Why the heck couldn't she send one of the high paid staff she hired? We wouldn't have to protect those people.
... and why would I ever care what that reject from Carthage, Tennessee has to say. The less I hear from him, the better off I am. :wink:
I don't know what to say after reading that story. She is totally out of touch, sure there is a market for fresh organic foods, even though they are very expensive, but why oh why does she think that ordinary people can afford to pay the prices.
Also I have to say I am not one who thinks we need to watch every penny that the President spends. He is incredibly underpaid for the job he does, no matter whether you like the job he does or not. When people howl about the president taking his family on Air Force 1 unless he reimburses the govt, I think it's stupid. The man (or woman) should be able to take his family gratis where ever he goes. Same thing for Michelles trip to the market, I am assuming that her personal trip there had more to do with giving the place publicity than she personally needing to pick the lettuce. So I'm ok with the whole thing. I doubt if she does the shopping for the White House, personally, very often....work with the Chef to make up the menu's and the shopping lists sure, but go pick'em out doubtful.
Terry Let's remember that there are some places in this country where 1 out of 5 people are out of work. Spending a quarter of a million of taxpayer money to have a date to a Broadway play just might bother some Americans. Here we have a President who wants to put Cap and Trade down our throats and they have to dedicate 28 vehicles to her one block trip to buy some vegies? Oh what the heck, let them eat cake.
I might agree with you Gip if we paid the President 25 Million a year. But for the money he earns though it's lame for people to IMHO nickel and dime him on every penny he spends. Not just Obama, but Bush, Clinton, who ever. He's on duty 24/7 I don't begrudge him going to New York with his wife. Also as I said if he's going to Paris for some big meeting and he takes his wife and family on Air Force 1 with him I don't think he should have to reimburse the govt.
Terry, I understand what you mean and agree with you on this. No matter who the president is there are deserved privileges that come with the office that seem to grey them before our eyes. What bothers me is how extreme the privileges have gone. Something as assine as bringing in dozens of vehicles and shutting down streets is an afront to me as a tax paying citizen and brings images of what gipper said in his comment of "let them eat cake". If we are so worried about going green these days can you imagine the footprint left behind by this entire process. I am mystified at times with the eagerness Americans work at putting those in office on a pedestal. Are they not our appointed servants? Where did the worship begin of those in office! We deliberately did not install royalty in this country because it was exactly that fact that we became a seperate country. Ok my rant of the evening is done...Now as a farmer of nearly 30 years I could write volumes of the sham most "organic" products really are, but that's for another evenings rant... 8) Ralph
While that incident that was reported certainly seems excessive, when you think of it anytime she goes to some school to do some sort of charity function that will seem more "worthy" of a 1st Lady it's still going to be a big production and involve a lot of people shutting down of access etc. Any time they leave the White House it's a big deal.
Answer me this...why is this stuff ok while he goes right along with the absolute demagogue attitude towards the auto executives who flew corporate jets to Washington. Duh!...that id how corporate executives travel to meetings in other cities...that is why they call them corporate jets. I guess they could have hitchhiked. Gip got it right...total "Let them eat cake" attitude...but what's new? Terry, she want's to go to a charity function, that's fine...but shopping for kale?
I'm just talking in general, I agree it was ridiculous what he and the Congress made out of the auto execs flying in Corporate Jets to Washington. edit: I want to add that if you want there are probably so many things that the first family does that cost us tons of money. I mean I wonder how much money it costs us to secure the schools that their kids go to and how much does it cost every day to get them to and from school. That grocery shopping trip is one thing but what about any other shopping trip? I mean it's just as expensive for them to go shopping for school clothes or virtually anything that they buy. Maybe we should make it a law that they can't go shopping at all and have to use surrogates or do it online.
I've got your back, Terry. I agree with you. The exact same thing would have happened if Laura Bush wanted to go shopping or if the Bush family was going on a vacation. In fact, it probably did. The difference here is that the "wrong guy" is in office, and his many opponents are parsing his every move with a negative slant. I disagree with his politics, I believe he makes bad judgements (a la the auto execs/corporate jet fiasco), and I believe he is off to a horrible start in his presidency......BUT......I'm not going to waste time complaining about the things being complained about in this topic.
Doc, are you serious about Obama's income? Because he was elected president http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/03/19/obama-book-deal-500k-adva_n_176837.html The only question is will he be like Clinton and have 8 or 9 figures by the time he finishes his "public service?"
I'm with Gipper. There is a sense of "royalty" with the Obamas that you never got with Bush. They are living large, very large, while simultaneously telling us that we must pay more and do less. This guy has a habit of inherently doing the wrong thing and that's why he is becoming a pariah. He is so ham-handed in politics that I think when it is all said and done he will be known as the Father of the Modern Conservatism.
Well that these guys can make a lot of money with book deals and speaking engagements or other things is not the same thing as what he is paid as President. Like I said pretty much anything they do outside of staying at home in the White House costs a ton of money. I don't begrudge them the vast majority of stuff that they do.
How about flying Air Force One over NYC for a photo op? http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/27/air-force-one-backup-rattles-new-york-nerve/ Two AF jets and a 747 for a photo op?
I wasn't aware the the President or any family member was in that ill fated photo-op. I'm specifically talking about the costs of doing just normal things for the Pres and his family, it's exhorbitant because of the security issues. There is no way around it and I for one don't think they should be prisioners in the White House because somebody might write an article on how much it costs for the First Lady to go out shopping.
Terry, I don't single out the President and his family. I am disgusted with the way any official in DC doesn't have the same retirement options, health care options, and gets protection at my expense. I realize that there may be more reason for undesirables to attack or take one of them hostage. However, in today's society, that is a real concern for all citizens. In DC, you cannot protect yourself with a knife or a hand gun. You have to wait for the police to get there to bag up your body. If it is good for the common man, it should be good for the government. I am tired of them acting like Kings and Queens.