Are you kidding me?

Ordinarily I'd put this kind of post on my Lotta Torres blog, but this has really got me, so here it is.

The Obama family's trip to Africa is costing us, the US, that's us, between $60 and $100 MILLION. That's American dollars. So, let's say it may be costing about $98 MILLION. Wow! Brother! And other expressions of shock and dismay.

He's been to his ancestral home, been to the prison where Mandela spent so many years. And so on and so forth. I am positive they--he and his family and I don't know how many others are traveling with them--are having a wonderful time. But from what I've read, many Africans are disenchanted with King Barack because, for one thing, he has not followed up on the generous and helpful HIV/AIDS program started by President Bush--the guy we're all supposed to be ashamed of.

But all this and the much more I haven't mentioned seems beside the point in my thinking.

The point for me is closer to Of what benefit to us, to me, is this extended and extensive and expensive family vacation for the Obamas? Why should we be happy about it? Why should we be glad to pay for it? Why is it costing so much money? No need to mention what else $100 million might be spent for.

It really bothers me. You could tell.