How many did other first ladies have? Without that info, this is worthless.
That would have been better journalism to give a specific number vs. “unprecedented”...however, what the heck would she need that many for anyway?
This was posted under the above article where I originally found it in Yahoo Groups. I cannot verify this info to be absolutely, although maybe some fellow FReeper here can:
“There has never been anyone in the White House at
any time that has created such an army of staffers whose sole duties are the facilitation of the First Lady’s social life. One wonders why she needs so much help, at taxpayer expense, when even Hillary, only had three; Jackie Kennedy one; Laura Bush one; and prior to Mamie Eisenhower social help came from the President’s own pocket.
Note: This does not include makeup artist Ingrid Grimes-Miles, 49, and “First Hairstylist” Johnny Wright, 31, both of whom travelled aboard Air Force One to Europe.”
“How many did other first ladies have? Without that info, this is worthless.”
Whatever Hillary Clinton did is irrelevant - it’s all water over the dam. Michelle Obama is spending your money and my money with abandon.
picked this on the net...not sure if accurate though...
Michelle Obama: $1,208,500 annual staff salaries, Laura Bush annual staff salaries...$561,325
Quote:
The figures are in. As required by Congress since 1995, salaries paid to staffers employed in the West Wing of the White House must be publicly reported. Most of you won’t be pleased to learn that your tax dollars are paying $1,208,500 annually to provide the First Lady, Michelle Obama [COLOR=darkgreen ! important][/color]with the staff she feels she needs to execute her duties as FLOTUS.
For purposes of comparison, please consult Dan Froomkin’s 2004 White House Staff List-By Salary published in the Washington Post on June 13, 2004. Tallying Laura Bush’s staff from the list provided by Froomkin totals $561,325 in annual salaries for the former First Lady’s staff.
This number does not include White House maintenance or kitchen staff or the occasional pizza night with Barack and Michelle flying in the chef from a St. Louis restaurant to kick back and share [COLOR=darkgreen ! important][/color]some deep dish with 140 of their close personal friends. Nor does it include date nights in Chicago.
And it certainly doesn’t include Michelle’s European with her daughters. In fact, CNS reports that
“the White House will not reveal the cost to taxpayers of the European vacation [COLOR=darkgreen ! important][/color]that first lady Michelle Obama and the president’s two daughters, Malia and Sasha, took last month.”
Despite deploying multiple aircraft, a huge staff and a motorcade of 20 vehicles including support staff on tours of London and Paris and la-di-da, apparently the White House feels there is some sort of executive privilege involved in withholding the cost of the First Family’s extravagances from the citizens who foot the bill for them.
Perhaps they thought we wouldn’t notice? Actually most don’t notice or as with the press they just look the other way...don’t want hurt feelings you know!
“It was supposed to be a secret trip, but the motorcade gave it away.”
I don't know that the pay scale was the same.
aha, I can feel your Meeshell luvvvvvvvvvvvvvv. I keep waiting for ONE time where you don’t run to that big ole gals defense.
I was told that Mrs. Bush has just as many! I probably would have gone through the roof then too! I had heard about Mrs. Clinton stealing everything when they left and that made me irate as well. Don’t know how many attendants she had either. It is all outrageous no matter how you slice it!
Don’t you think in this day and age of our country this should be stopped? Just one of her attendants makes more than I do and I attend to my own.