"When the heat gets too much, get out of the kitchen..."
In my working days, I would do a fair amount of travel. One of the managers I worked for had a simple rule - if you needed to travel, submit a request with a short narrative on what the outcome of the trip would be. Upon return, along with the expense report, you would submit a trip report which outlined how you accomplished the expectations of the trip. The reason for doing this was simple - my boss, along with his management, wanted to ensure each travel dollar was wisely spent, and there were no "boondoggles" taken.
I thought about that the other day when I saw our well traveled President was going to Africa for a week. My first thought was this - who authorized this trip? Why was he going? Why in the world did it cost the taxpayers $100,000,000? Why in the world does this cost so much?
According to the Washington Post (not a right wing newspaper):
"Hundreds of U.S. Secret Service agents will be dispatched to secure facilities in Senegal, South Africa and Tanzania. A Navy aircraft carrier or amphibious ship, with a fully staffed medical trauma center, will be stationed offshore in case of emergency. Military cargo planes will airlift in 56 support vehicles, including 14 limousines and three trucks loaded with sheets of bullet-proof glass to cover the windows of the hotels where the first family will stay. Fighter jets will fly in shifts giving 24-hour coverage over the president’s airspace so they can intervene quickly if an errant plane gets too close."
Wow! That is quite the military operation! There must really, really be an important reason to go to Africa right now. When asked for specifics, the White House replied it was somewhat of a "busman's holiday" - a working vacation. A spokesperson for the White House got very prickly when pushed on the "whys and costs" of this trip. The response was, "Clinton and Bush did it too". So cutting through the fog, here is what it is - a family vacation. The kids are going with so they can see where grandpa was born. It will be fun and educational at the same time. The sky high cost - who cares? This will be a great respite for the imperial family.
How is this family vacation seen by the rest of the world? According a recent article in the UK Telegraph:
According to the Washington Post (not a right wing newspaper):
"Hundreds of U.S. Secret Service agents will be dispatched to secure facilities in Senegal, South Africa and Tanzania. A Navy aircraft carrier or amphibious ship, with a fully staffed medical trauma center, will be stationed offshore in case of emergency. Military cargo planes will airlift in 56 support vehicles, including 14 limousines and three trucks loaded with sheets of bullet-proof glass to cover the windows of the hotels where the first family will stay. Fighter jets will fly in shifts giving 24-hour coverage over the president’s airspace so they can intervene quickly if an errant plane gets too close."
Wow! That is quite the military operation! There must really, really be an important reason to go to Africa right now. When asked for specifics, the White House replied it was somewhat of a "busman's holiday" - a working vacation. A spokesperson for the White House got very prickly when pushed on the "whys and costs" of this trip. The response was, "Clinton and Bush did it too". So cutting through the fog, here is what it is - a family vacation. The kids are going with so they can see where grandpa was born. It will be fun and educational at the same time. The sky high cost - who cares? This will be a great respite for the imperial family.
How is this family vacation seen by the rest of the world? According a recent article in the UK Telegraph:
"In many parts of the continent, Presidents Bush and Bill Clinton are more
fondly remembered, for multi-billion pound programmes to treat AIDS and ease
trade.
Mr. Obama, by contrast, has
launched no similar initiative, and faces growing criticism for his use of
drones in the skies above Africa and widening militarisation of the US approach
to the continent."
Ouch! It seems our last two presidents went to Africa with a mission, not vacation plans. That is the difference. Some have said the kitchen was getting so hot from the numerous scandals, the head guy just needed some time off. Others say he is once again acting imperial and taking advantage of Air America (Air Force One). In any event, I hope the family has a great time over there. As for me and 67% of the rest of our population, there will be no vacation as we will continue to live paycheck to paycheck.
Ouch! It seems our last two presidents went to Africa with a mission, not vacation plans. That is the difference. Some have said the kitchen was getting so hot from the numerous scandals, the head guy just needed some time off. Others say he is once again acting imperial and taking advantage of Air America (Air Force One). In any event, I hope the family has a great time over there. As for me and 67% of the rest of our population, there will be no vacation as we will continue to live paycheck to paycheck.
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