Did you know that the Secret Service of the United States budgeted $113,000,000 in 2012 to protect the two Presidential candidates during the election? From Slate:
“The Secret Service is authorized by law to protect major party presidential candidates beginning 120 days before the general election, but the statute doesn’t say when that protection should cease. It appears that the service makes this decision on case-by-case basis. Historically, agents have stuck with a defeated challenger for about a week after the election, not waiting for the Electoral College vote or inauguration. If the incumbent loses, he is entitled to protection for 10 years as a former president. (Presidents who served before 1997 are guarded for life.)
The Secret Service is limited in its mandate in part because the protection it provides is so expensive. By some estimates, it costs the government around $40,000 per day to ensure the safety of a presidential candidate, and the Secret Service budgeted $113 million to protect candidates in 2012. The expense became an issue earlier this year when Newt Gingrich continued to travel with a Secret Service detail long after he stopped actively campaigning. Candidates are entitled to decline protection. Deficit hawk Ron Paul has refused a Secret Service detail.”
I love the fact that Mitt Romney was so important we would spend $113M to protect him, until he loses, then he get’s dropped after a week! 2nd Place is clearly the first loser! Can see Mitt now zigzagging through the parking lot at Starbucks so no one gets off a clean shot, and people looking at him like he’s lost his mind!? Oh, poor Mitt, losing the election made him crazy…
I’ve seen a ton of Corporate HR budgets in my day, but I’ve yet to work for a company that budgeted money for CEO or Executive team protection. I’ve seen budget money for personal air travel, country club memberships, spa memberships, clothes shopping allowances, you name it – but never personal protection – body guard type stuff. I’m sure there are many CEO’s and Executives that do have this budget money set aside for them, I just haven’t seen it – and you don’t see it publicized very often – I assume because employees and share holders would lose their minds if they saw the cost!
The security I love most, when it comes to securing our executives, is the locked executive offices and private bathrooms! When I worked for Applebee’s you couldn’t just walk up to the President’s office and say “Hi” – he was behind locked doors – probably keeping the secrets to serving beer and burgers safe. And god knows we don’t want any of our employees knowing that our executives use the toilet! I mean, please, if I found out my executive team actually went to the bathroom, I would lose all respect for them!
I’m just noodling here but don’t you think the political parties of each candidate should cover this cost – not the U.S. tax payers? I definitely like Ron Paul much more now – can we re-vote?! That’s what I want to see in 2016 – a Presidential election with no secret service! I’m sure there would probably be less lying going on.
So – do you have money in your HR budget to protect your CEO?