President Obama's trip to India

We all know that President Obama is on a very important trip to Asia. This trip is so important that it includes 3000 people, 9 aircraft, 42 naval vessels (more than most nations own), 35 limousines, and a host of other items. The cost of this 10 day trip comes to 2 billion dollars (that’s $2,000,000,000).

Now the White House will not reveal any of the costs and some news sources have said it is not really costing near that much. Some say only 34 Navy ships are involved, not 42. One of the two aircraft carriers was in the area already so you can’t count it. Others have said 2 billion it is not that bad and compared it to an 11 day trip Bill Clinton took in 1998 to Africa that cost only 40 million. (Inflation comes in handy when you want it to).

Here is another thought. Since President Obama took office he has spent a lot more than that. From his inauguration to October 19th this administration has added over 3 Trillion dollars to our national debt (according to the US Treasury statistics on Oct 19). That is 658 days so the spending comes to 4.6 billion dollars day. So if our president is only spending 200 million per day on his trip he would be saving us a lot of money. Instead of a headline of:


President blows 2 billion dollars to see the Taj Mahal.

• Continues to fleece taxpayers to pay for luxury vacation lifestyle

The headline should read:


Presidents cuts 44 billion in wasteful spending

• Saves the US economy from further disaster George Bush is responsible for.

Yea, I know, the 4.6 billion per day Obama is flushing down the toilet here in the states continues even while he is gone. Oh well, it was a good idea for a minute.

 

Yes the actual cost of this trip is not known and no one will give real figures. The 34 ships are there “only” to protect the president. If we go back to the 1998 Bill Clinton trip then Obama might spend as little as 50 million on this junket although his entourage is quite a bit larger than Bill’s was.

The scary part is the 4.6 billion per day figure that is not in dispute.

How about this link from the dailymail:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1327175/Obama-India-The-200m-day-Obama-roadshow.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

From the link:

• Probably not since the days of the Pharaohs or the more ludicrous Roman Emperors has a head of state travelled in such pomp and expensive grandeur as the President of the United States of America.
• Mr Obama’s entourage will travel in a fleet of 45 U.S.-built armoured limousines, half of which will be decoys. He will also travel with 30 elite sniffer dogs, mostly German Shepherds.
• Whatever the figure, it makes the costs associated with the Royal Train and the late Royal Yacht Britannia seem like small change.