Grand Potentates are Expensive

 

by Pa Rock

Citizen Journalist

Donald Trump has no shame when it comes to coveting our money.  A little over a month ago he and his two oldest sons and the "Trump Organization" filed suit against the Internal Revenue Service and the US Treasury Department for $10 billion over an alleged leak of some of his tax returns, a process routinely performed by Presidential candidates, but not by Trump.  He is suing the government that he heads over releasing documents that he should have released himself.  But Donald Trump is not like other political candidates, he is entitled beyond all  expectations.  Things work differently for him.  He is special.

Here is another example:

Mar-a-Lago, Donald Trump's personal country club in south Florida, has been in the news this week.  There were stories involving the special "Situation Room" or "War Room" that has been installed by taxpayers on the property to allow top secret discussions to be held where the presidential entourage is ensconced most weekends.  Presumably, with Trump being at Mar-a-Lago when the decision was made to go to war with Iran, there were top level discussions and phone calls that demanded the utmost security.  The need for all of the security upgrades is understandable, even to an old progressive like me, but, as happened with Nixon's estate in San Clemente, once the President leaves office, all of those expensive property enhancements and upgrades remain behind.

So in addition to taxpayer-funded trips to his own country club to play golf most weekends, and taxpayer-funded rooms for his security detail and flunkies, all of which goes into the pockets of the Trump family, we, the American taxpayers, are also footing the bill for permanent improvements to the property.  Sweet!

And, bccause club membership at Mar-a-Lago allows much easier access to the President of the United States, Trump has been able to raise the membership "initiation fee" from $100,000 in 2016, to a reported $1 million currently.  Sweeter yet!

But even with a "War Room," Mar-a-Lago is more-or-less a public and private entity that invites a rich clientele from diverse backgrounds as well as a staff of vendors and servants drawn from the local community.  It's not nearly as sealed off as the White House, and when strategists leave the "War Room," they are immediately in the swim with the 500 rich members of the club and their families, as well as all manner of people from the local personal services and mercantile classes.

Keeping secrets at Mar-a-Lago is no doubt far more complicated and expensive than it would be at a large home on a country estate, or a completely secluded retreat like Camp David, for instance.

But we have to do it because Donald Trump is special - and he happens to own a country club that calls him home almost weekly.

Special rules, lawsuits, free property enhancements, fully-funded golf weekends . . . Grand Potentates do not come cheaply.