Letter: House Republicans to Mr. Flynn

There is a formula that sets out how much the President's campaign has to pay for the use of AF1. I read about it once. It's something like the campaign pays the government what it would cost to fly the president, aides, maybe the reporters, too, in a sufficient number of private jets to give them all seats. Many years ago it was the price of a first class ticket for everyone. Don't quote me; if you care about the details, look it up. I don't think it covers all the costs but its a reasonable compromise that should make an incumbent's campaign spend about as much as a challenger's campaign for the same amount of travel. I mention this because it feels on topic in a general sort of way -- how do presidential candidates get charged for travel?

Arborwayfan wrote: ↑Mon Oct 26, 2020 5:25 pm There is a formula that sets out how much the President's campaign has to pay for the use of AF1. I read about it once. It's something like the campaign pays the government what it would cost to fly the president, aides, maybe the reporters, too, in a sufficient number of private jets to give them all seats. Many years ago it was the price of a first class ticket for everyone. Don't quote me; if you care about the details, look it up. I don't think it covers all the costs but its a reasonable compromise that should make an incumbent's campaign spend about as much as a challenger's campaign for the same amount of travel. I mention this because it feels on topic in a general sort of way -- how do presidential candidates get charged for travel?

Just for fun, I dug into the aircraft, which is a Boeing VC-25A. Per Wikipedia, it carries around 70 people (President, staff, reporters), luggage, and supplies. "The Air Force reported that the operating cost for each VC-25A in 2014 was $210,877 per hour."

A cross-country trip is 5h45m in the air via Southwest non-stop BWI to OAK. That's $1.2 Million at worst case (assuming that figure is correct)! DC to Pittsburgh is a rough 45 min to an hour.

That, VS $265 K for the (8-ish hour) train ride? Amtrak's CHEAP!

Sprinkle in the last financial statements from the two campaigns. Biden's warchest is huge, thus why he can spend on a ton more ads than Trump can. Those commercials must cost a ton, because Trump's warchest is small... and from various reports in the NYTimes, is heavily mismanaged. I can assume with all the rallies being held by him, it's cheaper to have the government pay for the flight and hold them, over making more commercials.

Ooooh the auditors are going to have a field day!

Consider that when they are on the move,everything gets rearranged by the Secret Service from the beginning,case in point,I-95 in Philly was shutdown SB to the airport for the candidate's motorcade
You don't want to be in NY City for The UN opening session,,they shut down JFK the east side Heliport and East side Drive in Manhattan,Welcome to traffic HELL that day

I predicted this letter would happen, but the converse point about AF1 travel is well taken. (Not sure it would be well taken by those writing the letter, unless four years from now they’re perhaps discussing a Democrat seeking election and flying on AF2.)

Four years ago the current republican candidate was complaining about the then president's use of AF1 for campaigning. I have been around long enough to see both party's complain abut each other while doing what they complain about when they get the chance. It is all part of the game. The government gets some compensation for political use of AF1. But it has been a mystical secret since at least the Reagan years how much the cost is vs the compensation received.

As for Biden's train ... the CHI-CLE did not seem to have extra security. It did not delay traffic on the way to CLE. Watching ATCS it seemed that the rails were fairly clear and it could have run a couple hours earlier (right behind 48) but they ran it later in the night (I assume to reduce dwell time in CLE). Locals in CLE and east will need to report what they saw along the tracks (other than a lot of railfans). I'm sure there was adequate security - as there always is.

I'm sure the Biden campaign paid adequately for their use of the train. And I doubt the freight railroads were inconvenienced. Certainly not to the level of delaying the pandemic response.

I wonder if any of these "concerned " Republicans were on the 2018 Republican Party charter train that hit a trash truck and killed its driver? These guys are hypocritical cheap shot artists.

pbj123 wrote: ↑Tue Oct 27, 2020 9:33 pm I wonder if any of these "concerned " Republicans were on the 2018 Republican Party charter train that hit a trash truck and killed its driver? These guys are hypocritical cheap shot artists.

Probably not. There may be a few to get a train experience but I doubt the train-going Republicans are a majority among all Republicans... and I doubt any of them are on any Transportation relevant committees.