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May 20, 2013
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Mark Clayton: Terrorism in America: Is US missing a chance to learn from failed plots?
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Clifford D. May: Defense in the Age of Jihadist Terrorism
Sharon Palmer, R.D.: How to feel your best -- with plenty of energy, a healthy weight and optimal mental and physical function -- without driving yourself batty
April 24, 2013
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Jewish World Review
March 29, 2013/ 18 Nissan, 5773
Justifying the costs of ex-presidents
By
Dale McFeatters
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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
The Congressional Research Service caused a mild flap in the nation's capital when it disclosed that the country spent nearly $3.7 million last year supporting its four living ex-presidents and one presidential widow.
Ex-presidents receive an annual pension of $200,000, another $96,000 for staff, and the government picks up the cost of travel, office space, staff benefits and communications. The Secret Service protection that stays with them is covered under a separate budget.
The Associated Press noted that's a pittance compared with the trillions the government spends each year. But the news service indulged in today's obligatory handwringing when it comes to federal spending:
"Still, with ex-presidents able to command eye-popping sums for books, speaking engagements and the like in their post-White House years, the report raises questions about whether the U.S. should provide such generous subsidies at a time when spending cuts and the deficit are forcing lawmakers and federal agencies to seek ways to cut back."
Once this wasn't a problem. Presidents tended to be old and worn out when they left office and, in any case, they didn't receive a pension, not until Harry Truman left office basically broke.
John Quincy Adams went back to the U.S. House; William Howard Taft became chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, but the range of second careers is limited. Unlike retired ballplayers, decorum prevents former presidents from opening restaurants, doing card shows or greeting casino customers.
Former Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton support a range of good works through their foundations. When George W. Bush finishes his post-presidential chores -- his library and his book -- perhaps he will again take up the cause of public health in Africa, where he did great work during his presidency but got little recognition.
There are 12 presidential libraries, with the younger Bush's soon to make 13. The law requires the ex-president to raise the money to build the library and then the National Archives takes over running it. The cost of those libraries has been rising steadily. George H.W. Bush's library in College Station, Texas, cost $104.7 million in today's dollars; Clinton's in Little Rock, Ark., $180 million; and George W. Bush raised an estimated $500 million for his in Dallas.
President Barack Obama will be a special case because he will be relatively young -- 55 -- when he leaves office. Writing books and giving speeches is fine, and you can only play so much golf. It seems that our ex-presidents are something of a wasted resource. We should ask more of them.
y.
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Previously:
• 03/26/13 Congress OKs funding, pats itself on back
• 03/25/13 The more babies, the merrier and the more solvent
• 03/22/13 The quick red fox jumps --- oh, never mind
• 03/21/13 Living large on no dollars a day
• 03/20/13 Cyprus, chaos and the butterfly effect
• 03/19/13 What Obama's visit to Israel lacks in substance, it makes up for in symbolism
• 03/18/13 Visit the USA! It's not as much hassle anymore
• 03/15/13 Iraq War spurred medical progress, at great cost
• 03/14/13 In death, Chavez escapes a final indignity
• 03/13/13 Deficits falling -- maybe
• 03/12/13 Jobless rate dips, almost in spite of Congress
• 03/11/13 Rescuing remnants of the hated Berlin Wall
• 03/08/13 Mr. Paul Goes to Washington
• 03/05/13 Dennis Rodman puts up diplomatic air ball
• 03/04/13 Congress faces reality, passes anti-violence act
• 03/01/13 Titanic II: If at first you don't succeed ...
• 02/27/13 Telecommuters back to office!
• 02/26/13 Federal agencies to make sure public feels pain, too
• 02/25/13 You've been good citizens. Now get out
• 02/21/13 The drones are coming, ready or not
• 02/20/13 Deadbeats undermine the best of intentions
• 02/19/13 Artificial retina offers eye-opening promise
• 02/14/13 State of the Union needs new purpose
• 02/13/13 Instead of black helicopters, fluffy white blimps
• 02/11/13 Congress, no vacation until its work is done
• 02/08/13 Saturday letter delivery an expensive luxury
• 02/07/13 William Howard Taft, from president to mascot
• 02/01/13 Economists unfazed by brief pause in growth
• 01/31/13 African drone base would be a first step for U.S.
• 01/28/13 Senate timidly tinkers with filibuster rule
• 01/25/13 North Korea on 'settling accounts' with U.S.
• 01/24/13 Iran will invent world domination
• 01/23/13 High-school graduation rate hits a high note
• 01/21/13 Congress will spend year resting up -- who knows for what
• 01/17/13 Inaugurations inevitably include a slip-up
• 01/16/13 Once again, an al-Qaida threat from a faraway place
• 11/30/12 Soon your car may resemble Hal --- 'I'm sorry, Dave'
• 11/27/12 Faint -- very faint -- signs of optimism on fiscal cliff
• 11/26/12 Black Friday fatigue --- or not
• 11/23/12 China plans world's tallest and fastest building
• 11/22/12 Lonely, unattached planets looking for company
• 11/19/12 Americans will be diminished by loss of Twinkies
• 11/16/12 'E' in email stands for 'everybody'
• 11/14/12 Congress has chance to end year on high note
• 11/09/12 In Washington, expect new kind ofgridlock
• 11/02/12 Paranoia tops Chinese leaders' agendas
• 11/01/12 Preparing to lead from rear in another war
• 10/31/12 Happy to forget
• 10/30/12 Hurricane Sandy clouds election outcome
• 10/29/12 New meaning to the crime 'stick up'
• 10/25/12 Riding out the apocalypse in Costco
• 10/22/12 We love our troops, but some of us love ripping them off even more
• 10/18/12 Search for our next world narrows; get used to heat
• 10/16/12 Your license plate may be an open book
• 10/12/12 Cycling anti-dopers finally get their man, Lance Armstrong
• 10/12/12 Discovery: Roadside trash on Mars?
• 10/11/12 Millennials, the cheapest generation
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• 10/04/12 Confessions of a federal bootlegger
• 10/01/12 Rover Curiosity finds potential site for base Organizing
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• 09/25/12 Imelda's shoes should be preserved and displayed
• 08/23/12 Capital's Reflecting Pool reflecting again
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• 08/15/12 Hypersonic flight -- N.Y. to L.A. in 36 minutes
• 08/09/12 Coming to a dealer near you: All new 2013 Curiosity
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• 08/03/12 Manhattan Project worthy of national parks
• 08/01/12 In Russia, fearing the power of punk
• 07/31/12 Why Barack Obama needs Bill Clinton
• 07/30/12 Safeguard Fed's independence
• 07/26/12 Government spying on everyone not necessarily all bad
• 07/19/12 Kim Horatio Alger Jong Un, prodigy
• 07/18/12 The Fed and Congress: Who's on first?
• 07/17/12 Farmers markets require clean hands, common sense
• 07/10/12 Candidates play hooky from party conventions
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• 07/04/12 A day to pursue happiness like good Americans
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• 06/06/12 Spy agency magically produces two space
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• 05/31/12 Needed: A kinder, gentler . . . TSA
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• 05/17/12 U.S. needs a good third party
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• 05/15/12 Some good in war
• 05/14/12 Mayan discovery: It's safe to make plans for 2013
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• 04/16/12 When your car is smarter than you are
• 04/13/12 Lenders tiptoe back into world of credit risks
• 04/12/12 What do you mean you don't want a driver's license?
• 04/11/12 Smartphone anti-theft plan seems, um, smart
• 04/10/12 Bizarre process to choose a veep
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• 04/06/12 We do want the fake Romney, not the 'real' one
• 04/05/12 Heaping even more indignities on air travelers
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• 03/21/12 In Iraq, blame the U.S., but drive American
• 03/20/12 Too late, bin Laden realized killing Muslims was a mistake
• 03/16/12 Hu and Wen leaving. China asks: What next?
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• 01/05/12 Majoring in unemployment
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• 01/02/12 Pragmatic look at top words
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• 12/21/12 Speculation and wishful thinking can get scary
• 12/20/11 A third Kim has North Korea by the throat
• 12/19/11 Congress pats itself on back for budget bill
• 12/15/11 The U.S. government is cashing in its chips, literally
• 12/14/11 TSA might try trusting its own people
• 12/12/11 That $1.2 billion? It's around here some place
• 12/09/11 State Department Creates ‘Virtual Embassy’ For Iran
• 12/08/11 If you've ever tweeted, you're in the Library of Congress
• 12/07/11 Discoveries go to the core of what makes us humans
• 12/06/11 Stealing elections badly in Russia
• 12/05/11 Sometimes paranoia is common sense by another name
• 12/02/11 When the U.S. truly became one nation
• 12/01/11 Last chance to snap up a Maybach
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• 11/25/11 No time to let up on al-Qaida
• 11/24/11 Congress Quietly Abolishing Friday
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• 11/15/11 Occupy protesters, you've made your point. Now, scat
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• 11/08/11 A toilet as smart as its occupant
• 11/07/11 Prerevolutionary gems in need of TLC
• 11/04/11 Feds must stop scam of stealing from dead children
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• 10/31/11 NATO should not be a victim of its success
• 10/28/11 Iran mulls getting rid of president and presidency
• 10/27/11 Bienvenidos a Dayton and bring your businesses with you
• 10/26/11 Archivists long for Obama's teleprompter
• 10/25/11 United Nations to run the Internet?
• 10/24/11 Attention, world: You've got the cash. We've got the houses
• 10/19/11 Oil pipeline must be in America's future
• 10/18/11 U.S. plans ‘limited’ mission in an Africa with no limits
• 10/17/11 Social Security's grave mistakes
• 10/12/11 NASA's help-wanted sign for astronauts
• 10/10/11 Saving Thomas Jefferson''s chimneys
• 10/06/11 Uncle Sam's answer to deadbeats --- robo-calls
• 10/04/11 Christie should ignore jibes on his weight
• 10/03/11 Iran says its warships will head for Jersey shore
• 09/29/11 Europeans bristle at Obama's lectures
• 09/28/11 Jessica Rabbit for the defense
• 09/27/11 Russia learns outcome of next March's presidential election
• 09/26/11 Another try at leaving no child behind
• 09/23/11 This generation needs a job more than a name
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• 09/20/11 Cloudy, cool, chance of falling satellite
• 09/14/11 Humanitarian extortion
• 09/13/11 Paging Dr. Watson; he's there in 3 seconds
• 09/09/11 Forecasting 100 percent chance of heavy metal
• 09/08/11 A jobs program at Obama's doorstep
• 09/07/11 Iran's government afraid of the water
• 09/06/11 Congress returns, tanned, rested and testy
• 09/05/11 Space nations must clean up after themselves
• 09/02/11 Osama bin Laden died a failure and he knew it
• 09/01/11 Time to retire political pie in the face
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• 08/30/11 These arrestees really are framed
• 08/25/11 When in an earthquake, block traffic
• 08/23/11 A case for discretion in deportation arrests
• 08/22/11 Tough times or not, parents shell out for school
• 08/18/11 Being unpleasant for fun, profit, promotion
• 08/17/11 Time to prepare for the end game in Libya
• 08/16/11: ‘Super Committee’ starts facing reality
• 08/15/11: World's fastest plane disappears even faster
• 08/12/11: British cops track rioters through security cameras
• 08/11/11: Relax. There is no Death Star
• 08/10/11: House pages run final errands
• 08/09/11: U.S. treading water on job creation
• 08/08/11: Uncle Sam, the world's permanent guest
• 08/05/11: Most 9/11 victims not on federal death records
• 08/04/11: Russian PM calls U.S. a ‘parasite.’ He should be so lucky
• 08/03/11: Congress goes from one bind to another
• 08/02/11: D.B. Cooper may no longer be a mystery
• 08/01/11: Libya's latest weapon against NATO --- lawsuits
• 07/29/11: He'll always be known as Hot Wheels Handler
• 07/25/11: Recruiting children to save a dying town
• 07/22/11: Bachmann's admirable medical candor
• 07/12/11: Social Security's grave mistakes
• 07/08/11: Debt crisis need not be constitutional crisis
• 07/07/11: Startups entice new talent with kickball, treehouses
• 07/05/11: Stranded tourists get rare treat
• 06/30/11: The dollar Americans refuse to spend
• 06/27/11: The hangman doesn't cometh
© 2011, SCRIPPS HOWARD NEWS SERVICE
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