Rural Resort Towns: ‘Seasonal People Stay Away’

Wealthy Americans are leaving Coronavirus-ravaged U.S, cities for their second homes in coastal and ski resorts. Year-round residents of these rural areas are concerned that these rich refugees have brought COVID-19 with them and will overwhelm local grocery stores, pharmacies, and the limited medical resources of their small towns.

More:

“This Pandemic Is Not Your Vacation,” Anne Helen Petersen, BuzzFeed News

“Locals are petitioning to close the bridges into Cape Cod to keep out the influx of second-homeowners fleeing the coronavirus,” Dominic-Madori Davis, Business Insider

“‘We should blow up the bridges’ — coronavirus leads to class warfare in Hamptons,” Maureen Callahan, New York Post

“A plea from rural America: Urban covid-19 refugees, please stay home,” David Yamamoto, Washington Post

“Luxury resorts face coronavirus crisis as the 1% flee cities for holiday hideaways,” Amanda Holpuch, The Guardian

“In Epidemics, the Wealthy Have Always Fled,” Allison C. Meier, JSTOR Daily

Updates:

“New York man fleeing pandemic pays almost $2m to rent Hamptons hideout,” Adam Gabbatt, The Guardian

“Private jet full of super-rich holidaymakers is sent back to London after the group landed in France and tried to get to their villa by helicopter during coronavirus lockdown,” Peter Allen, Daily Mail

“Where the Very Rich Fly to Hide,” Justin Farrell, New York Times

“Tourist Towns Ban Short-Term Rentals to Prevent Virus Spread,” Andrea Noble, Route Fifty

“Vacation Mecca Wants Visitors to Stay Away — For Now,” Bruce DePuyt, Maryland Matter

“Weekending in an Emergency,” Robert Rubsam, The Baffler

“‘It’s beyond frustrating’: tensions peak as Hawaii locals urge tourists to stay out,” Nick Pachelli, The Guardian

“Billionaires’ compound with its own coronavirus testing center stokes anger on the French Riviera,” Dana Thomas, Washington Post

“Eastward, Ho! Even Art Is Leaving for the Hamptons,” Ted Loos, New York Times

Related:

“When It’s This Easy at the Top, It’s Harder for Everyone Else,” Nelson D. Schwartz, New York Times

“Why the Wealthy Fear Pandemics,” Walter Scheidel, New York Times

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Doral Golf: Trump Whiffs on G7

U.S. President, hotelier, and celebrity golf cheat Donald Trump wanted the 2020 G7 meeting held at the Trump National Doral resort in Florida, but it’s not happening. For some reason people thought holding the June meeting at Trump-owned Doral (“Come for the golf, stay for the Zika“) reeked of self-dealing just because it certainly does. It would also violate the Constitution.

Mr. Trump may think the “G” in G7 stands for “golf,” but it’s the Group of Seven finance summit. Speaking of finance, the Doral could have used the money. During the Trump presidency its net operating income fell 69%, and the Doral’s debts are international, since it was financed through loans from Deutsche Bank. The president nixed consideration of the enviroment during the 2020 G7 meeting, but there’s an environmental issue at Doral. The swimming pools haven’t been inspected in the past year.

More:

“Trump Dismisses Doral Criticism: ‘You People With This Phony Emoluments Clause,’” Julia Arciga, Daily Beast

“Trump says his Doral golf resort will no longer host next year’s G-7 summit, bowing to criticism,” Philip Rucker and David A. Fahrenthold, Washington Post

Related:

“Trump’s G7 and trade adviser Kelly Ann Shaw departing the White House,” Rebecca Falconer, Axios

Updates:

“Trump’s Doral resort was added as possible G-7 site at last minute, secret service email reveals,” Eileen AJ Connelly, New York Post

“RNC to hold winter meetings at Trump resort that was considered for G-7 summit,” David A. Fahrenthold and Michael Scherer,  Washington Post

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Top image (“President Trump Addresses the Issues”) by Mike Licht. Download a copy here. Creative Commons license; credit Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com

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Justice Scalia Lived as He Died

Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia died in luxury at a ranch resort owned by a Texas millionaire who had business before the court last year:

“Though that trip has brought new attention to the justice’s penchant for travel, it was in addition to the 258 subsidized trips that he took from 2004 to 2014. Justice Scalia went on at least 23 privately funded trips in 2014 alone to places like Hawaii, Ireland and Switzerland, giving speeches, participating in moot court events or teaching classes. Just a few weeks before his death, he was in Singapore and Hong Kong.

Tropical Island Resort Property Available Soon

A long-anticipated real estate deal is about to put eight prime parcels of tropical paradise on the market. White House press secretary Josh Earnest blabbed that the Obama Administration is finally ready to close down the Guantánamo Bay concentration camps detention centers on the sunny island of Cuba.

The canny Mr. Obama teased the deal back in 2009, but waited for the Cuban real estate market to take off, and it’s muy caliente after US normalization of relations with the island nation. There are already deals in the works for a dozen new luxury golf courses, and tourists from as far away as China are waiting for tee times.

The “Gitmo” detention centers now hold 116 inmates guests at a cost of more than $100 million (possibly $454 million) a year, so it’s plainly time to cash out and recoup costs during Cuba’s current resort development boom. The deal would look better without sitting tenants and since 106 of those 116 guests have never been charged or convicted of anything, it’s time to find them other accommodations. And why host the remaining 10 guests at an annual cost of at least $10 million each when the Government Accountability Office has found many alternatives?