Posted on 01/28/2016 11:51:24 AM PST by conservativejoy
In a statement following his announcement that he would not be participating in tonight's GOP debate on Fox News, Donald Trump‘s campaign said, "[He will] host an event in Iowa to raise money for the Veterans and Wounded Warriors, who have been treated so horribly by our all talk, no action politicians." This morning, Ben Ferguson contrasted that with statements the real estate tycoon made in 1991 and 2004, when he tried to get homeless and disabled veterans kicked off of Fifth Avenue in front of the famed Trump Tower.
Trump is decrying "all talk, no action politicians" now just as he was in the 1990s, though the action he wanted the New York State Assembly to take then regarding disabled veterans was markedly different than the action he is blaming President Barack Obama's administration for not taking now. (It should be noted, too, that actions that have been taken by some organizations to aid veterans have turned out not to be all they claim to be.) In a 1991 letter to the Assembly, he wrote, "While disabled veterans should be given every opportunity to earn a living, is it fair to do so to the detriment of the city as a whole or its tax paying citizens and businesses?"
By "detriment of the city," the future GOP frontrunner meant "detriment of Trump Tower," which sits on Fifth Avenue. While it is known as a ritzy shopping district in New York, Fifth Avenue is also the home of dozens of opportunistic street vendors. Many of them are disabled veterans who are given special licenses by the Department of Consumer Affairs. According to The Daily News, the protections and exceptions extended to peddling veterans date back to the 1890s and were created to give those who were disabled in the Civil War an opportunity to support themselves.
Though previous attempts to relocate veterans to streets where they would make less money didn't work, Trump was undeterred. In 2004, he wrote to then-mayor and possible future presidential rival Michael Bloomberg, imploring him to help get rid of the wounded warriors on his street.
"Whether they are veterans or not, they should not be allowed to sell on this most important and prestigious shopping street," he wrote. "The image of New York City will suffer… I hope you can stop this very deplorable situation before it is too late."
The GOP debate and Trump's counter-event begin in 10 hours, so get your strongest drinks ready because this topic is sure to come up once or twice or 15 times tonight
“..receiving veterans disability benefits”
Yeah, injured vets didn’t earn that!
I mean, who serves their country when they can buy a deferral like Trumpo? Only idiots like me and you (presumably) go and serve.
Or were you a fellow dodger with Trumpo?
If you were born in the Bronx and didn’t leave at 6 years old, you would know what I was talking about. Or you’re just being dishonest to score a point against that evil city slicker The Donald.
I’m so sick of the rubes who come here and don’t know a thing about this great city. I’m voting for Donald because I finally want a New Yorker in office during my lifetime.
Yea right, I was a dodger.......
Not wanting beggers, and bums hanging around your building, no matter who they say they are, is not a problem for most people. Sounds like just another manufactured rant.
So what does that have to do with anything? Who cares about Trump or anyone else's military service?
Just curious, what gives you the moral authority to cast judgment on anyone else who may not have served in the armed forces simply because of your claimed military service?
I was just putting myself in your place.
I was watching build Alaska or some such Alaska show where a tiny town (village?) of people from the lower 48 went to live. One of the town people wanted to develop an old mine and bring in tourists. He even put up a street light for a town of maybe 20 people.
I, like Donald only poor, have a bad temper and if I had done all I could to get there, and live off the land away from “civilization” then some schmuck comes in and brings his crud with him, I would flip out. My blood pressure is soaring right now.
I can understand y’all wanting to keep things as they are and as good as they can be. No mucking things up, stay in your part of town or not in my town. Many people in the midwest feel that way about liberals from the west coast moving in and, come to think of it, New Yorkers moved to the Poconos and it will never be as it was when I was a teen.
I’m an artist. My great aunt worked at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, plus actually got to see the Pieta at the world’s fair. I wouldn’t want someone peddling crud while I was empathetically and visually consuming a work of art. I love architecture because of being in the city as a kid thru teen, but my Hungarian and Brit genes had kicked in by the time my hormones raged full blast. Now I’m quite happy hiking, watching the clouds form, photographing micro-weeds, and being away from crowds.
Thing is, things change. Population should be 75 million higher than now and while it may be going down a tiny bit, the immigrants are also changing our culture. I miss the 8 inch high lemon merangue pies and my grandparents. I love hot dogs from vendors and common people (on a case by case basis) because I am one.
I’ve lived in NYC, PA, NJ, VT, MO, and NC. I have twins from other mothers everywhere.
Please accept my apology for defending the vendors when I would have to calm myself down a bit to make a deal with them. Reminds me of when I was in MO and I found a development outside Branson that was all log cabins. Behind it was a beautiful tree covered hill. A couple of years later the guy who owned it got in a fight with the town and he clear cut the trees leaving it a mud eyesore. Sigh.
Using disabled vets as props is about the most despicable political stunt I have witnessed in watching politics for at least 40 years.
And yes his fans will love it.
agree
We’ve always had peddlers in NY. But they should be kept to side streets, the upper west side and 2nd and 3rd Avenue. They should be kept off upper 5th Avenue and upper Madison which are the show places of Manhattan. Beautiful streets that attract a lot of money that keep the city going. I’m not alone in this, certainly in past years, the city’s fathers tried to keep these areas clear. The only exception I would make was for hot dog venders and roasted chestnuts in winter. (I haven’t seen the chestnut vendors in years.) I’d also ban the halal vendors, pronto. The other exception being 6th Avenue which has become famous for its food trucks as has lower Manhattan. These people sell some very interesting food and feed the office workers in the skyscrapers along that avenue.
Also, while this post targets vets, in fact, it is Somalis who run these stands with the worst kind of junk. Whether they’re legal or illegal, I don’t know.
Got it. You were a dodger.
You didn't answer my question so I will ask it again:
What gives you the moral authority to cast judgment on anyone else who may not have served in the armed forces simply because of your claimed military service?
You assume I care what a draft dodger asks me.
If you can’t figure out why draft dodgers are human garbage, that’s your problem.
A ‘cronie capitalist’? Not sure what that is supposed to mean; I suppose you mean in opposition to the socialists we've got in congress now? Seems like a plus to me.
He's certainly not playing me a fool - I fully expect him to be no more conservative than John McCain or Mitt Romney. My interest has been and remains in the presidential appointments that come with the change of administration - a task usually relegated to a couple buddies in a hotel suite with a room full of resumes (and a constantly ringing phone.) I don't believe that we'll have the third cousin of the speaker of the house appointed to some governmental position where he can never be fired for his incompetence.
That, in itself, will affect government far longer than Trump's administration. But you're welcome to continue to try to project your anger on others - hope it works out for you.
Trump is against homeless people (vets?), abandoned by the government, begging outside the Trump Tower (after all the taxes we pay)? That is shocking! I don’t want beggars living in my neighborhood, either. We need jobs and limo care for Vets.
What gives you the moral authority to cast judgment on anyone else who may not have served in the armed forces simply because of your claimed military service?
How about if I were a Vet, would that make any difference to you or are you just a plain ol' bigot?
What? Are you for real? You sure aren’t making anny valid points against out new president. I will say that. Kiosk? Are you serious? NO STREET VENDORS!!
LOL I got a reply that he built his own. post #115. I guess the vets are pretty smart about business location.
These were disabled vets who were licensed vendors. They were not homeless or bums.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.