'Nuther Party at the White House by Michelle "Antoinette" Obama

It's a dance party tonight.

Michelle Obama hosts first White House dance event (9/7/2010 AP via Yahoo News)

"WASHINGTON – The stately White House East Room, home to many a bill signing and ceremonial gathering, becomes a stage Tuesday for pirouettes, jetes, gravity-defying leaps and maybe even some bumps and grinds as Michelle Obama inaugurates a new dance series.

"Dancers of all types — ballet, modern, hip hop and Broadway — take over the room, first for an afternoon workshop, during which students from around the country will have the chance to work with some of the biggest names in dance.

"Then, after a short break, the students return to see their mentors perform in an hour-long, star-studded show. Even Broadway's young "Billy Elliot" will be there — four Billys actually, from the show's rotating cast." [The article continues.]

Tweet

Let Them Eat Cake - White House Mouthpiece Version

AP has a glowing report on Bill Burton, deputy White House Press Secretary standing in for Gibbs, highlighting, among other attributes, his racial heritage ("Burton - like Obama, the son of a black father and white mother - appears to be the first African-American to take the podium and speak on behalf of the president").

And this is one of the remarks he told the reporters yesterday of our dear leader and his family and entourages vacationing on Martha's Vineyard:

"This will probably get me fired, but I know that Valerie (Jarrett, a senior presidential adviser) did not do so well in Scrabble against the president."

And the reporters must have laughed or chuckled, an obligatory gesture. Scrabble.

Dow Jones Industrial Average is breaching the psychological support of 10,000 today. New home sales hit the record low in July. The word "depression" is frequently on the lips of mainstream analysts and economists. And so we get to hear about President playing Scrabble with the slumlord cum presidential adviser Jarrett.

Not to worry. VP Biden assures us "no doubt we're moving in the right direction". The question is: the right direction to where?

Tweet

Let Them Eat Cake - Federal Labor Union Version

The NTEU (National Treasury Employees Union) who represents over 150,000 employees in 30 august federal government agencies and departments says its members deserve higher salaries and benefits because they are more skilled and more educated than the private sector, according to USA Today's article. The private sector, by the way, deserves lower pay because the government is contracting lower pay jobs to the private sector.

They are so deserving, the federal government employees, that President Obama has proposed 1.4% pay raise across the board for 2011 for his 2-million federal workforce as the country languishes in high unemployment and contracting tax base that cannot support these deserving public union employees.

But no matter. The masses in the private sector don't count unless they cough up taxes to the feds so that the first lady can romp off to Spain to comfort her friend.

Below is an article by USA Today.

Federal workers earning double their private counterparts
(Dennis Cauchon, 8/10/2010 USA Today)

At a time when workers' pay and benefits have stagnated, federal employees' average compensation has grown to more than double what private sector workers earn, a USA TODAY analysis finds.

Federal workers have been awarded bigger average pay and benefit increases than private employees for nine years in a row. The compensation gap between federal and private workers has doubled in the past decade.

Federal civil servants earned average pay and benefits of $123,049 in 2009 while private workers made $61,051 in total compensation, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The data are the latest available.

The federal compensation advantage has grown from $30,415 in 2000 to $61,998 last year.

Public employee unions say the compensation gap reflects the increasingly high level of skill and education required for most federal jobs and the government contracting out lower-paid jobs to the private sector in recent years.

"The data are not useful for a direct public-private pay comparison," says Colleen Kelley, president of the National Treasury Employees Union.

Chris Edwards, a budget analyst at the libertarian Cato Institute, thinks otherwise. "Can't we now all agree that federal workers are overpaid and do something about it?" he asks.

Last week, President Obama ordered a freeze on bonuses for 2,900 political appointees. For the rest of the 2-million-person federal workforce, Obama asked for a 1.4% across-the-board pay hike in 2011, the smallest in more than a decade. Federal workers also would qualify for seniority pay hikes.

Congressional Republicans want to cancel the across-the-board increase in 2011, which would save $2.2 billion.

"Americans are fed up with public employee pay scales far exceeding that in the private sector," says Rep. Eric Cantor, R-Va., the second-ranking Republican in the House.

Sen. Ted Kaufman, D-Del., says a pay freeze would unfairly scapegoat federal workers without addressing real budget problems.

What the data show:

•Benefits. Federal workers received average benefits worth $41,791 in 2009. Most of this was the government's contribution to pensions. Employees contributed an additional $10,569.

•Pay. The average federal salary has grown 33% faster than inflation since 2000. USA TODAY reported in March that the federal government pays an average of 20% more than private firms for comparable occupations. The analysis did not consider differences in experience and education.

•Total compensation. Federal compensation has grown 36.9% since 2000 after adjusting for inflation, compared with 8.8% for private workers.

Tweet

Let Them Eat Cake - Michelle Obama Version

Spanish police close public beach for Michelle Obama's £250,000 Spanish holiday (8/6/2010 Mail Online)

"Michelle Obama today faced a fresh wave of attacks over her lavish break in Spain with 40 friends, which could easily cost U.S. taxpayers a staggering £50,000 a day. [That's US$80,000 a day.]

"The First Lady has been lambasted for her extravagance at a time when the economy is still struggling. One blogger went so far as to brand her a modern-day Marie Antoinette.

"And her critics will be further annoyed when they learn that the president's wife had a Spanish beach closed off today so that she, her daughter and their entourage could go for a swim.

"Spanish police cleared off a stretch of beach at the Villa Padierna Hotel in Marbella after the Obamas had finished a busy day of sightseeing.

"Police used palm trees and police tape to mark off the boundaries of a 100-yard expanse for the American delegation. On either side, onlookers gawked - and police occasionally stopped and searched sun lovers if they strayed too close to the private party.

"It is unclear whether the police presence was paid for by Spain - or whether a nasty invoice could be landing in the lap of the American taxpayer.

"The exact cost of the trip is unclear as Mrs Obama, 46, and her friends are footing personal expenses themselves - which is just as well.

"... Whether or not the taxpaying American will be paying for meals, they will definitely be footing the bill for the First Lady's 68-strong security detail, her personal staff - and the use of presidential jet Air Force Two.

"The per diems for the secret service team runs at around £172 each, which amounts to nearly £60,000 [US$95,800] for the length of the summer break.

"Use of Air Force Two, the Air Force version of a 757, comes in at £91,900 [US$146,700] for the round trip. This does not include time on the ground.

"Mrs Obama's personal staff, of which there are an unknown amount and who might cost considerably more per day, also have to be taken into account.

"The American public will also cover the cost of the only official part of the holiday, a visit to the Spanish royal family on the island of Majorca.


"This will involve transport there and back for the entourage - as well as travel, accommodation, food and expenses for all while on the island.

"Conservative estimates already put the total cost at £150,000. With Majorca to come, the bill will be more like £250,000. [That's nearly US$400,000.]

"Back in the U.S., anger was mounting - especially as it has emerged the First Lady will have enjoyed eight holidays by the end of the summer." [The article continues.]

The White House mouthpiece Gibbs says Mrs. Obama is on a private trip. Yeah right. If that's the case, she should pay for her staff (more than 20 at the last count), secret service, the Air Force Two, Spanish police, everything. She should also compensate for the beach goers who were blocked access and had their bags searched. Her multi-millionaire husband (he may be worth over $10 million by now) can shell out a mere half million dollars for her and their daughter's little vacation, can't he?

Qu'ils mangent de la brioche...

Tweet