associated scum-suckers from the Earth's surface. Permanently. Won't even miss the Hawaiian Democrats and "officials" who have hidden his records from view.
One can only hope that no NICE people get lost as well.
Comments are closed.