It has been well-documented that Secret Service protection for President Trump and his family is costing taxpayers a small fortune.
The President, obviously, is to be protected at all times, but his wife Melania remains back at their New York City apartment with their young son, and they also need to be protected. In addition, Trump often travels to his weekend/winter home, Mar-a-Lago, and that calls for even more protection as well.
Now, a small Florida airport says its proximity to the President's Palm Beach estate-and his frequent visits there since being elected in November-has put it and numerous airport businesses in financial straits, according to the Associated Press.
Lantana Airport, six miles south of Mar-a-Lago, has been completely closed by the Secret Service for the third-consecutive weekend-and a three-day weekend at that with the President's Day holiday.
That has meant a severe loss of tens of thousands of dollars (maybe hundreds of thousands) for the airport and airport-related businesses.
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A banner-flying business told the AP it has already lost $40,000 in contracts with other businesses that use their services to market to crowded beaches on Florida's east coast.
The Secret Service, in association with the Transportation Security Administration, issues a 10-mile no-fly circumference around Mar-a-Lago, which effectively shuts out the private plane traffic at the small Lantana Airport.
When the airport itself closes, the associated businesses-the banner-flying company, the maintenance company, the flight training school, a helicopter company and more-also lose business.
"None of us are suggesting that we shouldn't do everything to keep the president safe, but we believe there are things that can be done to keep us in operation," Jonathan Miller, the contractor who operates the Palm Beach County-owned Lantana airport, told the Associated Press.
To that end, the airport is trying to work through U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel to facilitate a series of compromises that would allow the airport to conduct business while Trump is in town.
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