Letter to the Editor: Cost of presidential travel

To the Editor:

The President and his family have decided to visit Africa. When asked the purpose of the trip the White House has, as of now, had no answer. He probably wants to see his birthplace.

The Secret Service in charge of the President’s safety has spared no money. It has been estimated the trip will cost 100 million dollars. According to the Washington Post, “Military cargo planes will airlift in 56 support vehicles, including 14 limousines and three trucks loaded with sheets of bullet­proof glass to cover the windows of the hotels where the first family will stay. Fighter jets will fly in shifts, giving 24-hour coverage over the President’s airspace, so they can intervene quickly if an errant plane gets too close. Navy medical ships will be standing by in case of a medical emergency.

They cancelled a safari trip while there, which would have required the President’s special counter-assault team to carry sniper rifles with high-caliber rounds that could neutralize cheetahs, lions or other animals if they became a threat.

All of this is hard to understand. Why all the security? Weren’t we told if we elect him president that the whole world would love us, if we just got rid of Bush?

Joe Wollman

Odessa, WA