Boris Johnson gifts Biden a photo of anti-slavery mural

[RAMROD 117,085]

49 minutes ago, Chris Thomason said:

It's the thought that counts

And the thought weren't there

[bionic 50,111]

4 minutes ago, RAMROD said:

Obama still pay money to that. Not a free licensed picture. So, current UK PM still cheap 

To be fair the article says Boris spoke to the mural's artist so I'm guessing (maybe hoping lol) that there is a bit more to it than finding a photo on Wikipedia, cropping it, printing it on recycled paper and sticking it in a frame from the dollar store

[FATCAT 60,888]

2 hours ago, LilyLark said:

The gifts are paid for by the presidents themselves and not the taxpayers. President Carter talked about it before and how it left a severe financial impact on him and his wife...LBJ (I think it was LBJ) apparently also said all the money he had to spend as president basically wiped out the salary he was paid (they get paid like 250k a year I think and he basically spent it all on expenses).

There's some controversy over just how much the president has to personally finance....

It's up to 400k a year now, but yea, they don't have blank-check tax-payer gift money.

[Benji 20,113]

1 hour ago, bionic said:

To be fair the article says Boris spoke to the mural's artist so I'm guessing (maybe hoping lol) that there is a bit more to it than finding a photo on Wikipedia, cropping it, printing it on recycled paper and sticking it in a frame from the dollar store

Whilst I do believe the government would’ve spoken at length what the gift could be and they settled on this picture because it’s a UK/US artist’s photograph of a mural on slavery after BLM and they approached the artist for permission…

I do like the image of Boris copying it from Wikipedia, pasting it into a word document to crop it and just sticking it in a Poundland frame 

[gothicdream 39,660]

There are at least 2 episodes of Veep that this perfectly mirrors.

[LilyLark 10,213]

4 hours ago, bionic said:

Surprised to hear that because there is an office in the WH dedicated to etiquette/protocol around giving and receiving gifts. This is what I get for assuming  

If I were President I’d be giving out copies of Bionic CDs and saving a fortune. $6000 bikes? No ma’am 

Yeah, the office is (mostly) for how to deal with gifts that are received...due to the how it can (possibly) be seen as corruption. Taxpayers pay for state dinners, but for more informal dinners (for politicians, etc.) the president has to pay for the waitstaff and the food. It's really kind of nuts how much the president has to personally shell out in terms of cash...and sad because it keeps anyone who isn't at least upper-middle class for running for the presidential office.

[LilyLark 10,213]

4 hours ago, GucciGa said:

OK well that's just stupid of Biden then. Why spent 6k on a gift when he literally could have signed a framed photo of him in the oval office as a gesture. 

It's tradition. I also think it's silly for politicians to have to waste money on lavish gifts for other politicians, be it from the taxpayers or their own pocketbooks, but it's (mostly) been that way forever.

[garbage day 11,817]

5 hours ago, GucciGa said:

A 6k bike??? Huh? Who pays for that? Does Bojo look like he cycles much??? 

No, but maybe that's why it was gifted

[bionic 50,111]

8 minutes ago, LilyLark said:

Yeah, the office is (mostly) for how to deal with gifts that are received...due to the how it can (possibly) be seen as corruption. Taxpayers pay for state dinners, but for more informal dinners (for politicians, etc.) the president has to pay for the waitstaff and the food. It's really kind of nuts how much the president has to personally shell out in terms of cash...and sad because it keeps anyone who isn't at least upper-middle class for running for the presidential office.

My favorite thing about visiting presidential libraries is seeing some of the gifts they receive. A must for anybody who spends a lot of time in the USA

[GucciGa 3,729]

1 hour ago, Cookie Woman said:

No, but maybe that's why it was gifted

I doubt they are concerned about his physique that much

[TaylorSwift 162,471]

6 hours ago, GucciGa said:

A 6k bike??? 

this article says it is was $1,5K, he had only 10 days to finish.
The agricultural engineering graduate said it was made harder by the budget being just £1,000 ($1,500) when usually his bikes start at £3,100 ($4,500).
source

[OMonster 15,025]

Not sure why this is being dragged - it's on Wikipedia because it's the most prolific/recognised picture of that person. It's a public domain image. Also, No. 10 have very strict rules about gifts, unlike the US. The PM isn't allowed to be extortionate. 

[Benji 20,113]

6 hours ago, Lady Ava Gaga Max said:

this article says it is was $1,5K, he had only 10 days to finish.
The agricultural engineering graduate said it was made harder by the budget being just £1,000 ($1,500) when usually his bikes start at £3,100 ($4,500).
source

That’s a cool bike to be fair

[PartySick 172,545]

12 hours ago, bionic said:

Back in 2009 the UK Prime Minister gave Obama a hand-carved pen holder using wood from the sister ship as the wood used for the Oval Office desk. Obama gave the UK PM a set of 25 DVDs

That's amazing 

@Joebiden I want a bike too

[Jill 31,812]

Yes and it's under my heels now, broken. Ungrateful brat.