Doral to consider condemning Trump, taking back city key

Doral to consider condemning Trump, taking back city key
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asked again for Doral to sever any ties to Trump and takedonaldtrump back his key. Pereira knows it doesn’t actually open anything and doesn’t expect Trump to just hand it over. “It’s a symbolic gesture that we don’t tolerate that kind of hatred.”

He plans to be at the Aug. 5 meeting next week to ask them in person when they consider the resolution brought forward by Ruiz, who is Mexican-American, condeming Trump’s statements as “racist, derogatory, inflammatory, and having no place in the greater American political discussion.”

Read related story: Latino loving GOP silent on Donald Trump insults

Said Pereira: “And Mr. Trump still holds the key to the city and is held in high esteem while he continues to stand by his original words.”

Those words, in case we need reminding:

“When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending the best. They’re not sending you, they’re sending people that have lots of problems and they’re bringing those problems. They’re bringing drugs, they’re bringing crime. They’re rapists and some, I assume, are good people, but I speak to border guards and they’re telling us what we’re getting.”

That was in June.

Three months earlier, Trump got the key to the city of Doral at the unveiling of his Arnold Palmer Villa on the opening day of the WGC Cadillac Championship. He almost didn’t. Boria — who is known for giving keys to the city left and right (maybe that’s why he wanted to be mayor) — withdrew the request to the council hours after suggesting it in January and said that the Miss Universe pageant deserved the key, trumpkey2not Trump. It may have had something to do with the immediate backlash from residents, many of whom complained that Trump intentionally planted a row of palm trees surrounding the property to effectively block their greenway views.

Boria then flip-flopped again to a full 360, saying that Trump did, indeed, deserve the honor for all the jobs he’s brought to the city through the improvements made to the old Doral Golf Resort and Spa, which the billionaire bought for $150 million in 2012 after they filed for bankruptcy and where he has since reportedly invested more than $250 million.

Back then, the mayor called the resort an “economic engine” for the city, which pumped $2.5 million into its events. “Mr. Donald Trump’s investments have been extraordinary, creating jobs and moving our economy forward. He deserves not one but many keys to the City,” he said then. the city council voted 4-1 to award the key (the dissenting vote was from Councilwoman Cristy Fraga).

Boria did not return calls to his office and both his cellphones. Neither Fraga nor Ruiz returned calls. Councilman Pete Cabrera will vote for anything Ruiz puts before the dais so they may have the three votes needed for the resolution.

Read related story: Next to be banned by Trump — NBC, Daniella Levine-Cava

But stripping the key might be another matter.

Councilwoman Ana Maria Rodriguez said she would not be in favor of taking Trump’s key away from him.

“I may not agree with his sentiment about immigrants or veterans or about a number of issues, but at the end of the day he is still entitled to the same freedom of speech as we all are,” Rodriguez said. “This is not Cuba or Venezuela. This is the U.S. A. and he’s allowed to say anything he wants.”

She said that the key was given to him for the impact he’s had on the city, not his opinions — trumpnationaldoralas warped as they may be (my words, not hers). “That doesn’t take away the  investment he’s made in the hotel. We still have this beautiful landmark hotel in our city.”

But there’s always the very real possibility that The Donald will kick the drama up a notch.

Trump sued Univision after it bailed on the Miss Universe and Miss America agreements in response to the ugly, racist sentences. A litigious kind of guy, he had also previously sued the city in February to fight the “unconstitutional” noise ordinance after his resort got more than 100 complaints on noise, mostly about lawn care. He dropped the suit days later and said he would work with the city on the issue.

But Ladra suspects he’ll go back to court in a heartbeat.

Because guys like Trump never get tired of hearing themselves speak.

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