Kerry: Yacht story 'our fault'

Politico ^

[Sub-Driver]

Kerry: Yacht story 'our fault' By: Andy Barr July 30, 2010 07:50 AM EDT

Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) said Thursday that he and his office mishandled the politics surrounding tax questions on his new $7 million yacht.

“I don’t think I dealt with it fast enough, effectively enough. There’s nobody to blame but myself for that,” Kerry said Thursday in an interview with the Boston Globe.

Throughout the weeklong story, Kerry has insisted that he will pay whatever state taxes are owed – estimated to be $500,000 – on the yacht.

Kerry has so far not had to pay Massachusetts’ taxes on the boat because it is based in Rhode Island, saving Kerry from technically having to pay the Bay State’s sales, usage and excise taxes on the boat. But Kerry said the decision to have the boat stay in Rhode Island had nothing to do with tax issues. Aides have said work is being done on the recently purchased yacht in Rhode Island.

“I’d be crazy to think that I’m going to be doing that, and that was never our long-term intention here,” Kerry said of any speculation that he wanted to avoid taxes.

[KarlInOhio]

The Massachusetts state budget for FY 2011 is $27.935 billion, or about $4000 per person. The half million dollars of taxes he was evading amounts to the total state budget for 125 of its citizens. Hey, Gigolo Johnny, go tell 125 of your constituents why they have to pay taxes and you (or actually your wife) don't.

P.S. I wonder how Gigolo Johnny has voted on various laws to allow states to charge taxes on interstate purchases like a $10 book from Amazon.com.

[wxgesr]

Where is it moored? I am in Newport on business and can go get a picture of it before I leave.

He also said something about who actually owns it. He put ownership under a charter business and he will not owe ANY personal taxes/fees on it. That is how smart money keeps their money.

[MozarkDawg]

I don't mind that he bought a 7 million dollar yacht (that needed extensive repairs). But what pisses me off is that he is a United States Senator from Massachusetts and there are probably a dozen yacht companies in his home state that are dying for work, and he buys a foreign built yacht and then parks it in a neighboring state to have the "repairs" done.

If I lived in Massachusetts I would be furious.

The most important point in the whole disgrace -- it's not just that he is an elitist pol, taxes for thee and not for me, it is that he is representing Massachusetts, he's deliberately screwing the people of his own state. Continuing on, he's not giving them the due out of his pocket while working all the time in DC to secure tax funds for MA outta ours. It's worse than the typical hypocrisy we have sadly come to expect from these finks.

[wxgesr]

“The boat was designed and purchased from a company in Rhode Island, and it’s based in Newport at the Newport Shipyard for long-term maintenance, upkeep, and charter purposes, not tax reasons,’’ Seth said.”

So it is a charter business, not personally owned. He should have said that right away. She is tied up at the Newport Boat Yard, I will try and find it.

[y6162]

“never our long-term intention here,” Kerry said of any speculation that he wanted to avoid taxes.”

Kerry confesses. Avoiding taxes was his short term goal.

Lucky for us liberals are so arrogant.

[woodbutcher1963]

I am not trying to defend Kerry.
However, this COULD be a legitimate reason it is there.
It was purchased from a company in RI. If there was a manufacturing problem when it was built in New Zealand it would need to be repaired at the companies US facilities before being delivered to the customer.
FYI, most high end boats are not built in the US anymore because of the cost of manual labor here. A lot are built in Tiawan. This is no different than buying an excavtor built by Caterpiller in the US or one made by Hyundia in South Korea.

[screaminsunshine]

I have a boat building background. You can fix a hole anywhere don’t be silly.

[mountn man]

because the Dems are not rich...only the Republicans, right? But if it were a Republican who bought that expensive, luxurious, unnecessary, yacht...the media would be out there trying to sink it.

Yeah, they tried to call the Evil Bush an evil, rich republican.
GWB's home

Al Gore's house

Compare Jenna Bush's wedding, which was from all accounts a very nice affair-but quite reserved, considering GWB was a sitting president. Vs Chelsea Clinton's which looks like its going to be a who's who Hamptons style blowout.

Back to Bush and Gore homes,

www.truthorfiction.com

The comparisons are fairly accurate, according to published reports.

An investigation by the Tennessee Center For Policy Research published in February, 2006, focused on Al Gore's 10,000 square foot house in Belle Meade area of Nashville. The former senator and former presidential candidate has been a leading voice for the environment and energy conservation. His global warming documentary An Inconvenient Truth won an Oscar for Best Documentary for 2006. In the film he urges consumers to conserve energy by reducing the amount of electricity used at home.

Using figures from the Nashville Electric service, the report says that Gore's house used 221,000 221,000 kWh of electricity in 2006, more than 20 times the national average of 10,656 kWh. The report says the gas usage of Gore's home is high as well and that Gore spent more than $30,000 in combined electricity and natural gas bills in 2006.

An article in Cowboys And Indians magazine focused on the 4,000 square foot Bush ranch in Crawford, Texas. It paints an entirely different picture than that of the Gore mansion.. George Bush is described as saying that when he bought the property, he wanted something in middle America so he could "stay in touch with real Americans." Architect David Heyman was asked to design the single story home. Bush said he wanted everything on the ranch to blend with the environment. The passive-solar house is built of honey-colored native limestone and positioned to absorb winter sunlight, warming the interior walkways and walls of the 4,000-square-foot residence. Geothermal heat pumps circulate water through pipes buried 300 feet deep in the ground. These waters pass through a heat exchange system that keeps the home warm in winter and cool in summer," according to the article. "A 25,000-gallon underground cistern collects rainwater gathered from roof urns; wastewater from sinks, toilets, and showers cascades into underground purifying tanks and is also funneled into the cistern. The water from the cistern is then used to irrigate the landscaping around the four-bedroom home. Laura Bush insisted on the use of indigenous grasses, shrubs, and flowers to complete the exterior treatment of the home.."

Maybe we should consider Bill Clinton writing off his underwear as a charitable donation, or Al Gore slim to nothing charitable giving vs Dick Cheney giving MILLIONS away.

There is such a vast difference between how the two parties are represented by the MSM.

Oh I forgot, one president was down with BBQ's the other Arugula and Wagyu beef. One vacationed on a Texas ranch, the other surfed and golfed in Hawaii.

[HereInTheHeartland]

The white colonial style house is NOT Al's house now.

This is his compound (rich corrupt Dems have compounds, not homes) that he built:
http://directorblue.blogspot.com/2010/05/exclusive-estimate-carbon-footprint-of.html

[VeniVidiVici]

There are a lot of holes in Massachusetts that need repairs.

[woodbutcher1963]

Again, I am not trying to defend the scumbag.
However, IF I had just paid $7 million for a boat, I would want it to be perfect before I took delivery.
I still think he is a typical democrate hypocrite.
FYI, I have been around Pearson, JBoats and Freedoms ,all formerlly made in RI, for 20+ years. Some of the best sloops ever made.

[screaminsunshine]

I amconsidering a Pearson 26. I have never been a sail but a friend told me it is a good boat to start on.