Obama's NYC Date Night

HE DID IT AGAIN!

Remember the Valentines 3 day 'getaway' to Chicago on that cost us taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars? Well ... Obama just did it again. This time to New York City.

Story Here

His public schedule listed no official events, so President Obama had plenty of time to devote to being a weekend dad and spouse.

They dined a little more than two hours at Blue Hill, a West Village restaurant, then headed to the Belasco Theater to make it in time for "Joe Turner's Come and Gone."

The play by August Wilson is about black America in the early 1900s, with residents of a boardinghouse recalling their migration from the sharecropping farms of the South to the industrialized North.

The White House refused to say how much the trip was costing taxpayers.

Official - Cost of Presidential and Vice Presidential Travel

So .. how much did this NYC date cost us? Was it hundreds of thousands like the Valentines Day 3-day date to Chicago? More? Less? The White House is refusing to say.

21,000 more expected layoffs at GM due to bankruptcy ... the North Koreans are clammering for war ... Gov't spending is out of control ... Swine Flu is set to mutate and come back in Sept/Oct to kill a hefty chunk of the world population .... etc etc ... but Obama just keeps on spending like a drunk'n sailor.

I get it that people need vacations. But he's only been in office 4 freak'n months and already he's taken 2 'weekend trips' .. each of which has cost us hundreds of thousands of dollars. Hey Obama ... while you are spending us into oblivion keep in mind that Camp David is where you are supposed to be doing your relaxing and it costs a whole lot less.

He's seriously taking advantage of us all
(not surprised)

edited to fix link

[edit on 5/31/2009 by FlyersFan]

Honestly, there are so many more important things going on in the world!

What is with people watching Obama's every move?

Oh noes! he's a scruncher not a folder! This means he's not fit to be a president!








Oh and it's a repost:

www.abovetopsecret.com...



[edit on 31/5/09 by Chadwickus]

Originally posted by Chadwickus

:shk: You just don't get it.

Oh and it's a repost:

Missed that .... mods can close this if they wish.

reply to post by FlyersFan


You're probably right.

I don't get how his every move is scrutinised.

I get kind of tired of people criticizing his personal life with his wife. SO he has date night! It's nice to see a President actually spend time with his wife and have dates. IMO I dont think this is such a big deal! Like another poster said there are MORE important things in this world to worry about and Obama's date nights are not one of them.

I actually don't agree with some of the comments above. The OP was was concerned about extravagant trips and holidays that the tax payer pays for.

It seems to me to more of a financial and moral issue rather then a governance issue.

This in no way reflects on Obama's ability as President.

Shane

reply to post by FlyersFan

But, you know, you are not going to be able to give out these big bonuses until you pay taxpayers back. You can’t get corporate jets. You can’t go take a trip to Las Vegas or go down to the Super Bowl on the taxpayers’ dime. There’s got to be some accountability and some responsibility, and that’s something that I intend to impose as president of the United States.

Obama said we have to "lead by example." "We can't drive our SUVs and eat as much as we want and keep our homes on 72 degrees at all times," he said.
Obama

So Obama has taken two weekend holidays in four months and you guys are complaining. Honestly, you're friggin' hilarious.

Have you any idea of how many holidays Bush took?
Far more than he spent working.

It was newsworthy if Dubya actually did a day's work.

Obama is a workaholic. You should be glad he's twice in 4 months dragged himself away to take a break.

I agree he should have date nights, vacations etc. but what upsets people is when the govt. is running in the red so deep that all of this adds to our childrens burden. What happened to the buck stops here?
He is spending our money to take those trips. a simple fly over of new york by Airforce 1 took 350,000 dollars IIRC. the cost of this trip would be well into the millions.

It would be cheaper to fly the whole cast and production company to the white house and build a theatre to see the play. maybe not but close.

Presidents and world leaders lead secluded lives for a reason, the cost simply of getting a world leader somewhere are outrageous.

1. advance team of secret service and local police are used to scout the areas involved, airports, roadways, local buisnesses, basically anything within gun range of the convoy. including securing all rooftops, sewers, buisnesses etc.
2. planning and revising, they have to go over all of the details of the move, decide on changes, re-secure any new areas.background checks on all people who will be working the theatre and other affected buisnesses. and a million other smaller details.
3. then of course the actual transport operation, involving hundreds if not over 1 thousand people, thousands of gallons of fuel, the list of consumables goes on.
4. of course all of the clean-up after it all, getting the limo's flown back to washington all of the staff etc. It all adds up and takes days from start to finish.

The costs and such will no doubt be dug up by someone, I'm just saying that this is not a simple trip to the movies like it is for me or others on here. it is a major logistical nightmare.

(January 16, 2009)... today's trip (to Camp David) marks Mr. Bush's 149th visit to the presidential retreat. The planned three-day stay, during which the president is being joined by family and former and current aides, will bring his total time spent at Camp David to all or part of 487 days.

Wonder how much those trips cost? But wait, there's more:

...Bush has made 77 visits to his ranch in Crawford during his presidency, and spent all or part of 490 days there.

www.cbsnews.com...

Texas isn't NY, but I can't imagine he used his own money to fly there 77 times.

And, how much does it cost for all the extra security for 490 days at the ranch?

reply to post by Kailassa




“Deputy Press Secretary Josh Earnest regarding Obama's NY visit,“I am taking my wife to New York City because I promised her during the campaign that I would take her to a Broadway show after it was all finished.””

looks like this is the only campaign promises he hasn’t broken as of yet.




[edit on 093131p://bSunday2009 by Stormdancer777]

Originally posted by mblahnikluver
I get kind of tired of people criticizing his personal life with his wife.

It's NOT his personal life - he's POTUS and he's spending our money.

it's his SPENDING HABITS. He's spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on these weekend vacations with wifeypoo. Hundreds of thousands in our tax money is being pissed away.

The guy was in office barely 3 weeks when he took AirForceOne to Chicago for Valentines Day.

Now he's in 4 months and he's off to NYC with wifeypoo to see a play about black sharecroppers.

That's in addition to all the rest of the time he's taking off to go to Camp David .. etc.

Originally posted by Kailassa
Obama is a workaholic.

No he's not.

Originally posted by Chadwickus
I don't get how his every move is scrutinised.

Because he's POTUS and he's spending millions of $$ of our money on his vacations. God .. it's only been 4 freak'n months.

BTW .. Obama .. we want CASH and we won't take any IOUs from you.
We fully know what your promises are worth.

Let him sell some of his stock to pay for these vacations.
That's what people do .. pay for their own vacations.
Just because he's POTUS doesn't mean he should get elite vacations for free.

(and for those bringing up Bush ... that goes for Bush43 as well)

Those trips are not paid for by the public, the president cannot charge personal entertainment to the taxpayers. Would you rather he spend his whole termed crammed into the White House? Stories like these are "slow day at the paper" stories.

reply to post by secretagent woooman

Those trips are not paid for by the public,

You really believe that?
Do you?

I agree that this whole business is just a huge slap in the face to the American taxpayer...and right on the heels of living up to his other campaign promise...to get a dog.

Do you realize the expense to taxpayers this has caused? Shots, dog food, a pooper scooper, his own little doggy security team, flea baths...I mean the list just goes on and on.

It's time that this guy stops living like a human being and stops with all those soccer games, and hamburgers, and well, I just can't wait for his next move. When he puts that volleyball net up in the yard I think he should be pulled from office.

Dude, the guy is busting his ass. Even though he's a puppet, I think he's working pretty hard. A little break from the action is fine every now and again, IMHO.

reply to post by Stormdancer777

Yes, I do. The regulations regarding current and former presidents' travel and private expenses are very clear cut, very well regulated and heavily documented, they cannot charge commercial airplane tickets or other non-work related expenses to the taxpayers. They are paid a salary and every cent they spend is documented :-) . I think the White House staff is just sick of people asking questions that come off as accusations than queries. The Obamas are independently wealthy, I doubt they view the public as a welfare agency, people are misdirecting anger from their own problems at them assuming they are taking whitey for a free ride.

Good catch for op - you think this isnt important ? take a look at the UK media at the moment - and see what the consequences of running personal expenses through the public purse are. The count is 10 so far and rising - ie Elected officials now seeing a new job!

This thread is in no way related to how many days Bush spent on vacation.

It's about another Obama not living up to the precursory financial standards that he had declared prior to being elected.

Not that that's anything unusual...

reply to post by secretagent woooman




Maybe the dinner and theater tickets, and hotel, but you know he didn't pay for all of this

three Gulfstream jets,
cargo planes,
presidential limousines,
motorcade vehicles,
Secret service agents,
Secret Service advance teams,

It is more then just a trip.

Please