posted
Most of us haven't thought about this -- no matter how much we like or dislike John Kerry. Even an estimate of this cost is staggering. If elected, you and I (or those of us who actually pay taxes) will pay upkeep and secret service protection for five Kerry mansions here in the United States plus those he and his wife own abroad. It is good to be John F. Kerry...the F stands for Forbes in case you ever wondered. He is one of the richest senators in government and he married even richer.
Their properties certainly reflect their opulent lifestyle. When someone is elected president, the Secret Service has to protect this person and family as well as their property - for as long as the president and his spouse lives!
Beacon Hill, Boston $6.9 million As mentioned, the Kerry's have five US properties and several foreign properties. The cost to run one of these homes for a year is more than upper middle income Americans could afford, even if the rent was free, and all you had to pay was the water, gas & electric bills (we won't mention ground keepers, maintenance, pool, cooks and house keepers).
Fox Chapel, PA $3.7 million (this is their "shanty") If Kerry becomes president each property requires staffed secret service security 24 hours a day. Security improvements to each home will come at tax payer expense. Even if the Kerry's never use all the properties - they will be retrofitted -- just in case they drop by for a weekend. Facilities for the secret service agents must also be provided on each property. Who do you think will pay for this? We pay! This takes all the expense off Kerry and puts it on us. Bill Clinton is paying for his New York manor house by charging the government monthly rent for the required secret service facility. The monthly rent is nearly three times more than his mortgage payment. So we the tax payers are buying his house and he pockets the extra money from the rent on the secret service facility. Then he gets to write off the interest on his mortgage. Well, he was broke from defending his immoral skullduggery and his wife's little scandals, so maybe we should feel sorry for poor old Slick Willie.
Georgetown, Washington D.C. $4.7 million
Ketchum, Idaho $4.92 million What does it cost to staff one property in terms of secret service agents? Let's just talk about his American properties. Each property would require 5 agents per 6 hour shift 4 times a day 365 days a year for the rest of Kerry's life and however long his widow might live. In addition, we pay to house and feed these agents at each property for the duration. Do the math. Five properties requiring five agents per shift, times four shifts. That is 20 agents per day per property, 365 days per year. Lets say each agent receives a salary of about $60K this doesn't include insurance, retirement, etc.; add 30% of salary for that). There will also be vehicles, repairs, gas, and other miscellaneous costs. Straight salary and benefits for 100 agents for one year would cost $7,800,000. We can only guess at the cost of retrofitting each property, building the facility necessary to house the agents and the monthly rent for each facility.
Nantucket, MA $9.18 million On the other hand, George Bush owns one house - the one at his ranch in Crawford, Texas. Again, who pays? You and I pay. I don't mind one property; heck I wouldn't even complain about two - but five in the U.S. and those abroad? Perhaps Mr. and Mrs. Kerry should offer to foot the bill for all but two of these properties if they want me to consider his candidacy. Does it make sense to spend this kind of money on his excessive life style when he and Mrs. Heinz-Kerry can better afford it??
Paying for the Kerry mansions is only a small part of my concern about this man sitting in the White House. Tax and spend Kerry - that's his party motto. I'd rather see the money we'd spend protecting his fancy properties go toward health care, our military and homeland security. Which America does he live in?? Not the same one I live in - that's for sure! Please pass the mustard; do America a favor and pass this to your friends. Let's keep Bush a resident of the White House rather than spend millions and millions to protect Kerry's preferred lifestyle and opulent properties. We'd save an incredible amount of money for more deserving programs. Oh, and viva Del Monte Ketchup!
posted
Bob...every time i hear Bush speak, i lke him less....
i don't follow dem politics so i don't know but, i really think the Dems put Kerry out to lose, so Hillary could run 2008...
LOL i bet she ordered Bill to fake his heart attack so he wouldn't campaign...LOL
my guess is the dems figgered that after 8 years of this, we would be begging for Hillary...LOL
let's face it, anybody who thinks God wants them to take over the world is scary...even to the faithful.....
i would even get annoyed when Jeff Gordon would jump out of his car and thank God... as if God loves him more than Dale Earnhardt or something....no way
[This message has been edited by glassman (edited October 27, 2004).]
posted
I agree, being a retired military person myself I don't know that I could have held faith under Bush. He treats the military as his personel servants. Forcing them to stay past there term, extended stays, and not enough help. Glad I am not in reserves right now. I was honored to serve my country. But I would have been outraged if when my time was up and I felt I had done my duty, that I was told NO you must serve longer. The president has the responsibility to make sure the troops are safe, he has enough troops, and they aren't over extended. He should have considered this before starting a war he couldn't finish. This has nothing to do with Rep. or Dem. either. I served under Ronald Reagan, and Bush 1 and was proud to serve under them.
Ric
quote:Originally posted by glassman: Bob...every time i hear Bush speak, i lke him less....
i don't follow dem politics so i don't know but, i really think the Dems put Kerry out to lose, so Hillary could run 2008...
LOL i bet she ordered Bill to fake his heart attack so he wouldn't campaign...LOL
my guess is the dems figgered that after 8 years of this, we would be begging for Hillary...LOL
let's face it, anybody who thinks God wants them to take over the world is scary...even to the faithful.....
i would even get annoyed when Jeff Gordon would jump out of his car and thank God... as if God loves him more than Dale Earnhardt or something....no way
[This message has been edited by glassman (edited October 27, 2004).]
[This message has been edited by Ric (edited October 27, 2004).]
Posts: 4405 | From: Bristol, Tn, USA | Registered: Aug 2004
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posted
Ric, can you actually make any troops safe during war? What is the difference in style of fighting between this and vietnam? I know there are many, but this is still Gorilla fighting, is it not? I would think that the best way to keep the troops safe during war, is to allow for the equipment they need to be bought and distributed throughout the troops.
Posts: 1153 | From: northeast | Registered: Apr 2004
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posted
None wasn't addressing that problem. I was addressing the way the war is being run by never having enough troops and over extending the troops there. Good troops can't stay good troops when they are over worked and under manned. Its sort of like if your boss forces you to work so much overtime till you are burnt out. Most of us that have served are proud of our service and know we will be put in harms way if need be but we expect the one on top to do there best to get us out.
Ric
quote:Originally posted by futuresobjective: Ric, can you actually make any troops safe during war? What is the difference in style of fighting between this and vietnam? I know there are many, but this is still Gorilla fighting, is it not? I would think that the best way to keep the troops safe during war, is to allow for the equipment they need to be bought and distributed throughout the troops.
Posts: 4405 | From: Bristol, Tn, USA | Registered: Aug 2004
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posted
FO, if you watch the show "Rumsfeld's War", you will get a fundamental understanding why people like myself dardog and others who have been part of the military machine have such a low regard for the current admin...the show clearly explains why Iraq is such a mess...
we have the BEST military PEOPLE in the Biz and they shafted them... we have the BEST INTEL people in the BIZ and they SHAFTED them...
Tenet won Afghanistan for US with almost NO casualties..see the show--it explains the how and why...it's very factual.. Tenet was forced out to cover the admin's judgement errors...not because he was at fault...
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