Is this accurate?

[RodISHI]

I got this in an email this morning is it accurate?

From a former Air Force Colonel

The Date


First, let me say that I've moved three presidents up to now and I've seen incredible waste. But, the "new" guy (Obama) really takes the cake. I don't have an
issue with the President promising his wife dinner and a show or that he even takes his wife out. But, when I saw the news say that the date cost $24,000, here's what you DON'T know.

Three days before "dinner" a C-17 flew Marines and the helicopter maintenance equipment to JFK Airport . The day before "dinner" I flew the US Secret Service and the motorcade to JFK Airport . Our crew of 5 spent two days and nights at the Hilton in Times Square . My hotel bill: $621.66 plus $64 a day in per diem. The USSS guys were at a different Hilton in NYC, so figure that cost another $14,000 (or so) plus per diem. The Marines had to have cost as much and were there four days, so figure another $55,000 plus per diem (for 44 Marines).

We were supposed to fly the motorcade back and go home, but the Air Force was so short C-17's that we were re-tasked to take the motorcade back, return to JFK and take the helicopter back to Quantico .

When we got back to JFK, while the pilot was turning the plane around to park, he noticed a rotor blade sticking out of the hangar where the helicopter was parked and informed me that either it wasn't ready to transport or it was flying home. After shutting down I walked over to the hangar and to my surprise I find FIVE helicopters, not ONE. We're obviously not transporting five big helicopters. I went and talked to the Marines guarding the "fleet" and found that they were flying all five helicopters home and we were only transporting the Marines and the maintenance equipment. After talking to the Marine(s) in charge, I was told that the White House requested FIVE helicopters. The Marines told me that they spent all morning trying to figure out how much it cost them to come and said they figured it cost them $140,000 to stay there (I don't know where they came up with that) and the trip's total had to be about
$1,000,000.

We heard that the President didn't use Air Force One (the 747) so I asked if he came in on one of the 757's. I was told that he came in on THREE Air Force Lear jets.
So, date night consisted of:
2 C-17's flying three missions, 3 Lear jets, 5 Helicopters, Presidential
Motorcade, 44 Marines, more than 20 USSS personnel on our plane. Who knows
what it cost the NYPD and NY Port Authority (at the airport) in overtime.

These are the same people that chastised the automobile CEO's for using their aircraft. It further proves that the media only use the facts that make the President look good and hide any facts that will detract from his
persona.

Is this the 'change' we expected?
Talk with friends and those who are not blinded by charisma. Many folks I
know who voted for Obama are very disappointed and sorry they did so.
Remember, 2010 is just around the corner. All we have to do is survive long enough.

The Emperor's clothes on a grand scale. "Transparency"?

 

[Truthmatters]

I note the guy didnt give his name.

not true

 

[RodISHI]

How much did the dinner out really cost the public? Does anyone have an accurate account?

 

[Truthmatters]

How much did the last dinner out Bush had cost?

 

[rightwinger]

I got this in an email this morning is it accurate?

From a former Air Force Colonel

The Date


First, let me say that I've moved three presidents up to now and I've seen incredible waste. But, the "new" guy (Obama) really takes the cake. I don't have an
issue with the President promising his wife dinner and a show or that he even takes his wife out. But, when I saw the news say that the date cost $24,000, here's what you DON'T know.

Three days before "dinner" a C-17 flew Marines and the helicopter maintenance equipment to JFK Airport . The day before "dinner" I flew the US Secret Service and the motorcade to JFK Airport . Our crew of 5 spent two days and nights at the Hilton in Times Square . My hotel bill: $621.66 plus $64 a day in per diem. The USSS guys were at a different Hilton in NYC, so figure that cost another $14,000 (or so) plus per diem. The Marines had to have cost as much and were there four days, so figure another $55,000 plus per diem (for 44 Marines).

We were supposed to fly the motorcade back and go home, but the Air Force was so short C-17's that we were re-tasked to take the motorcade back, return to JFK and take the helicopter back to Quantico .

When we got back to JFK, while the pilot was turning the plane around to park, he noticed a rotor blade sticking out of the hangar where the helicopter was parked and informed me that either it wasn't ready to transport or it was flying home. After shutting down I walked over to the hangar and to my surprise I find FIVE helicopters, not ONE. We're obviously not transporting five big helicopters. I went and talked to the Marines guarding the "fleet" and found that they were flying all five helicopters home and we were only transporting the Marines and the maintenance equipment. After talking to the Marine(s) in charge, I was told that the White House requested FIVE helicopters. The Marines told me that they spent all morning trying to figure out how much it cost them to come and said they figured it cost them $140,000 to stay there (I don't know where they came up with that) and the trip's total had to be about
$1,000,000.

We heard that the President didn't use Air Force One (the 747) so I asked if he came in on one of the 757's. I was told that he came in on THREE Air Force Lear jets.
So, date night consisted of:
2 C-17's flying three missions, 3 Lear jets, 5 Helicopters, Presidential
Motorcade, 44 Marines, more than 20 USSS personnel on our plane. Who knows
what it cost the NYPD and NY Port Authority (at the airport) in overtime.

These are the same people that chastised the automobile CEO's for using their aircraft. It further proves that the media only use the facts that make the President look good and hide any facts that will detract from his
persona.

Is this the 'change' we expected?
Talk with friends and those who are not blinded by charisma. Many folks I
know who voted for Obama are very disappointed and sorry they did so.
Remember, 2010 is just around the corner. All we have to do is survive long enough.

The Emperor's clothes on a grand scale. "Transparency"?

I can't say whether it is true or not
What I can say is the president doesn't arrange his own security, that is done by the Secret Service. Is there more presidential security in this post 9-11 world? You bet your ass.
So the question becomes, should the President of the United States hunker down in the White House because every time he moves it costs money? We know the answer for the previous White House inhabitant. He never hesitated to take a trip to Crawford Texas or anywhere else.

 

[VaYank5150]

From a former Air Force Colonel

Which one? Beck, Hannity or Limpballs?

 

[Luissa]

I am thinking this is a fake.

 

[RodISHI]

I can't say whether it is true or not
What I can say is the president doesn't arrange his own security, that is done by the Secret Service. Is there more presidential security in this post 9-11 world? You bet your ass.
So the question becomes, should the President of the United States hunker down in the White House because every time he moves it costs money? We know the answer for the previous White House inhabitant. He never hesitated to take a trip to Crawford Texas or anywhere else.

I had not considered that the secret service does arrange the details. Then again if I knew that a dinner alone was going to cost so much I'd try to consider that before making those minor trips for my own pleasure when I know money is tight, even when it is my money. No I don't think that he should hunker down at the WH but I do think when spending or the cost in another's money I would think twice before being frivolous about it. Do presidents normally go out on these out to dinner with the wife trips that cost the public so much? Do congress members do the same at the public's expense?

 

[del]

i'm trying to figure out why i should care.

i don't like some of his policies and a lot of his supporters are koolaid infused, but in the grand scheme of things, taking his wife out to dinner isn't even a blip on the screen.

 

[Skull Pilot]

Personally, I don't know whether the e mail is factual or not.

It does sound like a government cluster fuck and IMO is probably par for the course. When it comes to waste and inefficiency, the government is second to none.

That said, if I were president or an elected official of any level, I certainly would be more conscientious of how I spent the taxpayers' money.

 

[Ringel05]

I got this in an email this morning is it accurate?

From a former Air Force Colonel

The Date


First, let me say that I've moved three presidents up to now and I've seen incredible waste. But, the "new" guy (Obama) really takes the cake. I don't have an
issue with the President promising his wife dinner and a show or that he even takes his wife out. But, when I saw the news say that the date cost $24,000, here's what you DON'T know.

Three days before "dinner" a C-17 flew Marines and the helicopter maintenance equipment to JFK Airport . The day before "dinner" I flew the US Secret Service and the motorcade to JFK Airport . Our crew of 5 spent two days and nights at the Hilton in Times Square . My hotel bill: $621.66 plus $64 a day in per diem. The USSS guys were at a different Hilton in NYC, so figure that cost another $14,000 (or so) plus per diem. The Marines had to have cost as much and were there four days, so figure another $55,000 plus per diem (for 44 Marines).

We were supposed to fly the motorcade back and go home, but the Air Force was so short C-17's that we were re-tasked to take the motorcade back, return to JFK and take the helicopter back to Quantico .

When we got back to JFK, while the pilot was turning the plane around to park, he noticed a rotor blade sticking out of the hangar where the helicopter was parked and informed me that either it wasn't ready to transport or it was flying home. After shutting down I walked over to the hangar and to my surprise I find FIVE helicopters, not ONE. We're obviously not transporting five big helicopters. I went and talked to the Marines guarding the "fleet" and found that they were flying all five helicopters home and we were only transporting the Marines and the maintenance equipment. After talking to the Marine(s) in charge, I was told that the White House requested FIVE helicopters. The Marines told me that they spent all morning trying to figure out how much it cost them to come and said they figured it cost them $140,000 to stay there (I don't know where they came up with that) and the trip's total had to be about
$1,000,000.

We heard that the President didn't use Air Force One (the 747) so I asked if he came in on one of the 757's. I was told that he came in on THREE Air Force Lear jets.
So, date night consisted of:
2 C-17's flying three missions, 3 Lear jets, 5 Helicopters, Presidential
Motorcade, 44 Marines, more than 20 USSS personnel on our plane. Who knows
what it cost the NYPD and NY Port Authority (at the airport) in overtime.

These are the same people that chastised the automobile CEO's for using their aircraft. It further proves that the media only use the facts that make the President look good and hide any facts that will detract from his
persona.

Is this the 'change' we expected?
Talk with friends and those who are not blinded by charisma. Many folks I
know who voted for Obama are very disappointed and sorry they did so.
Remember, 2010 is just around the corner. All we have to do is survive long enough.

The Emperor's clothes on a grand scale. "Transparency"?

Fake.
If this guy/gal is who he/she claims to be then this person is already in serious trouble, even if retired, and he/she would know that. Has everything to do with a non-disclosure statement signing.