Most Expensive Presidential Perks

Most Expensive Presidential Perks Ever since it won independence, the United States has cherished democracy and spurned the semblance of aristocracy and monarchy. However, the need for a central executive leader -the president -- has made it difficult to avoid giving that person preferential treatment. After all, it's a big job. Should presidents have to waste time doing their own laundry and buying plane tickets when they're signing legislation and dispatching troops? As time's gone on, the perks of the job have become more numerous. Some of these perks have sparked controversy, such as free campaign resources at the president's disposal. But in general, the American people seem to accept this special treatment. It helps that presidents only get to be spoiled for eight years at most -- they aren't royalty from the cradle to the grave (though we will talk about post-presidential perks later). The VIP treatment also seems fitting considering the difficult road to the White House. Presidential candidates spend years and millions upon millions of dollars campaigning. Once they win, these perks eliminate the hassles and distractions from their all-important job. But perks aren't just about making the president's life easier; instead, many are for security or just practical reasons. And having one of the highest-pressure jobs in the world probably dulls the joys of such perks. Still, it's nice to imagine what life would be like with all these extras.

5. White House

AP Photo/The White House, Shealah Craighead

The White House library, above, is one of 132 elegant rooms in the president's residence. The White House is one of the most recognizable symbols of presidential prestige and power. Originally built in 1800, the illustrious residence has gone through many transformations. Today, it has 132 rooms and 35 bathrooms [source: White House]. In addition to the West Wing, which contains administrative offices, the mansion also has a personal movie-screening room and even a bowling alley. The 18 acres of grounds include a swimming pool, tennis and basketball courts, jogging track and putting green. Despite the cushy facilities, most people are even more impressed with the scope of services the White House staff provides. In addition to cleaning, doing the laundry and running errands of all kinds, various staff members are always at the beck and call of the president and first family for whatever they need. Aside from administrative assistants who tend to business needs, the White House staff includes groundskeepers, florists, valets and butlers. The kitchen has a head chef and pastry chef, with five full-time chefs who are ready at any time of day to whip something up. These perks allow the president and first lady to entertain heads of state as well as notable celebrities.

Added up, all these domestic perks amount to a pretty penny. The flowers alone, which adorn every room as well as the dot the grounds, cost an estimated $252,000 per year [source: Kessler]. Annually, upkeep for the White House costs approximately $4 million [source: Channel One].

4. Camp David

AP Photo/Brendan Byrne

Camp David is a secure recreational home for the president. Despite the conveniences and luxuries of the White House, it's still as much an office as it is a home. When presidents need more relaxation, they visit secluded Camp David. In 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt was looking for a presidential home-away-from-home and built one for about $25,000 [source:Kruse]. Camp David sits atop Catoctin Mountain outside Thurmont, Md. It's a convenient 70 miles (113 kilometers) from Washington, D.C., which makes for a quick getaway should thepresident need a break from the bustling city. And in the summertime, Camp David is also much cooler than the district. FDR used the retreat home frequently before his death and originally named it Shangri-la -- a reference to the Tibetan utopia in the novel "Lost Horizon." Eisenhower later renovated it and renamed it Camp David in honor of his grandson. Most notably, President Carter used it as a site for the peace talks between the Egyptian president and Israeli prime minister in 1978. Today, Camp David is closed to the public and extremely secure. After several renovations, the site now features 11 residence cabins and an office cabin, a swimming pool, skeet-shooting range and bowling alley. Presidents travel there via helicopter, which leads us to our next perk.

3. Air Force One and Marine One

AP Photo/Doug Mills

You'd only recognize that this presidential office was on an airplane by the shape of the window. When presidents travel, they do it in style. Although any plane carrying the president is referred to as "Air Force One," most people use the name to refer to the two Boeing 747-200B jets built specifically for the president.

The middle level of these planes carries up to 70 passengers, as well as a 26-person crew. There's ample room in the staff, media and security areas in the back half of the plane, but the president has a personal suite under the cockpit with an office, bathroom, bedroom and workout room. The upper level of the plane is for the telecommunications center, while the bottom level is for cargo. C141 Starlifter cargo planes carry the motorcade -- including armored limos -- to wherever the president is headed. The Air Force One perk is so cool that it's even inspired an action movie of the same name. Though many people consider Air Force One the ultimate presidential perk, it's tough to determine the cost of such a convenience. When traveling short distances, such as to Camp David or even to Andrews Air Force Base, the president uses a helicopter -- Marine One. The president's helicopter fleet currently includes Sikorsky VH-3D Sea Kings and VH-60N Black Hawks. Plans for new Marine One helicopters caused controversy when the Pentagon announced in 2008 that they'd cost $400 million each [source: Baker].

2. Salary The job of president comes with two things you can't put a price on: power and influence. However, it's still a salaried position. After perusing through some of these other perks, you might be wondering how much of a salary the president gets. In 2001, after 30 years without an increase, Congress raised the presidential salary from $200,000 to $400,000. But that isn't all. The president also gets a cool $100,000 for travel expenses. In addition, there's $19,000 allotted for official entertaining. Although the salary is taxable, these other benefits aren't. Plus, the White House is also paid for [source: The History Channel]. Interestingly, many presidents have accepted a pay cut when they seek political life and the Oval Office. Compared to successful executives in the corporate world, the Commander-in-Chief doesn't make all that much. Still the salary is nothing to sneeze at, and it's an attractive perk for most of us. And that's not all: After the president leaves office, there are other retirement perks to look forward to -- including a pension.

1. Retirement Perks

AP Photo/Leslie Mazoch

Jimmy Carter is shown here followed closely by security guards in 2002, decades after his term as U.S. president. What happens to a president after the four-year term expires or a new president is voted into office? It seems depressing that the chief executive has to leave one of the most powerful positions in the world and enter the ranks of ex-presidents (and a life of relative obscurity). But don't feel too badly for ex-presidents -- they get their own special retirement perks. For starters, ex-presidents receive a hefty annual pension for their golden years. Before 1958, the government expected them to pursue other ventures and didn't support them at all. As of March 2008, they received $191,300 per year [source: Smith]. In addition to that sum, they get a paid staff and office space, in addition to phone services and funds for office supplies. Ex-presidents even receive compensation for the costs of relocating offices. Although they may not get the sweet rides onAir Force One anymore, they do get an allowance for travel expenses. They also enjoy a great medical perk: receiving medical treatment at military hospitals. To top it all off, ex-presidents can relax safely and soundly thanks to continued personal security. Presidents who entered office prior to 1997 enjoy this security for the rest of their lives, but later presidents only get this service for 10 years. The last perk a president gets is a pretty special one. In a ceremonial as well as practical gesture (to spare the president's family funeral costs), every ex-president gets a state funeral with all the pomp and circumstance befitting the former chief executive.