Trumps Lavish Lifestyle Is a Drain on Taxpayers and a Gift to Democrats

[babylonsister]

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/02/trumps-lavish-lifestyle-is-a-perfect-issue-for-democrats.html?mid=facebook_nymag

Trump’s Lavish Lifestyle Is a Drain on Taxpayers — and a Gift to Democrats
By Eric Levitz

“All my life, I’ve been greedy, greedy, greedy.” Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images


Americans voted for Donald Trump for a wide variety of terrible reasons. Some thought that the government should be run like a business. Others, that an outsider — any outsider — was more likely to improve their living conditions than an Establishment politician (and/or serial murderer) like Hillary Clinton. A few simply believed that no hardworking, god-fearing American should ever have to hear announcements repeated in Spanish.

Among Trump voters’ most misguided — but, also, most understandable — rationales was that a billionaire would have little temptation to put his own interests above those of the American people. For many Trump backers, the second most beautiful phrase in the English language (after “Lock her up”) was “He can’t be bought.”

snip//

The Obama family’s travel expenses cost America an estimated $97 million over eight years — enough to provide Fox News hosts with hours of righteous indignation. The Trump family is on pace to exceed that sum in less than seven months.

It is hard to imagine a better issue for Democrats to demagogue.

snip//

To see how difficult this behavior is to justify, observe White House spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham’s best effort:

“He is not vacationing when he goes to Mar-a-Lago,” Grisham told the Post. “The president works nonstop every day of the week, no matter where he is.”

A spokesman for Republican senator John Barrasso — a leading critic of Obama’s vacation expenses — offered a similar line: “Former President Obama flew to Florida for the express purpose of a golf lesson and a round of golf with Tiger Woods. President Trump was in Florida with the prime minister of Japan.”

These arguments only accentuate the gratuitousness of Trump’s travel habits: If he’s just going to be working, why can’t he just stay in the White House and spare everyone the trouble? It does not benefit the American people to have Trump handle nuclear crises in the Mar-a-Lago ballroom, rather than the Situation Room. It only benefits himself and the resort he profits from.

For Democrats, Trump’s insatiable appetite for luxury is political gold. They should start mining it.

[Blaukraut]

1. If Donald is working in Mar-a-Lago, I'm going to eat my shoes

That old goat can't even concentrate for two hours WITHOUT any distractions! He's in jammies and watching TV by 7pm, or slithering through the halls of the White House.

[babylonsister]

4. And he blacked out windows last weekend so

reporters couldn't see him golfing.

[pinboy3niner]

7. And Obama's trip combined official business in Chicago and a brief vacation in Florida

Snopes: Obama didn't spend $3.6 million in taxpayer funds just to play golf with Tiger Woods.
http://www.snopes.com/obama-golf-outing-with-tiger-woods/

[Cha]

23. Thanks.. because that didn't even sound like Obama

[Kennah]

24. Will the pee show up under a blacklight? (n/t)

[volstork]

27. No, but

other bodily fluids will....

[Initech]

8. Watch John Oliver from last week.

There is footage of Trump from last week where he's taking reporters' questions and you can literally hear the 1-800-EMPIRE commercial jingle playing very loudly in the background. That happened.

[Blaukraut]

9. See? The fool can't live without entertainment n/t

[klook]

13. Is that a sex chat line? (nt)

[Initech]

15. No it's a carpeting company.

Last edited Sat Feb 18, 2017, 02:01 PM - Edit history (1)

[klook]

30. LOL, he could use a good rug! (nt)

[phylny]

20. 1-800-588-2300 - Empire, if that was the commercial, is a carpeting

company

[pat_k]

2. And, if he keeps up his weekend Mar-a-Lago visits, businesses that...

... rely on selling good and services to Palm Beach County snowbirds will start going under.

It's not just the costs of the trips. It's a big F-U to the people who work for the businesses his trips there are going to kill off.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10028670529

[babylonsister]

5. I read tonight that Palm Beach airport is closed when he's in town.

That will piss off a lot of folks I'd imagine.

[clarkrd]

6. not palm beach international iirc

but palm beach county/Lantana airport. It's for small private planes

[Initech]

10. I wouldn't be surprised in the least if Mar-A-Lago isn't bugged out the wazoo by now.

If not, spies aren't doing their jobs.

[unblock]

3. what is it they always complain about? sucking at the government teet?

[GReedDiamond]

12. Twitler thinks he owns that teet now, so he can do whatever he wants...

...and he apparently thinks there will be no consequences for his behavior as the so-called president.

I would like to hear the Trump Humpers explain how this is an acceptable thing: Using the $97 Million figure stated in the article, if the asshole were to last the full 8 years, he'd be well on the way to at least $1.3 Billion in taxpayer funded expenses for him and his asshole family of opportunists, grifters and thieving scumbags.

Fuck em all.

[Doreen]

11. To put it simply, this is going to be the most expensive

administration in history.

[BadgerMom]

14. True

in so many ways.

[Doreen]

17. Not just financial wise but loss of human life.

[Crash2Parties]

16. Fine tuning...

Americans voted for Donald Trump for a wide variety of terrible reasons

...Well, a minority of those who voted, anyway.

“He is not vacationing when he goes to Mar-a-Lago,” Grisham told the Post. “The president works nonstop every day of the week, no matter where he is.”

Yeah, the problem is that he isn't working in his capacity as President, but rather president of Trump Industries.

[kimbutgar]

18. Remember when he said he was forgoing his presidential salary?

The security cost in new York for Melania and Florida for mar a lago that he receives income for housing his security costing tax payers more than the paltry $400,000.

Suckers

[Cosmocat]

31. Trump Tower costs 500,000 a day

So forgoing his salary, IF he is, does not cover one day.

[keithbvadu2]

19. Trump: 'I would rarely leave the White House'

Trump: 'I would rarely leave the White House'

http://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/245884-trump-i-would-rarely-leave-the-white-house

“I would rarely leave the White House because there’s so much work to be done,” Trump, 69, tells ITK. "I would not be a president who took vacations. I would not be a president that takes time off.”

----------

Yes, I would live in the White House because it’s the appropriate thing to do,” he says.
.
http://jeffreyhill.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341d417153ef01b8d2386c8b970c-800wi

[Cha]

22. But, then he was the president who lied his damn head off

[Cha]

21. Whateves.. I think trump could pave the

streets with gold @ tax payers expense and his sucker brainwashed fans would bobble their heads approvingly and insist at least he's not as bad as Hillary's emails.. thanks to Russia and the US m$m.

[guillaumeb]

29. A great image.

Climate change is a hoax. Just as cigarette smoking is healthy for you.

[Wounded Bear]

25. Don't leave out a boost to his personal bottom line...

[dchill]

26. He cant be bought. - True...

He's already owned.

[guillaumeb]

28. Nonsense. Our new Emperor deserves a little break from all of his work tweeting.

Trump is a bad as Reagan was, with his constant trips to the ranch to ride horses.

And consult with his Court Astrologer.