Obama Hawaii Vacation Costs Tax Payers $4 Million; A Look At The President's Past Hawaii Vacations (PHOTOS)

The Obamas will once again vacation in Hawaii over the holidays this year, but this time it will be a bit more expensive than previous trips.

The Hawaii Reporter writes that the President and First Lady's separate trips to Hawaii (Michelle and the girls arrived Friday; check out photos of President Obama arriving last year here) as well as the extended stay of the vacation will cost American tax payers nearly $4 million, roughly $2.5 million more than the President's 2010 trip.

The Hawaii Reporter states that the Obamas are not staying at the "Winter White House" (check out video of it here) this year and instead have rented and paid for their own accommodations in the form of a beach front rental on Kailua. The President's staff and White House Press Corp will be put up at the Moana Surfrider, a Westin resort on Waikiki Beach.

Kailua is a popular community on Oahu and boasts a beach that was rated as the best beach in the country by "Dr. Beach" in 1998.

Obama, for his part, has stated that he will postpone his trip for "as long as it takes" Congress to extend payroll tax cuts and unemployment insurance, according to the Associated Press.

Take a look at photos from previous Obama family vacations in Hawaii and let us know your favorites!

CORRECTION: A previous iteration of this article stated that Kailua is an island of Oahu. It is not; it is a community on Oahu.

RATE IT!   |  

VOTE

Fine.

Fantastic!

CURRENT TOP 5 PICK YOUR OWN TOP 5

USERS WHO VOTED

NEW! CREATE YOUR OWN SLIDESHOW

Comments

[sshelly]

04:26 PM on 04/19/2012

"PAID FOR THEIR OWN ACCOMODATIONS!"

[volcanoesfire]

02:53 PM on 04/18/2012

I don't think this should be turned into a "which President spent more" argument. The point should be the amount that Presidents are allowed to spend when our country has a huge (and ever growing) National deficit. The government is using our hard-earned money that we give to them as tax dollars for ridiculously lavish lifestyles. This should not be a black vs. white, republican vs. democrat, straight vs. gay/lesbian argument. We need to unite and end this. We elect these representatives, why should we not be allowed to vote on how the spending is done?! WE THE PEOPLE support the lavish lifestyles of our government and their free spending.

[onionboy]

06:20 PM on 04/20/2012

It's legit to be upset, but the lifestyle wasn't for him or his family. They paid for their own accommodations. The cost involves security and the cost of housing all of the staff that go with him. If you want to criticize the staff's accommodations, that might be reasonable, though I don't know the quality.

[Prnzez]

07:55 AM on 04/16/2012

Print a truth and the libs will find a way to deny it.

[Jerry McBrayer]

07:49 PM on 02/29/2012

The Hawaii Reporter is known for publishing articles directly from the discredited Talon News.
I'm shocked the Huffington Post would quote from this ultra right wing rag..

[Mamadea]

12:32 AM on 01/24/2012

Still far less than gw bush baby's vacations!

[Reagan Conservative1]

07:38 AM on 01/25/2012

Proof? They often just went home to Texas or to MD. The Obama's go to Hawaii, Africa, France, Maetha's Vineyard and often on two jets. Waste.

[Mamadea]

09:56 AM on 01/25/2012

Proof? Why do you need proof? You traitors reject proof and facts!

[restarea]

01:39 AM on 02/01/2012

Proof: G W Bush spent 490 days alone at his ranch along with other vacations. That is well over one entire year. You act as if his ranch was behind the White House or next to the Washington Monument. It was in Texas!!! Don't even get me started on your namesake Reagan: 349 days at his ranch in California. According to your standards of jet fuel use and waste, this makes Obama look not so bad in comparison.

[RepublicanDepression]

07:00 PM on 01/17/2012

Hawaii Reporter is a far-right, anti-Obama site. This article is all rank speculation.

It buries the fact the Obamas pay for their own accommodations.

It FAILS to include the most basic context, like Bush's vacation costs.

Malia Zimmerman is a far-right propagandist.

FAIL!

[Reagan Conservative1]

07:37 AM on 01/25/2012

No you fail. It's all true.

[Di Gray]

09:01 PM on 01/11/2012

Vacation is an earned privilege for millions of Americans who have full time jobs and accrue vacation time. George Bush seemed to have spent more time OUT of the White House than IN it at his TX ranch. And he took Air Force One with him every time. His Air Force One accommodations BY THEMSELVES were more than $20 million, not accounting for all the staff, Secret Service and others that are mandated to travel with any POTUS.

It makes no sense to me that this POTUS would be this scrutinized for doing what all other POTUSes have been allowed to do. Americans have always been out of work. Sure employment rates vary but somebody's always out of a job. What is the big deal really? (That's a rhetorical question. I know why and many won't admit it out loud, but I'm betting at least 90% of us do know why THIS for THIS POTUS is such a big deal).

[hookedoncookies]

01:56 PM on 01/23/2012

Looking for "CHANGE IN THIS PRESIDENT" We were promised. Just because Bush did it doesn't make it right for someone else to make the same mistakes.Two wrongs doesn't make it right. When does this comparing to Bush stop !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. This is a different president.

[Reagan Conservative1]

07:39 AM on 01/25/2012

It will stop when Obama leaves office in 2012.

[claraluz]

05:59 PM on 03/19/2012

There WAS a change: the Obamas spent far less on their vacation thatn GWB ever did!

[joemensa]

08:30 PM on 01/08/2012

I find it funny how the liberals believe that president bush NEVER made the right decision and NEVER did a single thing right...and yet they also believe that Obama NEVER made the wrong decision and NEVER did anything wrong...and yet, they want the rest of us to take them seriously.
.

NEVER made the right dec

[lizmckenzie55]

12:20 PM on 01/16/2012

I'm a progressive liberal and I believe Obama's decision to extend all of Bush's tax cuts (yes, even the paltry amount that I receive), was the WRONG decision. So much for your use of the word NEVER.

That said, Bush's Prescription Drug Plan would have been great had it only been paid for instead of being added to the deficit.

[Reagan Conservative1]

07:40 AM on 01/25/2012

Liberals are so "open-minded." HA!
Read the poHuff comments -- they are Angry and mean.

[purplewg]

02:09 PM on 01/06/2012

Yeah, we're moving on up and doing it on tax payer money. Yes, it is Bush's fault! Obama is trying to play more golf and take more vacation days than any previous president. He has to be remembered for something he did right?

[OccupyWaffle]

07:51 PM on 01/07/2012

He's taken quite a few less vacation days at this point in his presidency than either Bush or Reagan had. Look it up.

[purplewg]

08:47 PM on 01/08/2012

Well at last count he had played 88 rounds of golf. This before his last Hawaii vacation. More than any other president. I can't believe there are still people out there who think this guy is a good president. Open your eyes and tell me one GOOD thing he has done. I have asked this on several forums and have yet to one single thing.

[Reagan Conservative1]

07:41 AM on 01/25/2012

Just like not one person, even his closest friends, could name one good thing he had accomplished before becoming president. What a sick joke.

[Ashley Bates Cassetty]

09:26 AM on 02/28/2012

Actually, LBJ was the president who played the most golf during his presidency... something like 200 days out of the year.

[Ariel Finn]

04:13 PM on 01/05/2012

Great pics! I hope the President is well rested.

[psnyder325]

09:13 PM on 12/31/2011

The Conservatives use this to claim that Obama is insensitive or not doing his job. But the FACT is that, due to the costs of Air Force One, the presidential staff (which MUST go along with him), and all of the equipment that must always go with the President, a trip to Minneapolis would cost almost as much. The President paid for his OWN accommodations out of his OWN money. But he IS the President, and must have some military along, lots of staff along, etc., etc., and they will be paid for by the taxpayers....like has been done for every other President. Are the Conservatives saying he doesn't have the right to take a vacation in his home state (oh..wait....they don't believe he was born there) the way that Bush, Clinton, Bush, Reagan, Carter, etc., etc. did? Are they saying he shouldn't have Secret Service protection (they'd probably like it if he was left vulnerable, come to think of it...)? ANY vacation for ANY president is going to cost money. Get over it. If it was a Republican, you wouldn't see ANY criticism from the right whatsoever...and probably none from the left, either. Little was said about Bush's constant residence in Crawford, or the taxpayer money he spent on his ranch.

[hookedoncookies]

02:18 PM on 01/23/2012

We voted for "CHANGE" not the same as Bush. When does the comparing with Bush stop? Two wrongs don't make a right. This is a different president. He promised Change and that's what we wanted. Vacation is right, he wants us to tighten our belts why cann't he? He was on tv awhile back holding up some funny looking light bulb to save energy, He sure is leaving some carbon footprints. In 09 he was in every country in the world. What more does he want? Oh yes he was working, eating with all the heads of state and the Prince of some Abrabian counrtry. Hard work.

[Charhuff52]

03:56 AM on 12/31/2011

The President could fly to Omaha and it would cost millions. Welcome to the 21st century.
A slow news day?

[rich8049]

02:13 AM on 12/30/2011

Yea I know. Its bush's fault. Why cant a liberal just comment on the story. The libs claim that obama is "their" man and no matter what he does, or spends, or says, they will always just say , "well look what bush did" or look what somebody else did. Since when did one person spending too much make it ok for another. In other words since when did one person doing wrong make it right for your man? You dont get it. You never will.

[3daywkend]

09:19 PM on 12/29/2011

The Obama's are just gettin' while the gettin's good. (1 more year).

[DeanAdams]

04:49 PM on 12/29/2011

If anyone actually bothered to read the study from the article cited as the source for this story, you would see that the vast majority of the expense ($3.3 million) represents the cost of Air Force One and most of the remaining costs are associated with the required personnel that must travel with the President for security and emergency purposes. Unless you think that the President of the United States should be taking Greyhound or flying on Southwest Airlines, then any holiday that any President takes is going to require a fair amount of funds.

[hookedoncookies]

02:05 PM on 01/23/2012

It was $4,113,038. But why did he have to take the C-17 cargo for his limos and helicopter etc. To fly from DC to Hawaii cost a heck of lot more then going to anywhere in the states the fuel alone is more then doubled. It cost $181,757 per flight hour. The hours it takes to get to Hawaii from Dc and back is MORE then flying to Minn.