Outrageous: Taxpayers Are Paying For Oil Paintings Of Government Officials
Colby Itkowitz writes in the WaPo:
As former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff's portrait secured its place on the hallway wall outside the secretary's agency office, a Democratic senator renewed her effort to limit how much the federal government can spend on costly oil paintings of federal officials.After the Loop reported this week that Chertoff's portrait cost the agency $30,500 and was in the works several years, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) re-upped a bill she introduced in December that would not completely ban taxpayer-funded portraits, but cap the price tag at $20,000 a pop. It stipulates that federal funds only be used for "officials in line for the presidency," which allows cabinet secretaries to keep one of the perks of the job.
Any official seeking a more expensive replication of him or herself could use private dollars.
Why are we paying for ANY oil painting of ANY government official?
We need to pay down the national debt, not pay big bucks to shine the egos of government officials -- especially government officials like Michael Chertoff, who went on to sell citizens out by using his government contacts and cred, to the tune of big bucks.
via @Heminator
Voila! - http://www.picturetopeople.org/image_effects/photo_paint/oil_painting_photo_effect.html
If you send me your picture, I will send you an oil painting of your picture for a measly $20,000 and provide a cartoon version at no extra cost.
milo at March 27, 2014 12:15 PM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2014/03/27/outrageous_taxp.html#comment-4433777">comment from miloPanetta -- $31K.
https://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/pentagon-signs-31k-contract-oil-portrait-leon-panetta_740224.html
via @speakwithauthor
Amy Alkon
at March 27, 2014 1:05 PM
I do not even support the naming of ships after individuals, no matter how famous, or lofty their position.
That is because the efforts of the crew dwarfs any contribution the ship's namesake might have made.
Radwaste at March 27, 2014 1:40 PM
This is small potatoes, but it seems so astonishingly stupid that the perpetrator should be fired. (Presumably the artist has connections of some sort).
What's amazing in this day and age is the degree to which public art and public architecture is a disaster, and no one responsible is ever rebuked by any public office holder.
The perpetrators of the Eisenhower memorial rigged the selection process to steer the commission to Frank Gehry of all people who then proceeded to produce a design that will likely age badly and in which Eisenhower is stripped of his dignity. It's just the sort of thing you would expect a member of the chatterati to do to an accomplished soldier. Yet, the collection of well-connected political and business figures who did this were never fired or verbally flayed.
Then there's Martin Luther King the Merciless on the mall, worthy successor to Shih Huang Ti (courtesy the ChiCom sculptor who won that commission).
Do not get me started on the mess at Ground Zero....
Art Deco at March 27, 2014 2:40 PM
Just snap a digital picture and send it to Costco, have them print it to a 30x30 canvas ($110), frame and hang that sucker.
Done.
I R A Darth Aggie at March 27, 2014 3:06 PM
Some ships are well named.
I R A Darth Aggie at March 27, 2014 3:07 PM
While I am against regular government officials getting paintings of themselves done, I do feel that the President of the United States deserves to have an actual oil portrait created. But yeah, it shouldn't cost more than $20,000.
Fayd at March 27, 2014 4:05 PM
Back in the 90's NCR had a plotter printer that could do a 600 DPI print of the Cincinnati Bengals tiger in a 4' x 6' format poster. The plotter was about $3K in 96.
Now imagine converting it to do the same with oil paints would probably be about $10-15K. After that it would be about less than $300 to replace every tube of paint each time. Call it at a 4' x 6' of the tarp being $250 a piece.
Fuck it and automate it. Just like the White House calligraphers.
But of course we make too much sense, so we are ignored.
Jim P. at March 27, 2014 9:03 PM
I don't know... aren't you glad there are portraits of former presidents hanging in the White House? I suppose in our day of modern photography, oil paintings are less necessary, but oil paintings last longer. I'd like there to be quality pictures of Bush and Obama and Regan and Clinton and their higher-level staff still hanging in the White House 200 years from now.
NicoleK at March 28, 2014 12:03 AM
The Chertoff booking photo is the only photo of I him I want to see.
MarkD at March 28, 2014 9:53 AM
Yeah, but we aren't talking about Presidents. We're talking about the federal equivalent of DMV supervisors.
Cousin Dave at March 28, 2014 9:54 AM
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