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How the Trumps Got Rich
by keifermiller

    Trump’s more recent Bronx golf course acquisition is an even greater case of public land theft. The city acquired the site — the east side of Ferry Point Park — in 1937 to build the Whitestone Bridge. For decades this section of the park was used as a garbage dump, but Mayor Bloomberg’s Parks Department undertook a massive renovation to turn it into a usable public space.

    After spending millions on cleanup, the Bloomberg administration turned most of the park over to Trump. The city has kept less than ten acres of shabby “community park” space, and Trump’s 222-acre golf course thoroughly dominates the landscape. To use the facility, Trump charges $141 for weekdays, and $169 for weekends — far more than Parks Department–run golf courses. In just its first year, it has made $8 million for Trump.