Biden's Hotel Bill

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MTRamsFan

Montana is God's Country
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Greg
All I can say is WTF! If this is true, someone needs to answer some questions.

"Joe Biden's $585,000 hotel bill makes no sense"
By Kim Peterson

http://t.money.msn.com/now/joe-bidens-dollar585000-hotel-bill-makes-no-sense

Traveling with Vice President Joe Biden has its perks.

Just ask the large entourage that went with him on a recent trip to Paris. A blog with the conservative news magazine The Weekly Standard points to a government document showing a $585,000 contract for Biden's stay at the Intercontinental Paris Le Grand hotel.

Biden did spend an evening in Paris in early February, but there are no details in the document about whether this contract is accurate or what the final hotel bill came to. A standard room in the hotel costs about $475 a night, and the royal two-bedroom suite runs about $3,900 a night.

The Weekly Standard also points to another government contract for Biden's London hotel stay in early February. The contract, to the Hyatt Regency London, totaled $459,339. An associated document with that contract said it was for 136 rooms for 893 room nights.

But none of this makes sense. For 893 room nights, that would mean that the 136 rooms would be reserved for at least six nights each -- longer than Biden's entire five-day European visit.

So let's say that Biden also needed 136 rooms for his one-night stay in Paris. Even if every single room rang up the $3,900 nightly cost of the royal suite, the total still wouldn't meet the reported $585,000 contract cost.

Biden spent five days in Europe in early February in the first overseas trip of his second term. He started with a Feb. 1 visit with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin, spoke at a security conference in Munich on Feb. 2, visited wounded U.S. veterans at a German hospital on Feb. 3, met with French President Francois Hollande on Feb. 4 and finally met with British Prime Minister David Cameron on Feb. 5.

Twitter was lit up Friday with people enraged by the spending listed in Biden's hotel contracts. The vice president's office could calm the waters by releasing the actual numbers showing what was spent. So far, though, his Twitter account and his spokespeople are mum.
 

bluecoconuts

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It could have something to do with food, security, etc. I know that when the President travels Secret Service will usually go to where he will go (they like to plan out every meal well in advance, or at least Bush did) about a week or so before hand and will then stay a few days after...


But they also could have overcharged them. The government always overpays by a lot for everything, when we would order things in the military, simple items like mops, or new uniforms would 'cost' hundreds of dollars for the government. It's absolutely insane.
 

RamFan503

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bluecoconuts said:
It could have something to do with food, security, etc. I know that when the President travels Secret Service will usually go to where he will go (they like to plan out every meal well in advance, or at least Bush did) about a week or so before hand and will then stay a few days after...


But they also could have overcharged them. The government always overpays by a lot for everything, when we would order things in the military, simple items like mops, or new uniforms would 'cost' hundreds of dollars for the government. It's absolutely insane.

Really? I'm not going to say that this kind of shit is particular to him OR this administration but weren't we buying into "change"? For fuck's sake already. This kind of shit has to end no matter WHO is in office. Sister City junkets, tours of nothing important, bailing out country club elites, Mayors traveling to other countries to see their factories. who the fuck cares? The gov't simply needs to start treating our hard earned tax dollars as REAL money.

EVERYTHING should be on the table. Zero based budgeting. Make these entitled politicians and gov't officials justify what they spend, before they fucking spend it. Seriously, why is that so hard to imagine? A cut in their budget is not a cut from the previous year. It is a cut from their proposed budget - largely based on what they spent in the LAST budget with additions THEY proposed. Like they are going to propose a cut.

The people of this country by in large have NO IDEA of the hidden funds and surpluses the gov't plays with. It took me almost a year to uncover the "off the books" funds the city of Portland, OR had at their disposal. It is freaking ludicrous.

Sorry, but as someone who pays his employees and the gov't WAY before he pays himself, this kind of shit is a total insult.

Now there is a push by our own idiot pawn - aka senator - to make the federal minimum wage rate $10.10 per hour. Based on WHAT? This great economy? Oh... but the market will adjust. Fucking really? Yeah... I'll just charge an additional 15% above the 22% increase in protein costs I can't charge for now. Yeah... THAT'll play. People will be lined up out the door.

Can these guys get FARTHER from representing the businesses that hire most of the people? I don't think they can.
 

bluecoconuts

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I have no idea really, just a guess. I think there's a lot of things that goes on with the government that transcends party lines and administrations. Nothing can really get done without Congress and we all know how well they work to solve problems. :roll: I really think term limits are needed on members of congress (along with removing the money in politics/overturning the Citizens United case), then maybe things can get done because people will be less focused on reelections and more focused on getting things done...

Minimum wage should be increased because of inflation, it's just what it is. It probably should be tied to inflation, but that's another thing. Making 7.25 now is equivalent to making less than 5 dollars back in 1996.... But everything costs more.
 

-X-

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Are you dudes talking about politics?

4c1an_zps910ad171.gif
 

RamFan503

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Hey... he started it. :sly:

Sorry - just in a mood with this economy and the government with a constant hand in my pocket. There I go again. I'll stop now. Must resist! :whome?:
 

MTRamsFan

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My question is who is regulating who here. How the hell does someone approve a expenses of this proportion without it being approved at the highest level? $585,000 for one night in Paris and $459,000 for a night in London? Two nights and over $1,000,000??

The biggest problem with government is accountability or the lack there of. No one wants to step outside the box and call out irresponsible behavior at any level for the fear of political retribution. So, things get brushed under the rug, shrugged off or concessions made. They say there are checks and balances in government, which is laughable.

As a taxpayer, this is absolutely inexcusable. There are people struggling to make a living in this country and we have the Vice President wasting money of this magnitude? Someone should be wearing his ass for a hat and probably shouldn't be employed any longer. We are supposed to put our faith in the government that they do the right for the majority of the country, but their posture is "Everyone for themselves." Congressmen, Special Interest Groups, PACs, the list goes on and on.

The government's motto should be, "The rich will continue getting richer and the poor can just suck it." If the current administration continues to allow this shit to happen, the country and the economy will never recover. I left a message with my representatives, from Montana, in Washington about my outrage. I doubt I will hear anything back.
 

MTRamsFan

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RamFan503 said:
Hey... he started it. :sly:

Sorry - just in a mood with this economy and the government with a constant hand in my pocket. There I go again. I'll stop now. Must resist! :whome?:

No we should not resist. It's time for the people of this country to fight back against Washington and its bureaucrats. These blowhards need to understand that we elected them to do the right thing, and not line their pockets in the process.

Now I will get off my soap box.

th
 

RamFan503

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MontanaRamsFan said:
RamFan503 said:
Hey... he started it. :sly:

Sorry - just in a mood with this economy and the government with a constant hand in my pocket. There I go again. I'll stop now. Must resist! :whome?:

No we should not resist. It's time for the people of this country to fight back against Washington and its bureaucrats. These blowhards need to understand that we elected them to do the right thing, and not line their pockets in the process.

Now I will get off my soap box.

th

I meant here. Believe me. I am not the quiet type when it comes to this kind of shit. We all just kinda declared politics to be taboo on ROD. Too much angst.
 

MTRamsFan

Montana is God's Country
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RamFan503 said:
MontanaRamsFan said:
RamFan503 said:
Hey... he started it. :sly:

Sorry - just in a mood with this economy and the government with a constant hand in my pocket. There I go again. I'll stop now. Must resist! :whome?:

No we should not resist. It's time for the people of this country to fight back against Washington and its bureaucrats. These blowhards need to understand that we elected them to do the right thing, and not line their pockets in the process.

Now I will get off my soap box.

th

I meant here. Believe me. I am not the quiet type when it comes to this kind of shit. We all just kinda declared politics to be taboo on ROD. Too much angst.

Agreed. I too will stop my rant here. :sly:
 

Stranger

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Statue from Harry Potter's Ministry of Magic. See all the common-people being crushed by the weight of those above. Some things never change.

8096203439_98c4a509a2_z.jpg
 

CGI_Ram

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This issue isn't a rich / poor issue to me.

Its about our leaders leading responsibly.

No doubt protecting the VP is going to cost some money. And... they aren't going to stay at a Super-8. But this is just disgusting waste of money and continued piling up on the credit card of national debt... Spending money the country DOESN'T HAVE!
 

Memento

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interference said:
Statue from Harry Potter's Ministry of Magic. See all the common-people being crushed by the weight of those above. Some things never change.

8096203439_98c4a509a2_z.jpg

I've seen a very scary theory about that statue that borders on the stuff of nightmares; those statues were actually unfortunate Muggles that were transfigured into stone statues by the Death Eaters. Talk about a fate worse than death, if that's actually true.

:shock:
 

Rabid Ram

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Wow how the subject turns quick from politics to Harry potter well I guess theres alot of fiction in both lol
 

RamFan503

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Rabid Ram said:
Wow how the subject turns quick from politics to Harry potter well I guess theres alot of fiction in both lol

Ha! Probably less in Harry Potter.
 

Stranger

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Rabid Ram said:
Wow how the subject turns quick from politics to Harry potter well I guess theres alot of fiction in both lol
Well, Harry Potter could be interpreted as a metaphorical commentary on society, where the kids learning magic are representative of the children of the uber-rich who attend elite private schools on their way to top positions in government and/or business. Us regular-folk are the Muggles, but not sure who the Death Eaters represent.