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Originally Posted by jorgelito
I agree, it's part and parcel to the "Office of the Presidency". Not a big deal really. As much as I would like an opportunity to Bush-bash (fun!), it really isn't his doing nor is it a big deal.
I do agree that the price seems steep (politics aside, purely business sense). I always think there are ways to cut costs without compromising safety and quality). But, I am not a helicopter expert so I couldn't tell you if that price is "too high".
By the way, I think the chart above is inaccurate as it does not indicate relation to GDP.
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It doesn't really seem all that steep to me. These are ultra-specialized helicopters that not only have to have the ultimate in defensive gear (electronic countermeasures, heat-emission-reduction equipment to avoid IR missiles, the usual chaff/flare, armor up the wazoo), but also full communications gear (not just aircraft radios, but commo gear for the president too), and full luxury gear (foreign heads of state also ride in those choppers, it wouldn't do to have them sitting on vinyl
).
And considering the longevity they get out of these things, I'm not real concerned about it.
Start talking about budget items that Bush is actually responsible for, and you'll get a lot more bush-directed anger out of me.