RIP Mr. Mandela

[rb336]

haven't you learned your lesson about using blogs as your primary source of information?

The two hotel approvals were contingencies - with or without the Carters and their requisite Secret Service guys

The transportation was an authorization for transportation with a maximum value

Granted, both of these seem high to me, but security concerns dictate needs

AF One costs about 170K/hour in flight, making that cost around $3.5 million.

The reality is that it probably cost less than half what your blogger claims. My guess is that he added the cost for the following:
Secret Service - these individuals are already paid
Overall daily cost of AF-1 - These costs are already paid

[oladub]

The "blog" had links to documents. I noticed one was signed by US embassy employees in South Africa. The other recommended a no bid contract. My blog is thus better than you lack of information. The cost of AF One was not included in the President's overpriced $11M visit. I don't know whether secret service expenses were included. Their salaries are already paid but they needed motels and cars. I would also guess that those costs were included.

The linked 'blog' read as follows, "The accompanying Justification and Approval documents estimated the cost of transportation at a maximum of $8,286,194.74. The transportation contract covers only ground transportation in South Africa. Costs for Air Force One and other air travel are not included. Two contracts were listed for the cost of lodging: one for $2,042,850 for an estimated "3,240 lodging room nights" and another for $1,190,573 for an estimated "2,490 lodging room nights" stretching from December 6, 2013 to January 20, 2014".

[rb336]

yes, it had links to documents and misrepresented what they were