Spain has been closed down for Michelle Obama

[jodevizes]

Michelle Obama has ground Marbella to a standstill as she and her 750 entourage go shopping. www.dailysquib.co.uk/?c=117&a=2393

Why can't these politicians and partners realise it is our money they are wasting. Some of us have to work long and hard for not much money and this is a slap in the face.

Michelle Obama today faced a fresh wave of attacks over her lavish break in Spain with 40 friends, which could easily cost U.S. taxpayers a staggering £50,000 a day

Read more: www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1300852/Spanish-police-close-public-beach-Michelle-Obamas-250k-Spanish-holiday.html#ixzz0vvllNs38

Sorry don't know how to put link on properly.

daily mail story

As they say, why let the facts get in the way of a good story. :o

Michelle and Sasha's holiday is being paid for out of their own pocket- they were multi millionaires before Barack's presidency and I believe the President of the USA draws quite a high wage? Enough for a trip to Marbella, anyway!

The 'costs' to the US taxpayer are, quite literally, the secret service protection costs. Which they have 24/7 anyway- or would the media prefer it if the President's wife and daughter died due to lack of security? At least they wouldn't be spending taxpayers money!

Can't help thinking there's a racist slant to this story- no-one made this much stink when Bush and his wife and daughters went on all those holidays.

No this is not a racist thing. I did post on the disgusting waste of money being squandered on Tony Blair as he swans around the world on his money making tours.

I will always post where politicians think they have the right to spend my hard earned money.

yeah sue you do, bet you were really up in arms about the 4pc tax cut for multi nationals doled out by the tories

Actually, yes they made a fairly big stink about Bush's daughters costing money regarding this type of thing as well. if that helps....

plus a point that she is using taxpayers money for the transportation and paying for the rooms and board of the secret service while they are there, which is definitely a huge expense.

"she is using taxpayers money for the transportation and paying for the rooms and board of the secret service while they are there"

but that would happen wherever they went, surely? Should they not have holidays - just stay at the White House for 4 years?

I have no problem with them having holidays... but most of us have generally one per year (and some of us have none!). The paper mentions that she has had EIGHT holidays over the summer. I'd say that's a bit much.

I wonder about the entourage as well - how many people did she bring with her? it varies depending on the article you read - some say 18, some say 40... but I do wonder how the extra people affects what is paid by taxpayers and what is paid privately. Common sense says that they would need additional security and travel expenses (such as the cars) to cover the guests as a safety precaution - which means we (and I can say that as I am also a US citizen) as taxpayers are paying for things that are unnecessary. If she wants to go on holiday with her children, fine, do so... but an entourage? Ridiculous.

She is one of the highest members of the global elite. What do you want exactly? She can do what the fuck she wants.

"...it has emerged the First Lady will have enjoyed eight holidays by the end of the summer.
These include a trip to Los Angeles in June, a visit to the Florida's oil-hit Gulf Coast next weekend and a ten-day trip to Martha's Vineyard later this month."

well that's 4 including this one, & scant detail...is that the best they can come up with?

The Mail does say, explicitly, "Mrs Obama, 46, and her friends are footing personal expenses themselves - which is just as well.
For a start, they will be paying for the 60 rooms booked at the 129-room Hotel Villa Padierna. With basic rooms starting around £380 each, the nightly bill will be no less than £22,800.
Meals will also be picked up by the Obamas and friends.
Spanish newspaper El Mundo detailed the Obamas' dinner on their first night in Spain. The tapas menu for the delegation included sea bass tartare, strawberry gazpacho and sardines, followed by a main course of lobster with seaweed risotto.
The meal cost about £40 a head, according to El Mundo - which means a bill topping £1,600 would have hit the table if all 40 friends dined together.
Stretched over five nights that's £8,000 for dinner alone.
Whether or not the taxpaying American will be paying for meals, they will definitely be footing the bill for the First Lady's 68-strong security detail"

It's all a bit smudged

Am currently in US and plenty of people here have a bumper sticker saying. "please don't tell Obama what comes after a Trillion". I think the general consensus is that the spending is out of control while individual states are being bankrupted due to cuts.

Alouiseg - I think the problem I see arising as well is that if anyone criticises Obama (or his wife), someone always pipes up with "you're just criticising them because they're black - you're racist!" when really the criticism is because they are being hypocritical by preaching cutting back spending and living less expensively to the country, but doing the opposite themselves (and with taxpayer money!).

I've always felt the biggest problem with our Presidents (well, certain of them, such as Obama and Bush Jr) is that they are so wealthy that they are completely out of touch with real people and the real world

Living extravagantly is fine if you're picking up your own tab but when tax dollars are being used to fund a jaunt then questions have to be asked.