No sorry, this is not how it works, douchebag.
In response to a group of Iowa sixth graders who made a plea to be allowed to visit the White House, clearly overpaid Fox "News" Host Eric Bolling offered to pick up the tab for the cancelled White House Tours. It turns out that opening the doors to the White House actually does cost money- about $74K in Secret Service overtime (even though John Boehner seems to think it is free):
White House tours cost the Secret Service an average of $74,000 a week, according to numbers provided by the agency Thursday, amid continued grousing from Hill Republicans who see the move as a petty ploy by the president's team.
During tours, 37 Secret Service officers typically are stationed along the route, each getting paid $50 an hour for 40 hours each week, agency spokesman Edwin Donovan told POLITICO. That works out to $74,000 a week.
This Fox "News" host thinks he is calling the President's bluff by offering to pay for the cancelled tours.
He also tries to equate the President's personal family and vacation expenses with the government cutbacks, which have become the favorite target of Republicans since the Obamas became the First Family.
"Make you a deal. Jay Carney, grab a pencil. Let the families take the White House tours next week and I'll cover the added expenses. The word is it'll cost around $74,000. If I can get the White House doors open, I will pick up the tab. Mr. Carney, you know this is an offer you can't refuse. Give me a call."
Bolling made the offer after showing footage of school children in Iowa saying, "The White House is our house. Please let us visit" and remarking on President Obama's willingness to pay for golf outings, Hawaii vacations and ski trips.
Please take note, this man can afford to pay $74,000 a week out of his paycheck or at least is claiming he can.
Much to their chagrin , Republicans are learning that running the government, even the parts they like, actually does cost money. Which comes from taxes.
This may seem like a minor kerfuffle in the grand scheme of things but it illustrates as a perfect microcosm the misguided Republican beliefs about taxes, revenues, and expenditures. This very wealthy host can clearly afford to pay a lot more in taxes - but wants to choose where and how his taxes are spent. Sorry, I had to pay for that Iraq war, you get to pay for things you don't like.
And don't expect this douchebag to know the rules that Congress agreed to on the sequester, or at least ignore them to make his point. The sequester cuts were supposed to be brutal and across the board, to prevent them from happening. You don't get to pick and choose which ones you like and those you don't. That was the whole point. (Except of course Congress whose pay is exempt). How about you just pony up and pay this $74K into the Treasury, like everyone else does with their taxes, and democracy will decide how it gets spent.
So hey, overpaid Fox "News" host Eric Bolling who can afford an extra $74,000 a week out of your paycheck, maybe you could have better spent your time convincing John Boehner to agree to President Obama's offer of not only cutting spending, but also raising some revenue. Because when tax revenue is cut, services are cut. Even the ones you like.
8:52 AM PT: Apparently, this is not a standing offer. Bolling's offer is only for one week at $74,000, specially for the Iowa schoolchildren. So, that's even worse - he's singling out only one class of kids for his special treatment. Screw everybody else - even other schoolkids. What an empty gesture.