Saturday, February 11, 2017

Helping Small Businesses

[A]s the 45th US president enjoys a second vacation in as many weekends at Mar-a-Lago, his private coastal retreat, the wealthy town that hosts him continues to grapple with the unprecedented financial and logistical burdens imposed upon it as a sometimes home to the new commander-in-chief.

[...]

The Secret Service requires airspace and road routes around Mar-a-Lago to be closed when Trump comes to town, and Greene worries that restaurants and hotels on narrow Palm Beach island will be the first to lose out. “This is a seasonal resort community, a place where there are a number of small business people who have to make their whole livelihood in a short period of time,” [said Jeff Greene, a hotel owner who says that he has already lost bookings from prospective guests at his upmarket Tideline Ocean Resort and Spa].

“And basically the opportunities in a town like this are exactly the times he’s planning on being here, Christmas, New Year, Presidents’ weekend, Easter and all these other weekends, like last weekend and this coming weekend. In our hotel we depend on February and March to make 50% of our annual profit.”

[...]

“For people in Palm Beach, it’s exciting having a president here … But you can’t close down our roads, it’s just not right. You can’t close down our town for four years, or eight years.”

[...]

Palm Beach County’s airports, flight schools and other aviation-related businesses are already counting the cost.

Trump’s four-day visit last weekend caused more than $250,000 in lost revenue from fuel sales and landing fees.

[...]

“When [the president’s] here for three days we lose at least $30,000. Our small businesses can’t survive, they’ll either shut down or leave,” said Miller, who added that more than 400 people work at the airport.

“There’s a little bit of hysteria and emotion but these short-term losses have significant impacts to us and the long-term damages will literally kill this airport. It’s not a one-off type of event. He’s going to be here a lot.”br />
[...]

Palm Beach Aircraft Services estimates losses could reach $2m a year and several private plane owners have already switched to other airports.

[...]

The Palm Beach sheriff’s office did not respond to the Guardian’s request for cost details of last weekend’s visit, or Trump’s extended Christmas and New Year break at Mar-a-Lago, but its overtime bill alone [for security costs to protect Trump, including policing of demonstrations] topped $250,000 for the then president-elect’s short Thanksgiving sojourn.

[...]

There are, of course, no such worries inside Mar-a-Lago, where the opulent dining room is full every dinnertime when Trump is in residence, and the non-refundable membership fee doubled to $200,000 within weeks of his election victory.

[...]

At a commission meeting this week, county leaders reaffirmed their desire to enlist congressional help to seek federal reimbursement. “We’re exhausting all options, including Twitter,” said commissioner Dave Kerner.

  Guardian
So the rest of the country can share the burden.  Perhaps T-Rump and his "Winter White House" should be required to foot the bills for the town.  They've got an extra $100,000 per member to do it with.

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.

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