I first heard the name Donald Trump when I was a kid, growing up in the 1980’s. While I didn’t grow up in New York, it is no stretch to say that nationally Donald Trump was a household name, Trump was the quintessential New Yorker. Loud, rich, brash, self-promoting and successful. I for one, and I am certainly not alone, couldn’t think of New York without thinking of Trump, he and the city were inextricably linked. Like the Empire State Building he was a New York icon.
In the 1980’s New York city was a mess, and I guess as they say the more things change the more, they stay the same. During those days’ crime, specifically murders, and city mismanagement were big problems, and even could be considered out of control. And Trump, as a proud New Yorker tried to help his hometown as much as he could.
He befriended the Democrat Mayor Ed Koch and offered lots of advice, admittingly mostly unsolicited. And at times publicly browbeating him over different problems. However, I remember hearing Mayor Koch, in a “60 minutes” interview praise resident Trump.
As I recall New Yorkers loved Trump. And the love affair started with the Wollman skating rink in central park. You see the city owned an historic public skating rink; it fell into disrepair. They did nothing with it, nothing to fix it, it just sat in disrepair for years. It was a symbol, one of many, of New York city’s incompetence.
As a businessman and resident Trump made an issue of it, said he could restore it. Well, after enough pressure Mayor Koch agreed to let him have a crack at it. In a matter of months Trump got it beautifully restored and operational.
So, you would think New York would show some gratitude towards Trump, their native son, city promoter and cheerleader and former President, who was born in their city. Well, think again. No such gratitude. New York city and the state are very blue. Trump is the Republican candidate for President. They will try to smear him as much as they can. Even with a trumped-up charge. They like the press headline, “Trump committed fraud.” Except it is not true.
New York decided to do what they are known for. A mugging, this time a state sponsored theft. A theft motivated by politics; I wonder if it can be considered a hate crime.
The prosecutor Letitia James, who ran for elections promising to get Trump on something, claimed that Trump overvalued his assets in order to get a lower rate on loans from banks. Well, here is the thing. The banks aren’t claiming that they were defrauded. The banks got paid back on time at a rate they agreed to. Many of the banks continued to make more loans to him. There is no victim to this crime.
When a person goes to a bank and asks for a loan the bank does what’s called due diligence. They check the persons assets and compares that to the loan amount. And of course, calculates their odds of being paid back. The more money being borrowed the more due diligence is done.
The person asking for the loan has an opinion of the value to their assets, the bank examiners have their opinion. The bank makes the decision of whether to loan to the applicant and at what interest rate.
Banks have lawyers, accountants, experts on real estate, and financial investments on their payroll. If someone asks for millions of dollars to invest, Trump in this case, and the bank didn’t check out the persons assets, and an assessment of their assets, then that is on the bank.
As far as Trump inflating his Net worth, well, who would have a better understanding of Trump’s net worth a bank considering loaning him tens of millions of dollars, their dollars. The bankers or a New York judge? The bankers or the prosecutions “experts?
The bank of course. And they loaned Trump money, at the interest rate they agreed to. Is there a crime committed. Well, only in New York. And it seems the law as interpreted is only to use against Trump.
After Friday’s verdict, forcing Trump to pay 355 million dollars (check made payable to the great state of New York), James told reporters that the verdict says that “Nobody is above the law.” I think when you use an obscure unused part of New York law to go after someone, of the opposite party, that you promised to go after during an election. And where you don’t have a victim, and you use state resources to try to drive that person bankrupt, it’s no longer a case of someone being above the law, rather it is going after someone who is beneath the law.
But under New York law in this case, they don’t need a victim. Without a victim you can have soviet style justice. One good reason businesses and individual should run not walk out of that city. To paraphrase Frank Sinatra, “Start spreading the news, I’m leaving today..”
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Congratulations, you anti-vax assholes — see what you have done?
Florida health officials on Sunday announced an investigation into a cluster of measles cases at an elementary school in the Fort Lauderdale area with a low vaccination rate, a scenario health experts fear will become more and more common amid slipping vaccination rates nationwide.
On Friday, Broward County Public School reported a confirmed case of measles in a student at Manatee Bay Elementary School in the city of Weston. A local CBS affiliate reported that the case was in a third-grade student who had not recently traveled. On Saturday, the school system announced that three additional cases at the same school had been reported, bringing the current reported total to four cases.
At Manatee Bay Elementary School, the number of children at risk could be over 100 students. According to a Broward County vaccine study reported by the local CBS outlet, only 89.31 percent of students at Manatee Bay Elementary School were fully immunized in the 2023/2024 school year, which is significantly lower than the target vaccination coverage of 95 percent. The school currently has 1,067 students enrolled, suggesting that up to 114 students are vulnerable to the infection based on their vaccination status.
Measles is one of the most contagious viruses known. It spreads via respiratory and airborne transmission. The virus can linger in air space for up to two hours after an infected person has been in an area. People who are not vaccinated or have compromised immune systems are susceptible, and up to 90 percent of susceptible people exposed to the virus will become infected. Measles symptoms typically begin around eight to 14 days after exposure, but the disease can incubate for up to 21 days. The symptoms begin as a high fever, runny nose, red and watery eyes, and a cough before the telltale rash develops. Infected people can be contagious from four days before the rash develops through four days after the rash appears, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 1 in 5 unvaccinated people with measles is hospitalized, the CDC adds, while 1 in 20 infected children develop pneumonia and up to 3 in 1,000 children die of the infection.
But, by god, they have their freedom!!!!!!
This is GOOD NEWS!!!! If the anti-vax dumbasses have their way, maybe we can bring back whooping cough, chicken pox, mumps, and — best of all — let’s bring back polio!!!!
And we could bring back the iron lung!!!
https://cdn.theatlantic.com/media/mt/national/NCP%204149-3_lg.jpg
How about it “Doctor” you-know-who?
To you liberal open border shitheads… these diseases are coming because we have over seven million new residents thanks to your President. The waves coming are not vaccinated you shit for brains.. Thus you have epidemic diseases making a come back.
So GFY..
Nice attempt to shift away from the issue of COVID vaxx injuries and deaths. But you already knew that. And where are these measles cases coming from. Most likely illegals aliens who haven’t been screened for diseases.
Measles are coming across the border you stupid ass. With seven to ten million second or third worlders coming, you get epidemic disease back you moron. And TB… but idiot shit eating liberals like you can’t see that one can you..
A side thought on NewYork and Democrat corruption;
Mayor Adams started to publicly voice his displeasure with Biden’s immigrants then the news was about Adams corruption, Adams went silent on immigration and so did the news stories of his corruption.
🤔 hum
The only answer to an abuse of this magnitude is to discredit and punish NYC and New York democrat politicians and the voters who created the conditions for this horror. I hope the truckers are the first wave of punishers followed by the businesses and then anybody who is an honest person.
David,
I believe that in the construction loan industry as well as the mortgage industry it is up to the lender to verify income and assets of the borrower. I also believe that this is done to hold the lender accountable not the borrower.
Will the government in New York move towards reviewing all loan applications submitted by potential businesses borrowers and will they move towards reviewing and prosecuting all home buyers? Will they move towards realtors over valuation of a home’s listing price.
Then there is the issue of a person believing what their property may be worth based on previous comps and factoring in what someone is willing to pay.
If Executives in a local or regional lending institution conspire to lend millions to their golf buddy builders (GBB LLC for fun) and GBB goes belly up don’t the judicial system go after the lender? Why isn’t New York prosecuting the lender?
On a local level;
If the Trump case allows the Judge to find him guilty then could we citizens sue our local tax assessors for overvaluation also?
On a sarcastic note;
Democrats & the FBI find more value in The First Ladies Underwear Drawer than they do Mara Lago anyway.
What is the fiduciary responsibility of Virginia politicians if they have invested in anything New York. Seems any good risk manager would adjust accordingly.