Sunday, July 16, 2006

donald trump: not a pinhead for today

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While I don't agree with the tone and content of much of what
Donald Trump says (especially that letter to Martha Stewart -
friends should be honest, not cruel..) sometimes the man
impresses me. On behalf of other Preservation Magazine
readers and members of the National Trust, Donald is officially
(at least for today) not a pinhead.
  • Trump Article

  • The interview, by Salvatore Deluca, highlights the work done by Trump to the
    Mar-A-Lago estate in Palm Beach, specifies Trump's assertion that
    it is cheaper to reuse an existing structure than to demolish
    and rebuild from scratch, and defines his interest in preservation.
    He laments the loss New York Landmarks, including the Ziegfeld Theater.

    On the work of preservationists, Trump said, "I have a great respect
    for the job they do. They really do have the interest of the country
    in mind. So I made a contribution, and it will not be my last."

    It's important when moguls want to help. As much as we may
    envy and despise their lifestyles, or wish they were our grandpa,
    it's important to ENCOURAGE this sort of behavior. I would have
    thought that he'd the the demolish and rebuild kinda guy. I'm glad
    that assumption was wrong.

    If every piece of usable architecture was renovated in this country,
    (I'm sure there's an institute that's looked into the actual number)
    We wouldn't need to build anything for a looooooong time. There
    would still be construction jobs, loans, development... the machine
    would continue to churn, no doubt. What we wouldn't have so much
    of is what we see in Baltimore's Inner Harbor. We were at a brunch
    today discussing the potential buyers for the thousands of units popping
    up along the water - they go for millions. Who will live in them? Baltimore
    is not New York. What do these people do for a living? I read somewhere
    that they might be New Yorkers - but having just experienced Brooklyn,
    I'd rather live there or a dozen other places on the water there, if I'm into
    spending millions anyway..

    So who are these people? Does anyone know? Does Donald Trump have
    any idea what the hell is going on down here? Maybe I should write to him
    and ask. Since I'm a new fan and all.

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