TrumpBits#31: A High Priced New Year’s Eve

I’m beginning to wonder if The Donald needs money. The Town of Palm Beach has approved some new docks for him to have installed at Mar-a-Lago so guests may arrive by water, that’s gonna be pricey unless someone else, like Mexico, is going to pay for it. Then again, he is getting a tax refund because it appears he overpaid some property taxes. But it’s the cost of attending his annual New Year’s Eve party that has both skyrocketed and has me wondering.

Just a few years ago the price for ringing in the New Year at Mar-a-Lago was a mere 50 bucks for members and nonmember guests, according to Tribute New Services. Whoa. That’s cheap and so very very yesterday and pre-president.

This year, guests will have to fork over $1000 per person, plus a 7% tax and a 20% gratuity, to party at MaL. That’s $250 more than last year’s fee of $750 person, and up from the $575 per head price from the year before.

Given that a number of charities pulled out of having their fund-raising balls at Mar-a-Lago earlier this year, those income losses have to have cost him. Doubling the initiation fees for Club membership from $100,000 to $200,000, plus the $14,000 in annual fees, might have helped, but something tells me that Trump’s Club coffers aren’t as flush as he’d like the world to think. Then again, nothing new about that.

Nontheless, I’m figuring that all Trumpsters and Mar-a-Lago members and their guests are looking forward to a raucous time at the Club this year no matter what the party fee is. Too bad that fee doesn’t come with the guarantee that  Mr. President and his wife will be there.

 

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TrumpBits#23: Seeing Russia?

It looks as though Sarah Palin has spotted something. Could it be Russia?

What better representative for the Republican Party than Sarah Palin.  She’s the headliner at the Palm Beach County Republican Party’s Lincoln Day fundraising event on Friday.

If you wanted to attend, forgetaboutit. The receptionist at  Mar-a-Lago today told me that the event is “sold out”.

Bummer. Was hoping to learn more about Russia from this seer.

 

TrumpBits#22:Half-mast

Photo taken from Bill DiPaolo’s Tweet today, Feb. 16, 2018

The flag at Mar-a-Lago, Donny’s Winter White House, respectfully flies at half-mast as a symbol of respect, mourning and distress regarding the horrible mass shooting of students and teachers at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in  Parkland, FL.

As long as this President, the NRA and members of Congress  continue to assess  America’s out-of-control gun control problems as related to one’s mental health, let me suggest the  following: From this day forward, anyone of any age, gender or race,  who wants to purchase a gun of any type must first be required to go through a lengthy mental health evaluation program before ever being able to purchase a gun. Period. No ifs ands or buts about it.

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pbTrumpBits#18: Mar-a-Lago still hiring

It’s been nearly two months since the ad for various Mar-a-Lago workers first appeared in Jobs section of the The Palm Beach Post under the “ food services/hospitality” heading.  That’s a long time for any ad to run.

What might be even longer is that the box showing the job opportunities at Mar-a-Lago has a typo in it that’s never been corrected.

I’ve heard that our president isn’t much of a reader but that’s no excuse for those who write the ads, or place them and didn’t see or correct the obvious error.

As you can see in the photo of the ad above the mistake has to do with the missing letter “i” in the word “qualifed”

Kind of a funny typo given the size of President Trump’s ego.

The private club will be opening soon and apparently is still seeking beach club servers, pastry cooks and valets. Hourly pay varies but is dollars better than Florida’s minimum wage of $8.10 an hour ( it’s going up to $8.25 in 2018).  And,  I’ve heard that tips for the valets can be quite generous. Even is they aren’t,  it’s gotta be a trip to drive the club’s members’ cars.

That said, anyone who would like to work in the Winter White House can either pick up an application at the gate house of the club/estate, or send their resume to: HR@maralagoclub.com.

Good luck.

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pbTrumpBits#15: New do

In just one week, August 21-August 28, 2017,  the president’s do when from a full Summer White look to a bit of a military-like tighter cropped Fall Red do. Inquiring minds are wondering  what color he’ll be sporting  when he returns to Mar-a-Lago later this year?

It’s summertime and everyone knows that blondes get blonder in the summer thanks to the summer sun. But when fall rolls around, things change.

POTUS has a thing about is hair. We’ve all seen the color changes in its color and length since he began his formal run for our country’s highest office  in 2016. Now, however, the pace of the color changes to his mop seem to happen about as often as he changes his mind on policy or forgets the promises he has made. In one week, for instance,  it went from white to red.

This, of course, drives colorists mad.

pbTrumpBits#14: Fake News

 

Important: Dear Reader: This is an almost totally FAKE NEWS  entry with one factual news exception. That exception: So far, 18 organizations have decided NOT to hold their fundraising galas at Mar-a-Lago during the upcoming season because of the president’s handling of Charlottesville, VA. marches. FYI: Three of those organizations include the Cleveland Clinic, the American Cancer Society and the American Friends of Magen David Adom.  A link to a more detailed list is at the end of this blog.

Now, on to the FAKE NEWS:

With charitable organizations dropping like flies and deciding NOT to hold their fundraising galas at Trump’s Winter White House Mar-a-Lago Private Club because of his responses regarding the marches in Charlottesville, Va., whispers are that the joint is for sale.

One source, not willing to be identified, said: ” Trump is all about money and once the money starts drying up he gets out of whatever project he’s involved with. Then he seems to have a history of selling out and suing all  parties involved to cover his losses.”

A concerned member of the club, also not willing to be identified,  worries membership fees may be doubled to cover a drop in gala income. And,  that the club will lose its international flare by hiring only U.S. citizen staff and employees.

No word yet on what the price tag might be, but another anonymous source speculated that the likely buyer could be a Russian.

Dear Reader: Again, the story above is FAKE NEWS entry . Got it.

Not fake news: Click here to learn more about the organizations that won’t be partying at Mar-a-Lago this season: http://www.palmbeachdailynews.com/news/local-govt–politics/keeping-track-home-here-list-who-leaving-mar-lago/Cq9HrDBsT1YB8A9EF6OijP/

pbTrumpBits#11

This is the front gate of Trump’s private club Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach. If you expected golden gates, you’d be mistaken. Nothing much special–or golden– about them, except  for the $200,000 membership fee it costs to pass through them. And, that they are in need of repair.

Kinda, sorta, not exactly but some might say,  a part-time plunder.

No matter whose numbers you believe, or how much you love or loathe the 45^th president of these United States, you’ve got to admit that his Mar-a-Lago private club is one cash cow.

Figures released this week indicate that Trump’s Palm Beach golden nugget brought in somewhere between $20 million to $37.5 million  over a 15-month period ending this spring.

That’s one heck of a chunk of change for a part-time gig. Yes, you read that correctly—the club is only open seasonally.

No doubt there are thousands of U.S. private company owners who can only dream of bringing in revenues of $20-38 million in one year. One full, 12-month calendar year.

Oh well.

And then there is the back door: While the front gates of Mar-a-Lago are closed, the back ones aren’t.

 

pbTrumpBits #1

This is it—the backside of Mar-a-Lago, President Trump’s go-to White House in Palm Beach, FL. That’s the Intracoastal Waterway, aka Lake Worth. It separates Palm Beach Island from West Palm Beach and the rest of the world. I took the photo from the same vantage point all local, national and international reporters and journalists use—a spit of land right off Southern Blvd. Bridge. It’s one of three bridges that connects you to the island of PB.

 

Happy President’s Day and welcome to the first pbTrumpBits blog entry!

No matter how you feel about our new president, or which party you’re a party to, there is no denying that there always has been and always will be an interest in Palm Beach, Florida.

This slender little perfectly manicured island is and always has been home to America’s—and the world’s– rich and famous. And now with President Trump making his exclusive private club Mar-a-Lago his go-to White House, the appeal to learn more about the island is greater than ever.

With that in mind, pbTrumpBits will bring to its readers tidbits and stories about life on the island as it relates to our new Commander-in-Chief. Content in this blog won’t be a snarky—there are plenty of other sources where you can read that. My intent is to bring to you another view of the new and changing life Trump has brought to Palm Beach as this our 45^th President who— even without revealing his tax returns—is said to be America’s richest President ever.

Thanks for reading and hope you will share this new blog with others.

Happy President’s Day.

Back soon.

Dian