Goodbye, Mar-a-Lago. Hello, Bedminster.

[demmiblue]

As the Florida resort season closes, residents near Trump's usual summer getaway at his golf club in New Jersey prepare for more security, and more protests.

Source: Politico

President Donald Trump’s repeated weekend jaunts away from Washington have caused nonstop headaches for his South Florida neighbors this winter.

But once his exclusive seaside retreat at Mar-a-Lago closes for the season, Trump is expected to shift his weekend plans north, to his Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey — and bring with him all the chaos that comes with being a preferred presidential destination.

“We’re kind of apprehensive, I guess you could say,” said Nick Strakhov, a retired telecommunications professional and longtime resident who serves on the Bedminster land use board. “It’s nice to be recognized. But on the other hand, if it gets to be tedious, we might start to complain.”

Street closures and traffic jams were a big problem last fall across the region when the then-president-elect traveled to Bedminster by motorcade from Trump Tower in midtown Manhattan for a weekend’s worth of interviews with potential Cabinet nominees.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2017/04/trump-new-jersey-florida-237347

[GoCubsGo]

1. I hope it rains every weekend there.

[WePurrsevere]

2. It's always a huge inconvenience to locals...

When presidents visit (I'm personally familiar with Kennebunkport when Bush went) but with Trump doing it almost every weekend that would get old really fast.

I suppose due to security concerns rotating his visits to different resorts that he has (in the north during the Summer/south in the Winter) wouldn't be a good idea? It would probably be cheaper for taxpayers if we foot the bill to tone down the rustic and add a full golf course to Camp David but I doubt even then Trump would use it since using Camp David wouldn't make HIM money.

[exboyfil]

3. Bush took some heat for his trips to Crawford

77 of them, but they were far less disruptive than Trump's trips - also Trump is on pace to eclipse even that number (3 out of every 4 weekends?) - For 8 years that will translate to over 300 trips.

Crawford was a lot cheaper. I understand that Secret Service built quarters on site for their agents. I wonder if Bush charged them rent (I doubt it). Food would be less expensive. Less expensive car rentals.

[WePurrsevere]

4. I remember Bush's trips to Crawford...

I could see getting away from the WH on mini 'vacations' 3, maybe 4, times a year. If they went to Camp David, which is close by, I'd be more inclined to them going more frequently.

It's an incredibly stressful job so I normally don't begrudge a president needing an occasional break where they can work off some of that but when the taxpayers are footing the bill a limit of where and how often they do so is a realistic demand. I don't think we have an up to date one, if not maybe it's time to put together a presidential perks/benefits bill so it's no longer taken advantage of in the future.