April 17, 2012

The Scottish Parliament

Scotland Bill and the Economy, Energy and Tourism Committees
ATTN: Stephen lmrie, Clerk

Edinburgh

EH99 ISP

RE: Scottish Government Inquiry Renewable Energy Targets

Dear Committee Members:

I am grateful for the opportunity to work with this Committee alongside others who have the
very best intentions for Scotland and I look forward to appearing before you on April 25,

2012 to discuss the content of this submission in greater detail.

Although I understand that individual proposals are not the main focus of this Committee, I
initially became involved in this debate when Vattenfall submitted its planning application
for the European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre (EOWDC) to Marine Scotland. After
examining the issues and reading through the numerous objections (most notably those
lodged by Scottish Natural Heritage, The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Ministry
of Defense, British Airports Authority and many others) I soon realized that the wider picture
was more important than my individual concerns as the future of Scotland?s tourism sector,
and therefore its economy, is clearly in jeopardy. To be clear, I did not want this battle, but
as an investor with a significant stake in Scotland, it was forced upon me. Although I would
prefer to be celebrating the completion of my course in Aberdeenshire, I just can?t watch
Scotland?s and coastline be destroyed. I strongly disagree with the First
Minister?s current plans regarding wind turbines and I do not share his optimism about a
future based on wind, especially when such plans have failed and caused so much damage in

Europe, North America and so many other parts of the World.

In the modern era, with the fallout from the economic recession stalking previously well

respected ?nancial institutions and banks, and Europe itself, large scale global investors
pursuing real estate development projects are few and far between because the risks are very
high. I am lucky enough to be one of the successful people and the business that I have built
in the United States and many others parts of the World has continued to grow and flourish
despite the challenges of the current economic climate. I own and operate award winning
hotels and country clubs in New York, Chicago, Las Vegas, Palm Beach, Hawaii, Toronto,
Panama etc., and a large number of highly rated golf courses and clubs throughout the United
States and abroad. My portfolio has grown significantly over the past five years during a
time when many other developers have collapsed or seen their assets dwindle. I have very
low debt and a massive net worth. In fact, my development in Scotland, despite an
investment of tens of millions of pounds, is debt free. I have attached a summary of The
Trump Organization?s prior achievements and a chronology of our recent transactions to
provide the Committee with an overview of my projects to date and to add some context that
explain the history that led me back to Scotland, the of my mother, Mary MacLeod
(See Exhibit A - Chronology of Trump Deals, Exhibit Trump Overview, Exhibit 

Awards and Accolades).

For the record, none of my success happened by accident. Hard work, judicious investing,
care and attention to detail by myself and thousands of people working for me, consultants,
and experts have produced many high quality touristic destinations of which I am very proud.
The emphasis, I can say without any hesitation or embarrassment, is on impeccable service
and customer satisfaction. Quite simply, I know and understand what people want and have

the tenacity and resources to deliver much as I have done in Scotland.

The game of golf, which you all know was invented in Scotland, is one of my personal
passions. Trump International Golf Links Scotland is a project that I am particularly proud
of. It was not an easy undertaking but after a very rigorous public inquiry before three
Scottish Government Reporters, countless hearings at the local level and perhaps the most
publicly scrutinized application in recent times, the project was approved. The simple reason
the development went forward was that it was very popular with the people of Aberdeen City,
the Shire and beyond.

The course is now built and has already been referred to as a ?masterpiece? by the

international golf community. I have enclosed a copy of the very prestigious Links magazine
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and several other articles about TRUMP INTERNATIONAL where leaders from the
international golf community state that the course is already among the best in the World,
even before opening (Exhibit Golf Articles and photographs of TRUMP
INTERNATIONAL). I am also certain that there will be many more accolades for TRUMP
INTERNATIONAL, which is obviously great for Scottish tourism and its reputation as a high
quality destination for golf and leisure. TRUIVIP INTERNATIONAL will be a source of
pride for many future generations of Scots and is perhaps my greatest contribution to the

sport of golf.

We have built the course without any major construction disputes; its fully paid for, and
enjoys wide support from people throughout Scotland. Despite the misleading and often
unsubstantiated rhetoric from the very few detractors who have a history of objecting to any
form of development, TRUMP INTERNATIONAL was also constructed in an
environmentally responsible manner and to the highest standards under the strict supervision
of both the Menie Environmental Management Group and the independent Ecological Clerk
of Works, whose collective reports reflect the quality of our work and the extensive efforts
that were made to respect the natural integrity of the site. By planting marram grass, a
Scottish tradition that goes back generations, on less than 10 percent of the exposed sand
dunes (note that more than 90 percent of the system was left untouched and remains
protected and in place today) we transformed a previously unused and neglected piece of land
into a special place that thousands of people will enjoy for centuries to come. I respectfully
challenge any member of this Committee to tour my site in Aberdeenshire and then suggest
otherwise. The World is excited by what we have accomplished and thousands of rounds
have already been sold many months prior to the July 10, 2012 opening, which is
unprecedented. The Scottish Government has an obligation to honor its contracts and not
take a deliberate step which would serve to nullify the permissions which have been granted
to us - do not give with one hand and take away with the other. If the First Minister is now
allowed to destroy this and countless other touristic sites currently threatened by plans to
build these horrendous turbines, the and coastlines will be littered with 
power plants. There is nothing ?green? about creating an industrial wasteland and there is not
a shred of evidence which suggests these turbines are even good for the ?environment? or
reduce ?carbon emissions? - the manufacturing and construction processes used to build these

industrial wind turbines consume massive amounts of fossil fuels!

A successful project is a cooperative venture between entrepreneurs, their teams, the
community and the relevant public authorities. The various arms of Government involved
with this process are designed to set the rules and create an environment that fosters
economic growth. I absolutely respect and have been honored to work with the authorities in
Scotland to achieve what we originally set out to do build the greatest golf course anywhere
in the World. I have delivered this and my ambition is now that people from all over the
World will come and play my course, spending their money in Aberdeenshire and other parts
of Scotland. This model is well tested and has brought great prosperity to Scotland for many

decades.

As the Committee knows and would agree, tourism is one of Scotland?s largest business
sectors, employing more than 200,000 people and generating visitor spending of more than
?4 billion a year. Scottish tourism depends heavily on its landscape, with 92% of visitors
stating that scenery was important in their choice of holiday destination and the natural
environment being important to 89% of visitors (Tourism Attitudes Survey 2005). Equally
important, in a 2008 Glasgow Caledonian University study, 68% of tourists questioned said
they wanted a wind turbine free landscape with many stating that they would even be willing

to spend more for unspoiled views.

However, the beauty of the landscape can?t be quanti?ed by using facts or ?gures. Studies
cited by the Scottish Government suggesting otherwise are misguided, outdated and
irrelevant. For example, the often cited 2008 report was performed at a time when there were
barely two dozen ?wind farms? in Scotland there are now over 200 and with projected
targets there are hundreds more on the horizon. Visit Scotland has publicly taken the position
that ?it?s a matter for planning? although the Heads of Planning Scotland advised this
Committee that ?the cumulative effects of additional wind farms will change an otherwise
unaltered landscape into a ?wind farm? landscape.? Does Visit Scotland (or anyone for that
matter) honestly believe that a ?wind farm landscape? will stimulate tourism? The answer, in
fact, is that it will completely end tourism in Scotland. Ireland and other countries competing

for revenue from tourists are thrilled Scotland is, in effect, committing ?nancial suicide.

Countless others in Scotland who understand and have expertise in tourism agree. In the case
of the EOWDC application, the entire golf, hotel and leisure sector in the North East raised

concerns, including Royal Aberdeen Golf Club, Murcar Links Golf Club, the Scottish Golf
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Union, Aberdeen City and Shire Hotel Association, all objecting to the proposal (Exhibit 
Press and Journal Article dated January 26, 2012). Who is looking out for Scotland?s
tourism sector? Who is advising Scotland?s political leaders about preserving the viability of
its touristic destinations? Even more importantly, despite the outcry from industry insiders,
why is the Government not listening? There is no other country on Earth where an
enthusiastic visitor can play at the home of golf - enjoying the links experience is something
that is uniquely Scottish. What rational government would compromise its own greatest

assets?

My team and have long experience of understanding what tourists enjoy as evidenced by
the extensive list of awards our hotels, golf resorts and residential properties have won.
TRUMP INTERNATIONAL will soon join and hopefully exceed all of them. In February of
this year, we were selected, after an international search by the United States Federal
Government?s General Services Administration, as ?Preferred Developer? for the historic
conversion of the Old Post Of?ce Building, on Avenue in Washington, DC. to
a 250 room hotel with other amenities because the Trump Organization proposal ?represented
the strongest development team, best long term potential for the local community, and most
consistent stream of revenue for the Federal Government? (Exhibit Trump Hotel Press
Release). Many great companies wanted this prestigious site, but the Trump Organization

won after a long and competitive bidding process.

Whether it is in the high pressure urban environments of New York or Chicago or Las Vegas,
or the far more relaxed surroundings of Hawaii, people always have a choice. They can
go somewhere else (such as Ireland or other parts of Europe). A disgruntled golfer
who is faced with unpleasant surroundings can easily move to another property. With
increased competition for tourism revenue, a successful operator must understand their clients
and know what they demand. They certainly don?t want industrial parks in front of
their hotels and will not travel to look at ugly turbines. This is common sense and my advice
is based on decades of performance and experience providing only the best. Its about
contemplating how tourists will react when these industrial monstrosities are constructed on
the very and coastlines that they have come to love. The answer is self evident

and obvious they will hate it and go elsewhere.

in addition to the destruction of tourism, of equal importance is how Scotland will be
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perceived by the global business community. Giving with one hand, and taking away with the
other. That is not an attractive description because it speaks to the World about a lack of
trustworthiness and the inability to protect an investment from ongoing government
interference. Simply put, we had a deal and I delivered. Do not now take away from our

agreement by destroying the beauty that I invested in.

I came to Scotland with an original idea and Seotland listened, at the very highest ministerial
level, and actively encouraged me with overwhelming promises, public statements, and
various offers to support. We were told that military radar installations and shipping lane
concerns near the Aberdeen harbor would always keep these hideous turbines far away from
our site. We were assured by Vattenfall and the Aberdeen Renewable Energy Group that
industrial power plants would not be visible from the shore. Myself, my son Donald Trump,
Jr. and George A. Sorial were all welcomed into the prestigious GlobalScot network, which
we were honored by and have worked successfully with for years. I accepted and was
encouraged by those promises and Scotland?s democratically elected government backed me
with detailed consent. I now want TRUIVIP TNTERNATIONAL to be a key part of the
Scottish tourism economy, as I think the Reporters and the Ministers recognized when they
deemed it to be of ?national signi?cance? and ultimately recommended approval.
Constructing wind turbines so close to TRUMP INTERNATIONAL and the numerous other
sites now threatened that are so vital to Scotland?s tourism sector is simply bad policy and
will lead to economic collapse. If I had known about the current wind turbine proposals, I

would never have built in Scotlandcontext for you, it would be the equivalent of constructing a brutal
1960 style block of apartments in Princes Street Gardens or on Arthur?s Seat. It is like using
the Cuillins of Skye or the Cairngorms for industrial development, say a car factory or a
manufacturing plant. In the vast spectrum of cherished Scottish scenery, it would be an
affront, an outrage and an unspeakable offence against common decency. Would anyone
consider placing a ?wind farm? in front of Edinburgh Castle? The idea itself leaves one

gasping for words. The Shetland Islands are now slated for destruction what next?

There is also a long list of nations that have tried and failed with wind Scotland is already
years behind the curve. Without public subsidies (which amount to billions wasted each

year) the economics of them just don?t work. The real jobs are created in nations that
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manufacture the parts and actually build the turbines and NOT in the countries where they are
ultimately constructed. In reality and sadly for Scotland, the real jobs are created in China,
Germany and Denmark, all paid for by the Scottish taxpayer these countries are laughing at
you While their economies grow at the expense of your citizens! Tragically, the Scottish
taxpayer no longer has a voice in this destructive process because the First Minister and his
Government are ramming these proposals through the planning system at lightning Sp66d,
even though the rest of the World already knows that they produce a totally unreliable and
very expensive form of power. We have received thousands of letters from people
throughout Scotland whose homes have been ruined by these ugly structures or who are
anxious about pending applications they are all outraged that no one in Government is

listening to them, its a disgrace.

I would respectfully urge the Committee to recognize the seriousness of the situation and to
advise the Scottish Government not to destroy Scotland with these horrendous, costly and
highly inef?cient industrial turbines. Your current political leaders, specifically those who
have responsibility for its energy policy, must understand that in the business of high value
tourism, a tarnished asset is impossible to replace. Do not decimate a steadfast sector of your
economy with a gamble on technology that is unreliable and is largely driven by public
subsidies, political rhetoric and promises of ?independence? your pristine and

coastlines will forever be destroyed and Scotland will go broke.

  
 

DONALD J. TRUM
Chairman and Chief ecutive Of?cer
The Trump Organiza