Glad I don't pay taxes...

[Josh]

Just got back from a Phoenix Silver mission. Meaning it was a mission in direct support of the Vice President. On the 7th we flew from Charleston up to Andrews AFB, MD to pick up 7 secret service guys, and three "limo" armored Suburbans(10,500lb each), and flew them down to Johnstown, PA so Cheney could go on a one day hunting trip. Then flew 8 secret service members and the limo's all back to MD on the 8th, then came home to Charleston this morning.

If that's not some good hard tax payer's dollars at work - I don't know what is!👍 Sure am glad my pay is all tax exempt.

On a side note - at least he didn't shoot anyone in the face this time.

 

[Danoff]

I can think of worse ways tax dollars are spent.

 

[Mark T]

Just got back from a Phoenix Silver mission. Meaning it was a mission in direct support of the Vice President. On the 7th we flew from Charleston up to Andrews AFB, MD to pick up 7 secret service guys, and three "limo" armored Suburbans(10,500lb each), and flew them down to Johnstown, PA so Cheney could go on a one day hunting trip. Then flew 8 secret service members and the limo's all back to MD on the 8th, then came home to Charleston this morning.

If that's not some good hard tax payer's dollars at work - I don't know what is!👍 Sure am glad my pay is all tax exempt.

On a side note - at least he didn't shoot anyone in the face this time.

Why is your pay tax exempt? Surely if it's an income it's taxable. I have no knowledge of US tax laws.

 

[Danny]

Sounds exciting!
I imagine you to be like Tom Cruise in Top Gun.

 

[TheCracker]

If that's not some good hard tax payer's dollars at work - I don't know what is!👍 Sure am glad my pay is all tax exempt.

You might not have paid for it from your hard earned income tax - but you'll have paid towards it with the stuff you buy with your 'tax-free' cash.

 

[FoolKiller]

Why is your pay tax exempt? Surely if it's an income it's taxable. I have no knowledge of US tax laws.

Certain jobs, usually government related, can be tax exempt if the government determines it so.

 

[Mark T]

Certain jobs, usually government related, can be tax exempt if the government determines it so.

Sounds fair.

 

[1X83Z]

If that's not some good hard tax payer's dollars at work - I don't know what is!👍 Sure am glad my pay is all tax exempt.

Dunno Josh, I'm not so upset over this - if they didn't bring the Suburbans down, they wouldn't have enough security, and maybe Cheney would get shot. Imagine the outcry then.

What I really hate is how I pay taxes for road maintenance and yet the Department of Transportation can't clear snow off the road three weeks after the blizzard.

 

[Freddie]

Why is your pay tax exempt? Surely if it's an income it's taxable. I have no knowledge of US tax laws.

I'm guessing he's paid by the government, meaning taxes pays his wages. If he were to pay taxes, he'd be paying himself.

Plus, moving money around costs money, so its really the government being cost-effective.👍 Altough moving cars and people around just so the vice-president can go hunting for a single day is not.👎

 

[TopHat]

Josh, be careful around that Cheney fellow. He's dangerous. My dad is paid by taxes, but he still pays them. He's a teacher, so thats a state employee.

 

[FoolKiller]

Plus, moving money around costs money, so its really the government being cost-effective.👍 Altough moving cars and people around just so the vice-president can go hunting for a single day is not.👎

So no politicians should ever take a vacation or go out in public in anyway whatsoever? This is what they do to protect the people who lead our country when they go anywhere for any reasn. The only way to avoid this would be to keep them in a bunker 24/7.

 

[Freddie]

So no politicians should ever take a vacation or go out in public in anyway whatsoever? This is what they do to protect the people who lead our country when they go anywhere for any reasn. The only way to avoid this would be to keep them in a bunker 24/7.

I have nothing against that, people need relaxation, and Cheney should be allowed to go hunting or take a vacation or whatsoever, but all that for a single day? I was implying that if he went for a hunting trip that spanned a few more days, then that might be a more efficient way of using the voters' money (I was primarily thinking about the use of aircraft, but the agents' overnight wages might outweigh the cost of using it).

 

[FoolKiller]

I have nothing against that, people need relaxation, and Cheney should be allowed to go hunting or take a vacation or whatsoever, but all that for a single day? I was implying that if he went for a hunting trip that spanned a few more days, then that might be a more efficient way of using the voters' money (I was primarily thinking about the use of aircraft, but the agents' overnight wages might outweigh the cost of using it).

Actually the thought process is probably more along the lines of having the second-in-command out in the woods for multiple days. If it were Camp David or somewhere that he can have a near replica of his office in the event of an emergency then it would be more feasible for multiple days. Overnight wages for the personnel don't matter because they are there whether it is in Washington or the Middle East.

Cheney just happens to have a hobby that requires he be in the middle of nowhere. Now, if he were to golf it would be a 30 minute car ride.

 

[Danoff]

Like I said, I can think of many worse ways we spend tax dollars. Spending to protect our 2nd in command while allowing him to go on vacation and enjoy recreation allows us to recruit good people to lead our country. I don't want anyone refusing to run because it requires you and your family to be couped up in a basement for 4 years due to that fact that we don't want to pay for secret service.

 

[Josh]

Certain trips we fly give us tax exemptions for the month. I always fly one of these a month so I don't have to pay taxes.

I have nothing against that, people need relaxation, and Cheney should be allowed to go hunting or take a vacation or whatsoever, but all that for a single day? I was implying that if he went for a hunting trip that spanned a few more days, then that might be a more efficient way of using the voters' money (I was primarily thinking about the use of aircraft, but the agents' overnight wages might outweigh the cost of using it).

It costs on average $25,000 an hour to operate a C-17. Not to mention the cost of landing fee's, hotel fee's for the 6 crewmembers on board the jet, and the 8 USSS guys, per diem fo all of us, and the pay for all of us. This is just one example of huge wastes of money I've noticed since joining the AF. Some others include 40"+ flat screen plasma's in damn near every office/room of every building on every AF Base I've been on, multiple $600 Dyson vacuum's for every building, etc.

I just think it's funny we can pay for stuff like this, but we can't afford any security guards or security personnel at the gate at bases like at Johnstown where they have about 40 Apache's and whatnot.

It's all good though.

 

[FoolKiller]

Some others include 40"+ flat screen plasma's in damn near every office/room of every building on every AF Base I've been on, multiple $600 Dyson vacuum's for every building, etc.

What? And miss the game?

I would like to believe that there is a good reason for that, but I can't think of it.

Thing is, government excess is a common thing. And do you think they actually paid $600 for those Dysons (many are down to $400 now)? They probably paid something like $2500.

 

[Josh]

What? And miss the game?

That reminds me... we delayed our take-off time when we flew from Andrews AFB up in Maryland back to Charleston from 9:00 until 12:30 so we could watch the OSU/FLA game on the flatscreen plasma's at base-ops at Andrews. We got an additional $70 each in per diem just for that.


I just found out the other day that the tools we use to lift the ADS rails in the C-17 cost $5,500 each. It's a metal piece about as long as your finger, attatched to a 3 foot PVC pipe. And I also found out the ramp toes on the jet cost $240,000 each. Pretty crazy.

 

[FoolKiller]

That reminds me... we delayed our take-off time when we flew from Andrews AFB up in Maryland back to Charleston from 9:00 until 12:30 so we could watch the OSU/FLA game on the flatscreen plasma's at base-ops at Andrews. We got an additional $70 each in per diem just for that.


I just found out the other day that the tools we use to lift the ADS rails in the C-17 cost $5,500 each. It's a metal piece about as long as your finger, attatched to a 3 foot PVC pipe. And I also found out the ramp toes on the jet cost $240,000 each. Pretty crazy.

Are the toilet seats on the plane about $4,000?

I bet you also have on of those $1,000 hammers.

I know those are specialty items that are specifically built just for this one job and they made probably a total of 20 (5 to use and 15 for replacements), but I bet it can be made cheaper by someone somewhere.

 

[DuckRacer]

That reminds me... we delayed our take-off time when we flew from Andrews AFB up in Maryland back to Charleston from 9:00 until 12:30 so we could watch the OSU/FLA game on the flatscreen plasma's at base-ops at Andrews. We got an additional $70 each in per diem just for that.


I just found out the other day that the tools we use to lift the ADS rails in the C-17 cost $5,500 each. It's a metal piece about as long as your finger, attatched to a 3 foot PVC pipe. And I also found out the ramp toes on the jet cost $240,000 each. Pretty crazy.

So... how much do you think it costs for buckshot to have a day of hunting?