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Recession, Depression -- What? Michelle Worry? The First Lady Requires More Than 20 Attendants
July 7, 2009
Dr. Paul L. Williams
“In my own life, in my own small way, I have tried to give back to this country that has given me so much,” she said. “See, that’s why I left a job at a big law firm for a career in public service.“
-- Michelle Obama
No, Michele Obama does not get paid to serve as the First Lady and she doesn’t perform any official duties. But this hasn’t deterred her from hiring an unprecedented number of staffers to cater to her every whim and to satisfy her every request in the midst of the Great Recession. Just think Mary Lincoln was taken to task for purchasing china for the White House during the Civil War. And Mamie Eisenhower had to shellout the salary for her personal secretary.
There has never been anyone in the White House at any time that has created such an army of staffers whose sole duties are the facilitation of the First Lady's social life. One wonders why she needs so much help, at taxpayer expense, when even Hillary, only had three; Jackie Kennedy one; Laura Bush one; and prior to Mamie Eisenhower social help came from the President's own pocket.
Note: This does not include makeup artist Ingrid Grimes-Miles, 49, and "First Hairstylist" Johnny Wright, 31, both of whom travelled aboard Air Force One to Europe.
How things have changed! If you’re one of the tens of millions of Americans facing certain destitution, earning less than subsistence wages stocking the shelves at Wal-Mart or serving up McDonald cheeseburgers, prepare to scream and then come to realize that the benefit package for these servants of Miz Michelle are the same as members of the national security and defense departments and the bill for these assorted lackeys is paid by John Q. Public:
1. $172,2000 - Sher, Susan (Chief Of Staff)
2. $140,000 - Frye, Jocelyn C. (Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of Policy And Projects For The First Lady)
3. $113,000 - Rogers, Desiree G. (Special Assistant to the President and White House Social Secretary)
4. $102,000 - Johnston, Camille Y. (Special Assistant to the President and Director of Communications for the First Lady)
5. Winter, Melissa E. (Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief Of Staff to the First Lady)
6. $90,000 - Medina , David S. (Deputy Chief Of Staff to the First Lady)
7. $84,000 - Lelyveld, Catherine M. (Director and Press Secretary to the First Lady)
8. $75,000 - Starkey, Frances M. (Director of Scheduling and Advance for the First Lady)
9. $70,000 - Sanders, Trooper (Deputy Director of Policy and Projects for the First Lady)
10. $65,000 - Burnough, Erinn J. (Deputy Director and Deputy Social Secretary)
11. Reinstein, Joseph B. (Deputy Director and Deputy Social Secretary)
12. $62,000 - Goodman, Jennifer R. (Deputy Director of Scheduling and Events Coordinator For The First Lady)
13. $60,000 - Fitts, Alan O. (Deputy Director of Advance and Trip Director for the First Lady)
14. Lewis, Dana M. (Special Assistant and Personal Aide to the First Lady)
15. $52,500 - Mustaphi, Semonti M. (Associate Director and Deputy Press Secretary To The First Lady)
16. $50,000 - Jarvis, Kristen E. (Special Assistant for Scheduling and Traveling Aide To The First Lady)
17. $45,000 - Lechtenberg, Tyler A. (Associate Director of Correspondence For The First Lady)
18. Tubman, Samantha (Deputy Associate Director, Social Office)
19. $40,000 - Boswell, Joseph J. (Executive Assistant to the Chief Of Staff to the First Lady)
20. $36,000 - Armbruster, Sally M. (Staff Assistant to the Social Secretary)
21. Bookey, Natalie (Staff Assistant)
22. Jackson, Deilia A. (Deputy Associate Director of Correspondence for the First Lady)
This adds up to $1,216,200 and the salary list is not complete.
Copyright 2009 Canada Free Press.Com
http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/12652
Dr. Paul L. Williams
“In my own life, in my own small way, I have tried to give back to this country that has given me so much,” she said. “See, that’s why I left a job at a big law firm for a career in public service.“
-- Michelle Obama
No, Michele Obama does not get paid to serve as the First Lady and she doesn’t perform any official duties. But this hasn’t deterred her from hiring an unprecedented number of staffers to cater to her every whim and to satisfy her every request in the midst of the Great Recession. Just think Mary Lincoln was taken to task for purchasing china for the White House during the Civil War. And Mamie Eisenhower had to shellout the salary for her personal secretary.
There has never been anyone in the White House at any time that has created such an army of staffers whose sole duties are the facilitation of the First Lady's social life. One wonders why she needs so much help, at taxpayer expense, when even Hillary, only had three; Jackie Kennedy one; Laura Bush one; and prior to Mamie Eisenhower social help came from the President's own pocket.
Note: This does not include makeup artist Ingrid Grimes-Miles, 49, and "First Hairstylist" Johnny Wright, 31, both of whom travelled aboard Air Force One to Europe.
How things have changed! If you’re one of the tens of millions of Americans facing certain destitution, earning less than subsistence wages stocking the shelves at Wal-Mart or serving up McDonald cheeseburgers, prepare to scream and then come to realize that the benefit package for these servants of Miz Michelle are the same as members of the national security and defense departments and the bill for these assorted lackeys is paid by John Q. Public:
1. $172,2000 - Sher, Susan (Chief Of Staff)
2. $140,000 - Frye, Jocelyn C. (Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of Policy And Projects For The First Lady)
3. $113,000 - Rogers, Desiree G. (Special Assistant to the President and White House Social Secretary)
4. $102,000 - Johnston, Camille Y. (Special Assistant to the President and Director of Communications for the First Lady)
5. Winter, Melissa E. (Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief Of Staff to the First Lady)
6. $90,000 - Medina , David S. (Deputy Chief Of Staff to the First Lady)
7. $84,000 - Lelyveld, Catherine M. (Director and Press Secretary to the First Lady)
8. $75,000 - Starkey, Frances M. (Director of Scheduling and Advance for the First Lady)
9. $70,000 - Sanders, Trooper (Deputy Director of Policy and Projects for the First Lady)
10. $65,000 - Burnough, Erinn J. (Deputy Director and Deputy Social Secretary)
11. Reinstein, Joseph B. (Deputy Director and Deputy Social Secretary)
12. $62,000 - Goodman, Jennifer R. (Deputy Director of Scheduling and Events Coordinator For The First Lady)
13. $60,000 - Fitts, Alan O. (Deputy Director of Advance and Trip Director for the First Lady)
14. Lewis, Dana M. (Special Assistant and Personal Aide to the First Lady)
15. $52,500 - Mustaphi, Semonti M. (Associate Director and Deputy Press Secretary To The First Lady)
16. $50,000 - Jarvis, Kristen E. (Special Assistant for Scheduling and Traveling Aide To The First Lady)
17. $45,000 - Lechtenberg, Tyler A. (Associate Director of Correspondence For The First Lady)
18. Tubman, Samantha (Deputy Associate Director, Social Office)
19. $40,000 - Boswell, Joseph J. (Executive Assistant to the Chief Of Staff to the First Lady)
20. $36,000 - Armbruster, Sally M. (Staff Assistant to the Social Secretary)
21. Bookey, Natalie (Staff Assistant)
22. Jackson, Deilia A. (Deputy Associate Director of Correspondence for the First Lady)
This adds up to $1,216,200 and the salary list is not complete.
Copyright 2009 Canada Free Press.Com
http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/12652
Comment
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Comment by OCNaturalDoc on August 3, 2009 at 8:57pm
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Oh, Mark....you know the story...love is blind. This stuff kind of reminds me of when mom said stuff you don't want to hear about the guy you like who called and asked you out --- and you defend him...even though you really don't know if he's the idiot she says he is, cuz you're too young and uninformed to know better. You just THINK you do. And above all else, you don't want to be "wrong".
Outside of spending over $1.2 million on personal staff and failing to have the White House soil properly tested to ensure that it up to standard for organic planting (are you kidding me?), what else has she done? That now 'defunct' organic garden cost taxpayers over $1 million. I would have planted AND maintained it for a fraction of the cost...as long as they wanted it there. Hell, I would have set up a roadside stand with her kids, if they wanted it (imagine that!). All she had to do was call me. I am here to serve.
I read her Princeton thesis before the election.....and I'm not sayin' a word....unless provoked :-)
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Comment by Mark F Lamb on July 30, 2009 at 4:29pm
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When the truth is negative It seems to set off a certain reaction. Mainly attack the former President. As if it matters since he is no longer the President. Doesn't matter how badly the prior President ran his office, it matters what the current President is doing - now, this moment, I do not remember a lot of bad press of past First Ladies but there seems to be some for the current First Lady.
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quinn...i didn't bash her, i gave her kudos for planting a garden. nothing harsh or accusatory there!
the point about laura bush was that she had a staff because she was working outside of the white house and required a staff. jeeze!
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Comment by Quinn on July 30, 2009 at 1:09pm
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OC, it sounds to me like it isn't going to matter what Michelle Obama does or doesn't do--you've already made up your mind about her.
I won't speak for other states, but, if you ask anyone in the state of Pennsylvania that is involved with public school education about No Child Left Behind they'll tell you what a failure it was.
And, to accuse Michelle Obama in the manner that you did---without facts regarding the other first ladies constitues bashing in my book. [From dictionary.com~~bash: To engage in harsh, accusatory criticism.]
BTW...my source for Laura Bush's staff--History.com http://boards.history.com/topic/Current-Events/What-Laura-Bushs/520059442
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I don't 'bash' anyone, Quinn. The information was gathered by a news source. The link is above. Feel free to check it out.
You failed to list your source, but it doesn't really matter. I wasn't going to go there, but Laura Bush worked as a key advocate for the No Child Left Behind Act and was a supporter of NCLB's Reading First program, which is the largest reading initiative in American history. She also launched Ready to Read, Ready to Learn, an education initiative that promoted best practices in early childhood education and raised awareness of innovative teacher training programs. Mrs Bush also founded the National Book Festival. There are many more global initiatives she worked on while serving as First Lady. Read for yourself:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/first_ladies/laurabush/
I wasn't happy with the Bush administration, but I (along with most of America) appreciated the good work Laura Bush did to create awareness, inspire and improve education worldwide.
To her credit, Michelle Obama planted a garden in the yard. Now, most people know I'm a big fan of organic gardens -- especially growing your own -- so to kudos to Michelle! But even I can plant a garden for way less than a million dollars, including getting plenty of good press converage. Who wouldn't love to be on that gravy train?
It's early in the Obama adminstration, so maybe Michelle has future plans to launch her own global initiatives. Usually businesses hire as growth dictates the need for more help. It just seems as though the cart was put before the horse in this case....and we are already paying big money for a seemingly small effort in a depressed economy.
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Comment by ZenDog on July 30, 2009 at 6:17am
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I knew no one as careful with image as the President would step that far out of custom . . .
Now how about changing the process that allows the insertion into bills those attatchments and provisions that arrive beneath the cloak of anonimity . . .
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You said that Laura Bush had one person on staff? Not hardly...
Total for salary...a little over 1 million dollars.
[wardrobe stylist and hair stylist are not included on this list]
Feel free to bash the Obama's, but at least be accurate!
McBride, Anita B. Assistant to the president and chief of staff to the first lady $168,000.00
Harder, Cherie S. Special asistant to the president for domestic policy and director of project of the first lady $108,000.00
Niemiec, Sally M. Press secretary to the First Lady $90,000.00
Miller, Sonja M. Deputy chief of staff to the first lady $84,700.00
Ballard, Deanna M. Director of scheduling for the First Lady $75,000.00
Underwood, Carrie P. Deputy director of policy and projects for the First Lady $65,000.00
Wallace, Charity N. Director of advance for the First Lady $65,000.00
Marshall, Misty C. Director of correspondence for the first lady $59,700.00
Etter, Marisa L. Deputy director of scheduling for the First Lady $50,000.00
King, Kristin N. Deputy director of advance for the first lady $50,000.00
Lineweaver, Lindsey M. Special assistant and personal aide to the first lady $47,500.00
Rawson, Kimberly D. Executive assistant to the chief of staff to the First Lady $46,200.00
Donoghue , Tarah C. Deputy press secretary to the First Lady $43,000.00
Vogel, Campbell B. Deputy director of correspondence for the First Lady $42,500.00
Block, Jonathan F. Assistant press secretary to the First Lady $39,000.00
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i thought that might be the case, as well, so i looked a little further:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/04/susan-sher-named-first-la_...
and
http://www.demconwatchblog.com/diary/507/mrs-michelle-obama-announc...
this country voted for change....now we have to pay for it. she doesn't even work for the people. another unsolved mystery.
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Ya-ya. Canada free press . . . warrants looking into. I seem to recall some other odd news arriving from up north not too too long ago, can't remember now what it was, but probably a lot like this - smear.
We've seen a lot of bs spread about the Obama's lately. Must be someone is getting nervous over the health care bill.
Not that I'm prepared to refute any of the items listed, I'm not. It just doesn't mesh with someone who seems to be a talented at managing image as the President seems to be. Kinda gives me the expectation that this is just more of the same - nonsense.
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