Promises Kept
“Promises Made / Promises Kept” Is the theme of White House propaganda six months in to Trump 2.0. Of course, grocery prices continue to skyrocket, the stock market remains short of what it was pre-Trump, the war in Ukraine didn’t end with one magic phone call, and those tariffs didn’t immediately re-open US steel mills and auto assembly lines. Should we ever believe Donnie’s promises?
The fine folk of Aberdeen, Scotland would argue against it.
Donnie is golfing at his Trump International Golf Club — Aberdeen this weekend. The locals are not pleased with him. In 2008, Trump planned a golf course amid the shifting sand dunes on the Aberdeen coast. Those dunes were listed as an “environmental treasure” by the Scottish National Heritage, so Donnie had to get approval from the Aberdeenshire Council. The Council rejected Donnie’s plan. Donnie then went over their heads to the Scottish Parliament. He promised to build “The Greatest Golf Course In The World”, a $1.2 billion showplace with a 450 room luxury hotel, 950 resort apartments, 36 golf villas, and 500 houses. The “Greatest Golf Course” would add 6,000 jobs to the local economy. “Promises Made”.
No politician could resist that. Donnie got his permits post haste.
Donnie actually built that golf course along with, big deal, an 18 room lodge. It employs all of 84 locals. Trump International Golf Club — Aberdeen is less a “showplace” than a minor league US country club. “Promises Kept”?
Donnie also proved to be something less than a “good neighbor”. He described privately-owned homes adjacent to the golf course as “pig sties” that “cluttered his view”, so he sued to obtain them via eminent domain. The Aberdeenshire Council, “once burned, twice shy”, refused Donnie’s suit. Donnie then transplanted large spruce trees to protect his precious ocean view and to block that of his neighbors.
When the Council planned to install off-shore wind turbines, Donnie sued again, citing environmental concerns. The courts refused Donnie’s claim since off-shore wind turbines were less damaging than Donnie’s slicing up those “environmental treasure” shifting sand dunes to build his golf course.
Donnie may not get a warm reception in Aberdeen.
By Ed Dufton
