Donald Trump thinks he is a mafia boss, a don. Like in the Godfather. Why would he think that? Well, there is the obvious – he works, acts, lives like a Mafia boss…crooked and everything. Who knows what crimes he has committed? The guy is a very stable, stupid Corleone wannabe.
But, to be fair, he grew up in a mafia-dominated industry (Construction)and a mafia infused community. He’knew’ gangsters who were, in his own words, some really nice people. You know, like the white supremacists in Charlotteville?
The mafia had a big influence in NYC. I know. I was there.
Long story made short: In the late 80’s I was invited to do a proforma for the Rouse Group, a large real estate developer in New York. That invitation included a trip to NYC, a lot of fancy restaurants and a presentation to the board. I could easily do the revenue side of the proforma and I THOUGHT I could do a reasonable approximation of the capital expenditure side but I was not so sure about the operating proforma…you know…local cost of living, taxes and such…
When I presented the revenue projections, they were suitably impressed and I scored ‘points’…but when I ‘guestimated’ the capital costs, they were more than skeptical and the operating proforma was immediately rejected.
“Mr. Cox. Your construction estimates seem low and your running costs ARE DEFINITELY low!”
“Well, I used Canadian figures which I understood to be on the high side. What did I miss?”
No answer.
And the meeting wrapped up quickly.
One of the guys walked out with me. “Dave, you did not include 20% for miscellaneous. The board doesn’t like that.”
“I was taught that the miscellaneous category was the space for fools who did NOT do their homework. I did my homework. I know the cost of janitorial services, pizza delivery and what people are tipped. I do not NEED a miscellaneous category.”
“Sorry. You don’t get it. Miscellaneous is what we call the ‘mafia tax’. Doing business in New York cost an extra 20%….mostly…but DEFINITELY in operating expenses. They ‘lean on ya’ doing construction but they lean a lot heavier once you are up and running. Call it the protection racket, corruption, whatever…doing business in New York has a miscellaneous expense and most savvy developers budget 20%. You did not.”
That was the 80’s. Trump was still learning the ‘game’ back then. He then played in that ‘game. And then….? Then he started to refer to himself as ‘the Donald’. At the time I was somewhat confused. Why would anyone nickname themselves ‘the Donald’? Seemed like a weird thing to do. I always wanted be nicknamed ‘the Flash’ or maybe “the Phantom” or even “Mad-dog”….but, despite writing ‘The Flash’ on my slippers in felt pen, nothing ever really stuck. People called me ‘Dave’.
I never wanted to be called ‘the Dave’.
But Trump went for ‘the Donald.’ And now I know why. ‘The Donald’ is his version of ‘the Don’. He thinks he is a mafia boss.
Why would he even THINK that way…?
Our Off the Grid Home 
Interesting.
I once worked in the building maintenance industry for a national Company that was headquartered in Montreal.
We would have annual meetings to exchange notes about national contracts ( elevators, aircon, janitorial, etc).
One year the meeting was in Montreal and afterwards we 12 went out to dinner….we ended up at an Italian restaurant and when the bill came ALL our drinks had been covered be some “guys in the corner booth”.
WTH?
I found out later they were the local Mob and the money they made on construction “extras” in Montreal at our company was about 20% of the over all cost……
I have stories of Montreal contractors that expanded out to Vancouver and they were shocked when people refused kickbacks……” But, everyone takes a piece” was their reply.
“Vancouver’s a small city and my reputation isnt worth a few thousand bucks….
Just give me an honest bid.”
They actually got the job and did quite well but they were absolutely baffled at how we did business………
Honesty …..who knew.
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And this total fool-in-Putins-pocket just added mass murder to his resume by abandoning the Kurds. I can’t imagine a single military person in the USA who is not humiliated and depressed by such a duplicitous act as Trump letting Turkey kill American allies like that. The man who demands loyalty gives none. I hope the Kurds take him to the Hague for war crimes.
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Yep.
And good luck during the “next” middle east war trying to find allies……..
Short sighted foreign policy by Trump amateurs
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Apparently, this sort of business is more the norm than the exception for those well placed in government. Looking back at the previous administration, we find that then vice president, Joe Biden’s, son Hunter is involved in some very lucrative business dealings with an energy company in Ukraine (as a quid pro quo for his VP dad’s influence over US funds of state). His dad, Joe, during an official state visit to Ukraine, even threatened to withhold official US govt. funds to Ukraine (a huge figure!) if a Ukraine prosecutor investigating the energy company “employer” of his son was not fired at the request of the former US vice president, by the end of the day, when his flight left their country. In his own words, in the CFR youtube channel video, Biden brags: “-son of a bitch, if he didn’t get fired!” (it sure pays to be an international head of state wielding huge funds!).
Another good example of politicians getting crookedly wildly wealthy would be the administration before Obama’s: the Clinton Presidency. The Criminal Clinton Cartel was legendary for their abuses including international cocaine smuggling on CIA govt. planes into Mena, Arkansas. Many people were murdered, upon order of the Clintons, in covering up those crimes. Or you can talk about the Clinton Foundation and their abuses in taking illegal political “donations” (influence peddling!) from foreign powers and corporations. Or how about their keeping nearly all of the humanitarian donations made into their Foundation for victims of the devastating earthquake in Haiti?? Adding insult to injury, some of the Clinton Foundation’s staff were even caught smuggling young Haitian girls out of the country (with assistance from a UN relief agency!) into the sex trafficking trade.
Yes, power corrupts. We can only hope that some actual good comes along with the bad!
I like to look at the good things that are getting done and being accomplished, as well.
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Off your meds Kev?
Or is it still a Full Moon?
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Good post Dave! Nice to read your views again. You can still deliver the messages that some do not want to read. You called it long ago and an unfiltered POTUS has delivered his promise to be as he advertised on full view with his meandering confessions and retractions. He went to the Foreign Policy ATM to mud rake for personal gain. ‘’ What’s da matter with dat?” “ Hey fake news, youse talkin to me?” The lack of self-awareness fails to register! But continues on full display. The claim that High Office allows for political corruption because ‘’everyone does it.” What? ‘’We the American People promise to look the other way as our politicians enrich themselves because that’s what our “Founding Fathers intended when they wrote the Constitution to have a lawless Executive Branch operating ‘above the law.’
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What are the Government’s becoming graces: honesty, loyalty, fidelity, service, scrupulousness guilelessness, perseverance, lawfulness kindness fairness and decency in the face of temptation to Our Republic in our quest quest for a more perfect union!
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