SPAIN: No vacation for the taxpayers

Michelle Obama should thank the hard working American people for paying $242,000 plus additional expenses for her vacation in Spain. Her daughter Sasha, several long-time family friends, her personal staff and various guests had a wonderful time. Honestly, you just haven't lived until you have stayed in a $2,500 per night suite at a 5-star luxury hotel. Michelle only booked 70 rooms for her friends, staff and family. She also thanks you, the working American people for the use of Air Force 2 and the 70 Secret Service personnel who tagged along to be sure she was safe and pampered for at all times.

Air Force 2 only used 47,500 gallons of jet fuel for this trip and carbon emissions were a mere 1,031 tons of CO2. It costs only $11,500 per hour to operate Air Force 2 and each additional plane for the other members of her party group. These are only rough estimates, but they are close (who's counting?). That's quite a carbon footprint as her good friend Al Gore would say, so we must ask the American citizens to drive smaller, more fuel efficient cars and drive less too, so we can lessen our combined carbon footprint.

She knows times are hard and millions of us peons are struggling to put food on the table and trying to make ends meet. Michelle does, I'm certain, appreciate your sacrifice and does hope you find work soon. Michelle was just really exhausted after Barack took the family on a luxury vacation in Maine a few weeks ago. Therefore, Michelle just had to get away for a few days. Barack and Michelle are now going to Martha's Vineyard where they will spend their sixth vacation this year with more of their family and friends.

Doesn't it just get you right here?

"I never voted for someone, I always voted against someone." - Mark Twain

RON BOUDREAUX

Coeur d'Alene