Just the other day, word came down that Dreary Don Dreary had legally changed his residence from Trump Tower to Mar-a-Lago. And with all the elocution of a dishwasher thumping, he confirmed as much via Twitter:
I cherish New York, and the people of New York, and always will, but unfortunately, despite the fact that I pay millions of dollars in city, state and local taxes each year, I have been treated very badly by the political leaders of both the city and state. Few have been treated worse.
But somewhere between all the golfing and “hamberders,” dates with international strongmen and FOX news intelligence briefs, “perfect” phone calls to Ukraine and those “no colusion” MAGA rallies, the man with “one of the great all-time memories” had a major lapse in the synapse. I mean, how else could he have forgotten his own home town’s generosity?
Over the years, the taxpayers and politicians of New York have treated the Don so “badly” they’ve gifted him $885 million dollars to build his monstrosities in Manhattan. (And that doesn’t include perks like the zoning amendment he scored over the objections of Community Board 2 to erect his now failed, Apprentice-launched hotel in SoHo.)
According to a report in the New York Times that drew upon data from the Empire State Development Corporation and City Finance Department, these are the Don’s properties/former properties that received major tax breaks, grants, or subsidies to come into being:
- Grand Hyatt Hotel (109 East 42nd Street): $359 million 40-year tax abatement
- Trump Place-Riverside South (120-240 Riverside Blvd): $332 million 421-A tax break
- Trump World Tower (845 United Nations Plaza): $120 million tax break
- Trump Tower (721-725 5th Avenue): $37.5 million 421-A tax break
- Trump International Hotel and Tower (1 Central Park West): $16 million tax break
- Trump Plaza (161 East 61st Street): $13 million 421-A tax break
- Trump Palace (200 East 69th Street): $8 million 421-A tax break
- Trump Building (40 Wall Street): $150,000 9/11 relief grant
- Tump Parc East (100 Central Park South): $49,000 421-A tax break
So it’s no surprise Governor Cuomo responded to him tweeting:
Good riddance. It’s not like [you] paid taxes here anyway.
And Mayor de Blasio:
Don’t let the door hit you on the way out or whatever.
Then even the News:
But as the great man tweets, I guess history’s disposed. Of all the people who’ve ever lived in New York, it’ll henceforth be known that no one had it “worse” than Dreary Don Dreary. After all, he could only bilk the taxpayers for three-quarters of a billion dollars. Sad!
Screenshots by Rick Stachura.
(1) New York Post Cover. November 1, 2019.
(2) New York Daily News Cover. November 2, 2019.