Washington Post - Classified Docs Reveal Obama Upcoming Africa trip cost up to 100 Million $$

Originally posted by FlyersFan

Originally posted by Indigo5
but where did the numbers come from?

Supposedly from the documents that the Washington Post got their hands on.

I thought the same...but in the Authors piece she doesn't attribute the numbers to the leaked docs...just the schedule and resources...and the gov. beuracracy tends to be specific on numbers even when they are wrong...the 60m-100m range??? Never seen a cost estimate like that...THAT smells like the author taking the schedule and getting creative.

Originally posted by Indigo5
And can someone help me with how the 60m-100m dollar number arrived?

already answered. Here's another source other than the Washington Post -

USA Today

Presidential trips are expensive, and President Obama's journey to Africa this month will in no way be an exception. The Washington Post estimates that Obama's Africa trip could cost $60 million to $100 million, citing a person familiar with the details who cited previous presidential missions to Africa. A more precise estimate is impossible because details about the president's security are classified.

The elaborate security provisions -- which will cost the government tens of millions of dollars -- are outlined in a confidential internal planning document obtained by The Washington Post.

It's an estimate that was arrived at by examining the details outlined in a confidential internal planning document that the Washington Post CLAIMS to have gotten ahold of and comparing those details to costs of trips in the past.

I'm sure that explanation won't satisfy O-bots. But there it is ... Obama's family trip to Africa ... up to $100 million tax payer dollars. And then there are the other trips his family is going on this month ... Germany and Ireland ....

Originally posted by FlyersFan

Originally posted by Indigo5
And can someone help me with how the 60m-100m dollar number arrived?

already answered. Here's another source other than the Washington Post -

USA Today

Presidential trips are expensive, and President Obama's journey to Africa this month will in no way be an exception. The Washington Post estimates that Obama's Africa trip could cost $60 million to $100 million,

ahhh...okay...so like I thought then...the estimate didn't come from the leaked docs as you had said..they came from the WAPOs math?

Originally posted by FlyersFan

Originally posted by Indigo5
but where did the numbers come from?

Supposedly from the documents that the Washington Post got their hands on.

Hmmm... OK...Well the First Family re-imburses government for the 1st Lady's travel and kids...and any outings that are not official business...except for secret service.

Secret service still get's paid if the Potus stays home...

Ditto with the soldiers on any vessels stationed nearby...they still get paid, supporting Presidential travel or not...

What exactly was included in the 60M-100M dollar estimate???

And nice try though...Caring about BS and asking that people prove 2+2=100 means I am a "Math-Bot"...not "Obama-Bot"...Is baiting your retort to a math inquiry?

Originally posted by FlyersFan

Originally posted by Indigo5
And can someone help me with how the 60m-100m dollar number arrived?

already answered. Here's another source other than the Washington Post -

USA Today

Presidential trips are expensive, and President Obama's journey to Africa this month will in no way be an exception. The Washington Post estimates that Obama's Africa trip could cost $60 million to $100 million,

ahhh...okay...so like I thought then...the estimate didn't come from the leaked docs as you had said..they came from the WAPOs math?

Originally posted by FlyersFan

Originally posted by Indigo5
but where did the numbers come from?

Supposedly from the documents that the Washington Post got their hands on.

Hmmm... OK...Well the First Family re-imburses government for the 1st Lady's travel and kids...and any outings that are not official business...except for secret service.

Secret service still get's paid if the Potus stays home...

Ditto with the soldiers on any vessels stationed nearby...they still get paid, supporting Presidential travel or not...

What exactly was included in the 60M-100M dollar estimate???

And nice try though...Caring about BS and asking that people prove 2+2=100 means I am a "Math-Bot"...not "Obama-Bot"...Is baiting your retort to a math inquiry?

Originally posted by jhn7537
reply to post by Benevolent Heretic

 

I'm sorry, but saving Africa should be pretty low on his to-do list right now... He has some much bigger issues to deal with this second and I'm sure he will be working very little on the "business" trip

When Bill Clinton left office he said in so many words, Africa is the most important continent for our future.

There must have been reasons for him to make that statement.

Originally posted by Indigo5
...the estimate didn't come from the leaked docs as you had said..

The Washington Post CLAIMS to have classified documents. I have no idea if they really have them or not. The numbers are based on those classified documents. Is that more clear?

What exactly was included in the 60M-100M dollar estimate???

Again .. I have no idea. The article says it's estimates made based on the information in the classified document and the estimates were made by people (or a person??) familiar with the document and presidential travel.

Like I said ... it would be a good thing to contact the Washington Post and see if they'll release these 'classified documents' that they claim they have. I doubt they will release them. But you never know what kind of answer you'd get.

Just saying...there is reason to be Skeptical with this kind of BS...

Snopes:
President Obama's India Trip 200M
FALSE
www.snopes.com...

FactCheck Mumbai Trip
www.factcheck.org...
FALSE

Then there was the Debunked cost of Michelle Obama's European trip...which as it turned out, she paid for..

The list goes on and on...

Originally posted by Annee

Originally posted by jhn7537
reply to post by Benevolent Heretic

 

I'm sorry, but saving Africa should be pretty low on his to-do list right now... He has some much bigger issues to deal with this second and I'm sure he will be working very little on the "business" trip

When Bill Clinton left office he said in so many words, Africa is the most important continent for our future.

There must have been reasons for him to make that statement.

Might have something to do with Africa being the most rich in resources continent on the Planet. Interesting that it also is considered to be the poorest in terms of the overall population. It seems like world powers have been fighting over this land and its resources for thousands of years, at great cost to its inhabitants.

Originally posted by FlyersFan

Like I said ... it would be a good thing to contact the Washington Post and see if they'll release these 'classified documents' that they claim they have. I doubt they will release them. But you never know what kind of answer you'd get.

What good would that do? The docs didn't cite costs, just schedule. It was the WAPO author who served as a one woman GAO and came up with the 60-100m number, or an unamed source familiar with Presidential travel??? What's that? her travel agent?

What would be good is that given the steady stream of BS stories surrounding Presidential Travel costs going back to Bush Sr. years...and the consistency with which they have been shown to be bunk...it would be good if someone approached this story with some skepticism or questions...But apparently partisanship shuts down those portions of our brain?

Absent knowing how the 60M-100M was arrived at...

And using a long history of grossly inflated and exagerated numbers surrounding Presidential Travel for political rhetorical purposes.

I am confident that this is BS....But feel free to prove me wrong when you can provide a source of the 60M-100m beyond the "author came up with it".

Originally posted by crawdad1914


Might have something to do with Africa being the most rich in resources continent on the Planet. Interesting that it also is considered to be the poorest in terms of the overall population. It seems like world powers have been fighting over this land and its resources for thousands of years, at great cost to its inhabitants.

Diretly to that point. China is eating our lunch there. They are building not just roads, but cities in Africa...schools, community centers etc. etc.. Africa is swamped with Chinese Businessmen and Gov. officials handing out money. You literally see them all over towns and cities. Africa has deep natural resources and a tonnage of the exotic materials needed in new technologies. China is way ahead of us there

Hey, Hey, slow down there all of you ATS naysayers...
THIS is a purely diplomatic mission to Africa; as the HuffPost says: to raise AIDS awareness.

C'mon, what Better use of $100M taxpayer buckaroos to save lives, than to send Barack, Michelle and the girls (along with scads of secret service agents and an aircraft carrier task force) to Africa to attend a conference).

AND... if the girls get to see giraffes and elephants along the way...all the more family fun...(after all, multi-million- dollar African safari's are, hands down, so much better than the boring ol' Washington Zoo for seeing animals; the girls will just have a ball...and we all know those darlin' lil ladies just don't get very many vacations).

BESIDES, as I mentioned above, The Obama family will be ambassadors of goodwill in Africa...and THIS is a diplomatic mission...and we all know that Obama would never-EVER scrimp on security for his ambassadors and their staff...anywhere in Africa!

The only question I still have, is that should the unthinkable happen...and The Obama's mission actually came under attack from a rowdy bunch of out-of-control protesters with RPGs, somewhere in Africa...

...WHO would actually be giving the rescue 'Stand Down' order THIS TIME?

Originally posted by daryllyn

Originally posted by Benevolent Heretic

Originally posted by FlyersFan
My question ... what is worth $100 million to us taxpayers for send the first family over there?

Maybe a lot more than we know. This isn't just a family vacation trip... He'll be working in every country

Rhodes said the emerging democracies on the president's itinerary are crucial partners in regional security conflicts. Obama will hold bilateral meetings with each country's leader in an effort to forge stronger economic ties. He will reportedly also highlight global health programs, including HIV/AIDS prevention.

Source

We have our own problems that need to be taken care of here, first and foremost.

Just my opinion, of course.

Maybe after some of our domestic issues are solved, this trip would be more appropriate.

edit on 14-6-2013 by daryllyn because: (no reason given)

Africa is the world LARGEST untapped business marketplace on the planet, by some estimates growing faster than Asia.

From a business standpoint, going to Africa and securing relations there is very smart if; Americans are concerned about exports and jobs. There is a lot of money in Africa and if the US does not go for it, China
will.

Originally posted by FlyersFan
The Washington Post claims access to classified POTUS travel docs ...

So America .. $100 Million to send our POTUS and his family on a trip to SubSaharan Africa.
Is there anything there worth spending $100 million on to get him and his family over there?

Washington Post - Major resources needed for Obama Africa trip

President Obama will travel to sub-Saharan Africa and the price tag for the trip clocks in between $60 million to $100 million. The Washington Post’s Carol Leonnig got access to classified documents outlining the trip. Update: The White House has cancelled the safari for this trip. ....

Hundreds of U.S. Secret Service agents will be dispatched to secure facilities in Senegal, South Africa and Tanzania. A Navy aircraft carrier or amphibious ship, with a fully staffed medical trauma center, will be stationed offshore in case of an emergency.

Military cargo planes will airlift in 56 support vehicles, including 14 limousines and three trucks loaded with sheets of bullet­proof glass to cover the windows of the hotels where the first family will stay. Fighter jets will fly in shifts, giving 24-hour coverage over the president’s airspace, so they can intervene quickly if an errant plane gets too close.

At least they have reconsidered the Safari that was on the schedule.
It may be off the schedule now -

The president and first lady had also planned to take a Tanzanian safari as part of the trip, which would have required the president’s special counterassault team to carry sniper rifles with high-caliber rounds that could neutralize cheetahs, lions or other animals if they became a threat, according to the planning document.

The reason for dropping the safari ...they had limited resources and decided to prioritize .. choosing a visit to Robben Island over a two-hour safari in Tanzania. Internal documents show that the first family will be doing both .... going to Robben Island AND going on the Safari. So it's unclear if this safari is dropped or not.

Both Clinton and Bush43 went on expensive boondoggles to Africa as well.

The first family will also be going on a trip to Northern Ireland and Germany this month.
June is an expensive time for the US Taxpayers. We are certainly spending a whole
lot to send the first family around the world. I wonder what we get out of it?
I wonder if it's worth it for us ....

In other news ... 'The People's House (WH)' is still closed to tours and the Blue Angels
still have all their airshows cancelled because .. supposedly .. there isn't enough money
for these All-American activities to continue. :shk:

I know a few bridges and roads on my daily commute which would benefit from $100 mil. But this is just a drop in the bucket compared to the $1.3 billion we just gave Egypt even after Morsi and the Muzzie Brotherhood said they want to start a war with us.

reply to post by Indigo5


Off topic a bit (my bad) but assuming you are referencing the "ghost cities" and other commercial interests shown there by the Chinese, yeah they are definitely putting a ton of effort into the continent.

Originally posted by Indigo5
Just saying...there is reason to be Skeptical with this kind of BS...

Snopes:
President Obama's India Trip 200M
FALSE
www.snopes.com...

FactCheck Mumbai Trip
www.factcheck.org...
FALSE

Then there was the Debunked cost of Michelle Obama's European trip...which as it turned out, she paid for..

The list goes on and on...

Well now you've gone ahead and ruined the fake right wing narrative, again.

Originally posted by crawdad1914
reply to post by Indigo5

 

Off topic a bit (my bad) but assuming you are referencing the "ghost cities" and other commercial interests shown there by the Chinese, yeah they are definitely putting a ton of effort into the continent.

I have a friend in Mombasa, an ex-pat, and last I talked to him he said it was mind-boggling. He said it was like little China. They are everywhere and Africa loves the Chinese, where ever they appear, gravy follows...roads, schools etc. In return China locks up business, trade deals, resources. We are behind the eight-ball there.

If I went on a trip to Africa you dang well better believe I would take my wife and kids! And don't even try to tell us ANYONE wouldn't. If I tried to leave them home, I better find a new place to live while I am there 'caus I surely won't have a home to come back to! Sometimes a famous family is just a family.

reply to post by Indigo5


the salaries are paid regardless but I highly doubt the president remiburses the gov't for the cost of their flights, their lodging, their food, etc.

airfare is around $2k roundtrip, each.

Hotel? $500-$800 a night.

for god knows how many secret service people they need.

a grand a day to feed them all? maybe more.

ground transport for all of the extra people?

I bet the cost of the entrouage needed to protect the first lady and the kids, for this trip is at least a million dollars. not a big number compared to the total cost of the trip but it's still wasted money that could be put towards gov't salaries for the people who are being furloughed thanks to the sequester.