Trump: A legend in his own mind

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/24/nyregion/donald-trump-nyc.html?emc=edit_na_20160223&nl=bna&nlid=57747035&te=1#story-continues-8

According to this New York Times article, instead of being the greatest businessman ever, he is seen as a sleazy, dishonest, risk taker who could not be counted on to pay his bills or get the job done.  This is quite different from the shining star being presented during the campaign.  Is this what we need for a president?  See Times quotes below:

“The major banks, for their part, say they are leery of lending to him after having lost millions of dollars on past deals. Lawyers and contractors he has hired in the past say he is slow to pay his bills, and often shortchanges them. Even the few Wall Street executives who say privately that he is a friend are loath to speak publicly about him.”

“The Trump name was once closely associated with the muscular Brooklyn Democratic machine that, in its heyday, catapulted Hugh L. Carey to Albany.

Mr. Trump’s father, Fred C. Trump, established himself as a major developer of midrise apartment complexes for middle-class families, especially for World War II veterans, in Brooklyn, in Queens and on Staten Island.

The younger Trump came into his own in the 1970s, when he played a notable role in a number of risky projects, often against the advice of his associates, such as the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center on the West Side of Manhattan and the Grand Hyatt Hotel on the East Side.

“I was the king of approvals,” Mr. Trump said.

But his organization ran into difficulties, including several bankruptcies. He also became embroiled in a protracted legal battle over the ownership of the Empire State Building.

A low point in his career involved Riverside South on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, a large development along the Hudson River that encountered ferocious opposition from neighborhood groups and city planners. Saddled with debt, and in jeopardy of seeing his plans fizzle, Mr. Trump in 1994 was forced to bring in outside investors and eventually lost control over the project.”

“Besides the legal battles, the way Mr. Trump has managed business relationships has been a source of friction.

One contractor, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of being sued by Mr. Trump, said Mr. Trump underpaid on one large job, at one of his towers, by almost $100,000. The contractor opted not to sue, estimating the litigation would cost more than the losses. The two parties have not done business since.

Lawyers who spoke to The Times had similar stories.

Mr. Trump revels in his reputation, boasting about not paying some of his outstanding legal and construction bills. “If they do a bad job, they have to suffer,” he said. “If they overbill me or if they don’t do a good job, I take plenty of time to pay them and I negotiate with them.””

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