White House needs small army to run smoothly

WASHINGTON -- Out of public sight, in times of calm or crisis, a small army of workers keeps the White House humming.

Four florists to change the flower arrangements twice a week. Four calligraphers to address invitations to dinners and receptions, and letter menus and place cards. Five chefs to hover over meals. Four curators to oversee a priceless collection of art, furnishings and artifacts.

The payroll also includes plumbers, painters, carpenters, electricians and handymen who tend to the six-level, 132-room mansion and its 31 bathrooms, 28 fireplaces, three kitchens, three elevators, a movie theater and a bowling alley.

The care and maintenance of the White House takes a lot of work. And money -- more than $12.2 million a year, just for the upkeep of the main building. That comes to more than 52 times the actual cost of constructing the entire presidential residence at the end of the 18th century.

Of course, the 203-year-old White House is more than just an office for the world's most powerful leader and a very elegantly appointed home. It is an historic landmark, democratic symbol, tourist mecca, museum and official place for presidential entertaining and policy-making.

$328 million budget

Recognizing that, and careful to note that taxpayers pick up the tab for his living quarters, President Bush often calls it "the people's house" as he welcomes visitors.

But few people know all that goes into the daily running of the White House.

Tucked inside the 3,000-page spending bill recently signed by Bush to cover all the government's expenses for the current year are numbers that give a glimpse of the inner workings of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

In total, it will take $328 million this budget year to operate the White House in all its private and official capacities. Most of it -- $308.7 million -- goes to pay for the policy and politics side: salaries and expenses for the president's aides.

Staff for Vice President Dick Cheney and his wife, Lynne, costs an additional $4.1 million. The vice president also is allotted $1.95 million to fulfill his duties as Senate president. The Cheneys' official residence on the grounds of the Naval Observatory runs up a $324,000 yearly bill.

The $12.2 million for the White House residence keeps a household unlike nearly any other in the country.

The mansion has 40 full-time domestic workers, including the chef staff. Thirty-three handymen are on nearly round-the-clock call.

Then there are the 10 people who keep daily life inside the residence on track, including the chief usher and his staff, accountants, a grounds superintendent, a computer technician and others.

But the first family is not entirely immune from expenses. The president is billed regularly for his family's meals, toiletries and other personal necessities.

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On the Net:

White House history and online tours: http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/life/