maybe your out of the workforce or something... when was the last time you took 10 vacations in a year? teachers get to have 10 vacations a year? do any of these people take any kind of vacations while their company is trillions of dollars in dept, and on the verge of bankruptcy? i'm just not following what your saying here

the security of the first family is worth it to me,,,

who would have thought so many 'patriots' would be whinging about it,,,

first of all , define 'vacation'

these stories usually include ANY trip out of the state

my son, for instance, takes a 'vacation' at least once a month from nevada to california,,,lol


I know many people in the 'upper class' income range who getaway one weekend a month to someplace out of town (thats twelve 'vacations' a year)

the president earns about 3/4 a mill per year outside of his presidential income, Im sure people in that income bracket take 'vacations' as often as they like,,,,

first of all , define 'vacation'

these stories usually include ANY trip out of the state

my son, for instance, takes a 'vacation' at least once a month from nevada to california,,,lol


I know many people in the 'upper class' income range who getaway one weekend a month to someplace out of town (thats twelve 'vacations' a year)

the president earns about 3/4 a mill per year outside of his presidential income, Im sure people in that income bracket take 'vacations' as often as they like,,,,

Are any of these people you know taking expensive vacations on the companies dollar, and are they taking vacations while the company is going under? you still seem to think obama is paying for something, when in fact, he's just being the entitlist that he thinks his family is...4 million dollars is the cost of his Hawaii excursion, and the queen is skiing right now in colorado, with the little princesses... so far this year, 4 vacations already...

the leaders of anything are not effective leaders when they do not set an example for the people beneath them. the only example he has set is how to lie convincingly...

haaa, keep changing the criteria for the vacations huh?
well , there is no way to get around costing taxpayers dollars whenever you leave the white house if you are the first family


its worth it to me for them to be safe and carry on as a family as they would if not in the white house,,,

of course they arent going to travel greyhound bus or american airlines,, they are the FIRST FAMILY

so yes, their detailed transport and security cost money,, as has the transport and security of any other president and their families

there is no 'example' to be set, when one is earning in the income bracket of the president,, one of the POINTS is having the freedom to do more things like that , which those not in that income bracket cannot necessarily do until they are also part of that income bracket

thats the 'american dream'......greater income=more resources and more freedom

the man and his wife make enough WITHOUT THIS JOB to provide the lifestyle and freedoms they and their children have , why would anyone expect them to live as if they have LESS because of his title?

Actually you are wrong. USPS is totally self sufficient. They don't get money from the government.

Yes, if you want to be president and the country is in financial crisis I think it is your responsibility to give up those kinds of vacations to help out your country. You want to be the highest authority in the country then it comes with sacrifices.

cant tell from the check my mom gets every month

they are still federal employees,,,

You can tell from all the talk they had about how the USPS is not paying for itself and is having to reduce services. I believe in New York they have already stopped delivering on Saturdays. It matters not if they are federal employees. Their money comes from earnings for services provided, not from tax dollars. Whether are not you can tell from your mothers check doesn't make you any less wrong.

why do you give up those vacations?

what makes that a 'responsibility'?

I think the presidential 'responsibilities' can be handled from whatever location he is in,,, so what has it to do with 'responsibility' to restrict your family to washington dc rather allow them to try to have as close to the family life they are used to as possible?

Because I am not the president, in the highest elected position in our country, whose sole job is to do whatever he can to help improve our current situation. That is why it is his responsibility not mine. If I go on vacation it doesn't cost america money. If fact it brings in money. I don't spend tax payer dollars when I go on vacation. Really this isn't rocket science.....

I guess you didn't know that the President has to pay for his own airfare, and that of any family/friends travelling with him when he's going on vacation. Sure, he doesn't pay for the Secret Service, who follow him around (and travel in advance to secure the destination) but there's nothing he can do about that.

BTW: Those costs for Obama's vacations also include statutory costs, that are spent even when Air Force One just sits parked at Edwards AFB. Those security agents don't go home on furlough if he stays home, either. They're all salaried employees with benefits. So, Obama's vacations don't come anywhere near the $4 million each.

Besides, the executive travel is part of the compensation package for the President of the United States. If you don't like it, you'll have to get Congress to pass new laws saying that Presidents are no longer allowed to do any unofficial travel. Good luck with that.

neither is the fact that living in the white house costs taxpayers money too,, should presidents stay in their own homes, paid from their own pockets?

people work and they take vacations, presidents happen to have an added expense because of being president, they also have added responsibility to work whenever its called for, wherever they are

tally up the expenses of presidential vacations over the past twenty years, include those one day trips too, and the expenses compared to the value of money TODAY,, and there will be little difference,,,

they still have famillies and should be allowed the human dignity to not hold them prisoners in a white house or in DC because of their job title,,,

I agree.

I am not against them taking it, I am against them taking it with tax payer money. If they fund it themselves have at it.

i like the way you libs think "there's nothing he can do about that"... only the highest position in the world, but his hands are tied... same ole rhetoric, Barry is god, he can do no wrong... no wonder why i hate libs

i was always told "if your not part of the solution, then don't be part of the problem"... no solutions, lots of problems... if his ski trips, beach trips, basketball( which he sucks at 2-22 on easter) his queen gallivanting around the world, showing off how entitled she is, 4 million dollar Hawaii vacations(2010 it was only 1.5 million), the talk shows, and his wife's 10 million dollar spending spree, he might be a so-so president...

how about the freedom to stay in washington and do some work? I was glad to hear that he is returning 5% of his salary due to the sequester

but being the president is alm ost definitive workaholic schedule - if he can't handle that he needs to go....jmho