Mar-a-Lago Neighbors Discover Costs of Trump’s Visits
Feb 20, 2017 12:34:10 GMT
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Post by benson on Feb 20, 2017 12:34:10 GMT
For some of the businesses and government agencies that surround President Trump’s “Winter White House,” the effects of his frequent weekend getaways to Mar-a-Lago can best be told in numbers.
■ $200,000 in lost fuel sales at a large local airport in a single four-day visit this month.
■ 75 no-shows at a new restaurant in just one night.
■ $60,000 a day to pay overtime to sheriff’s deputies who guard the many closed roads, a tab that is about $1.5 million over all since the election.
■ 250 private flights grounded every day.
A month into his presidency, Mr. Trump arrived at Mar-a-Lago, his private club here, for a third weekend in a row this Presidents’ Day weekend. For the locals, that’s at least three days of clogged roads and strict security protocols that hurt local businesses and frustrate residents.
Although economic development officials are ecstatic over the free publicity provided by news reporters’ live waterfront shots — and the excited buzz in the area is palpable — others are exasperated over the drain on small businesses and the circuitous routes residents have to drive to avoid two miles of closed roads.
Secret Service rules restricting private flights have grounded operations at Palm Beach County Park Airport in Lantana, nine miles south of Mr. Trump’s club, where most of the business is conducted on Saturday and Sunday. That means no parachute jumping, banner advertising, flight lessons or chopper trips. Business owners there are hoping that a president who campaigned on improving the economic prospects of the little guy will be sympathetic to the havoc his visits wreak.
“This is a good test of his words versus his actions,” said Jonathan Miller, whose company, Stellar Aviation Group, runs the airport. He said he had lost $30,000 with each of the president’s visits.
Dave Johnson, the owner of Palm Beach Aircraft Services, which maintains and operates planes at Lantana, said he employs eight people full time and provides transportation for clients including doctors, lawyers and other professionals who travel throughout the country for work. But when Mr. Trump is in town, no private flights can take off within a 10-mile radius, and arriving flights have to first stop elsewhere for security clearance.
“We never dreamed that he’d be here every weekend — that’s the killer,” Mr. Johnson said. “I’m getting customers that have been with me for years, and they’re actually moving their aircraft to other airports so they can fly.”
The Palm Beach County airport director’s office tallied the losses during Mr. Trump’s visit Feb. 3 to 6 to Mar-a-Lago.
A sightseeing business canceled 19 tours and turned away a dozen walk-ins. One flight school business had to scratch $14,000 worth of flight lessons. One company is in negotiations to move its 14-plane fleet out of the county, which would mean a loss of a quarter of the airport’s fuel sales, according to the office’s analysis.
“It’s a very busy airport with a lot of small-business men trying to make a living,” said Bruce Pelly, the airport director for Palm Beach County. “You got flight training, aeronautics, a propeller shop, paint shops, maintenance companies. You got all kinds of businesses going on down there. We are obviously trying whatever we can to get that airport functioning in some form or fashion.”
Mr. Pelly said he had “offered everything we can think of” to make the airport secure. The Secret Service’s response so far: “No.”
The White House and the Federal Aviation Administration referred calls about the matter to the Secret Service. The Secret Service did not respond to requests for comment.
“In their view, that airport is too close to Mar-a-Lago,” Mr. Pelly said of his conversations with the Secret Service. “We are not giving up.”
Jorge Gonzalez, who owns SkyWords Advertising, said he might have to. He said his business had lost $42,000 because of Mr. Trump’s visits, during which his banner-advertising planes were grounded. He hopes to last through May, but his wife said that at this rate, 30 days was more likely.
www.nytimes.com/2017/02/19/us/donald-trump-visits-mar-a-lago-businesses.html?&moduleDetail=section-news-0&action=click&contentCollection=U.S.®ion=Footer&module=MoreInSection&version=WhatsNext&contentID=WhatsNext&pgtype=article
■ $200,000 in lost fuel sales at a large local airport in a single four-day visit this month.
■ 75 no-shows at a new restaurant in just one night.
■ $60,000 a day to pay overtime to sheriff’s deputies who guard the many closed roads, a tab that is about $1.5 million over all since the election.
■ 250 private flights grounded every day.
A month into his presidency, Mr. Trump arrived at Mar-a-Lago, his private club here, for a third weekend in a row this Presidents’ Day weekend. For the locals, that’s at least three days of clogged roads and strict security protocols that hurt local businesses and frustrate residents.
Although economic development officials are ecstatic over the free publicity provided by news reporters’ live waterfront shots — and the excited buzz in the area is palpable — others are exasperated over the drain on small businesses and the circuitous routes residents have to drive to avoid two miles of closed roads.
Secret Service rules restricting private flights have grounded operations at Palm Beach County Park Airport in Lantana, nine miles south of Mr. Trump’s club, where most of the business is conducted on Saturday and Sunday. That means no parachute jumping, banner advertising, flight lessons or chopper trips. Business owners there are hoping that a president who campaigned on improving the economic prospects of the little guy will be sympathetic to the havoc his visits wreak.
“This is a good test of his words versus his actions,” said Jonathan Miller, whose company, Stellar Aviation Group, runs the airport. He said he had lost $30,000 with each of the president’s visits.
Dave Johnson, the owner of Palm Beach Aircraft Services, which maintains and operates planes at Lantana, said he employs eight people full time and provides transportation for clients including doctors, lawyers and other professionals who travel throughout the country for work. But when Mr. Trump is in town, no private flights can take off within a 10-mile radius, and arriving flights have to first stop elsewhere for security clearance.
“We never dreamed that he’d be here every weekend — that’s the killer,” Mr. Johnson said. “I’m getting customers that have been with me for years, and they’re actually moving their aircraft to other airports so they can fly.”
The Palm Beach County airport director’s office tallied the losses during Mr. Trump’s visit Feb. 3 to 6 to Mar-a-Lago.
A sightseeing business canceled 19 tours and turned away a dozen walk-ins. One flight school business had to scratch $14,000 worth of flight lessons. One company is in negotiations to move its 14-plane fleet out of the county, which would mean a loss of a quarter of the airport’s fuel sales, according to the office’s analysis.
“It’s a very busy airport with a lot of small-business men trying to make a living,” said Bruce Pelly, the airport director for Palm Beach County. “You got flight training, aeronautics, a propeller shop, paint shops, maintenance companies. You got all kinds of businesses going on down there. We are obviously trying whatever we can to get that airport functioning in some form or fashion.”
Mr. Pelly said he had “offered everything we can think of” to make the airport secure. The Secret Service’s response so far: “No.”
The White House and the Federal Aviation Administration referred calls about the matter to the Secret Service. The Secret Service did not respond to requests for comment.
“In their view, that airport is too close to Mar-a-Lago,” Mr. Pelly said of his conversations with the Secret Service. “We are not giving up.”
Jorge Gonzalez, who owns SkyWords Advertising, said he might have to. He said his business had lost $42,000 because of Mr. Trump’s visits, during which his banner-advertising planes were grounded. He hopes to last through May, but his wife said that at this rate, 30 days was more likely.
www.nytimes.com/2017/02/19/us/donald-trump-visits-mar-a-lago-businesses.html?&moduleDetail=section-news-0&action=click&contentCollection=U.S.®ion=Footer&module=MoreInSection&version=WhatsNext&contentID=WhatsNext&pgtype=article
