Obamas X-mas holiday costs $1.5mn; face criticisms

Los Angeles, Dec. 31: The President of United States of America, Barack Obama faced nation wide criticism during the New Year festive season. The Obamas' Hawaiin holiday is costing the national exchequer at least 1.5 million dollars,and in normal circumstances, no one would mind it, but with mainland America battered by snow storms, there has been all round criticism.

The Obamas' are currently on a Christmas holiday in Kailua, Hawaii, and the calculation of their holiday costs includes 63,000 dollars for his wife's early flight out, and 16,800 dollars to house Secret Service agents and Navy Seals in beach front accommodation for two weeks.

The hotel bill is estimated at 134,400 dollars for 24 White House staff staying in the Moana Hotel at a rate of 400 dollars per day.

According to the Hawaii Reporter, the cost also includes 250,000 dollars for local police overtime, a million dollars for President Obama's own round trip flight to Hawaii on Air Force One, and 10,000 dollars for a local ambulance to accompany the presidential motorcade.

Additional costs such as staff meals, renting cars for White House staff, and travel costs for Secret Service agents travelling ahead of the president were not included, meaning the bill will probably be even higher.

The paper suggested the costs could have been kept down. It said the president could have stayed at a military base instead of the luxury 7,000 square foot villa he has rented for 3,500 dollars a day. Obama is paying the rental himself.

The White House is insisting that the cost of the Obama holidays is in line with those of previous presidents.

ANI