The Donald No Duffer
Nov. 4 2008, Published 1:15 p.m. ET
Donald Trump has clubbed local authorities to submission in his bid to build "the world's greatest golf course" on the Scottish coast.
The local council in Aberdeenshire initially vetoed the $1.6 billion complex, which includes a 450-room hotel and 500 homes. Their reason? It was to be built in part on a habitat of rare birds, otters, and other indigenous critters.
Scottish Finance Secretary John Swinney and his cohorts overruled the locals, describing the project as a "tremendous asset and source of pride for both Aberdeenshire and Scotland."
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First Minister Alex Salmond agrees. "The economic and social benefits...outweigh any environmental impact," he says.
Trump's mother was born in Scotland, though it's a fair guess that Aberdeenshirians do not consider the developer an heir to the mantle of Braveheart.