Super-Rich Obama Should Give Taxpayers Their Money Back

• 11/19/2018

Public Service: By his own admission, Barack Obama is now fabulously rich. So why are middle-class taxpayers paying him roughly a million dollars each year?

According to the New York Post, Barack and Michelle Obama are "on their way to becoming a billionaire brand."
The article notes the many ways the Obama's are turning eight years in the White House into an episode of "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous."
Michelle earned a $65 million advance on her book, "Becoming." She's also making beaucoup bucks on a speaking tour. Ticket prices for her "Conversation With Michelle Obama" in Brooklyn next month range up to $4,070. There will also be plenty of money made on merchandise sales.

Multimillion-Dollar Deal

The Obamas also signed a $50 million deal with Netflix to produce programs that "promote greater empathy and understanding between peoples and help them share their stories with the entire world."
The Post goes on to note that Barack Obama now commands $400,0000 per speech. Last year, he pulled down $1.2 million for three talks to Wall Street firms. Michelle can command $225,000 for a speech.

Their nine-bedroom mansion in Washington, D.C., cost $8.1 million dollars. And Forbes calculates their net worth at over $135 million.
Last year, Obama's luxury living sparked complaints from the left. In his first six months as ex-president, Obama went to: Marlon Brando's private island, a Palm Springs estate, Richard Branson's private island, an exclusive country club in Hawaii, Tuscany, and David Geffen's private yacht.
Let's be clear. Unlike leftists, we don't begrudge people their wealth, so long as it wasn't obtained illegally.

Bashing the Rich

But Barack Obama spent his entire political career bashing the rich.
In 2009, he called bonuses given out that year by top Wall Street firms — which averaged $112,000 — "the height of irresponsibility. It is shameful." (These are the folks who paid Obama $1.2 million last year for three speeches.)
Early in his first term, Obama capped pay at $500,000 for CEOs who took federal bailout money. He said he wanted to "take the air out of golden parachutes."
He declared that a provision of the Dodd-Frank financial reform bill, known as "say on pay," would start "restoring common sense to executive pay."
He complained about "executives being rewarded for failure."
Even now, as his net worth escalates, Obama still complains about the rich. At a speech in South Africa earlier this year, he said, "There's only so much you can eat. There's only so big a house you can have. There's only so many nice trips you can take."
His most famous line, however, came in a 2010 speech, when he went off script in remarks about financial reform to say: "I do think at a certain point you've made enough money."
While we don't care how much money Obama can make in the private sector, we do object to taxpayers subsidizing his already luxurious lifestyle.

Giving Back

So, here's a modest proposal for Barack Obama.
Since he's clearly "made enough money," why not give back the $207,800 that taxpayers fork over for his presidential pension each year?
And how about covering the cost of the many perks former presidents also get? Such as the $536,000 in office space that taxpayers are providing him. Or the cost of his lifetime Secret Service protection. Or his gold-plated health benefits. Or his staff, travel funds, and free postage.
The total cost to taxpayers of these benefits: More than $1 million a year.
Heck, all Obama would have to do is give 3 speeches and he'd more than cover that tab.
Some members of Obama's own party would cheer him for this act of public service.
A few years ago, Rep. Elijah Cummings co-sponsored a bipartisan bill that would have capped the money former presidents get at $400,000, and cut it by one dollar for every dollar they earned on top of that.
As Cummings put it: "Taxpayers should not have to pay for a former president's allowance if the former president is making a comfortable living earning more than $400,000 a year after leaving office."
Amen to that.
But Obama doesn't have to wait for Congress to act.
So how about it, Mr. Obama? Why not take a minute from your Top 0.01% lifestyle and give hardworking taxpayers their money back?