DEAR SUN SPOTS: You’re the best!

The letter on the cost of running Congress (Jan. 17) got me to thinking. Does anyone know what it cost per year to run the White House? Or is it hidden in the Pentagon budget?

Which president now or in the past lived the highest?

Thank you. — C.M. Pringle, Norway

ANSWER: Expenses for the Pentagon are in the Department of Defense. The White House budget is unrelated.

As for the White House, the cost of maintaining the president and his family has risen steadily over the decades.

According to author Robert Keith Gray in “Presidential Perks Gone Royal,” taxpayers spent $1.4 billion on everything from staffing, housing, flying and entertaining President Barack Obama and his family in 2011.

“Living high” is actually a rather accurate way of putting it, as one of the biggest costs for the president and his family is transportation. Obviously they cannot ride the bus or fly commercial airlines, thus the costs of Air Force One.

While the Obamas do not entertain more than — or even as much as — previous presidents, Obama is a frequent flier. Here is a breakdown of the $1.4 billion from John F. Groom in “The 1.4 Billion Dollar Man: Costs of the Obama White House” that appeared on the dailycaller.com.

* President’s salary and allowance: $450,000

* White House building operating expenses: $14,658,000

* White House Grounds: $6,057,000

* Vacations: $20,000,000

* Health care for the first family, including traveling medical staff and equipment: $7,000,000

* Campaign expenses not reimbursed to government: $311,000,000

* White House staff: $7,985,420

* Office of Administration budget: $14,481,000

* Special missions including White House Communications Agency: $161,252,000

* Military salary costs: $153,441,360

* Salary costs for presidential airlift squadron: $75,000,000

* Presidential plane fleet: $44,000,000

* Presidential helicopter fleet: $300,000,000

* Ground transportation: $2,200,000

* Transportation total: $346,200,000

* Secret Service: $259,152,884

It is also actually rather expensive to be president as well. Vacations are one issue. As Jodi Kantor wrote in “The Obamas,” the family tried to return to their Chicago home for early vacations, but security problems developed. Because it is just a home, not an estate, protection was difficult and greatly inconvenienced their neighbors.

So now they must pay for a rental home when they go home or to Hawaii or other locations. Previous presidents had ranches (George W. Bush and Ronald Reagan), seaside retreats (George H.W. Bush in Kennebunkport) or farms (Jimmy Carter). Those without (think Bill Clinton and Martha’s Vineyard) must pay, although taxpayers cover other expenses, such as accompanying staff.

Kantor also noted that presidents are responsible for the costs of private entertaining, including paying for the White House staff. While the costs for state dinners are covered by the taxpayers, if the Obamas want to have, say, a Super Bowl party, they must pay, based on a percentage for the number of hours worked, for the staff during that time out of their own pockets.

Of course, once presidents leave the White House, they have plenty of opportunities to make money. When Bill Clinton was elected in 2000, his wife Hillary was earning more as a lawyer than he had as governor of Arkansas. Since he left the White House in 2000, Bill Clinton has written best-selling books and had countless well-paid speaking engagements, greatly increasing his wealth.

Sun Spots cannot really say who was the biggest spender as president without some specific criteria, as every president’s priorities are different.

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