Monday, November 4, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Friday, January 24, 2014
Taxpayers fund at least $350K in security costs for Obama Hawaiian vacations
By Malia Zimmerman @ 6:18 PM :: 5692 Views :: Law Enforcement, Politicians

Taxpayers fund at least $350K in security costs for Obama Hawaiian vacations

AP photo

HAPPY HOLIDAYS: President Barack Obama likes to spend the Christmas holidays in Hawaii, where first lady Michelle Obama stayed behind to party with the likes of Oprah Winfrey for the first lady’s 50th birthday.  AP photo 

by Malia Zimmerman, Watchdog.org, January 24, 2014 

KAILUA, Hawaii — During her recent visit to Maui and the home of close family friend Oprah Winfrey, First Lady Michelle Obama was escorted by Maui police.

The tab for that protection? $54,233.70, said a spokesman for the Maui Police Department.

That’s a drop in the bucket, though.

Honolulu police protected the first family while they spent some 15 days during the holidays in Kailua, Oahu.

Michelle Yu, spokeswoman for the Honolulu Police Department, said Thursday the department spent $293,731.99 for overtime only, an expense that excludes normal salary pay.

Neither county police department will seek federal reimbursement for those expenses, putting the burden on local taxpayers.

In 2008, when the Obamas first visited Oahu during the holidays, the City and County of Honolulu sought reimbursement, but were never repaid. Now the county budgets for the president’s annual holiday visit.

The Obama Hawaiian vacation costs more than $4 million total for travel, staffing, security, housing, car rentals and transportation of vehicles and a helicopter.

Michelle Obama’s extended vacation on the island of Maui, which the president said was an early birthday present for her, also entailed the cost for Secret Service travel, rental cars and accommodations, as well as transportation.

White House Spokesman Jay Carney acknowledged in a news conference just after the First Lady flew to Maui that taxpayers are picking up some of the cost of her trip and travel back to Washington D.C., but would not disclose the details.

“As with all personal travel, the first family will appropriately fund personal expenses … And in line with travel of past presidents and first ladies, the First Lady will travel via government aircraft,” Carney said in response to a question from Fox News.

According to the Congressional Research Service, the First Lady typically flies in either a C-40 or a C-32 aircraft.

Operational cost per flight hour ranges from $19,755 on the C-40B to $42,918 on the C-32A, so a 10-hour flight could cost anywhere from $197,550 to $429,180.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi took her own Hawaiian vacation in December, which overlapped the president’s by one day.

Pelosi stayed on Hawaii Island for nine days in December, costing local taxpayers $22,873 for police security details. The Hawaii Island police will not seek reimbursement.

Pelosi makes the trip here annually, and she covers her own hotel and flight costs on commercial airlines.

---30---

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii Military History

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Together

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

July 4 in Hawaii

Land and Power in Hawaii

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii