Saturday, April 8, 2017

The American Potentate

by Pa Rock
Citizen Journalist

Donald John Trump is on the road again.  America's Dear Leader and his faithful entourage of sniveling "yes" men are holed up at Trump's Mar-a-Lago private and very expensive club in Palm Beach, Florida, where the politician is dining on steak and lobster between rounds of golf.  This time he is also entertaining Xi Jinping, the Secretary General of the Communist Party of China - so it goes in the books as a "working" vacation.

As Americans we should be very proud, I suppose, to have the opportunity to show those godless Chinese how much more glamorous life can be in the "free" world, but the sad truth is that darned few Americans can afford to live life like a Trump.   We can take some consolation, however, in the fact that we all get to help pay for Trump's lavish lifestyle.

Conservative estimates are that each time The Donald and his minions weekend at Mar-a-Lago, U.S. taxpayers shell out in excess of three million dollars.  This weekend marks the seventh time that Trump has gone to his Florida resort to get away from the rigors of Washington - the seventh time in just eleven weeks!

Every time Trump visits Mar-a-Lago, not only does he make money off of the government, he also generates vast amounts of free publicity for his business.

(Remember when candidate Trump used to complain about Obama's vacations and lament that when he became President he would be too busy to take vacations?)

Melania Trump and Trump's youngest son, Barron, still reside in Trump Tower in New York City.  That also requires that the Secret Service rent rooms in the Trump building in order to protect the wife and son - and to be close at hand when the President is visiting.

The Secret Service has recently asked Congress to increase its appropriations by another $60 million for this year alone - much of it to be used in protecting the President, his spouse, five children and three of their spouses, and seven grandchildren.   And the Trumps live life large, requiring a great deal of protecting.  Two weeks ago the adult Trump children along with their spouses and children, all flew off to Aspen for a skiing holiday.  That little family get-together required the presence of nearly one hundred secret service agents!

The two Trump adult sons, whom some wags have tagged "Uday" and "Qusay" for patently obvious reasons, are also taking business trips abroad and dragging along taxpayer-funded protection.  One recent trip was to Uruguay - a place that secret service agents probably don't often get to visit.

Our country has a long history of offering around-the-clock protection to the President and his family, and we should not do anything that would place these people in harm's way.  But up until the ascent of the Trump family, the occupants of the White House always bore some resemblance to ordinary people.  Now suddenly we find ourselves in the odd position of being lead by an individual who behaves as though he and his family are royalty, and, as such, entitled to all that the country can offer - and then some.   We have, it would seem, an American potentate.

America should cough up one dwelling for our Chief Executive and his family, flights and accommodations for legitimate business matters and affairs of state, and basic protection for him and his immediate family.  We should not be sending platoons of secret service agents off to ski resorts
 to watch over children of privilege frolicking in the snow, nor should we be paying through the nose to house government employees in facilities owned by the President and his family.

Donald Trump should not be allowed to rent rooms or sell meals to employees or agencies of the government he heads.  Nor should he be allowed to promote his personal businesses through official government activities - such as hosting the head of China at his Florida resort.

If he wants to spend his days playing golf and his nights gorging on rich foods, let him - but let him do it on his own dammed dime!

This taxpayer resents being robbed by the rich!

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