Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Kerry Carved Out Tax Loophole for Heinz Foods
NewsMax ^ | 7/14/04 | Carl Limbacher

Posted on 07/14/2004 5:53:22 PM PDT by wagglebee

Tax legislation proposed in the Senate by Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry last year was designed to crackdown on companies doing business overseas - but the proposal had one giant loophole: an exemption for the H.J. Heinz Foods Co., the source of his wife's vast fortune.

The stunning Kerry-Heinz conflict of interest came to light on Wednesday in a report by Donald Luskin, chief investment officer of Trend Macrolytics LLC, published in National Review Online.

"Already Kerry's economic proposals seem tuned to serve his wife's economic interests," Luskin contended. "His proposal last March to end tax breaks for U.S. corporations that do business overseas was designed with a loophole that would let the H. J. Heinz Company — the centerpiece of Mrs. Kerry's family fortune — keep its overseas tax breaks, and get a lower domestic tax rate at the same time."

Luskin cited Kerry's Heinz Foods tax loophole as just one example of why it was absolutely imperative that his wife unseal her tax returns before the election.

So far the prospective first lady has agreed to make just two pages of her tax forms public - and then not until October. Meanwhile, there are indications that she may have significantly understated her income.

Limited tax information released by Mrs. Kerry in March put her annual 2003 income at $5 million. While the Heinz Kerrys refuse to reveal the full extent of their wealth, the Los Angeles Times valued her net worth last month at between $900 million and $3.2 billion.

Even if Heinz kerry picked extremely conservative investments, Luskin said her reported income was suspiciously low.

"Let's put this in terms that people of less extreme wealth can relate to," he wrote. "If you had $100,000 invested last year and your investment income was only $500 -- the same percentage as Mrs. Kerry's income -- then something would be very much out of whack."

Luskin said that Heinz Kerry's financial figures, such as they're known to date, suggest that she is either "the world's worst investor" or "Mrs. Kerry may be the world's greatest cheat."

"We can't know exactly what is out of whack with Mrs. Kerry's income, if anything, because . . . [her] separate [tax] returns have never been made part of the public record," Luskin said.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Crime/Corruption; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: heinz; kerry; taxbreaks
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-70 next last
To: SC_Republican

Luskin and Limbacher aren't exactly part of the Clinton machine.


21 posted on 07/14/2004 6:05:36 PM PDT by Terpfen (James Lileks: "A single death... is a tragedy. A million deaths is a U.N. committee report.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: wagglebee

This would make a great sign for Kerry's next rally. Newt would be proud!


22 posted on 07/14/2004 6:06:30 PM PDT by NavySEAL F-16 ("proud to be a Reagan Republican")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: alancarp
Sounds like something that Rush & Hannity would latch onto and run with - that could force this onto the mainscreen.

Yes, if this IS true but they will want to make sure before running with this bombshell. Kerry and his RAT buds are slime!

23 posted on 07/14/2004 6:08:19 PM PDT by teletech (Friends don't let friends vote DemocRAT!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: teletech

The alphabet soup kids will do whatever BJ and Hitlery tell them to. Remember six months ago when Dean had the nomination wrapped up before a single vote, and then the bombs got dropped on him.


24 posted on 07/14/2004 6:09:44 PM PDT by wagglebee
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: wagglebee

Now this is a story.

john.gibson@foxnews.com
jim.angle@foxnews.com
wendell.goler@foxnews.com
brit.hume@foxnews.com
john.moody@foxnews.com
roger.ailes@foxnews.com
linda.vester@foxnews.com
rita.cosby@foxnews.com
bret.baier@foxnews.com

I know these are legit addresses (at least for the reporters at FNC), as I have received replies from some before.


25 posted on 07/14/2004 6:09:46 PM PDT by rwfromkansas ("Am I not destroying my enemies when I make friends of them?" -- Abraham Lincoln)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: isthisnickcool
My thoughts exactly. What follows: one, two and three?

It is four, obviously. It is pure Clinton dirty tricks to the end and to their selfish benefit.

So sad and so stuck.

Go Bush!

26 posted on 07/14/2004 6:10:26 PM PDT by jws3sticks
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: NavySEAL F-16

Hell, Newt should be the one holding the sign!


27 posted on 07/14/2004 6:10:39 PM PDT by wagglebee
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: wagglebee
The alphabet soup kids will do whatever BJ and Hitlery tell them to. Remember six months ago when Dean had the nomination wrapped up before a single vote, and then the bombs got dropped on him.

If Kerry IS about to be Lautenberged, he won't go down easily! Should be fun to watch.

28 posted on 07/14/2004 6:12:12 PM PDT by teletech (Friends don't let friends vote DemocRAT!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: wagglebee
Why is it that a link to the actual report, or any other objective source of information is absent from this story? Where is the proposed legislation number, the bill number, the senate action number, or anything corroborating this story?

And frankly, given that Kerry's wife only holds 4% of Heinz stock, this seems incredibly unbelievable.
29 posted on 07/14/2004 6:15:19 PM PDT by Bronco_Buster_FweetHyagh
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: wagglebee

Meaningless article as written. What is the tax loophole, and how does it apply to Heinz?


30 posted on 07/14/2004 6:16:40 PM PDT by Piranha
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: snopercod

She married him for her money.


31 posted on 07/14/2004 6:16:44 PM PDT by First_Salute (May God save our democratic-republican government, from a government by judiciary.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: wagglebee; Mia T

I guess it's for the little people. It would be nice if he was investigated, but look what happened when people tried to investigate all of Hillary and Bill's crooked schemes.

You might find this useful, Mia :-)


32 posted on 07/14/2004 6:17:06 PM PDT by TheSpottedOwl ("In the Kingdom of the Deluded, the Most Outrageous Liar is King".)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: wagglebee
Has someone posted the actual National Review article (or know the title, so I can search for it)?

I for one am skeptical that the Heinz angle is noteworthy. Tuh-ray-zuh owns relatively little of Heinz Foods Co. these days --- less than 5%. Attempts to paint Flip-Flop's tax votes to the health of Heinz aren't going to stick.

The real article seems to go into what may be more serious charges against Tuh-ray-zuh and Flip-Flop.
33 posted on 07/14/2004 6:17:57 PM PDT by conservative in nyc
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: All

the proposal is here.....

http://www.johnkerry.com/pressroom/clips/news_2004_0326.html

It is not targeted at Heinz, but it does include a loophole that would exempt Heinz.

Here is the info....it is not specific for Heinz, but for a specific type of company that supposedly is rare in industry....http://www.techcentralstation.com/041504C.html

I am not business saavy enough to understand it very well. If this guy is right though, Kerry did exempt the type of company that Heinz is from his anti-outsourcing proposal, though not Heinz by name only or specifically.


34 posted on 07/14/2004 6:19:20 PM PDT by rwfromkansas ("Am I not destroying my enemies when I make friends of them?" -- Abraham Lincoln)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: teletech
If Kerry IS about to be Lautenberged, he won't go down easily! Should be fun to watch.

Its either that or he can take the Fort Marcy Park option, but I honestly believe if the Clintons want him gone he goes.

35 posted on 07/14/2004 6:19:24 PM PDT by wagglebee
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: conservative in nyc

http://www.nationalreview.com/nrof_luskin/luskin200407140830.asp

Newsmax stretches things a bit as usual, though this still may be fairly "interesting"....read the links toward the bottom of the NRO piece.


36 posted on 07/14/2004 6:20:45 PM PDT by rwfromkansas ("Am I not destroying my enemies when I make friends of them?" -- Abraham Lincoln)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 33 | View Replies]

To: wagglebee

BUMP!


37 posted on 07/14/2004 6:21:38 PM PDT by jmstein7 (A Judge not bound by the original meaning of the Constitution interprets nothing but his own mind.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: conservative in nyc

Here is a link to the National Review article:
http://www.nationalreview.com/nrof_luskin/luskin200407140830.asp


38 posted on 07/14/2004 6:21:53 PM PDT by wagglebee
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 33 | View Replies]

To: wagglebee

The only problem I have with this report is that it was published first by NewsMax . . . Why did this report not appear first in a major, recognized newspaper? There are many major conservative media papers on both coasts and all across the mid-west. Let hope that this story grows long legs and runs and runs.


39 posted on 07/14/2004 6:22:00 PM PDT by ex-Texan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: All

BUMP AND:

Some More Interesting historical news about kerry:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1091943/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1160580/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1165078/posts

Some of kerry's friends listed below:

http://www.cpusa.org/

http://www.dsausa.org/

DSA's "Progressive Caucus" Links below:

http://bernie.house.gov/pc/

http://bernie.house.gov/pc/members.asp

They are the Enemy Within!!!!


40 posted on 07/14/2004 6:22:12 PM PDT by Defender2 (Defending Our Bill of Rights, Our Constitution, Our Country and Our Freedom!!!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-70 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson