Being ex-president can be lucrative gig - Polidicks

[QUOTE]Washington (CNN) -- Being president pays; $400,000 a year, in fact. That salary has increased over time. President Harry Truman left office in 1949 making $100,000. When Richard Nixon entered the White House in 1969 the salary went up to $200,000. It remained there for 30 years, until Congress doubled the presidential salary effective in 2001, when President George W. Bush took office. Aside from the pay, there's the free transportation in the presidential limousine, Marine One and Air Force One. And don't forget the free housing in Washington's most famous mansion, complete with a killer view of the Washington Monument, along with other perks (a personal chef, for one). When a president leaves the White House he's still on the government payroll, receiving an annual pension of about $200,000, health care, paid official travel and an office. Rent for President Jimmy Carter's Atlanta office is $102,000 per year, according to 2010 figures compiled by the Congressional Research Service. President George H. W. Bush's Houston office costs $175,000 per year. President Bill Clinton's office in the pricey real estate market of New York City is $516,000. Not too bad, huh? But these taxpayer-funded benefits are nothing compared to the big bucks presidents rake in writing books. "My Life" netted Bill Clinton a $15 million advance. George W. Bush earned $7 million for the first 1.5 million copies of "Decision Points." Jimmy Carter has written 14 books. "He was broke when he came out of the White House," presidential historian James Thurber said. "If you can write or you can write with someone else, you can write a book and make a great deal of money. Jimmy Carter did that." President Obama wrote "Dreams From My Father" in his 30s. Initially, it was only a modest success, selling better as his political star rose, flying off shelves when he ran for president. "I have been blessed," he said on the campaign trail in 2008. "Before this book started selling we were living in a condo and we had two cars, but one of them was beat up." Book sales are still the Obamas' main source of income. For the biggest payoff without too much work, speeches are the way to go. And Bill Clinton is the reigning king of the podium. Right after Clinton left the White House in 2001, the Greater Washington Association of Executives paid him $125,000 for a speech, a very standard price for a former president. "I've never had any money until I got out of the White House," Clinton told CNN's Wolf Blitzer in 2010. "But I've done reasonably well since then." That's quite the understatement. Since 2001, he's earned $75.6 million giving speeches to corporations and organizations around the world, according to the latest financial disclosure required of his wife, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The Center for Public Integrity estimates George W. Bush has made $15 million from speeches since leaving office. All of that money raises questions. "I think the American people think American politics is all about money," Thurber said. "And this certainly doesn't change their view." In 1989, right after President Ronald Reagan left the White House, he was lambasted for accepting $2 million for two speeches in Japan, then an economic foe of the United States. Not all presidents have gotten rich after leaving office. Harry Truman couldn't afford to answer the copious mail he received or respond to requests for appearances. This prompted Congress to adopt pensions and benefits for former presidents in the 1950s so they weren't forced into activities deemed unsuitable for a former head of state. Some presidents come into office already very rich. If elected, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney would fall into that category. With a net worth of about $200 million, he would be the third-richest president in history. Adjusting for inflation, Thomas Jefferson and George Washington were the richest people to become president. (Incidentally, the pay they made in office was, for that time, nothing to sneeze at: $25,000). Washington's wealth in present-day terms has been estimated at more than a half-billion dollars.[/QUOTE] Source: [url]http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/27/politics/pays-to-be-president/index.html?hpt=hp_bn3[/url]

Holy fuck, George Washington made 25,000 then?

It's one of the most stressful jobs, if not [I]the[/I] most stressful. I'd say that pension is well deserved. $200,000 a year plus benefits per live ex-president really isn't what's burning a hole in the US budget.

[QUOTE=Dr Magnusson;34433746]It's one of the most stressful jobs, if not [I]the[/I] most stressful. I'd say that pension is well deserved. $200,000 a year plus benefits per live ex-president really isn't what's burning a hole in the US budget.[/QUOTE] Given that they usually already have millions before they get into office (how else do they pay for campaigning?), I don't think they should really get a huge amount.

500 million is fucking WOW

The post-president pension should be less imo, considering the non-monetary benefits they have.

If you were to have 500 million, what would you do with it?

I agree that these sums are not destroying people's lifes directly. It's almost nothing for a country like the US. However, it would be better to give them a low salary with the reason they don't need much more than power and the honor of ruling such a nation. But i guess this is a symbolic way of saying "fuck you" to communism.

[QUOTE=Dr Magnusson;34433746]It's one of the most stressful jobs, if not [I]the[/I] most stressful. I'd say that pension is well deserved. $200,000 a year plus benefits per live ex-president really isn't what's burning a hole in the US budget.[/QUOTE] You need to remember they only need to be 'stressed' for their terms, depending on if they get re-elected. Do about 4 years of work and they get a rather comfy life. Stressful yes, but for less than a decade of work, way more than they deserve. So I wouldn't say that its that stressful and I would say its not the most stressful either.

[QUOTE=Crash15;34433871]If you were to have 500 million, what would you do with it?[/QUOTE] Finance shit I want to be made 10 million would be enough for anyone to live very comfortably for a hundred years

Some of the people who were presidents had a lot of family wealth, but a president like Clinton, who was born in a trailer park might actually need the pension. These rich presidents don't really need a pension on the US Dollar.

500 mil damn...

[QUOTE=Crash15;34433871]If you were to have 500 million, what would you do with it?[/QUOTE] Buy a country

[QUOTE=Dr Magnusson;34433746]It's one of the most stressful jobs, if not [I]the[/I] most stressful. I'd say that pension is well deserved. $200,000 a year plus benefits per live ex-president really isn't what's burning a hole in the US budget.[/QUOTE] Yep, I mean just look at Obama 2008: [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/7VmDw.jpg[/IMG] Now: [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/7DxWH.jpg[/IMG] And not just him but almost all the presidents look drasticly different during their terms.

[QUOTE=Die_Hard;34438995]Yep, I mean just look at Obama 2008: [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/7VmDw.jpg[/IMG] Now: [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/7DxWH.jpg[/IMG] And not just him but almost all the presidents look drasticly different during their terms.[/QUOTE] That's photoshopped... [editline]28th January 2012[/editline] this is a real comparison: [img]http://i.i.com.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim/2011/08/04/obama-then-now_620x350.jpg[/img]

[QUOTE=SomeRandomGuy16;34439055]That's photoshopped... [editline]28th January 2012[/editline] this is a real comparison: [img]http://i.i.com.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim/2011/08/04/obama-then-now_620x350.jpg[/img][/QUOTE] not that big of a change, but you can still very clearly see the stress.

[QUOTE=J!NX;34439094]not that big of a change, but you can still very clearly see the stress.[/QUOTE] His eyes got saggier, his hair got thinner, and some wrinkles starting forming on his forehead and around his eyes [editline]28th January 2012[/editline] Overall, he's aged better than some other presidents but that's still pretty bad for only 4 years

[QUOTE=Dr Magnusson;34433746]It's one of the most stressful jobs, if not [I]the[/I] most stressful. I'd say that pension is well deserved. $200,000 a year plus benefits per live ex-president really isn't what's burning a hole in the US budget.[/QUOTE] Well put, it's so true - one mistake and your life could be ruined, forever. Each president has to worry about that [B]every time[/B] they make a decision.

[QUOTE=SomeRandomGuy16;34439112]His eyes got saggier, his hair got thinner, and some wrinkles starting forming on his forehead and around his eyes [editline]28th January 2012[/editline] Overall, he's aged better than some other presidents but that's still pretty bad for only 4 years[/QUOTE] like I said, he looks like he just needs a hug or something. that or a lot

[QUOTE=Dr Magnusson;34433746]It's one of the most stressful jobs, if not [I]the[/I] most stressful. I'd say that pension is well deserved. $200,000 a year plus benefits per live ex-president really isn't what's burning a hole in the US budget.[/QUOTE] damn dude, you should have seen how stressful my last job was. i wish i got millions of dollars for doing it. Instead i got barely more than minimum wage.

[QUOTE=PvtCupcakes;34439632]damn dude, you should have seen how stressful my last job was. i wish i got millions of dollars for doing it. Instead i got barely more than minimum wage.[/QUOTE] Yes because your job was probably loads more stressful than running the most powerful nation on Earth

[QUOTE=Bentham;34440614]Yes because your job was probably loads more stressful than running the most powerful nation on Earth[/QUOTE] shit yeah it was.

There is one thing - with that sort of income, why would any president ever sell out for money?

[QUOTE=MrEndangered;34440726]There is one thing - with that sort of income, why would any president ever sell out for money?[/QUOTE] I have never heard of someone who had money refuse more money because he had enough.

[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;34440742]I have never heard of someone who had money refuse more money because he had enough.[/QUOTE] It's an ex-president, not a drug lord or Catholic.

[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;34440742]I have never heard of someone who had money refuse more money because he had enough.[/QUOTE] I bet Bill Gates and Warren Buffet would.

[QUOTE=Zacca;34443519]I bet Bill Gates and Warren Buffet would.[/QUOTE] tens of billions of dollars =/= 400,000

[QUOTE=Zacca;34443519]I bet Bill Gates and Warren Buffet would.[/QUOTE] If they would, they would have stopped taking an income by now.

Don't ex-Presidents usually write books and make loads of money anyway

[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;34433775]Given that they usually already have millions before they get into office (how else do they pay for campaigning?), I don't think they should really get a huge amount.[/QUOTE] In the cases of the Republican and Democratic candidates, the parties themselves pay for the campaigns. However, with people such as Ron Paul and other independents, they do usually have to pay for their campaign themselves.