Trump family trips cost taxpayers $11.3m in one month – almost as much as Obama’s cost in a year

a reply to: Mandroid7

Love your avatar... Now I've got the song suck in my head... Look at my horse, my horse is amazing, give it a lick - oooo - tastes just like raisins!

a reply to: LSU0408

Can you tell us how you've suffered over the last 8 years?? You're not alone in feeling like you have suffered!

A Trump supporting Facebook friend told Scott Mednick, "We suffered for eight years. Now it’s your turn.”

Is that how you feel? LOTS of people on ATS feel that way....obvi...
But:

Scott wrote a brilliant response asking how exactly his friend had suffered under Obama:

And I'd like to share that response with you. Think of it as a few helpful conversation starters for us.....
these are what I see. Are these problems for you? ....Can you let us know if any of them are the cause of your grief and intolerable suffering?

Why have you suffered so?
...
Gays and Lesbians can now marry and enjoy the benefits they had been deprived of. Has this caused your suffering?

When Obama took office, the Dow was 6,626. Now it is 19,875. Has this caused your suffering?

We had 82 straight months of private sector job growth - the longest streak in the history of the United States. Has this caused your suffering?

Especially considering where he the economy was when he took over, an amazing 11.3 million new jobs were created under President Obama (far more than President Bush). Has this caused your suffering?

Obama has taken Unemployment from 10% down to 4.7%. Has this caused your suffering?

Homelessness among US Veterans has dropped by half. Has this caused your suffering?

Obama shut down the US secret overseas prisons. Has this caused your suffering?

President Obama has created a policy for the families of fallen soldiers to have their travel paid for to be there when remains are flown home. Has this caused your suffering?

We landed a rover on Mars. Has this caused your suffering?

He passed the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act. Has this caused your suffering?

Uninsured adults has decreased to below 10%: 90% of adults are insured - an increase of 20 Million Adults. Has this caused
your suffering?

People are now covered for pre-existing conditions. Has this caused your suffering?

Insurance Premiums increased an average of $4,677 from 2002-2008, an increase of 58% under Bush. The growth of these
insurance premiums has gone up $4,145 – a slower rate of increase. Has this caused your suffering?

Obama added Billions of dollars to mental health care for our Veterans. Has this caused your suffering?

Consumer confidence has gone from 37.7 to 98.1 during Obama’s tenure. Has this caused your suffering?

He passed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. Has this caused your suffering?

His bi-annual Nuclear Summit convinced 16 countries to give up and destroy all their loose nuclear material so it could not be stolen. Has this caused your suffering?

He saved the US Auto industry. American cars sold at the beginning of his term were 10.4M and upon his exit 17.5M. Has this caused your suffering?

The deficit as a percentage of the GDP has gone from 9.8% to 3.2%. Has this caused your suffering?
The deficit itself was cut by $800 Billion Dollars. Has this caused your suffering?

Obama preserved the middle class tax cuts. Has this caused your suffering?

Obama banned solitary confinement for juveniles in federal prisons. Has this caused your suffering?

He signed Credit Card reform so that rates could not be raised without you being notified. Has this caused your suffering?

He outlawed Government contractors from discriminating against LGBT persons. Has this caused your suffering?

He doubled Pell Grants. Has this caused your suffering?

Abortion is down. Has this caused your suffering?

Violent crime is down. Has this caused your suffering?

He overturned the scientific ban on stem cell research. Has this caused your suffering?

He protected Net Neutrality. Has this caused your suffering?

Obamacare has extended the life of the Medicare insurance trust fund (will be solvent until 2030). Has this caused your suffering?

How we doin...you still reading along? Find one yet?

Because, there are other things that might be the problem, too....there are more questions (and you might be interested to know that you are only the second person to whom I have bothered to share these questions .... in the interest of actual investigation, reality, facts, and dialogue. The other person disrespectfully declined to even read the list! I know you can do better than that, though!) that I'd really like answers to!

So --- here we go:

President Obama repealed Don't Ask Don't Tell. Has this caused your suffering?

He banned torture. Has this caused your suffering?

He negotiated with Syria to give up its chemical weapons and they were destroyed. Has this caused your suffering?

Solar and Wind Power are at an all time high. Has this caused your suffering?

High School Graduation rates hit 83% - an all time high. Has this caused your suffering?

Corporate profits are up by 144%. Has this caused your suffering?

He normalized relations with Cuba. Has this caused your suffering?

Reliance on foreign oil is at a 40 year low. Has this caused your suffering?

US Exports are up 28%. Has this caused your suffering?

He appointed the most diverse cabinet ever. Has this caused your suffering?

[Obama] reduced the number of troops in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Has this caused your suffering?

Yes, he killed Osama Bin Laden and retrieved all the documents in his possession for analysis. Perhaps THIS caused your suffering?

That's the end of the suggestions....choose as many as apply. And please please expand your thoughts on about HOW that reason (or those reasons) have hurt you. Please.
If you can tell us even just ONE of them that is offensive to you, and why, and HOW you are suffering from it, that would help.

originally posted by: vonclod
a reply to: intrptr

Probably more to do with 3 vacation's in 4 weeks.
The 11 mill does not even account for lost revenues for the areas that get shut down at dear leaders vacation spot.

But thats not what it says in the OP...

The US President’s three visits to his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida since his presidential inauguration, combined with his sons’ business trips, reportedly cost $11.3m (£9.1m).

Plus his sons business trips. Three visits to a club are hardly vacations.
Look I get that anything the presider does is expensive... the more so as time goes on. Imagine the security needed to protect the worlds most warmongering country's leaders?

Its not Trump, its the US track record and current trend of waging war with the world and everyone in it.

a reply to: EyeKyu

Give me a President who does as much positive work in a month

What 'positive work' are you talking about? Name one thing Don actually achieved in office this month? Aside from signing sheets of paper and spouting off twitter?

as Barry did in 8 years

Who's Barry?

originally posted by: Aazadan

originally posted by: seeker1963
a reply to: Southern Guardian


Where was your outrage with expenses of the Obama family? roflmao

You do realize President Trump is NOT taking a Presidential paycheck like Barry did right?

The President makes $400,000 per year. Trump has spent 30 times that on personal travel expenses (not business travel, personal) and billed the government for it, in his first month in office.

While I don't really care about this, millions don't count as real money in government budgets it does point out the hypocricy of ultra fiscal conservatives that ok Trumps personal spending while demonizing Obama's.

At least Trump is actually getting things done. I don't know what all the crying is about.

originally posted by: ThirdEyeofHorus

originally posted by: Aazadan

originally posted by: seeker1963
a reply to: Southern Guardian


Where was your outrage with expenses of the Obama family? roflmao

You do realize President Trump is NOT taking a Presidential paycheck like Barry did right?

The President makes $400,000 per year. Trump has spent 30 times that on personal travel expenses (not business travel, personal) and billed the government for it, in his first month in office.

While I don't really care about this, millions don't count as real money in government budgets it does point out the hypocricy of ultra fiscal conservatives that ok Trumps personal spending while demonizing Obama's.

Really? How about none of you Obama supporters were worried about the cost of Obama vacations now here you are screaming and yelling. What utter political bias and hypocrisy. You all defended every little thing Obama did from using Air Force One for private vacations to bombing Syria to going into Libya without Congress to using drones to kill American citizens abroad. TPTB have it out for Trump for exactly the reason you guys have supported their most favorite son.

They also supported his immigration policies and border security and deportations...

originally posted by: JoshuaCox

originally posted by: seeker1963
a reply to: Southern Guardian


Where was your outrage with expenses of the Obama family? roflmao

You do realize President Trump is NOT taking a Presidential paycheck like Barry did right?

His family spends 11 million per month, times 4 years( =48 months) . So 11 xs 48 = 528 million.

And trump is going to for go the 1.6 million salary for that period... how charitable?!?!


Lol and Obama didn't spend 10 million a year...

Do you understand what speculation is?

a reply to: LSU0408

At least Trump is actually getting things done

I keep on hearing this. What has he actually done aside from signing EOs and spouting off twitter? Which of his policies did he actually get through?

originally posted by: vonclod
a reply to: intrptr

Probably more to do with 3 vacation's in 4 weeks.
The 11 mill does not even account for lost revenues for the areas that get shut down at dear leaders vacation spot.

It conveniently doesn't, nor does it account for the 400-500K per day New York taxpayers are on the hook for in protecting Melania and Barron in the Trump Towers in Manhattan, not to mention the federal expenses and Secret Service costs. $20 million a month is a conservative estimate for keeping Melania and Barron Trump in their golden tower penthouse apartment in downtown Manhattan.

a reply to: BuzzyWigs

Looks like you found yourself an opinion piece to copy and paste... I was responding to the poster who was outraged over spending millions on vacations. You really went off the charts in your overanalyzation, eh? My middle class life, since you asked, hasn't gotten any better under Obama because he shoved the middle class to the back burner. He rammed obamacare down our throats, which half of us can't afford or qualify for subsidies, but since we can't afford it we have to pay a penalty because we gotta make sure the able-bodied scumbags that refuse to work can have it. Of course the unemployment rate fell, it doesn't factor in people sitting on their asses, it's only for those who are actively looking for work. Funny how it was more expensive under Bush, yet I was able to afford it. The economy sure as hell isn't booming, .3% isn't exactly booming. I know you know most of the # you posted is fabricated but I'm not gonna go through your copy and paste and answer 50 questions.

Why don't you tell me how your life got better? Try not to lie.

originally posted by: Southern Guardian
a reply to: LSU0408

At least Trump is actually getting things done

I keep on hearing this. What has he actually done aside from signing EOs and spouting off twitter? Which of his policies did he actually get through?

He got everything push started... I can respect that. He got a Conservative SCOTUS Judge, he tried to get an immigration policy started, but he'll sign a new one this week, he's beefing up security at the border, gave the go-ahead to keep the Keystone XL going, etc. He hasn't sat on his ass doing nothing and I respect that.

originally posted by: windword

originally posted by: vonclod
a reply to: intrptr

Probably more to do with 3 vacation's in 4 weeks.
The 11 mill does not even account for lost revenues for the areas that get shut down at dear leaders vacation spot.

It conveniently doesn't, nor does it account for the 400-500K per day New York taxpayers are on the hook for in protecting Melania and Barron in the Trump Towers in Manhattan, not to mention the federal expenses and Secret Service costs. $20 million a month is a conservative estimate for keeping Melania and Barron Trump in their golden tower penthouse apartment in downtown Manhattan.

If left wing terrorists weren't such hateful bigots then all that security wouldn't be necessary.

originally posted by: TheScale
i find the topic interesting. it sounds like the real costs are on the family side which isnt really something u can blame trump himself for. they have to provide security for the family of presidents so as to ensure their safety. im not sure how to feel about this. on one hand a large family is going to be expensive to protect, but should we base whos a viable candidate on family size and the costs that come with it? i feel like wed be missing out on potentially great candidates over time if were willing to disqualify someone just cause they have alot of kids. on the other hand we are the ones footing the bill and in the end this number is just going to continue to grow even if Trump himself never stepped foot out of the whitehouse.

Replied to this earlier, but the reply got eaten. It's not really about how much we're spending. In 4 years, at his current rate Trumps spending is going to come out to 2 seconds of federal spending in a single year. It's effectively nothing.

The whole controversey isn't one of budgetary impact, it's one of ethics. Should we be using taxpayer money to subsidize the Presidents private business, and the business of his family? Trump is turning his weekend "vacations" into money making ventures, and times to fund raise for his next campaign. When he's making money for himself, we shouldn't be subsidizing it, and if he's campaigning his campaign needs to be paying for it. Similarly, his family should be covering private security when conducting their companies business.

The fact that this comes down to ethics is what's troubling because Trump is a sleazy 80's businessman, and his administration is the first one in over 100 years to not come in and sign an EO on Executive Branch ethics. I don't think anyone has an issue with paying for travel for official government business, that's not what we're paying for though. What's happening, is Trump is staying at a high priced resort that he owns, and then billing the government for his entourages rooms. He's making millions of dollars a week to play celebrity when he's supposed to be acting as the President.

a reply to: LSU0408

Looks more like you --- similarly to the other member with whom I shared these very legitimate facts and asked for how it made them suffer........

are (predictably) poorly equipped to answer the points.

originally posted by: LSU0408
At least Trump is actually getting things done. I don't know what all the crying is about.

What does getting things done have to do with ethics? Is getting results an excuse to turn our back to ethical violations?

a reply to: BuzzyWigs

It's definitely a long shot isn't it.

a reply to: BuzzyWigs
You can´t just post a book of questions and demand to answer them. Most of the points repeat themselves 2-3 times and others are plain wrong. "He killed Osama". Did he?

a reply to: JesusXst

So because Trump said it, it must be true? Lmao, This narcissistic delusional idiot you people elected blatantly lies to the public almost EVERY DAY. He doubled the membership at MaraLago then goes there and has foreign leaders and political figures meet with him there. He's costing the taxpayers unnecessary millions while he makes millions in profit because he can, and because half the country blindly supports every insane idiotic destructive thing he does. The mob mentality is very empowering and enticing. Must be very liberating to let go of all that annoying thinking and common sense and reason, and just let the buffoon be in charge of everything.

a reply to: underwerks

He never said he would divest. Just that he wouldn't control the businesses while he was president. Let me know when he heads down to the next board meeting.

I'm gonna guess the costs will go down once Liberals stop telling each other to assassinate him.