Who has been paying for Hillary Rodham Clinton's frequent trips to New York? So far, her trips here have been comped by the taxpayers. Instead of putting our hard-earned tax dollars into programs that "help women and children" (her supposed pet causes), we're forking over our money to foot the bill for her campaign.
How many trips has she made to New York since her impending candidacy became an issue? (Hint: Far more than to any other state.) What has she actually done for New Yorkers during her frequent jaunts here? Nada.
Washington Post: "For First Lady, A Controversy In Plane Terms" (July 3, 1999)
The First Lady is house-hunting expensive homes in wealthy enclaves of Westchester County. However, given recent reports of the Clinton Legal Defense Fund being depleted (New York Daily News, August 13, 1999), how can she afford a place like this? Washington Post, August 13, 1999 and New York Daily News, August 12, 1999
New York Post: "Mansion Leads as Clintons Enter Home Stretch," August 20, 1999
New York Daily News: "Hil Set for Fund & Games from Vineyard to Upstate," August 20, 1999
New York Post: "Wanted: 1 House w/2 Mstr Bdrms," August 16, 1999
New York Post: "Homing in On Westchester," August 16, 1999
Washington Post: "Clintons Go House-Hunting in New York," August 16, 1999
Houston Chronicle: "Clinton Team Helping Gore, First Lady Run," August 14, 1999
Newsweek (Weekend Online Edition): "Helping Hillary's Mortgage Math," August 14-15, 1999
New York Daily News: "1st Family's N.Y. Bunker," September 14, 1999
According to an item in the Rush & Malloy column in the New York Daily News (6/17/99): "Hillary Rodham Clinton picked up two chic 'D' bags and several pairs of moccasins and loafers at Tod's boutique in Paris yesterday. The bags alone cost a whopping $3,000..."
Hmm. No mention of whether or not New York's newest Yankees fan intends to start paying for her New York campaign trips, let alone reimburse the taxpayers for the freeloading she has already done.
UPDATE: June 29, 1999 -- from the New York Post (Page Six):
Well-heeled
HILLARY Clinton must plan to do a lot of stumping in coming months - or she's been taking advice from political sole mate Imelda Marcos. While her hubby was at the G-8 meeting in Cologne, the First Lady took a side trip to Italy - where she shelled out about $2,000 for six pairs of shoes at Bruno Magli, O.J. Simpson's cobbler of choice. Hillary's staffers coughed up another $3000 for 12 more pairs, say spies.
Not only is the First Lady/Senate Candidate sticking the taxpayers with the bill for her campaign travels, but she's now using White House staffers for her campaign: Hillary's Planned Campaign Website To Use Federal Employees -- NY Post, 6/30/99
HILLARYS 11 N.Y. CAMPAIGN TRIPS COST GOVERNMENT AT LEAST $220K
"At $20,000 per trip, it's the taxpayers who're being taken for a ride," says Nicholson
ELMIRA, N.Y. (July 1) - Hillary Clinton's eleven trips to New York State so far this year have cost taxpayers at least $220,555 -- $20,000 per trip - in costs for government-funded military aircraft and support staff alone, the Chairman of the Republican National Committee charged today.
"Hillary's flying military jets, but at $20,000 per trip, it's the taxpayers who are being taken for a ride," said Nicholson. He and RNC Co-Chair Pat Harrison embarked on a four-city airport tour that will take them from Elmira to Albany, (where they will be joined by New York State GOP Chairman Bill Powers), Rochester and Buffalo.
"The Lear jet we're using today is costing $10,050 - and we're paying every dime ourselves," said Nicholson. "Unlike us, Hillary Clinton is trying to keep the cost of her air fare as secret as a Little Rock law firm's billing records - so we've done our best to come up with the numbers ourselves."
Nicholson explained that Mrs.
Clinton routinely uses a McDonnell-Douglas C-9 - the military
equivalent of a DC-9 - which costs the Defense Department at least
$2,179 per hour to operate, according to figures supplied by John
Nettles,
former Special Assistant to the Director of the White House Military
Office for Airlift Operations1. When traveling with her husband,
Mrs. Clinton flies Air Force One, which costs $35,000 per hour
of flight time, and she occasionally uses a military C-20, which
costs the Defense Department $3,615 an hour.
Only the lowest estimates of the government's costs were used in calculating the $220,555 price tag for Mrs. Clinton's travel, Nicholson noted, and no charges were assessed for Secret Service and local police protection, lodging for Mrs. Clinton and her entourage, or her extensive motorcades.
"When you spend this kind
of money on your own ambition, it ought to be your own money,"
added co-Chair Pat Harrison.
"Instead of putting a down payment on a $3.8 million mansion,
Hillary Clinton ought to pick up the entire tab for her own travel."
Added Nicholson: "At the very least, she ought to use comparable civilian charter aircraft instead of military jets, which were never intended to be campaign shuttles for a First Lady."
Nicholson noted that it would
have cost Mrs. Clinton's campaign $311,000 to charter civilian
aircraft similar to the ones used during Mrs. Clinton's trips,
based on figures supplied by Doug Garrett, President of Custom
Air Services, a charter aircraft company.
from the website of the RNC:
Hillary Clinton's Trips to New York State $$$$$$
Estimate of the Taxpayer Cost
and Comparable
Civilian Price of Hillary Clinton's Trips to New York
State Airfare and Average Staff Expenses Only
January 1, 1999 - June 30, 1999
January 20, 1999:
Air Force One from Washington to Buffalo for President Clinton's
address at Marine Midland Arena; return to Norristown, PA.
At least 75 Buffalo Police officers
worked security and traffic control, assisted by New York State
Police, the Erie County Sheriff's Department, Niagara Frontier
Transportation Authority police and several other area police
departments
(Associated Press Daybook, Washington, 1/20/99;
The Buffalo News, 1/19/99)
Air Force One, 2 hours air time
@ $35,000 per
hour*:$70,000
Trip Director, issues advisor,
White House
photographer and Press Secretary**:$608
Minimum Taxpayer Cost : $70,608
Comparable Civilian Aircraft Charter*** : $62,000
February 2, 1999
USAF C-9 from Washington to New York for Brooklyn photo-op with Democrat Congressman Edolphus Towns, followed by Democratic National Committee fundraising dinner with the President and return with him to Washington via Air Force One (AP Daybook, Washington, 2/2/99; FNS Daybook 2/2/99; White House News Advisory, 2/1/99)
USAF C-9, 1 hour air time @ $2,179 per hour* :$2,179
Return Flight: Air Force One, 1 hour air time @ $35,000 per hour*: $35,000
Trip Director, issues advisor, White House photographer and Press Secretary**: $608
Minimum Taxpayer Cost: $37,787
Comparable Civilian Aircraft Charter*** : $44,000
March 3 - 4, 1999
USAF C-9 from Washington to New
York on March 3 for photo-op in Flushing and luncheon at the Plaza
Hotel in Manhattan. After spending the night in New York, Mrs.
Clinton gave the International Women's Day Speech at the UN on
March 4, followed by a women's sports photo-op in Manhattan, and
return to
Washington (AP Daybook, Washington, 3/3/99 and
3/4/99; Seattle Post-Intelligencer 3/13/99; NY Times
3/3/99 and 5/16/99; NY Daily News, June 24, 1999;
National Journal 6/25/99)
USAF C-9, 2 hours air time @ $2,179 per hour*: $4,358
Trip Director, issues advisor,
White House
photographer and Press Secretary, 2 days**:$1,216
Minimum Taxpayer Cost : $5,574
Comparable 2-day Civilian Aircraft
Charter*** :
$26,000
April 19-20, 1999
USAF C-9 from Washington to New York on April 19 for photo-ops at the UN, the Loeb Central Park Boathouse, luncheon at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel; a photo-op at Columbia University; evening events sponsored by the Pratt Institute, the Ukranian Institute of America and the Jewish Child Care Association; fundraiser for Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY). Overnight in New York, followed on April 20 by photo-ops in Syosset, Hempstead and Woodbury; an event at the New York University Law School, dinner at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel and return to Washington (Video Monitoring Services of America, Fox 8 News, 4/18/99 AP Daybook, Washington, 4/19/99 and 4/20/99).
USAF C-9, 2 hours air time @ $2,179
per hour*:
$4,358
Trip Director, issues advisor,
White House
photographer and Press Secretary, 2 days**: $1,216
Minimum Taxpayer Cost :$5,574
Comparable 2-day Civilian Aircraft
Charter*** :
$26,000
April 22, 1999:
USAF C-9 round-trip from Washington to Niagara Falls, NY to receive the "Albert Shanker Award" from the New York State United Teachers (Associated Press Daybook, Washington, 4/22/99)
USAF C-9, 2 hours air time @ $2,179 per hour*: $4,358
Trip Director, issues advisor,
White House
photographer and Press Secretary** : $608
Minimum Taxpayer Cost : $4,966
Comparable Civilian Aircraft Charter*** : $13,000
April 29, 1999:
USAF C-9 round-trip from Washington to New York for photo-op at junior high school in South Ozone Park; Town Hall meeting at New York Public Library; and Democrat fundraiser at the Grand-Hyatt Hotel (Associated Press Daybook, Washington, 4/29/99)
USAF C-9, 2 hours air time @ $2,179 per hour*: $4,358
Trip Director, issues advisor,
White House
photographer and Press Secretary** : $608
Minimum Taxpayer Cost : $4,966
Comparable Civilian Aircraft Charter*** : $13,000
May 7, 1999
USAF C-9 round-trip from Washington
to Buffalo for fundraiser for Congressman John LaFalce (D-NY);
photo-op at Buffalo State College (Associated Press
Daybook, Washington, 5/7/99)
USAF C-9, 2 hours air time @ $2,179 per hour*: $4,358
Trip Director, issues advisor,
White House
photographer and Press Secretary**: $608
Minimum Taxpayer Cost: $4966
Comparable Civilian Aircraft Charter*** : $13,000
May 24, 1999:
USAF C-9 round-trip from Washington to New York for Matilda Cuomo event at Le Cirque; fundraiser for Democrat Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-NY); Gala event at Lincoln Center (Associated Press Daybook, Washington, 5/24/99)
USAF C-9, 2 hours air time @ $2,179 per hour*: $4,358
Trip Director, issues advisor,
White House
photographer and Press Secretary** : $608
Minimum Taxpayer Cost : $4,966
Comparable Civilian Aircraft Charter*** : $13,000
June 2, 1999
USAF C-9 round-trip from Washington to New York for 90-minute meeting with Democrat political operative Hank Morris; CCNY Commencement address; New York State Democrat Committee fundraiser at Tavern on The Green; and fundraiser for Democrat Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), at The Water Club (Associated Press Daybook, Washington, 6/2/99; NY Times, 6/3/99; NY Daily News 6/3/99).
USAF C-9, 2 hours air time @ $2,179 per hour*: $4,358
Trip Director, issues advisor,
White House
photographer and Press Secretary**: $608
Minimum Taxpayer Cost: $4,966
Comparable Civilian Aircraft Charter*** : $13,000
June 9-10, 1999
USAF C-9 or C-20 from Washington
to Binghamton, NY on June 9 for photo-op at Lockheed-Martin in
Johnson City, followed by fundraiser for Democrat Congressman
Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), then to Binghamton to NY for fundraiser
at the home of writer Andrew Tobias. Overnight in NY followed
by NBC Today show appearance and Manhattan grade-school photo-op
on June 10 and return to Washington
(Associated Press, 6/10/99; Binghamton Press,
6/9/99; Associated Press Daybook, Washington,
6/9/99 and 6/10/99)
USAF C-9, 2 hours air time @ $2,179 per hour*: $4,358
Trip Director, issues advisor,
White House
photographer and Press Secretary, 2 days** : $1,216
Minimum Taxpayer Cost :$5,574
Comparable 2-day Civilian Aircraft
Charter*** :
$26,000
June 28, 1999
Round-trip on Air Force One with
President Clinton
from Washington to New York to house-hunt at $3.8
million estate in Westchester County, return to
Norristown, PA (New York Post, 6/30/99; Associated
Press Daybook, 6/28/99; White House News Advisory,
6/28/99)
Air Force One, 2 hours air time
@ $35,000 per hour*:
$70,000
Trip Director, issues advisor,
White House
photographer and Press Secretary**:$608
Minimum Taxpayer Cost : $70,608
Comparable Civilian Aircraft Charter*** : $62,000
Minimum Taxpayer Cost for all 11 Trips: $220,555
Average Taxpayer Cost for all 11 Trips: $20,050.45
Comparable Civilian Aircraft Charter Costs : $311,000
*It costs the Defense Department at least $35,000 per hour to operate Air Force One, and $2,179 an hour for the USAF C-9, according to John Nettles, former Special Assistant to the Director of the White House Military Office for Airlift Operations, (540-882-9701).
On occasion, Mrs. Clinton has
also used the smaller,
newer -- and more expensive -- USAF C-20 for her
trips to New York, which Nettles says costs the
Defense Department $3,615 an hour to operate.
(See also, Center for Public Integrity,
Minneapolis
Star-Tribune, 6/9/99; The Washington Times,
6/11/99, 6/28/99; The New York Post, 6/15/99).
**Mrs. Clinton's trips have each
included a Trip
Director, Issues Advisor, White House photographer
and Press Secretary (NY Times, 5/16/99)
Average annual staff salary, Office of the White House: $55,500
Average daily staff salary, Office of the White House (/365): $152
Source:** Appendix to the President's Fiscal Year 1999 Budget Estimates, page 941
***Doug Garrett, President of
Custom Air Services
(202-232-1988) estimates that the cost for charter of civilian
aircraft comparable to those used by the First Lady is as follows:
Boeing 747 (comparable to Air Force One):$15,500/hr 2 hr. minimum per day
DC-9 (comparable to USAF C-9): $ 6,500/hr 2 hr.
minimum per day Astra ("Westwind") (comparable to USAF
C-20):
$ 3,000/hr 2 hr. minimum per day
The Lear 35 jet chartered today
by the Republican
National Committee, much smaller than even the C-20
occasionally used by Mrs. Clinton, cost the Republican National
Committee $10,050 based on a charter flight from Philadelphia
to Elmira, Albany, Rochester, Buffalo and Washington.
You won't find the First Lady or Harry Carray
on the website of the NEW YORK YANKEES"Freebie Flow Would Dry Up for Sen. Hillary," New York Daily News, July 6, 1999