QuakerOats;1805539 wrote:He had but 4 operations go through CH11, I believe. Given the vastness of his operations and the boom-to-bust nature of real estate over the last 30 years, it is easily understandable. (Has his challenger ever built anything, employed anyone, or paid corporate taxes?)
I was excluding his real estate operations, which he's actually been pretty good with. Not as good as he makes himself out to be (he's not even a top-10 guy in NYC alone), but he obviously paid enough attention to what his dad did to make a killing at it. That's his wheelhouse. He should be staying in it, because he's essentially demonstrated himself to be "Rain Man." Largely incompetent outside that field.
However, all those other things he tried getting his hand into, whether they filed for Chapter 11 or not, have been relatively unsuccessful.
Trump Airlines never turned a profit. He defaulted on his loans for it. Never technically filed, but creditors took over ownership of his company because of his inability to pay his debts ... because certainly, we ought to put someone into office who has a history of irresponsibly managing debt.
Trump Vodka? Another that didn't file, but closed its doors as a result of a "lack of interest." Doesn't look like his attempt to outdo Grey Goose worked out so well.
Trump Casinos? Chapter 11.
Trump Steaks? I don't even know what happened to that.
Tried successfully branding a board game. Twice. Neither made it. Both were discontinued in under two years.
Remember Trump Magazine? Nope. It was published for like a year and a half.
His travel site, GoTrump.com? I remember this one. Even most digital marketers I spoke to about it said it wasn't going anywhere. He was trying to get into a saturated niche, and it required him to get an already-established name to back it (Travelocity, I think). I'm not even sure he renewed the domain name one time.
Trump University? LOL
Trump Mortgages? Failed primarily because he couldn't even properly vet the people to oversee operations. Lasted less than a couple years. This was in his wheelhouse, and he whiffed because of a simple matter of due diligence.
How about his personal life? Successful in marriage? I should think not, and quite frankly, any Republican who turns a blind eye to his personal life and the lack of traditional values and ethics loses the right to pretend they care about a president being an ethical person.
MOST of his business venture career has been a failure. The few things he's succeeded at, sans The Apprentice, have been properties themselves, and he's been able to leverage them heavily enough to do very well for himself. That is to his credit, but it doesn't make him a good bet in business outside real estate properties.
QuakerOats;1805539 wrote:All of us try to lessen our tax liabilities to the best of our abilities while abiding by the rules and interpreting gray areas advantageously. (Has he enriched himself by hundreds of millions through money-laundering and influence peddling as has his challenger?)
I don't know of any reason to believe he's laundered money. But as I said, he's used his influence and size to bully his way into not fulfilling his obligations, whether it's been defaulting on loans, giving the finger to small businesses he's worked with, or anything else.
I didn't say anything about taxes. I don't fault him for avoiding paying taxes. Taxes are theft, anyway.
QuakerOats;1805539 wrote:He has obviously employed ten of thousands more employees than those who may have lost their job at one of the 4 operations that underwent Chapter 11 restructuring. (Has his challenger ever employed anyone in the private sector?)
As previously stated, many ... many ... more of his employees were laid off at the closing of the doors than just those which filed Chapter 11. The Chapter 11 filings don't even account for half his business failures.
QuakerOats;1805539 wrote:Please provide the links or court records that prove he is corrupt. Any enterprise of any size always becomes embroiled in business disputes, legal spats, and contract issues at some point. It happens every day in the real world. (So I don't buy your broad brush in this instance .................unlike his challenger, who brings her well-known brand of corruption and criminality to the doorsteps of the taxpayers and American public ad nausea).
You're moving the goalposts. Legally speaking, neither of them has been convicted of corruption. As it pertains to Clinton, you don't want that to matter. For Trump, you do. What is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.
However, if you need evidence of unscrupulous activity, how about admitting to paying a corrupt politician for a favor? Would that work? He admitted to that in front of a live audience at the debates this year.
How about his restaurant, Trump Steakhouse, trying to serve expired food? Would that work. It's a matter of public record. Forgot about that failed business, but it would qualify for the list above as well.
Trump University? That entire venture was a model in corruption. It's been widely publicized, and much of it is a matter of public record ... particularly the lawsuits.
I'm not saying his brand of corruption is the same as Clinton's, but to suggest he's not corrupt is naive.
QuakerOats;1805539 wrote:And as aside, he does not drink or smoke or do drugs, unlike the current occupier of the White House, and Lance Armstrong et.al.
He cheats on his wife and uses his financial largess to out-muscle small businesses into accepting less than the agreed-upon payment for services rendered, but hey, at least he's not lighting up a Camel or drinking Trump Vodka (oh, wait ... they're out of business).
As for drugs, what drugs are you talking about?
