Bush's SEVEN photo-ops have cost US over $2.5 MILLION alone

[jackstraw45]

and that's STRICTLY travel costs...no security/overtime/other logistical costs included.

Over 2.5 million for this a-hole to get 7 photo-ops and offer NO actual help or assistance.

That's enough to pay his salary for over 6 years!

- In 2000, when jet fuel prices were lower, the GAO estimated that flying Air Force One cost $54,100 per hour, or $60,250 in today's dollars.

- Excluding security and aircraft costs, the White House has estimated that staff costs on presidential trips average between $22,000 and $59,000, the Associated Press has reported.

(from http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A32389-2005Apr6.html)

So..it's about 2.5 hours each way back and forth to the storm areas.

7 trips x 5 hours at $60,250 = $2,108,750

7 trips at $59,000 per trip for staff and photographers = $413,000

That's not including the large Air Force cargo plane that carries communications equipment, additional support staff, and the armored OR the helicopter used to "survey" damage.

[MichiganVote]

1. How much more of this are we supposed to take?

[slay]

16. I know the feeling

Will the real Democrats PLEASE stand up and help us??? I'm hoping all the Frist/Rove/Abramoff/Delay problems will all come to a head soon. If not I guess we all be getting arrested in front of the white house soon cause brother, I've had enough! :mad:

[MichiganVote]

21. Well, slay, today brought a little hope our way

[kikiek]

2. Air force one uses 3840 gallons an hour . But don't you little people use

more gas than absolutely necessary. Add in personnel. Good lord keep him at home in the liquor cabinet. We're much safer with him there, and we'd save so much.

[DemoTex]

10. Beware: That 3840 figure might not be linear. Not that it matters much!

I'm not a 747 driver, but I did drive smaller Boeing jets once. We normally worked with the dispatchers (they, the fuel experts) with our fuel-burn "gouges" (rules-of-thumb). They alway included first hour, second hour, third hour, fourth hour, and (in the case of the L-Rs) fifth hour burns. The take-off hour fuel burn was highest, and as the jet got lighter and higher altitudes became achievable, hourly fuel burn rates deceased.

Mac

[kikiek]

11. Might explain the lower costs per hour I've read. I got it off Buzzflash

yesterday a CBS story.

[DemoTex]

13. Probably a low-ball fuel cost ...

My buds Rick Meyer and Karl Schneider have posts that call the cost of AF-1 near $60,000/hour. I think that they are way off. I think it costs between $75,000 and $100,000 per hour to move the Bu$hboy. That does not include a RON (remain overnight). Who will ever know? Until after the revolution/revelation, of course!


Crazy Cat P-2 (Cam Rahn)

[spartan61]

3. And he wants us to conserve?

What a freaken idiot. Shouldn't leaders lead by example? Oops, I just remembered. HE'S NOT A LEADER!!!!

[Angry Girl]

4. Hey! Propaganda costs money too! Kicked! Rec'd! n/t

[fed-up]

5. kicked and nominated n/t

[crispini]

6. FUCK! Nominated.

What an ass. :crazy:

[dretceterini]

7. Oh, come on now...

what's 2.5 million but pocket change compared to a half TRILLION dollars spent on Bush's war on the heathens? :mad:

[crispini]

9. Well, you are correct, of course.

But I just wish we had a President who was a good financial steward of our government, in a general sense. A million here, a million there -- that adds up, you know? :crazy:

[ourbluenation]

8. remember when wh staff said he could work from Crawford????

so why the need to fly himself all over the place. You can't have it both ways jack ass. Stay home chimpy and do us all a fraking favor.

[Shallah Kali]

12. and this isn't counting the lives lost when rescues operations stopped

for hours before, during and after W's visits. These photo ops should be paid for Bush's campaign not by tax payers.

[number6]

14. and Bu$h tells us to save energy ...

...ha ha :eyes:

[MADem]

15. I heard they were considering dumping the press to lighten their costs! nt

[Karenina]

17. Kick!

:kick:

[GreenPartyVoter]

18. He's a 10 gallon ass-hat

[Inland]

19. Where's Congress? Somebody, somebody rein BUSH IN

Nail his shoes to the floor, cut off his allowance, appoint a parole officer, SOMETHING.

[kimpossible]

20. And how much did his endless Privatization-pallooza cost?

During that 60-day "Let's Trash Social Security" tour, that turned into a lot more than 60 days - how many trips did he make? Sure, gas was a little cheaper way back in the old days this spring and summer, but it was a whole lot of unnecessary travel. I wonder how much of our tax money he spent on his faux-campaign-trail lark?