Staffing Info

First Lady requires more than twenty attendants

Dr. Paul L. Williams Bio
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By Dr. Paul L. Williams Tuesday, July 7, 2009

“The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don’t do anything about it”
--Albert Einstein

“In my own life, in my own small way, I have tried to give back to this country that has given me so much,” she said. “See, that’s why I left a job at a big law firm for a career in public service, “ Michelle Obama

No, Michele Obama does not get paid to serve as the First Lady and she doesn’t perform any official duties. But this hasn’t deterred her from hiring an unprecedented number of staffers to cater to her every whim and to satisfy her every request in the midst of the Great Recession. Just think Mary Lincoln was taken to task for purchasing china for the White House during the Civil War. And Mamie Eisenhower had to shell out the salary for her personal secretary.

How things have changed! If you’re one of the tens of millions of Americans facing certain destitution, earning less than subsistence wages stocking the shelves at Wal-Mart or serving up McDonald cheeseburgers, prepare to scream and then come to realize that the benefit package for these servants of Miz Michele are the same as members of the national security and defense departments and the bill for these assorted lackeys is paid by John Q. Public:

$172,2000 - Sher, Susan (CHIEF OF STAFF)

$140,000 - Frye, Jocelyn C. (DEPUTY ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR OF POLICY AND PROJECTS FOR THE FIRST LADY)

$113,000 - Rogers, Desiree G. (SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT AND WHITE HOUSE SOCIAL SECRETARY)

$102,000 - Johnston, Camille Y. (SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS FOR THE FIRST LADY)

Winter, Melissa E. (SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT AND DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF TO THE FIRST LADY)

$90,000 - Medina, David S. (DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF TO THE FIRST LADY)

$84,000 - Lelyveld, Catherine M. (DIRECTOR AND PRESS SECRETARY TO THE FIRST LADY)

$75,000 - Starkey, Frances M. (DIRECTOR OF SCHEDULING AND ADVANCE FOR THE FIRST LADY)

$70,000 - Sanders, Trooper (DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF POLICY AND PROJECTS FOR THE FIRST LADY)

$65,000 - Burnough, Erinn J. (DEPUTY DIRECTOR AND DEPUTY SOCIAL SECRETARY)

Reinstein, Joseph B. (DEPUTY DIRECTOR AND DEPUTY SOCIAL SECRETARY)

$62,000 - Goodman, Jennifer R. (DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF SCHEDULING AND EVENTS COORDINATOR FOR THE FIRST LADY)

$60,000 - Fitts, Alan O. (DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF ADVANCE AND TRIP DIRECTOR FOR THE FIRST LADY)

Lewis, Dana M. (SPECIAL ASSISTANT AND PERSONAL AIDE TO THE FIRST LADY)

$52,500 - Mustaphi, Semonti M. (ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR AND DEPUTY PRESS SECRETARY TO THE FIRST LADY)

$50,000 - Jarvis, Kristen E. (SPECIAL ASSISTANT FOR SCHEDULING AND TRAVELING AIDE TO THE FIRST LADY)

$45,000 - Lechtenberg, Tyler A. (ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF CORRESPONDENCE FOR THE FIRST LADY)

Tubman, Samantha (DEPUTY ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR,SOCIAL OFFICE)

$40,000 - Boswell, Joseph J. (EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO THE CHIEF OF STAFF TO THE FIRST LADY)

$36,000 - Armbruster, Sally M. (STAFF ASSISTANT TO THE SOCIAL SECRETARY)
Bookey, Natalie (STAFF ASSISTANT)
Jackson, Deilia A. (DEPUTY ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF CORRESPONDENCE FOR THE FIRST LADY)

There is no shame in this White House!!!

WoW, Imagine giving ppl "JOBS" in this era of LAYOFFS, yeah, JOBS; or she can cut the staff and tell "industry" downsizing is the way to help the economy.

You don't have to do anything with that "bailout" money but spend it on luxuries for yorself and family. . employees who "needs" employees?

Let it trickle down, that's the way to go and always has been. Now, if the States could just meet their budgets and not "cut-off" ppl on disability, seniors, services park included [ CA's parks will be taken over by the Mexican Drug Cartel . . quite a bit of it is presently !], etc from that trickle down money . . .or ppl not paying their taxes ( Demos or Repubs!).

I DO have a problem with Michelle , though, she looks like she's wearing clothes from some "hand-me-down" shop! If yer gonna hire that much staff . . at least dress like Nancy Reagan or Jackie O and be stylish! [ it was pointed out to me by several female friends about her style or lack there of. ]



Frye

Bad Dog wrote:

WoW, Imagine giving ppl "JOBS" in this era of LAYOFFS, yeah, JOBS; or she can cut the staff and tell "industry" downsizing is the way to help the economy.

You don't have to do anything with that "bailout" money but spend it on luxuries for yorself and family. . employees who "needs" employees?

Let it trickle down, that's the way to go and always has been. Now, if the States could just meet their budgets and not "cut-off" ppl on disability, seniors, services park included [ CA's parks will be taken over by the Mexican Drug Cartel . . quite a bit of it is presently !], etc from that trickle down money . . .or ppl not paying their taxes ( Demos or Repubs!).

I DO have a problem with Michelle , though, she looks like she's wearing clothes from some "hand-me-down" shop! If yer gonna hire that much staff . . at least dress like Nancy Reagan or Jackie O and be stylish! [ it was pointed out to me by several female friends about her style or lack there of. ]



Frye

You're assuming those people were unemployed. Bull! That dog won't hunt here! I agree with your observation about Michelle's appearance.

Read an interesting piece of news this morning where Michelle was carrying a $6,000 purse on her trip to Russia.

$6,000 purse and $550 sneakers to serve food at a soup kitchen!

And now Obama has established Wednesdays as his weekly revelry day—replete with cocktail parties, well known entertainers to amuse both Mr. and Mrs. Obama and their guests and dinners consisting of the best in imported fare—including multi-course dinners and $100/lb steaks. Our tax dollars at work!

Why are the Obama daughters are in Moscow? A free ride paid by the taxpayers and what are the daughters doing on a summit anyway? This is the change that he campaigned for?

Why must the first lady always be beside the president on his foreign trips anyway? What is she doing there? Normally, a first lady should deal problems at home notably social problems but not a president chaperon on his overseas business.

Obama continues to criticize extravagance while Obama family extravagance is paid for by the public!

Jack, you are implying that the purse and sneakers were paid for by taxpayers. On what expense account would they appear?

There is much validity to Bad Dog's observation and it relates to another trickle down theory. Assuming that Michelle's staff are all newly created positions and that all vacated positions are filled it is necessary that eventually jobs will trickle down to the unemployed. Nature abhors a vacuum!!

eyemaratzass wrote:

Jack, you are implying that the purse and sneakers were paid for by taxpayers. On what expense account would they appear?

There is much validity to Bad Dog's observation and it relates to another trickle down theory. Assuming that Michelle's staff are all newly created positions and that all vacated positions are filled it is necessary that eventually jobs will trickle down to the unemployed. Nature abhors a vacuum!!

" On what expense account would they appear?" Ha! Try and find if you can!

Michelle's purse is from Italy and I'm sure the Italians appreciated Michelle's $6,000 stimulus donation to the Italian economy and I'm sure the $550 shoes were not made here either.

I have no problem with Michelle's wardrobe, but I do have a problem with The Obama's extravagance while preaching how the rest of us must set an example and conserve.

Now I'm not going to do lengthy research on this but it's my opinion that both Republicans and Democrats from the White House to the Senate to the House are very liberal with their own expenses and charge accounts and taxpayers foot the bill. From world-wide junkets, to extravagant parties, generous travel and automobile allowances, I'm sure a lot of this must be picked up by you and me.

Art

bigartie wrote:

Now I'm not going to do lengthy research on this but it's my opinion that both Republicans and Democrats from the White House to the Senate to the House are very liberal with their own expenses and charge accounts and taxpayers foot the bill. From world-wide junkets, to extravagant parties, generous travel and automobile allowances, I'm sure a lot of this must be picked up by you and me.

Art

Your absolutely right about politicians wasting money, but it's Obama not senators or congressmen that is constantly telling us that we in the US live too extravagantly and need to conserve!