The "Pig" won't even reveal how much her vacations cost the taxpayers.
As far as the Pig's apologists claiming that it won't be funded by the taxpayers...
CNSNews.com - White House Won?t Reveal How Much Michelle Obama?s European Vacation Cost Taxpayers
White House WonÂ’t Reveal How Much Michelle ObamaÂ’s European Vacation Cost Taxpayers
Monday, July 06, 2009
By Fred Lucas, Staff Writer
First lady Michelle Obama makes remarks after touring the Unity Health Care Upper Cordozo Health Center in Washington, Monday, June 29, 2009. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
(CNSNews.com) – America may be in the midst of a deep recession, and the nation may be facing unprecedented deficit spending and debt, but the White House will not reveal the cost to taxpayers of the European vacation that first lady Michelle Obama and the president’s two daughters, Malia and Sasha, took last month.
Travel by an American first lady typically includes the military passenger jet that carries her and the children, Secret Service personnel to provide security, and a separate cargo plane to haul official vehicles.
First Lady Michelle Obama’s tour of Paris with her children included a convoy of 20 vehicles, according to news reports. She also moved by “motorcade” through London.
The full cost of such a trip would also include the expense of meals and lodging for Secret Service agents and possibly other staff...
...Combined, the first ladyÂ’s air travel cost would have been $44,843.28, under the White House estimate or $163,560.50, under the Air Force estimate, but these estimates are for fiscal year 1998 dollars.
Adjusted for inflation to 2009 dollars, the cost to taxpayers of the Washington-to-Paris-to-London-to-Washington air travel would have ranged from $58,834.02 to $214,591.38, according to the inflation estimates by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
“Costs associated with these trips, however, generally involve much more than the operational costs of the specific passenger aircraft,” the CRS report says. “When the president travels abroad, several passenger and cargo aircraft accompany Air Force One. When the vice president or first lady make such a trip, a single cargo aircraft accompanies either of them.”
Rules distinguish official and unofficial travel by the first family and administration officials. Official business would include the president meeting with foreign leaders, while unofficial business would include the president traveling to campaign for a candidate of his party or a first family vacation.
“The travel polices of specific administrations concerning the reimbursement of expenses for unofficial travel generally are not publicly available,” the CRS report said.
