# I'm glad Giffords is recovering, but sheesh, who paid for the whole transfer drama today? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 22, 2011, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-glad-giffords-is-recovering-but-sheesh-who-paid-for-the-whole-transfer-drama-today/568520 "2011-01-22T00:32:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Fell\_through\_the\_Ice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a9adbd/32.png) [@Fell\_through\_the\_Ice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fell_through_the_Ice)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2011, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-glad-giffords-is-recovering-but-sheesh-who-paid-for-the-whole-transfer-drama-today/568520/1 "2011-01-22T00:32:12Z")
Talking about this: [http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iKfY3EhXtuSj4CkgV32NjMVfr-zA?docId=4ed2702d8ad74523a716287faa9f6ff8](http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iKfY3EhXtuSj4CkgV32NjMVfr-zA?docId=4ed2702d8ad74523a716287faa9f6ff8) Check out the pics. This was a huge piece of theatre and must have cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, for police and helicopters and crowd control and security, the whole hoopla. Of course folks are glad she’s okay, but sheesh, who paid for all this? Was this really necessary? A single ambulance with maybe a police escort, if even that, would have sufficed. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2011, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-glad-giffords-is-recovering-but-sheesh-who-paid-for-the-whole-transfer-drama-today/568520/2 "2011-01-22T00:42:51Z")
Possibly since someone has already tried to kill her, and they figured there would be huge crowds, officials decided that a heavy security presence was a good idea. And don’t be concerned, those are state and local police. Luckily they’ve just saved millions of dollars by cutting the state support for organ transplants. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2011, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-glad-giffords-is-recovering-but-sheesh-who-paid-for-the-whole-transfer-drama-today/568520/3 "2011-01-22T00:45:20Z")
Can you possibly get your head out of your ass? The whole world ois looking on. The whole world is rooting for her. What the hell is a few bucks. A whole lot of money is going to be spent on NFL games this weekend Money that could have been spent on feeding the poor. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2011, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-glad-giffords-is-recovering-but-sheesh-who-paid-for-the-whole-transfer-drama-today/568520/4 "2011-01-22T00:50:52Z")
…and compared to the post- 9/11 hoopla, hysteria, and wars and stuff that’s lost us billions, this is not even a zit on a gnat’s ass. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2011, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-glad-giffords-is-recovering-but-sheesh-who-paid-for-the-whole-transfer-drama-today/568520/5 "2011-01-22T00:58:48Z")
> [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](#): > > Can you possibly get your head out of your ass? The whole world ois looking on. The whole world is rooting for her. What the hell is a few bucks. A whole lot of money is going to be spent on NFL games this weekend Money that could have been spent on feeding the poor. And those NFL players have a lot of meat on their bones, they could be used to feed THOUSANDS! ---
**Author:** ![Fell\_through\_the\_Ice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a9adbd/32.png) [@Fell\_through\_the\_Ice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fell_through_the_Ice)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2011, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-glad-giffords-is-recovering-but-sheesh-who-paid-for-the-whole-transfer-drama-today/568520/6 "2011-01-22T01:01:00Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Possibly since someone has already tried to kill her, and they figured there would be huge crowds, officials decided that a heavy security presence was a good idea. Only because they announced it way ahead of time and turned in into a media circus. If no one but her docs and family knew she was being transferred today, none of this would have been necessary. Ambulances come and go from hospitals all the time - they deliberately made this one into a huge expensive drama. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2011, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-glad-giffords-is-recovering-but-sheesh-who-paid-for-the-whole-transfer-drama-today/568520/7 "2011-01-22T01:14:01Z")
> [@Fell\_through\_the\_Ice](#): > > … helicopters … > … A single ambulance with maybe a police escort, if even that, would have sufficed. > [@](#): > > … after a 930-plus-mile trip … Yeah, two weeks after an almost fatal brain trauma first thing I want to do is take a 1,000 mile road trip! :rolleyes: CMC fnord! Did you bother to actually try to grasp the facts of the situation you’re whingeing about? ---
**Author:** ![Fell\_through\_the\_Ice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a9adbd/32.png) [@Fell\_through\_the\_Ice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fell_through_the_Ice)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2011, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-glad-giffords-is-recovering-but-sheesh-who-paid-for-the-whole-transfer-drama-today/568520/8 "2011-01-22T01:15:54Z")
> [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](#): > > The whole world is looking on. The whole world is rooting for her. . The “whole world”?? Really? Such typical American arrogance and ignorance, to think that the “whole world” is on the edge of their seats over this shooting. Hate to break it to ya, but most of the rest of the world is pretty tired of hearing about mass shootings in America. Folks in Haiti, North Korea and Australia, just to name a few, have a whole lot more important shiat on their minds. ---
**Author:** ![Fell\_through\_the\_Ice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a9adbd/32.png) [@Fell\_through\_the\_Ice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fell_through_the_Ice)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2011, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-glad-giffords-is-recovering-but-sheesh-who-paid-for-the-whole-transfer-drama-today/568520/9 "2011-01-22T01:21:54Z")
> [@crowmanyclouds](#): > > Yeah, two weeks after an almost fatal brain trauma first thing I want to do is take a 1,000 mile road trip! :rolleyes: Show me where I claimed she should go on a 1000 mile roadtrip. An ambulance could have quietly taken her to the airport for her flight without all this expensive hoopla. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tao_s_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2011, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-glad-giffords-is-recovering-but-sheesh-who-paid-for-the-whole-transfer-drama-today/568520/10 "2011-01-22T01:36:06Z")
> [@Fell\_through\_the\_Ice](#): > > The “whole world”?? Really? Such typical American arrogance and ignorance, to think that the “whole world” is on the edge of their seats over this shooting. > > Hate to break it to ya, but most of the rest of the world is pretty tired of hearing about mass shootings in America. Folks in Haiti, North Korea and Australia, just to name a few, have a whole lot more important shiat on their minds. Well I sympathize with their problems, but what does that even mean? If they’re tired of hearing about it, why are they listening to it? I’d be damned tired of American Idol, except I don’t watch it, don’t seek it out, and you know what? It’s almost like it doesn’t exist. I didn’t even know it was still on the air. You know I’m getting tired of these god damn American put downs. You talk trash, slurs, like that, preach your stereotypes, and does it make the world a better place? Nope, it just spreads hate. It’s no different then jackasses trash talking Mexicans, or the British, the Chinese. Hate the government, but don’t paint us all with the same brush. Americans are typically ignorant and lazy huh? You know it takes arrogance to slander a whole group of people based on where they’re born. By your definitions, you are very American. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2011, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-glad-giffords-is-recovering-but-sheesh-who-paid-for-the-whole-transfer-drama-today/568520/11 "2011-01-22T01:46:57Z")
> [@Fell\_through\_the\_Ice](#): > > Only because they announced it way ahead of time and turned in into a media circus. If no one but her docs and family knew she was being transferred today, none of this would have been necessary. Ambulances come and go from hospitals all the time - they deliberately made this one into a huge expensive drama. There is just no way it could have been kept secret. There were daily briefings. Friends and family members were being interviewed daily. The tabloids were probably trying to bribe staff for inside information on her condition. Even if by some miracle there wasn’t a leak, they had to plan their security arrangements on the expectation that it would leak. ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2011, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-glad-giffords-is-recovering-but-sheesh-who-paid-for-the-whole-transfer-drama-today/568520/12 "2011-01-22T02:07:27Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > There is just no way it could have been kept secret. There were daily briefings. Friends and family members were being interviewed daily. The tabloids were probably trying to bribe staff for inside information on her condition. Even if by some miracle there wasn’t a leak, they had to plan their security arrangements on the expectation that it would leak. The Tucson hospital where Giffords was being treated had [already fired three people](http://www.greenfieldreporter.com/view/story/e119577ef7a64f2d8d5bc63bbda2059e/AZ--Congresswoman_Shot-UMC_Firings/) for inappropriate accessing of private medical records. To plan on being able to keep transportation plans secret would have been rankest folly. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2011, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-glad-giffords-is-recovering-but-sheesh-who-paid-for-the-whole-transfer-drama-today/568520/13 "2011-01-22T02:25:56Z")
The daily updates are newsworthy, I understand that, but I don’t get why they continue to be the TOP story. “NEWSFLASH!!! GABBY GIFFORDS HAS JUST OPENED HER EYES! TOMORROW IT’S ANTICIPATED THAT SHE WILL WINK AND A TRICKLE OF A TEAR WILL SLIDE DOWN HER CHEEK!!! STAY TUNED FOR MORE MIRACULOUS UPDATES!!!” I’m rooting for her, but dayum. I didn’t even know who she was before all this happened, and now I feel as if I don’t drop everything I’m doing when the news reveals another positive sign of her prognosis, I’m not a good American. Can’t the woman heal in private like everybody else? ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2011, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-glad-giffords-is-recovering-but-sheesh-who-paid-for-the-whole-transfer-drama-today/568520/14 "2011-01-22T03:02:21Z")
> [@Fell\_through\_the\_Ice](#): > > The “whole world”?? Really? Such typical American arrogance and ignorance, to think that the “whole world” is on the edge of their seats over this shooting If it helps, **Flying Dutchman** is Canadian. As to the point of the OP, “Who paid for the whole transfer drama?”, her medical insurance did. U.S. taxpayers, in other words. We’re paying for it, and we’re allowed to sit on the edge of our seats if we like. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2011, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-glad-giffords-is-recovering-but-sheesh-who-paid-for-the-whole-transfer-drama-today/568520/15 "2011-01-22T03:34:41Z")
> [@crowmanyclouds](#): > > Yeah, two weeks after an almost fatal brain trauma first thing I want to do is take a 1,000 mile road trip! :rolleyes: Yeah, it’s backward. You take the long drive to Florida for Spring Break and _then_ nearly succumb to alcohol poisoning. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2011, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-glad-giffords-is-recovering-but-sheesh-who-paid-for-the-whole-transfer-drama-today/568520/16 "2011-01-22T04:08:48Z")
> [@Fell\_through\_the\_Ice](#): > > Talking about this: [http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iKfY3EhXtuSj4CkgV32NjMVfr-zA?docId=4ed2702d8ad74523a716287faa9f6ff8](http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iKfY3EhXtuSj4CkgV32NjMVfr-zA?docId=4ed2702d8ad74523a716287faa9f6ff8) > > Check out the pics. This was a huge piece of theatre and must have cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, for police and helicopters and crowd control and security, the whole hoopla. > > Of course folks are glad she’s okay, but sheesh, who paid for all this? Was this really necessary? A single ambulance with maybe a police escort, if even that, would have sufficed. A single ambulance? From Arizona to east Texas? Unless they’ve developed in-transit refueling technology for automobiles, I’d think they would have had to at least stop for gas a coupla times. Plus, they’d need to change police escorts every time they crossed into a new jurisdiction. ---
**Author:** ![Palo\_Verde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/65b543/32.png) [@Palo\_Verde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palo_Verde)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2011, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-glad-giffords-is-recovering-but-sheesh-who-paid-for-the-whole-transfer-drama-today/568520/17 "2011-01-22T04:16:23Z")
I live less than a mile from the hospital where she has been treated here in Tucson. The helicopters circling overhead made this constant noise. And trying to get to the kids’ school (which is 3 blocks from the hospital) with all the police and crowds was a nightmare. ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2011, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-glad-giffords-is-recovering-but-sheesh-who-paid-for-the-whole-transfer-drama-today/568520/18 "2011-01-22T04:51:23Z")
> [@Fell\_through\_the\_Ice](#): > > The “whole world”?? Really? Such typical American arrogance and ignorance, to think that the “whole world” is on the edge of their seats over this shooting. > > Hate to break it to ya, but most of the rest of the world is pretty tired of hearing about mass shootings in America. Folks in Haiti, North Korea and Australia, just to name a few, have a whole lot more important shiat on their minds. [The](http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12143774) [whole](http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,14760315,00.html) [world](http://english.ruvr.ru/2011/01/20/40415425.html) [is](http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CBMQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abc.net.au%2Fnews%2Fstories%2F2011%2F01%2F09%2F3109039.htm&rct=j&q=Gabrielle%20Giffords&ei=kVs6TeOXI9O_gQeTuLzaCA&usg=AFQjCNGRnR5xqotK2a-sAqZRu2u9Tf7yaQ&cad=rja) [watching](http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&ct2=us%2F0_0_s_2_0_t&usg=AFQjCNHMmlQfZQ06nwXakxETzSe_YjJOyA&cid=17593849268149&ei=X1w6TfDIIZTmggetxuCxAg&rt=MORE_COVERAGE&vm=STANDARD&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hindustantimes.com%2FUS-lawmaker-leaves-Tucson-hospital%2FArticle1-653263.aspx). [Whether](http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/video/giffords-transferred-to-rehab/article1879438/) [they’re](http://www.lemonde.fr/ameriques/article/2011/01/09/l-arizona-capitale-de-la-colere-la-haine-l-intolerance_1463048_3222.html) [at](http://www.buenosairesherald.com/article/56890/giffords-leaves-hospital-for-texas-rehab-facility) [the](http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2011/1032/op151.htm) [edge](http://www.haaretz.com/jewish-world/giffords-shows-more-signs-of-improvement-after-eye-surgery-1.337727) [of](http://www.nation.co.ke/News/world/Obama%20approval%20gains%20after%20Arizona%20tragedy/-/1068/1091580/-/kcsl63/-/index.html)[their](http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2011/01/20111221276338369.html) [seats](http://www.voanews.com/english/news/usa/Wounded-US-Congresswoman-Moved-to-Texas--114372089.html) [is](http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0116/giffordsg.html) [a](http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/article848765.ece/Joy-as-Giffords-eyes-open) [different](http://www.elpais.com/articulo/internacional/Primera/acusacion/formal/asesino/Arizona/elpepuint/20110120elpepuint_6/Tes) [matter](http://www.tg1.rai.it/dl/tg1/2010/articoli/ContentItem-d4907048-5347-41b3-a7f7-932bbea895c1.html) [entirely](http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/biz/2011/01/182_79356.html). ---
**Author:** ![Fell\_through\_the\_Ice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a9adbd/32.png) [@Fell\_through\_the\_Ice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fell_through_the_Ice)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2011, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-glad-giffords-is-recovering-but-sheesh-who-paid-for-the-whole-transfer-drama-today/568520/19 "2011-01-22T05:16:59Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > If it helps, **Flying Dutchman** is Canadian. > > As to the point of the OP, “Who paid for the whole transfer drama?”, her medical insurance did. U.S. taxpayers, in other words. We’re paying for it, and we’re allowed to sit on the edge of our seats if we like. Her medical insurance paid for the motorcade, the dozens of motorcycle cops, the helicopters and all the high-tech security surrounding the entire shindig? Really? How can I get my health insurance to pay for that if I choose to have a parade while I am transferred from one hospital to another? ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2011, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-glad-giffords-is-recovering-but-sheesh-who-paid-for-the-whole-transfer-drama-today/568520/20 "2011-01-22T05:25:05Z")
Easy. Get elected to Congress. Then arrange matters so that the circumstances that have you in the hospital are WAY headline-grabbing. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-glad-giffords-is-recovering-but-sheesh-who-paid-for-the-whole-transfer-drama-today/568520.md?page=2)