Cutting Spending: Stop the Waste

[Gerry Clinchy]

Maybe we can use this thread to annotate the many wasted tax dollars that simply do not have to be spent.

For example, we are paying $184.26 for Bill Clinton's premium cable TV. My basic package from Dish is about $55. That gives you all the news stations, which a former President might be considered to truly "need". That would be a savings of about $130/mo, or $1,560. We're also paying for the Carter's cable TV. If we throw in GW and HW Bush (though figures for Bush were not mentioned), that's $6240/year. That's $62,400 over 10 years. All these fellas could easily afford to pay for cable TV entirely out of their own pocket, having far more in income than the average Joe making $60K a year. So, why do we pay for it?

As with "corporate welfare", sould we call this POTUS welfare?

Clinton is provided

nearly $1 million dollars allocated to him from the government to cover post-presidency expenses like personnel, travel, rent and postage.

That seems quite generous ... you can buy a lot of services for $1 million a year. For 5 former POTUSes tha's $5 million a year ... plus the Secret Service protection (which they will now get for life).

Seems like they could do just fine much less.

[JDogger]

Maybe we can use this thread to annotate the many wasted tax dollars that simply do not have to be spent.

For example, we are paying $184.26 for Bill Clinton's premium cable TV. My basic package from Dish is about $55. That gives you all the news stations, which a former President might be considered to truly "need". That would be a savings of about $130/mo, or $1,560. We're also paying for the Carter's cable TV. If we throw in GW and HW Bush (though figures for Bush were not mentioned), that's $6240/year. That's $62,400 over 10 years. All these fellas could easily afford to pay for cable TV entirely out of their own pocket, having far more in income than the average Joe making $60K a year. So, why do we pay for it?

As with "corporate welfare", sould we call this POTUS welfare?

Clinton is provided

nearly $1 million dollars allocated to him from the government to cover post-presidency expenses like personnel, travel, rent and postage.

That seems quite generous ... you can buy a lot of services for $1 million a year. For 5 former POTUSes tha's $5 million a year ... plus the Secret Service protection (which they will now get for life).

Seems like they could do just fine much less.

Wow. you really are bored tonight. JD

[luvmylabs23139]

Wow. you really are bored tonight. JD

WHy should we pay for TV services for any president? Even better why should I the taxpayer pay for anyones cell phone?????

[JDogger]

WHy should we pay for TV services for any president? Even better why should I the taxpayer pay for anyones cell phone?????

Try to stay OT Luvvy....OK?

Ennui?

[Gerry Clinchy]

Add another $1.8 million that could be saved:

A North Carolina congressman is denouncing the use of federal dollars to “promote the rich cultural heritage of Islamic civilizations.”

Rep. Walter Jones (R-NC) told Fox News that he was appalled by the hundreds of thousands of dollars used to fund the program through a National Endowment for the Humanities grant – calling it “wasting taxpayer money.”

Jones was referring to the “Bridging Cultures Bookshelf: Muslim Journeys” program. The NEH program put dozens of books promoting the Islamic culture in more than 800 libraries in all 50 states. The program is funded by a $1.8 million grant.

Libraries that participate in the government program will receive 25 books about the Islam, along with films and access to the Oxford Islamic Studies Online. The libraries will also be required to host community discussions about the Muslim faith and culture.

Read more: http://nation.foxnews.com/islam/2013...#ixzz2IIaKvN5B

[luvmylabs23139]

Try to stay OT Luvvy....OK?

Ennui?

Wasn't the topic waste of actual taxpayers money?
Hmmm paying for former presidents TV waste of actual taxpyers hard earned money/
Obama voters free phones waste of actual taxpayers money.
Same topic.. Waste of my hard earned money stolen from me by the govt for a bunch of crap!!

[HPL]

I think I'm going to have to side with luv this time. Seems as on point as lots of other posts on other threads.

[JDogger]

I think I'm going to have to side with luv this time. Seems as on point as lots of other posts on other threads.

Cable TV was mentioned in the OP, not cell phones. Former Presidents are afforded many perk's. I suppose we could just send them to the rescue missions.

[road kill]

Maybe we can use this thread to annotate the many wasted tax dollars that simply do not have to be spent.

Opening line of OP.

Just trying to help!!

[Jason Glavich]

Bill Clinton still has a flip phone....

On a side note we pay for these things because a certain president was poor when he left office. Truman was the man, he was poor as poor could be, well as much as a president can be poor so they passed the act to make sure such honored people would not be destitute. At the time of the laws passage Hoover also took the money but it is said he only did it to not embarass Truman as Hoover was very wealthy. At the time it was only 25k a year total.

Still messed up overall, but it is just as bad as the Hawaii vacations and rounds of Golf while in the White house, hell this even costs less over 20 years than 1 Obama vacation, lets stop those first.