Senator Scrooge (Debunks Kerry's "I love balanced budgets" claim) YES on Pork, NO on charity

The Washington Times | June 9, 1996

[jmstein7]

The Washington Times, June 9, 1996

June 9, 1996, Sunday, Final Edition

Part B; COMMENTARY; EDITORIALS; Pg. B2
 

 

According to the non-partisan National Taxpayers Union, Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry is one of the chamber's biggest spenders. On a scale of 0 (meaning a lawmaker opposes controls on taxing and spending) to 100 (meaning a lawmaker is a friend of taxpayers), Mr. Kerry tallied just 21, based on an NTU survey of his roll call votes in 1995. His profligate ways earned him an "F" from the group and a new title, "Big Spender."

The NTU findings are hardly the only measure of the senator's congressional spending habits. As Jeff Jacoby of the Boston Globe reports, "His campaign literature abounds with references to all the good causes he supports: assistance for the elderly, jobs for at-risk teen-agers, treatment for sick veterans, aid to struggling fishermen, even baseball for handicapped kids. When he formally announced for re-election last month, he described the campaign as a clash between those who advocate 'turning against each other and those who still believe we can triumph by turning to each other.' "

But when Mr. Kerry himself "turns to another," more often than not he comes up empty-handed. In fact, reports Mr. Jacoby, the senator's 1995 tax returns show he couldn't even spare a dime, or even a penny for that matter, for charity. That's right, Ebeneezer Kerry, who made the tidy sum of $126,179 last year with no dependents, made no charitable contributions.

What's more, Mr. Kerry seems to have made a habit of his decade of greed. Between 1990 and 1995, the senator raked in a cool $724,042, out of which he contributed the grand total of $4,869 to charity. All told, his giving works out to the less-than staggering amount of 0.7 percent of his income. By way of comparison, Mr. Kerry's primary opponent, Massachusetts Gov. William Weld, has given 15.2 percent, or $164,928, of his income to charity over the same period. Mr. Weld also has five dependents, according to his tax returns.

An angry Mr. Kerry has responded that -woe is he - on his limited salary of $133,000 annually, there's not much left to give after one discounts for private school tuition for his two children and the cost of maintaining apartments in both Boston and Washington. And then there is that darn tax thing. If "you look at the after-tax paycheck even on a very large paycheck, you don't have a lot of leeway," he told Globe reporters.

If Mr. Kerry is so concerned about taxes, he might try spending less money in Congress. As it is, lots of people with much smaller salaries manage to pay their taxes and make charitable contributions. If tuition is a problem, he could send the kids to government schools the way lots of Americans do. Or does he think that all the federal spending he supports makes those schools good enough only for someone else's kids?

Bah humbug, says Mr. Kerry. "I've given time and energy, and I've given my life, not to making money but to public service," he says. Well, of course, there is that half interest he has in a painting valued at up to $5 million, according to a Kerry financial statement that covers 1995. And, now that you mention it, there is that half interest he has in a bank account worth up to half a million dollars. And didn't he and his wife buy a posh townhouse for $3 million?

Not that Mr. Kerry hasn't done anything charitable. Since marrying Theresa Heinz, heir to a $760 million fortune, the senator has advised his wife on where to donate money in Massachusetts. So there.

To his critics, Mr. Kerry says bah humbug. His non-contributions are not a matter for debate. "I think it's off limits. I think it's unconscionable" to make an issue of it, he said. No, what's unconscionable is that Mr. Kerry limits his generosity to other people's money.
 

[jwalsh07]

Keep'em coming, I'm loving every minute of it.

[jmstein7]

Kerry hates donating to charity BUMP!

[goldstategop]

Balanced budgets are phony. We've had the requirement here in California for years - and spending keeps soaring. No my friends, we need a real cap on SPENDING. Which is exactly why the Democrats in my state came out for a balanced budget amendment cause it wouldn't constrain spending. A bb amendment is the ultimate political gimmick to allow politicians to pose as fiscal stewards while doing nothing to stop the growth of government.

[jmstein7]

BUMP!

[johnny7]

Hey... Kerry's mentor was M. Stanley Dukakis. Cheap fu_king bastid would hop off the T and walk 3 blocks to save a nickel.

But God how they love playing with our money!

[isthisnickcool]

Hey! Leave Kery alone!

Do you think Harleys are cheap? Did you know he can fly? Keeping "current" is expensive! And surf boards? They are expensive. And what about the wax? Not free. No way!

And Kerry was in Vietnam. Did you hear about that? It must be expensive to have been in Vietnam. I dunno why. But it must be!

And do you think it's cheap to have your prostate chopped up? Nope! Oh, that was paid for by the taxpayers? Well, the drugs he must take must be expensive! Oh, we pay for those too?

I bet his wife is expensive! Oh, she's worth about $500 million dollars? Wow! How'd she get that? Oh, she inherited it?

Wow. This Kerry guy is one cheap SOB.

Nevermind....

[jigsaw]

Jane Fonda Kerry gets more fun everyday! LOL!

[Dog Gone]

Good find.

[KQQL]

Monsieur Jean "Bring It On" Kerry

Measure Number: H.R. 3396 (Defense of Marriage Act) Kerry (D-MA), Nay

"I think there has been an exaggeration," Mr. Kerry said when asked whether President Bush has overstated the threat of terrorism.
SC Dem Debate 01/29/04

Kerry opposed the death penalty until 2002 , voted against military action in the 1991 Persian Gulf war, and voted to freeze defense spending.

Bank records would later show that Kerry's Chinese campaign cash came from $300,000 in overseas wire transfers sent to Chung on orders from the chief of Chinese military intelligence, Newsweek reports.
NewsMax 02/02/04

U.S. Sen. John F. Kerry yesterday said Pope John Paul II ``crossed the line'' by instructing pols to block legalization of gay marriage.
Boston Herald 08/02/03

During the height of the Cold War, Kerry opposed the entire strategic modernization effort proposed by President Reagan — the Peacekeeper, B-1 and B-2 bombers, the Trident submarine and D-5 missile, opposed the non-strategic modernization of the defense budget as well, and the deployment of the INF missiles in Europe.
Washington Times 01/04

[.cnI redruM]

Poodle_Boy grosses me out.

[VOA]

Senator Scrooge (Debunks Kerry's "I love balanced budgets" claim) YES on Pork, NO on charity

My understanding from a number of news reports (even one on NPR) and
demographic studies (cited on The Michael Medved Show) is that there is
one clear line in America:
"Northerners" aren't very charitable personally...they think that
all that is handled by The State.
Souherners are charitable to a fault...and telemarketers for charitable
groups know it well.

[Ann Archy]

So, Bigshot Kerry, gave $4900.00 over 4 years with a salary total of over 720.000......man, oh man.....what SUCKERS conservatives are....we give more than that in ONE year with no where NEAR the salary...

I believe that if you tallied Democrats against Republican Charitable Donations...no counting PBS or a Museum or Symphony, Repuplicans would CREAM Democrats in the Giving Dept. Cheapskates.

[jmstein7]

BUMP!

[BookmanTheJanitor]

from howiecarr.com