Posted on 01/08/2011 7:40:45 PM PST by Mariner
First, time for prayers for all who were killed and injured today, and their families and loved ones.
The cost of providing 7 x 24 US Marshall protection on a per Elected Official basis with training, insurance, retirement contribution, cars, OT etc. is unlikely to exceed $400k/yr for each officer.
Assuming it take a crew of 5 (1 Armed and awake officer at all times, 2 or 3 for special events) to protect each ELECTED US Office Holder that would add up to about $2mil/yr for each of them.
Total cost to the taxpayer inclusive of admin, offices, training ground etc would certainly be less than $2bil/yr.
In the age of trillions this is the rounding error of the chump change account.
Well worth it. No, it will not stop any conceivable attack on one of these officials but it would provide a base level of security for them and their bystanders.
Would this shoter still have got to Giffords? Maybe. Would there be 19 people down and 6 of them dead like we saw today? No way.
The President (dung be upon him) should propose, and House and the Senate should pass a Bill that authorizes such basic protection for those members who CHOOSE it, then the President should sign it.
Opinions?
I ask all conservatives to support such an approach.
Not just no but HELL NO!
Whats another trillion, china has lots of money. and I really hope your post is a joke!!!
How about allocating $300 for all 535 critters so they can buy themselves a .38 special. Problem solved.
Dumbest idea ever!
2nd that,
Why not go ahead and ordain them as gods?
Sorry. No likey.
The thought of spending any more money on any career crook -er, politician- is repulsive. Let them spend some of their campaign funds on themselves...since they already do.
Let these self-important clowns worry about their own personal security the same way we unprivileged peons do.
No way. They ain’t royalty.
This was a lone leftist nutcase. No amount of security is going to stop things like this if the nut is determined.
Nope. Our republic can’t survive if we can’t sustain a society where a public official can go about their lives without needing full-time security.
Don’t be an etard. People will laugh at you.
Cut ‘critters’ office staff by a similar dollar cost + 25% and, for the moment, sure, go 4 it.
Zero out the ATF budget and repeal all restrictions on concealed and open carry and then I’ll consider it.
The incident of today, eggregious and horrifying as it was, does not rise to the level of calling for presidential level security for every congressperson. We have had representatives and senators killed before, even on Capitol Hill itself. This was the act of a lunatic, and even the Secret Service acknowledges that this is something that they cannot fully protect against.....
You forgot the sarcasm tags. My life is in far more in peril on a daily basis than those of the ruling class.
Sorry, but the last thing I want is for our elected officials to be insulated beyond our reach. I feel for all those impacted by this tragedy, but the answer is not in further insulating and protecting our servants and that’s what they are.
LOL.
Mariner, the Republic is on a runaway bullet train to fiscal and social catastrophe. The people you think need additional guarding should be yanking on the emergency brake. Adding guards to their entourages won’t help the Republic a bit.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.