Linda Spaulding, Kenosha

We have government housing in Washington, D.C. that generally has a new renter/resident every 4 or 8  years.

It is generally acceptable for the renter to make modest changes to the residence and grounds such as modifying wall, window, and floor treatments.  I believe a ‘modest budget’ of $100,000 is provided at taxpayer expense to assist with these reasonable changes.

The White House is owned by the American people and stewarded by the National Park Service. It is a National Historic Landmark and part of the PUBLIC trust. 

 Congressional Approval is required to make MAJOR renovations or alterations to the White House building and grounds. Who approved removing the Rose Garden and changing it into a sterile concrete patio?

The latest plan is to add a 90,000 square foot ballroom to the existing structure. Who drew the plans, and who is paying for this addition?  Trump has hinted he will pay for it himself.

However, he has been seen showing moneyed people the prospective site. Is he shopping “naming rights”,  as is done for sports stadiums? Whatever his goal is, the plan REQUIRES congressional approval.  It must also follow the National Historic Landmark guidelines for the White House.

Wouldn’t the projected $200M for the ballroom be better spent providing housing for the homeless?