President Obama’s Hawaii Vacation Will Cost Taxpayers $4 Million

It’s expensive for the President of the United States to take a vacation, so expensive in fact that the Obama family vacation is expected to cost taxpayers $4 million.

While the exact cost of the trip has not been revealed the estimated cost of flying Air Force One is $181,757 per hour, making the cost of the flight by itself $3,271,622. The Hawaiian Reporter also points out that Michelle Obama’s early flight aboard a military plane cost an additional $100,000.

While the cost for a Presidential vacation (which Obama extended by three days) may seem high that’s because it’s slightly more than trips in the past due to the higher cost of jet fuel and overall operation costs.

As would be expected the vacation has drawn plenty of criticism from conservative websites who have blasted the President for his use of vacation time. It should be noted however that according to nonpartisan reporting website FactCheck.org President George W. Bush spent 1,020 days during his time as president on vacation (510 days per term – Bush spent 487 days at Camp David, 490 days at his Crawford ranch, and 43 days at his family compound in Kennebunkport, Maine.). John F. Kennedy in the meantime spent 1,000 days away from the White House.

In contrast President Obama spent just 26 days on vacation during his first year in office, less than the previous three Republican Presidents but more than Democratic leaders Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter.

In the meantime the vacation wasn’t a quick duck out of the White House for some leisure time, Michelle Obama left early because husband Barack delayed his part of the trip by six days while working with Congress to extend the payroll tax cut.

I personally want our Presidents (Dems and Reps) to receive some much needed leisure time when it’s possible, after all they make the decisions that affect all of our lives and with that rest comes some high costs of travel for safety and public persona reasons.

Do you think Presidential vacations are a waste of taxpayer money or is the safety of the President aboard Air Force One a necessary “cost of doing business” in our country.

[Image via Couperfield / Shutterstock.com]