For the third straight week, Donald trump is spending the weekend in Florida at Palm Beach. But President Trump’s visits to Mar-a-Lago are causing financial damage to companies of the nearby airport because the Secret Service blocks Lantana Airport on Friday every weekend for the president's homecoming to his Palm Beach resort. Banner-flying and Maintenance companies, in addition to dozens of other companies damaging them of several thousands of dollars at the year's best season.
Palm Beach: economy at risk for President Trump holidays
These limitations are a very problem for Jorge Gonzalez with his company, SkyWords.
Gonzalez has four airplanes for advertising banners targeting beachgoers of Palm Beach. "For our work, most of our business is done on holiday and especcially in weekend", Gonzalez affirms. In the last period, he says, Donald Trump "is in Palm Beach every weekend, and we are unable to work". The Lantana airport with about 30 company have an economic impact of about $30 million every year. Furthermore, it employ more than 200 people but they don’t receive not even a dollar when it is closed. The protection of the President, however, requires an high level of security that has proved expensive also for residents and local administation. In fact, in addition to losing money at Lantana airport, Palm Beach has spent more than $1.5 million for the police overtime necessary for the safety of Donald Trump.
It needs a compromise, but the Secret Service don't want to allow exemptions
Stephanie Grisham, spokeswoman of White House, requested information to the Secret Service but they also denied comment. Even Lois Frankel, a Democratic United States Representative, met representatives of businesses and local politicians this week, and he affirmed she will ask the Secret Service in the next week to reach a compromise. But Trump has spent in Mar-a-Lago his holidays for more than twenty years, and reminded locals that the new US President will return to his home when he wants.
