Obama’s Pay Cut: Publicity Stunt for the Stupid

While the Democrats and the media tell the public every day that the sequester is destroying the country, Obama the Emperor continues to spend, spend, spend on lavish vacations at taxpayer expense.

His recent Hawaii vacation alone cost at least $4 million with some overall estimates being five times that amount when expenses such as advance teams are factored in.  The cost for the Obama daughters’ spring break vacation to the Bahamas and Michelle Obama’s skiing vacation are not known yet but typically include 25 or more Secret Service agents and accompanying costs; all at taxpayer expense.

Vacationing at taxpayer expense is nothing new to the Obamas.  Since Obama took office in January 2009 the Obama family has racked up a lot of frequent flyer miles. 

Their vacations have included:

February 2013, Michelle and daughters ski trip
February 2013, Obama to Florida to play golf with Tiger Woods
December 2012, Obama in Hawaii for vacation over Christmas
March 2012, daughters spring break vacation to the Bahamas
President’s Day 2012, Michelle and daughters in Aspen, Colorado to ski.
Christmas 2011, the Obamas in Hawaii for an extended vacation.
Summer 2011, in Martha’s Vineyard, Mass., for the annual beach break.
June 2011, Michelle, her mother and daughters traveled to South Africa and Botswana.
President’s Day 2011, Michelle and first daughters travel to Vail to ski.
Christmas 2010, Obamas in Hawaii.
August 2010, the Obamas traveled to Panama City Beach, Fla., for some sun and fun at the beach.
August 2010, Obama spent the weekend alone in Chicago for his 49th birthday bash.
August 2010, Michelle and daughter Sasha traveled to Spain.
August 2010, the Obamas summer vacation again at Martha’s Vineyard.
July 2010, the Obamas went to Mount Desert Island, Maine.
May 2010, the Obamas had a four-day trip to Chicago.
March 2010, Michelle and daughter spend Spring Break in New York City.
Christmas 2009, Hawaii again for the annual break.
August 2009, at Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Canyon for a short vacation.
August 2009, their first summer vacation as first family at Martha’s Vineyard, Mass.

There have been so many I may have missed some.

And now Obama has decided to take a voluntary 5% pay cut in a “show of unity” with federal workers who are being furloughed due to the sequester.

“The President has decided that to share in the sacrifice being made by public servants across the federal government that are affected by the sequester, he will contribute a portion of his salary back to the Treasury,” White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said in a statement. “He instructed his staff he wanted to do this when the sequester took effect.”

Today I read that cancer clinics are turning away thousands of Medicare patients, blaming the sequester budget cuts.  Oncologists have said the reduced funding makes it impossible to administer expensive chemotherapy drugs while staying afloat financially.

Perhaps Obama’s 5% pay cut will solve the whole problem.  All the cancer patients can keep receiving their life saving drugs. 

Or, perhaps Obama’s 5% pay cut is just a huge publicity stunt to help the media give the impression that he really cares about the financial woes of our country.  All the low-information voters will soak it up and believe Obama’s $20,000 per year is going to save the nation.  Eureka, all our problems are over! 

And that means there’s no reason at all for the Obamas to give up their million dollar vacations, funded by our tax dollars.  Party on, Emperor Barack.