First lady Michelle Obama and first
daughters Sasha and Malia are headed to Honolulu on Friday for a
17-day vacation — without the president.
Michelle’s Solo Hawaii Trip Likely to
Exceed $100,000
by Keith Koffler on December 15, 2011,
11:49 am
First lady Michelle Obama’s separate
voyage to Hawaii promises to cost taxpayers tens of thousand in extra
dollars, as her separate entourage and hefty flying costs pile on the
costs.
The flight alone is priced at more than
$60,000, according to government estimates. But that’s only the
beginning. The additional cargo flight that often accompanies the
first lady on such a trip must also be paid for, as well as the limos
and other accoutrements it will contain.
As she will be separated from the
presidential security bubble, Michelle will require her own entourage
of Secret Service protection, in addition to the staffers who will be
leaving early to go to Hawaii with her.
The total tab will certainly be in
excess of $100,000, and possibly quite a bit more.
http://www.whitehousedossier.com/2011/12/15/michelle-solo-hawaii-trip-exceed-100000/
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
November 09, 2011
Executive
Order 13589 -- Promoting Efficient Spending
EXECUTIVE ORDER
PROMOTING EFFICIENT SPENDING
By the authority vested in me as
President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of
America, and in order to further promote efficient spending in the
Federal Government, it is hereby ordered as follows:
Section 1. Policy. My Administration
is committed to cutting waste in Federal Government spending and
identifying opportunities to promote efficient and effective
spending. The Federal Government performs critical functions that
support the basic protections that Americans have counted on for
decades. As they serve taxpayers, executive departments and agencies
(agencies) also must act in a fiscally responsible manner, including
by minimizing their costs, in order to perform these mission critical
functions in the most efficient, cost effective way. As such, I have
pursued an aggressive agenda for reducing administrative costs since
taking office and, most recently, within my Fiscal Year 2012 Budget.
Building on this effort, I direct agency heads to take even more
aggressive steps to ensure the Government is a good steward of
taxpayer money.
Sec. 2. Agency Reduction Targets.
Each agency shall establish a plan for reducing the combined costs
associated with the activities covered by sections 3 through 7 of
this order, as well as activities included in the Administrative
Efficiency Initiative in the Fiscal Year 2012 Budget, by not less
than 20 percent below Fiscal Year 2010 levels, in Fiscal Year 2013.
Agency plans for meeting this target shall be submitted to the Office
of Management and Budget (OMB) within 45 days of the date of this
order. The OMB shall monitor implementation of these plans
consistent with Executive Order 13576 of June 13, 2011 (Delivering an
Efficient, Effective, and Accountable Government).
Sec. 3. Travel. (a) Agency travel is
important to the effective functioning of Government and certain
activities can be performed only by traveling to a different
location. However, to ensure efficient travel spending, agencies are
encouraged to devise strategic alternatives to Government travel,
including local or technological alternatives, such as
teleconferencing and video conferencing. Agencies should make all
appropriate efforts to conduct business and host or sponsor
conferences in space controlled by the Federal Government, wherever
practicable and cost effective. Lastly, each agency should review
its policies associated with domestic civilian permanent change of
duty station travel (relocations), including eligibility rules, to
identify ways to reduce costs and ensure appropriate controls are in
place.
(b) Each agency, agency component, and
office of inspector general should designate a senior level official
to be responsible for developing and implementing policies and
controls to ensure efficient spending on travel and conference
related activities, consistent with subsection (a) of this section.
Sec. 4. Employee Information
Technology Devices. Agencies should assess current device
inventories and usage, and establish controls, to ensure that they
are not paying for unused or underutilized information technology
(IT) equipment, installed software, or services. Each agency should
take steps to limit the number of IT devices (e.g., mobile phones,
smartphones, desktop and laptop computers, and tablet personal
computers) issued to employees, consistent with the Telework
Enhancement Act of 2010 (Public Law 111 292), operational
requirements (including continuity of operations), and initiatives
designed to create efficiency through the effective implementation of
technology. To promote further efficiencies in IT, agencies should
consider the implementation of appropriate agency-wide IT solutions
that consolidate activities such as desktop services, email, and
collaboration tools.
Sec. 5. Printing. Agencies are
encouraged to limit the publication and printing of hard copy
documents and to presume that information should be provided in an
electronic form, whenever practicable, permitted by law, and
consistent with applicable records retention requirements. Agencies
should consider using acquisition vehicles developed by the OMB's
Federal Strategic Sourcing Initiative to acquire printing and copying
devices and services.
Sec. 6. Executive Fleet Efficiencies.
The President's Memorandum of May 24, 2011 (Federal Fleet
Performance) directed agencies to improve the performance of the
Federal fleet of motor vehicles by increasing the use of vehicle
technologies, optimizing fleet size, and improving agency fleet
management. Building upon this effort, agencies should limit
executive transportation.
Sec. 7. Extraneous Promotional Items.
Agencies should limit the purchase of promotional items (e.g.,
plaques, clothing, and commemorative items), in particular where they
are not cost-effective.
Sec. 8. General Provisions. (a)
Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise
affect:
(i) authority granted by law to a
department or agency, or the head thereof;
(ii) functions of the Director of OMB
related to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals; or
(iii) the authority of inspectors
general under the Inspector General Act of 1978, as amended.
(b) This order shall be implemented
consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of
appropriations.
(c) Independent agencies are requested
to adhere to this order.
(d) This order is not intended to, and
does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural,
enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United
States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers,
employees, or agents, or any other person.
BARACK OBAMA
THE WHITE HOUSE,
November 9, 2011.
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