Why is the U.S. Park Service tasked with maintaining Jimmy Carter's Home?
By ParaTed2k
@ParaTed2k (22940)
Sheboygan, Wisconsin
February 3, 2011 11:04am CST
"The list of daily maintenance, financed with taxpayer dollars, includes clearing the driveway, walkway and tennis court, picking up trash along the road that runs by the home, clearing tree branches that have fallen along the estate’s walking trails and cleaning the pool."
To the tune of over $65,000, former president Jimmy Carter's private home is maintained by the U.S. Park Service.
Before anyone says anything about how it's normal. Nope, it isn't. No living former president today gets the same benefit. The last president to have his home maintained at taxpayer expense was Johnson.. and Eisenhower before him. No evidence exists that shows any other former president got this benefit (although, in fairness, that doesn't mean none have).
Jimmy Carter always tries to appear to be "like everyone else", but this is just more evidence that that reality is far from the rhetoric.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/feb/1/keeping-carters-home-neat-costs-us-a-tidy-sum/?page=1
3 people like this
7 responses
@ParaTed2k (22940)
• Sheboygan, Wisconsin
3 Feb 11
Gladys, in case you didn't notice, I didn't say anything against money going to Carter (or anyone else) for security or anything that goes to ALL former presidents. Why does Carter get special treatment?
1 person likes this
@gladys46 (1205)
• United States
3 Feb 11
ParaTed, I really don't know! As far as I'm concerned, they all get "special treatments" ... special dispensations, the whole lot of them. Not to excuse or attempt to explain the case you bring but, Carter is very aged, I don't begrudge him any more than I would begrudge extra help to VP Cheney at his very fragile and aged state. They both served our nation.
@ParaTed2k (22940)
• Sheboygan, Wisconsin
3 Feb 11
They both make quite enough money to pay people to maintain their residences. The difference is, VP Cheney (along with all living former Prs. and VPs) have to pay for it themselves. Carter, who has alway claimed he's against such special treatment, gets it, accepts it and is the one who instigated it.
This is taking nothing from Carter's service as president, or as a Navy vet. I don't think he did a very good job as president, but he did serve as such. As is attested by the aging of all presidents, it's not an easy position to hold.
1 person likes this
@flowerchilde (12529)
• United States
4 Feb 11
..they don't seem very timid about these entitlements do they..
@flowerchilde (12529)
• United States
4 Feb 11
Maybe I'm getting a bit cynical against politicians, bankers and lawyers.. but lately it seems to me that Lawyers get elected, make the laws, and they and bankers make the laws on interest rates, so all the money gets sucked up via taxes and interest and the people with less and less, and the same lawyers, politicians (and bankers) enforce the laws.. and if I want to know what a law is I have to pay a lawyer.. And I'm not likin' any of it.
@dragon54u (31633)
• United States
3 Feb 11
This is ridiculous. Let him maintain his own home--he runs every day so he can pick up a rake and the trash! 
Lord knows he has enough money to hire a staff.
This is the kind of crap we need to cut. Sure, it's a "drop in the bucket" but what is that full bucket made up of? Drops!!!! I'm sick of this crap. I'd like to go to DC with a truckload of soupy cow manure and line Congress and the Administration up for a good dosing of what they've given up all these decades!
Lord knows he has enough money to hire a staff.
This is the kind of crap we need to cut. Sure, it's a "drop in the bucket" but what is that full bucket made up of? Drops!!!! I'm sick of this crap. I'd like to go to DC with a truckload of soupy cow manure and line Congress and the Administration up for a good dosing of what they've given up all these decades!1 person likes this
@millertime (1394)
• United States
4 Feb 11
Somehow it's not surprising to see a politician or in this case a former one abusing the taxpayers. Nobody knows how to waste taxpayer dollars better than a government official. Even with the economy in the state it's in, he still keeps taking and taking. It's disgusting. These guys think they are better than everybody else just because they got elected to something. They think they are OWED perks like this at our expense. It should not only be ended, he should have to pay back every penny into the treasury.
How many other abuses and waste do you think there is like this in government? Many I would bet.
