Cost of Trump family security vexes New York and Florida officials

[nitpicker]

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/feb/20/trump-family-security-new-york-palm-beach-taxes



Edward Helmore in New York

Monday 20 February 2017 19.07 GMT Last modified on Monday 20 February 2017 22.15 GMT


New York Senator Chuck Schumer has ramped up pressure on Donald Trump and the federal government to accept the mounting costs of protecting the president, the first family and their extended entourage. Schumer, the Senate Democratic leader, inserted himself into the debate on Sunday, saying it costs $500,000 per day for nearly 200 police officers to protect Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, which houses the Trump family business headquarters and serves as the home of the first lady, Melania Trump, and the couple’s son, Barron. The senator estimated the cost could rise to as much as $183m annually.

At current estimates, even a four-year Trump administration could be heading for a billion dollars in taxpayer-borne costs – an eight-fold increase of the $97m Judicial Watch, a conservative watchdog group, estimates it cost to protect Barack Obama over the two terms of his administration.

The estimated costs of guarding Trump Tower have varied from $1m a day (during daily protests before the inauguration) to around $100,000 for the first lady and Barron, 10, who are staying in New York until at least the end of the school year.

Schumer urged Trump to include the costs in the federal budget, noting that New York City has only been reimbursed $7m of $35m requested for the cost of protecting the tower for the period between election day and the Inauguration. “It’s simply unfair to have New York City taxpayers alone bear the burden of NYPD protection at Trump Tower. President Trump: this is your protection, so I challenge you to put these costs in your upcoming federal budget and make a commitment to reimburse New York City,” Schumer said during a press briefing at his Manhattan office.

In contrast, the cost of protecting former president Obama during his four trips to the city last year came to just $4.1m. The costs of protecting the Obama family home in Chicago over the same pre-inauguration period in his presidency was estimated at $2.2m.
(snip)

Last week, officials in Palm Beach said the cost of hosting the president at his Mar-a-Lago estate amounted to $60,000 a day for police overtime. Trump stayed at Mar-a-Lago for nearly 16 days, from 16 December to 1 January as president-elect, and has visited his private resort home on three consecutive weekends this month, driving up the costs to an estimated half-million dollars. Kirk Blouin, the town’s director of public safety, told the Sun-Sentinel that the municipality was “overwhelmed”.
(snip)

Using figures based on a government report analyzing White House travel, the Washington Post estimated Trump’s Florida trips have cost the federal government about $10m since his inauguration. That includes money for Coast Guard units to patrol the exposed shoreline and other military and security expenses. Trump administration officials have argued that the president’s weekend jaunts are correctly described as working weekends: this includes hosting Japan’s prime minister, Shinzo Abe, over the weekend of 10 February and interviewing potential national security adviser picks over this past weekend.
(snip)

[Trust Buster]

1. If the federal government is not reimbursing these cities, then pull the police officers off the job

That will get their attention.

[egold2604]

3. was thinking the same thing. Have Drumpf pay for it out of his own pocket

[dhol82]

6. That was my first thought

The fucker should take care of his own property.

[smirkymonkey]

7. Exactly!

Especially in NYC. It's not like anyone in that city has much concern about their protection.

[Paka]

2. But the deficit...

We have to watch the deficit...

[nocalflea]

4. Entitlement

I really feel for the taxpayers of NYC,Paln Beach.Their getting screwed over twice,or is it thrice-federal,state,local. taxes-and the business owners are really hurting-ironic if they have to lay off employees-job cessation is not job creation.
What really galls me is Melania's sense of entitlement. She didn't start out with much in life and you would never know it.
I dont care if she hates her husband,I don't care if her son's routine is upset.There's no good excuse for her to impose her needs on the citizens of NYC.She must really believe in her own wonderfulness.If she does move into the WH ,residents of DC be forewarned,she's a realy lousy neighbor.

[SammyWinstonJack]

5. That and the fact that this grifter brags about not paying federal taxes and now is taxing advantage

of tax payers big league. Probably thinks nothing of it either, the self-entitled asshole.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

8. So much

for him not taking a salary. I believe in the need to protect the first family but (and I may be wrong) they are normally all in one place most of the time. I don't think we've ever had a situation quite like this - in many aspects. I can pretty much guess at how the Republicans would be reacting to this if Trump was a Democrat, mostly because they flipped out over far less with President Obama. BTW has Judicial Watch spoken up about this (guessing not)?

[Vinca]

9. Too bad. That's part of the scheme: taxpayers foot the bill for everything.

I mean, who hasn't spend $3 million every weekend to play golf in Florida?

[OldHippieChick]

10. Plus the additional costs for his children. The boys

are headed to Dubai soon. What about the grandchildren? This guy is going to bankrupt the country protecting his family.

[eniwetok]

11. TRUMPS: Private Luxary, Public Expense

Good thing we're stealing 400 billion or so a year from future taxpayers to make up for this needless spending!