The Nation has posted an article detailing the cost of President Obama's Hawaiian vacation. I don't begrudge the man and his family a vacation, but they have spent $1.5 million on their holiday. This just seems inappropriate at a time when the unemployment rate in America has hovered around 10 per cent for the past six months.
The article reports:
"The White House would not comment on the cost of the stay. A spokesman said the president's holiday expenses are in line with those of previous presidents. But the Hawaii Reporter claimed: 'They could have chosen a less expensive and more secure place to stay such as a beachfront home on the Kaneohe Marine Corps Air Station - just a two-minute drive away from the Kailuana Place property where they are now.
"'The president visits the military base daily to workout, bowl with his kids or enjoy the more private beach there. 'He also could have stayed at a home 15 minutes away on the beach fronting Bellows Air Force Base as President Bill Clinton did.'"
Watching the behavior of the Obamas in the White House reminds me of watching someone who has won the lottery. There seems to be no limit on the spending and no sensitivity to the fact that many Americans are struggling financially. The President and his family are entitled to a vacation, but to spend $1.5 million dollars on a vacation at this time is a little tone deaf. We elect a President to lead the country--not act as if he is competing for a part on "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous."
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