Lord Trump and his Heavy Friends

Filed in archive Golf Courses on December 7, 2007

My, my, what a surprise. The Scottish parliament has wrestled the massive Trump golf project out of the hands of the local Aberdeenshire Council whose planning committee rejected the proposal nearly two weeks ago.

The parliament has agreed to review the decision taken by the Council and the matter is now before Scotland's Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee.

Last April, Scotland's First Minister, Jack McConnell made Donald Trump an honorary ambassador for Scotland, a kind of business booster, really, declaring the move "a good bit of business for all concerned".

So, it's no wonder that Scottish MPs have decided to neuter the Council in whose backyard the project will reside.

Trump has not been silent. Through his minions, he has been threatening to move the 2 billion dollar project to another location in the United Kingdom, making sure that the local Council takes the fall if that happens.

His second choice is somewhere in Northern Ireland, he says.

There is a pattern here, one that Trump, along with every other big-hitting businessman from sports team owners to car manufacturers employs - dangle the juicy carrot in front of the starving donkey.

Trump has not selected northeastern Scotland or Northern Ireland simply because they have spectacular scenery. He's chosen them because he knows the politicians will salivate at bringing his name and reputation to their doorsteps. "Gee, I met Donald Trump and look what he gave us".

And Trump can then leverage his proposal into all kinds of breaks and benefits for his corporation. It's called Standard Operating Procedure.

So when The Donald talks about how much a local economy will stand to gain from his largesse, that is strictly for public consumption; that's the spin.

And now, like the sly fox in the hen-house that he is, he has the chickens fighting amongst themselves for the right to be eaten.

I don't blame Trump for his maneuverings - they have worked time and time again for him. I blame near-sighted politicians looking for personal political gain who are willing to sell out, kow-tow and do the "money dance" while The Donald plays the fiddle.

Scott Tavis, the head of the Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee says the Aberdeenshire Council's decision to kill the project rather than risk the destruction of an environmentally sensitive and beautiful area "has sent a worrying message to the rest of the world that Scotland is closed for business."

How ridiculous. This man is the head of a committee that deals with tourism and he says there's nothing else Scotland can do to attract tourists with a beautiful piece of nature except turn it into a massive golf resort.

Neil Hobday, one of Trump's golf minions, says "Ambassador" Trump has been impressed by how fast the Scottish parliament has moved on the matter.

I'll bet he is.

What I find truly frightening is the reaction in an online forum conducted by The Scotsman newspaper. The paper asks the question, "Was the government right to intervene?"

There are still many in this world who believe politicians know what they're doing and that what they're doing is for the good of the people.

Astonishing.