career politician

[knkali]

http://now.msn.com/now/0509-cost-former-presidents.aspx

[Bawanna]

I'm leaving this open but everybody use your be nice keyboards. This is sure to turn emotional and if one knew all the actual numbers for past and especially current big wigs, it would get instant ugly.

No guns, accessories or gun law issues, so subject to the axe anytime.

Carry on.

[wyntrout]

This is another non-issue being brought up to stir up anti-government, anti-political sentiment. These past presidents still are representatives of our nation and need an office and communication with the public and other governments. They need protection for life, too.

What? We should just boot them out on the street and hope that they fade into obscurity? You may not like them all, but they were once the leaders of our nation and shouldn't be cast aside without any support as prominent figureheads of our nation.

The largest of these "budgets" is less than some of the pleasure trips and date nights of extravagance by the current POTUS and FLOTUS... usually in separate tax-payer funded jumbo jets and with large retinues.

Wynn:)

[jocko]

agree wyn: I would bet in one year Mrs. Obama with her needless flights with the kids in U.S. Planes with alot of security etc,eats up far more than what our past presidents are taking/getting. What I never agreed with but I have no clue as to how to stop it and obth parties do it so more than likely it willnever be corrected is that our present President can fly all over the U. S. in AF#1 and CAMPAIGN. on our dollars, Lord only know what security arrangement and excess planbes and special vehicles are need for him to come to a solar plant to campaign, or appear at some college to campaign. They all do it, so not \just picking on this Pres,

It is still IMO the best system in the WORLD but it has its flaws, no doubt..

[RedRyder]

You talk about the solar plants he visited, huh. He came out here to SE New Mexico a couple of months ago to speak in Maljamar, NM which is a community of 64 people with 39 households. He flies into Roswell with AF1 and has 3 Marine 1's there to ferry them out to Maljamar. Now you gotta understand, this town is in the middle of nowhere but is in oil country which is why he's speaking on his oil policies at this location. What they reported ONLY in the local media was that all the rigs and well heads were shut down for a 35 mile radius of where he spoke. No one could get into their drilling rigs or any well servicing people for the better part of a day. Can you imagine what this cost us taxpayers???? NOt to mention the lost work and production for the day. I truly think this guy is oblivious to budgetary contraints. Unfortunately, I'm sure a multitude of people have the dreaded disease of gonareah lectim. :rolleyes:

[chipD]

I agree wyn, although the article reads like they just go to the stash and get whatever money they need/want. Given the media today I don't know if that's the case, but I would think a structured benefit system would not be to much to ask for.

[Yogi 117]

Unfortunately, I'm sure a multitude of people have the dreaded disease of gonareah lectim. :rolleyes:
:w00t: :w00t: Thx for the laugh, that is funny! :p :p

[O'Dell]

Once again Wynn comes across as knowledgeable and intelligent, as he always does.

[wyntrout]

OMG! Thanks, Buddy.

Wynn:D

[knkali]

This is another non-issue being brought up to stir up anti-government, anti-political sentiment. These past presidents still are representatives of our nation and need an office and communication with the public and other governments. They need protection for life, too.

What? We should just boot them out on the street and hope that they fade into obscurity? You may not like them all, but they were once the leaders of our nation and shouldn't be cast aside without any support as prominent figureheads of our nation.

The largest of these "budgets" is less than some of the pleasure trips and date nights of extravagance by the current POTUS and FLOTUS... usually in separate tax-payer funded jumbo jets and with large retinues.

Wynn:)

The amounts erk me. Not that they are supported. The numbers seem excessive. However, how do you put a price on what post presidential life is worth? To the guy that owns a huge multi national company that benefited from a presidents decisions---it could be a lot. The man that lost his job at the plant during a president's tenure---not so much. I guess I was surprised that we take care of them to this extent or at all. I never really thought about it.

[Longitude Zero]

Once you are out of office the perks includng SS protection should end after 20 years. Once the former prez dies the first lady looses assistance 5 years hence or the previously mentioned 20 year time frame passes. Whichever occurs first.

I consider it immoral to carry these folks till death do they thankfully part.

[chrish]

I understand it's a different world. I'll give you that. But GW, TJ, JA and a whole pile of other presidents DID (relatively) fade into obscurity and lived out their post presidential life w/o sticking their nose into the current business of the country. That's what was originally intended. Protect them, OK. But if they'd just buy a gun after their terms end, then they wouldn't need protection now would they (a bit of sarcasm there).

[TheTman]

Those numbers are nothing compared to what some CEO's get by the time your figure in their stock options and other benefits, some after they've run the company into the ground and use tax payer's bailout money to line their pockets. On the other hand, maybe we ought to limit them to say, $1 million a year. They will always be American Ambassadors wherever they go, and still represent the USA.

[Bawanna]

I think a couple hundred thousand a year is plenty. There isn't a man alive worth a million dollars a year, I don't care what he does.

Secret Service for life for the Pres only, no wife, dogs, kids. His office and his stamps and phone bill come out of the 200 thousand.

Back to help for the first lady paid for out of presidents salary, not 28 servants all making minimum 60,000 a year.

[chrish]

You guys said it. For 200,000/yr, I could rent an office, pay the utilities of said office, hire protection, and stay in touch w/ any world leader (even though I consider that unnecessary for the benefit of the country)...and STILL have money left over. I run a business on ALOT less than that.

Also keep in mind, they pull down tens of thousands (or more) for speaking engadgements, per speech. They don't need the tax payers money. In most cases, they don't need the protection...at least not at the level we currently provide.

They are not royalty, but we've somehow forgotten that.

C'mon, we've got guys that have literally taken bullets or lost limbs for this country and you want to hand someone that half the country hated (pick which half), millions of dollars per year to parade around, make stupid comments, and keep their finger in the national and international policy scene. Really?

[O'Dell]

Those numbers are nothing compared to what some CEO's get by the time your figure in their stock options and other benefits, some after they've run the company into the ground and use tax payer's bailout money to line their pockets. On the other hand, maybe we ought to limit them to say, $1 million a year. They will always be American Ambassadors wherever they go, and still represent the USA.

Sure there were some government bailouts, and I was against every one. However, 99%+ of the CEO's are paid with private funds, not tax money, and that is the business of the shareholders. I feel the same about entertainers and athletes.

I guess a lot regarding the ex-presidents depends on what they do with the money. I never cared much for Bush 43 because he did little to curb government spending, but I do know that he and Laura spend a lot of money traveling to support the troops. I have no idea how the rest spend the funds.

[Planedude]

I guess I'm on the side of keeping them protected, the good the bad and the ugly of them. I would hate to see some arab group or nut job get five years of press glory for themselves because they attacked/kidnaped/killed one of our ex-es. That would bother me alot more than what we spend on their upkeep.
Like has been said, the current guy is the most expensive I can remember... Hey let's fly around and do Leno, Fallon and Letterman. I don't need to, could do via webcam, but it sure would be fun...
YEASH!

[jocko]

kinda agree with u on that, our past pres deserve protection. I have no issue with that the expesne probalby ishigh and boring tomost agents involved but it is what it is. a perk (if u wqnt tocall it that) for life.

I am sure we psend more in one year to study the piss ant and its habits than we do to protect our leaders. Just sayin

I had a lady school techer down the rad from my place (about 3 blocks) that years back received a 5K Lilly grant tyo study box turtles, now I can asusre u I could have went to any library and picked up 50 books on box turtles and there wouold have been nothbing new that this school teacher could have added to those books finds from er studay, which was really just a coupl.e dozen caught box turtles in her back yard 10 by 1`0 pond and fenced area.She had tomake it look good I guesss. Not just our government pisses away money. colurse I do think, our government needs a doxe of Detrol La every day before they vote on some of this sh!t. Just sayin

[yqtszhj]

I wonder what VP's get if anything? Al Gore in particular.

[TheTman]

Al lives off the bountys of all the Man-Bear's he kills. (South Park reference)