First we have John (taxes are for the little people) Kerry and his brand new $7,000,000 yacht 'Isabel' which he chose to dock in Rhode Island instead of his home state of Massachusetts in order to save $500K in taxes.
If the Isabel were kept at the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee's summer vacation home on Nantucket or in Boston Harbor near his city residence, he would be liable for $437,500 in one-time sales tax. He would also have to pay $70,000 in annual excise taxes.
I do love this quote from Boston.com
"While we can fault the senator for his hypocrisy on taxes or having his boat built halfway around the world instead of here in the USA, John Kerry proves an important point that taxes in Massachusetts are too high. If they are too high for someone as rich as Senator Kerry, they are absolutely too high for working-class taxpayers who are being squeezed at every turn," said a statement issued by party Chairwoman Jennifer Nassour.
And then we have billionaire US Democratic Senate Candidate, Jeff Greene and his yacht 'Summerwind'.
Summerwind — like a 14-story building turned on its side — accommodates about 10 guests in five suites. Greene boasted to Forbes in 2008 that he practically stole it for $6 million in 2002. It may have been a bargain purchase, but it costs about $100,000 to fill up the tank on Summerwind, which burns about 50 gallons of fuel an hour.
Apparently tax savvy Jeff Greene registered his yacht in the tax haven Marshall Islands instead of in his home state of Florida.
God, I so hate hypocrisy and the 'Do as I say, not as I do' politicians who vote for taxes for everyone else, yet avoid paying their own.
And...while I'm on a rant...as if the US House isn't already enough of an embarrassment
WASHINGTON – House Democrats and Republicans have put aside their differences this year to honor the likes of golfer Phil Mickelson, the Chicago Blackhawks hockey team, NASCAR driver Jimmy Johnson and the Penn State women's volleyball team.
But when it came time this week to memorialize the start of the 142nd season of the Saratoga race course in New York, one freshman lawmaker decided he'd had enough.
"It's an absolute embarrassment," said Rep. Jason Chaffetz of Utah, announcing on the House floor a vow to vote against all future sports resolutions.
Why is it the business of the US House of Representatives to honor or memorialize any sports related person or event? Is that was they were voted into office to do?
Apparently last year in the House there was a vote to commemorate the 2560th anniversary of the birth of Confucius...why is that deemed worthy of the time of our elected leaders?
Wouldn't you think that they would be more concerned with dealing with the $1.47 trillion deficit or the fact that The median duration of unemployment is higher today than any time in the last 50 years. That's an understatement. It is more than twice as high today than any time in the last 50 years.
And don't even get me started on the $604K spent on bottled water or the $563K spent on new carpets, the $317K spent on new drapes and the $2.5 million spent on new furniture for the US House...during a recession
What Congress Bought Itself With Your $1 Billion
OK, rant over....I'm going to go read fashion blogs now and think happy thoughts
