Donald Trump is suing this oceanside town for $10 million after being cited for flying an oversized American flag over his Mar-a-Lago Club.
Attorneys for the club filed a complaint Thursday, saying that flying the flag is a constitutionally protected expression of free speech — and that the large flag is a proper match for the size of the real-estate mogul's patriotism.
"A smaller flag and pole on Mar-A-Lago's property would be lost given its massive size, look silly instead of make a statement, and most importantly would fail to appropriately express the magnitude of Donald J. Trump's and the Club's members' patriotism," the lawsuit says.
Town officials said Trump violated zoning codes when the lavish club hoisted a 15-by-25-foot flag atop an 80-foot pole on Oct. 3. The citation was for having a flagpole taller than 42 feet, for not obtaining a building permit and for not getting permission from the landmarks board.
A phone message left at the mayor and town council's office was not returned Saturday.
In the lawsuit, Trump's attorneys accuse the town of selectively enforcing its ordinances. Other locations in the town display flags that violate statutes, the lawsuit alleges.
All damages awarded to the club would be donated to veterans of the war in Iraq, the lawsuit said.
Trump had until Nov. 27 to apply for approvals or else he faced a Dec. 21 hearing that could have resulted in fines costing $250 per day. It was unclear Saturday whether that meeting took place.
"The day you need a permit to put up the American flag, that will be a sad day for this country," Trump said in October.
What is a fine for breaking a city building code to Trump? To us it would be pennies. I think he's going a little too far with saying "The day you need a permit to put up the American flag, that will be a sad day for this country." This is not the American flag. He can fly any flag he wants as long as it's within the limits. Just because you want to display your gigantic thing to the entire city doesn't mean you're first amendment rights aren't being taken away...
Life is something that you can't control.
When you try to hold on to it, it makes you let go!
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I think he's going a little too far with saying "The day you need a permit to put up the American flag, that will be a sad day for this country." This is not the American flag. He can fly any flag he wants as long as it's within the limits. Just because you want to display your gigantic thing to the entire city doesn't mean you're first amendment rights aren't being taken away...
I didn't know this country had but ONE American Flag, THE American Flag! Just because Donald Trump's falg is gargantuan in size does not make it any more or less an American Flag! I say "Fly it high and with pride Donald Trump!
This country's already taken God out of our schools, removed the Ten Commandments from the Capitol Building in Montgomery, doing away with "Merry Christmas" in favor of "Happy Holidays". Now we are told we can't fly our country's flag because it is too big? Geez Louise, down with ALL this political correctness! This is the United States of America! This is OUR country! Love it or leave it!
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I agree with stickman the flag is something I protect each and everyday as I am getting shot at or as im climbing the highest mountains around where I am here in Afghanistan. If Donald wants to display a flag the size of the white house let him. Its his right to do it. I agree with Donald the day you need an agreement from city hall or wherever to fly OUR nations flag then we might as be as backwards as some of the 3rd world countries we are in now. Just like stickman says if you dont like the way "Old Glory" flies then you need to get the heck on out of the U.S.
I didn't know this country had but ONE American Flag, THE American Flag! Just because Donald Trump's falg is gargantuan in size does not make it any more or less an American Flag! I say "Fly it high and with pride Donald Trump!"
This country's already taken God out of our schools, removed the Ten Commandments from the Capitol Building in Montgomery, doing away with "Merry Christmas" in favor of "Happy Holidays". Now we are told we can't fly our country's flag because it is too big? Geez Louise, down with ALL this political correctness! This is the United States of America! This is OUR country! Love it or leave it!
LOST_N_NY BUT FOUND IN ALABAMA!!
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It's amazing that Trump is not only a financial genius; he also must have some really good PR folks in his pockets. The man is mad about keeping himself in the news in one way or another. Actually, with this flag thing, he's just copying a man from Jupiter, Florida, who was fined and sued by his homeowners association in 2002 for flying an American flag on a pole in his front yard. Those snobby, gated communities in Florida are really serious about their codes and association rules.
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The BIGGER the Better!!! I dont understand the deal here unless there was someone in higher places who does not like trump and or the American Flag.I can only say its a damn shame. My mind goes back to all who has fought and died for this country so that we could express our selves and pick this country up as high as we would like.So for those of you who have a problem with the (US) and the American Flag I say to you GET THE HELL OUT!
They call me TAZ cause they do.
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Actually -- if you reallly love the country, you should love the Constitution. So, you should appreciate just as much the burning of the flag in protest as someone flying a 375 square foot one.
If he said it was in protest of the codes then he probably could have gotten another lawsuit into it and MORE media attention. That's what he's doing you know -- using the American flag that so many people sacrificed for to gain personal brownie points.
There is one American flag--and it's not based on its size--it can be a sticker that will fit on your car, or it can be this 325 ft^2 thing. He wasn't being chastised for flying an American flag, he was being fined for flying that piece of cloth that was too big, and too high in respect to the city codes. What was on that cloth really had nothing to do with it.
Each citizen may have different feelings on the situation, but no one who IS a citizen should be told to "get out" because they believe in a different way. Freedom in thoughts and actions is the basis of the country!
Last edited by mmcd3182; 12-24-2006 at 13:29 PM.
Life is something that you can't control.
When you try to hold on to it, it makes you let go!
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Well I guess its kinda like my dad use to say. If you cant stand for something you will fall for anything.And another one is If you would not die for something you believed in, well you did not realy believe in it.
They call me TAZ cause they do.
