The Cost of Flying/Driving/Protecting President Obama

I just came back from a trip to central New Hampshire. I drove 9 hours each way. I can’t rationalize flying — it's just too expensive.

That is why I was fascinated to see what the USA pays for President Obama to fly to play golf with Tiger Woods while talking about the hardship of the “folks,” as the sequester happens.

The number I found was $181,757 per hour, a figure provided by the 89th Airlift Wing, published in a report on presidential travel by the National Taxpayers Union Foundation a few weeks back. Next I went to the Oxford Guide to the U.S. Government and found this: “Each year the Pentagon spends approximately $185 million on travel expenses for the President and his top aides, according to the House Post Office Committee's Subcommittee on Human Resources.” That does not take into account the purchase of the planes. Nor does it account for the cost of Marine One.

From the same Oxford Guide: “[T]he designation of the VH-3 helicopter that transports the President from the helipad on the South Lawn of the White House to local destinations or to the hangar at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland where he boards Air Force One. Marine Helicopter Squadron One usually consists of eight craft, located at a base just down the Potomac River from the White House. Marine One is often used to take the President and his guests to his rural retreat at Camp David in nearby Maryland.”

So what about when he drives, or shall I say, is driven? It’s a Cadillac Limo named the “beast.” When he is in the,“Beast,” there is communications with the other 45 cars in the motorcade for a typical domestic ride. The Beast, is quite a ride, with more armor, high-tech gadgetry, including offensive and defensive gear than a military unit.

Due to security concerns, the exacts specs are classified, however, what has been reported by Josh Max is, “…the Beast swills a gallon of gas every 8 miles due to its heavy armor and size, its doors are a whopping 8 inches thick, and it’s made largely of titanium, steel, ceramic and aluminum. It’s so fortified that almost no sound enters the cockpit, necessitating special microphones rigged on the body so the driver and passengers can hear what’s going on around the car. It seats seven people including the President. The car carries its own oxygen, is equipped with a night-vision camera, firefighting system, run-flat tires, tear gas cannons, and steel wheels. An undisclosed amount of Presidential blood in case of emergency is aboard and the car is impervious to biological attack due to a lock-down mechanism which, when deployed, seals the interior against a biological attack.”

Mr. Max also believes the car may also include:

• Infrared smoke grenades, which surround The Beast and make it a difficult target for enemies firing rockets or grenades

• Video system enabling driver to see in smoke, darkness, fog

• A price tag upwards of $300,000

The website taxpayertreasurehunt.com claims in 2008 the budget to protect the president, “persons and facilities,” was budgeted at $689,535,000. (In Homeland Security Budget.)

So what I guess I am saying is the president is not just like, “regular folks."