Mass. Sen. Kerry Docks Family's New $7M Yacht In Rhode Island, Saving $500,000 In Taxes

[Purveyor]

Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry is docking his family's new $7 million yacht in neighboring Rhode Island, allowing him to avoid paying roughly $500,000 in taxes to his cash-strapped home state.

If the Isabel were kept at the 2008 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.

Rhode Island repealed those taxes in 1993. That has made the state something of a nautical tax haven.

Kerry spokesman David Wade said Friday the boat is being kept at Newport Shipyard not to evade taxes, but "for long-term maintenance, upkeep and charter purposes."

Wade noted the vessel was designed by Rhode Island boat designer Ted Fontaine and purchased in the state. It was built in New Zealand by Friendship Yachts.

A Department of Revenue spokesman said Kerry would be liable for Massachusetts taxes if he berthed the boat in the Bay State within six months of its purchase. If the Isabel were brought to Massachusetts after that period, the state would have to decide if it wanted to pursue the taxes.

MORE...

http://www.newser.com/article/d9h4v1080/mass-sen-kerry-docks-familys-new-7m-yacht-in-rhode-island-saving-500000-in-taxes.html

[LittleBlue]

1. Oh for God's sake

Nobody wants to pay more taxes through piss-poor planning. I wouldn't even criticize a Rethug for this. It's not tax dodging like sheltering income or using shell corporations, it's just good sense.

[Township75]

20. Bullshit! It's being greedy. He can pay the taxes, and their are desparate people that need the...

money.

Why is everyone for social services until THEY have to pay them? If you are for them but go running when the bill comes, call yourself a right winger. If he has money for a $7000000 yacht, he can pay the fucking taxes!

[wisteria]

33. You mean to tell me you don't try and avoid paying taxes or take deductions on your income tax?

Frankly, it would be a foolish business move to pay more than you had too.

[TheWraith]

61. I don't have a net worth of $158 million dollars the way Kerry does.

If he wants to buy the boat, he should own up and pay the damn taxes.

[Zavulon]

63. He did...

...when he bought the boat. It's called sales tax.

Also, despite your income level, if you've ever taken a deduction of any kind and you still blame Kerry for this, it's hypocrisy.

[Exilednight]

68. Personally, I don't. I take very little in the way of deductions because ............

I believe that most of those tax dollars go to good use.

[Lucky Luciano]

106. Like Iraq/Afghanistan?

I am sure you didn't care for TARP, etceither

[blm]

51. BALONEY, Township...JK and THK fund health clinics for the poor and many environmental projects

there...that is money that Mass DOESNT spend. And the money the Kerrys spend funding those works EVERY YEAR just happens to DWARF the 500,000 figure that Murdoch's paper is crying about....not to mention the story itself is BULLSHIT...Kerry already docked it in Mass at an earlier point and moved it to Newport where Teresa has a home. He's already liable for the tax, so if he was intent on avoiding the tax as Murdoch's paper claims, he never would have brought through Mass in the first place.

Nice of you to take shots at Kerry whle displaying how LITTLE you know about how Kerry and THK contribute to the people of Mass.

[dionysus]

115. +1

[Tailormyst]

90. Perhaps there are other reasons besides money to choose Newport.

[blm]

101. Teresa has a home in Newport where they do the greater part of their sailing. This is a MANUFACTURED

controversy that just happens to coincide with a renewed push from Mass's RW anti-tax groups for their anti-tax ballot measure.

[Tailormyst]

103. I agree

The whole thing is such bullshit.

[Divine Discontent]

112. thank you for giving more info!

[Zavulon]

62. +1.

This is yet another non-story designed to whip people into a frenzy, and judging by the rest of this thread it worked. I'm unemployed and even I don't blame Kerry for this.

Despite Joe Biden's ridiculous "Get patriotic!" remark about paying more taxes, anyone who fails to take advantage of a loophole like this is an idiot. Good for Kerry.

[CTyankee]

96. Not everybody is a U.S. Senator from MA, avoiding taxes to that state.

I really think it behooves Kerry to act more responsibly. Perhaps as a private citizen he (and you) can justify it, but there is such a thing as noblesse oblige. He represents his state in the federal legislature. As such, he has to be above reproach on tax loopholes.

It doesn't look right.

[Zavulon]

108. Fair point, I'll give you that one.

It doesn't look right, you're spot on about that. I guess after the Sherrod mess I'm particularly sensitive to seeing people whipped up over whatever the media throws our way.

[krawhitham]

102. +1

[TheCowsCameHome]

2. Of course no conservative would ever do a thing like this.

This is so stupid, but since it's the Boston Herald having fits, that explains a lot.

[seaglass]

27. What do you mean? Both a Repub and Independent running for office in MA got beat up for the same

thing.

It's not something that pleases MA residents.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/politics/candidates/articles/2006/06/16/mihos_paid_mass_no_tax_on_his_yacht/

[ProSense]

3. This is a bullshit story by some RW hacks at the Boston Herald

BoHerd

Could the reason be that the Ocean State repealed its Boat Sales and Use Tax back in 1993, making the tiny state to the south a haven - like the Cayman Islands, Bermuda and Nassau - for tax-skirting luxury yacht owners?

Bullshit speculation to feed all the wingnut bloggers who are hyperventilating over this.

[moparlunatic]

5. I wonder

if that $7 million dollar yacht does anything to help climate change. jk.

[ProSense]

7. "does anything to help climate change"

You think the people pushing this story are environmental activists hoping that this will sway the Senator to push harder for the climate change bill?

[wisteria]

34. How is your comment about climate change relevent to anything being discussed here? n/t

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

67. Well, it's a sailboat, so it's easy on fuel consumption.

[Alcibiades]

99. Yes, it does

It's powered by a clean energy source.



I'm aware marine motors are not the cleanest things going, but sailing probably isn't appreciably contributing to global warming.

[hack89]

46. Actually, it was done to create jobs

which is has done very well. The local boat building and repair business is booming.

I live on Aquidneck Island just a couple of miles from where Kerrey's boat is docked.

[awoke_in_2003]

66. too bad this boat...

was built in New Zealand. Yeah, it will be repaired here, but it would be nice if it had been made here.

[hack89]

84. It was designed in Rhode Island. nt

[cleveramerican]

4. There are loads of Kerry boating stories every year.

He has had boats for decades.
Really nice ones.
A few different ones over the years.

He is a well known boater.

[GoCubsGo]

42. A Navy vet is a boater?

Go figure. Let me guess...the Garbage Barge Veterans for Truth are at it again?

[DURHAM D]

6. Shouldn't everyone be going crazy ?

I mean DU when crazy over a totally made up number for the Clinton wedding yesterday that brought on an incredible storm of bile. And here we have Kerry actually "cheating" the tax payers of MA out of a half million dollars.

Oh the hypocrisy.

JFTR - good for John. Makes total sense and it is none of my business.

[dsc]

9. yeah I do wonder about the double standard

Frankly I find this a much bigger problem than the wedding. Here Kerry is ripping his state off over what for him, is a pittance.

[ProSense]

10. "Here Kerry is ripping his state off over what for him, is a pittance."

The story is bullshit by a couple of RW hacks. Their updated story

U.S. Sen. John Kerry, the owner of a new, super-luxe 76-foot yacht, is not dodging a six-figure Massachusetts tax bill by docking the Isabel in Rhode Island and will pony up to the state if “any taxes are owed,” a spokesman for the alleged tax-skipping skipper said.

And it appears the senior senator may be on the hook for more than $500,000 in state and local taxes because Kerry tied his toney tub up in Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket waters within six months of buying her.

The sexy sloop, which Kerry purchased in March and is currently docking in Portsmouth, R.I., was spotted in the Nantucket Boat Basin over the Fourth of July holiday. Teresa Heinz, Kerry’s wife, owns a haute home on the island’s waterfront.

The Friendship yacht, designed by Ted Fontaine of Portsmouth but built in New Zealand, also sailed into Edgartown on Martha’s Vineyard, according to sources. Kerry was seen coming ashore off the Isabel on the town dock July 16 as he made his way to an event at the Harborview Hotel .

link

They wrote a story based on pure spin simply to portray Kerry as trying to avoid taxes. Now, less than 24 hours later, they're reporting that he in fact does owes the taxes per the law because the boat has already docked in Mass.

I fully understand why you would choose to believe it though.

[dsc]

12. oh please

Look I get trying to save 500k. I really do. He got caught and now is gonna pony up. Good for him, but it is absurd to argue he didn't know about this tax law. This is no different than Geitner's behavior, which I spoke up against at the time.

[ProSense]

13. He got caught?

"Good for him, but it is absurd to argue he didn't know about this tax law."

Who said he didn't know about the tax? If he docked in Mass and rightfully owes the tax, how is that getting caught?

"This is no different than Geitner's behavior, which I spoke up against at the time."

:rofl:

[dsc]

14. He has owned the boat for some length of time

I haven't bought boats but I have bought cars, and I know that the second you register a car its taxes are due. I would presume that would be the case for a boat as well. Thus he docked, and presumedly registered this boat in RI but wound up getting sighted with it in MA. This reeks of avoiding taxes.

[ProSense]

15. He bought the boat in March.

Do you actually think that he was aware of the law, but docked in Mass on more than one occasion in a huge yacht on the down low?

If he was trying to avoid the tax, why not just stay out of Mass for the six months?

This story is someone trying to stir up shit, and it didn't work.

[dsc]

16. He likely thought he would get away with it

he nearly did.

Here is what is quite likely the reason he decided not to register the boat in MA.

What should I do if I am buying or selling a boat?

In order to execute a boat transaction, the following items are necessary:

Bill of sale
12-character serial number (HIN) pencil tracing
Proof of payment of Massachusetts' sales tax
A completed application
Appropriate fees
Title from seller if applicable

end of quote

It doesn't take a degree in rocket science to figure this out. If 2000 people did what Kerry did that is the entire MA deficit right there.

[ProSense]

19. "he nearly did"?

How do you know that he was trying to get away with anything? Is it because the RW wrote the article? You can speculate all you want, but you don't have the facts and that article provides nothing but a bit of RW gotcha.

[blm]

53. You should be ashamed of what you are saying in this thread, dsc...really ashamed. You show you know

NOTHING about how JK and THK involve themselves financially in Mass.

SHAME. ON. YOU.

[Warren Stupidity]

25. So following your analogy

If you buy a car and register it and keep it in Rhode Island and pay all required taxes in Rhode Island and then drive it into Massachusetts on occasion, you are ripping off the state?

[dsc]

29. If you live in MA, and only use the car in MA then yes I think you are

especially if the law directly states, as it apparently does in the case of the boat, that if you dock the boat in MA you have to pay tax to MA. He did that.

[golfguru]

71. People living in WA state do this all the time

They buy car in Oregon which has no sales tax, and register in Oregon,
but use it in WA state where they live. Just drive through any high density
housing and you will see many cars with OR license plates.

[wisteria]

35. It is a brand new boat. Please get your facts straight. It was never docked in Mass. n/t

[dsc]

41. the article directly states that the boat had been seen in MA

as even Prosense admits. The boat was bought in March.

[wisteria]

48. The story also states that he was a candidate for President in 2008.

I stand corrected IF it does turn out the boat was docked in Mass. since March. And, I am sure, if he feels he owes the money he will pay it. But, frankly, this is his business and I do not begrudge him a boat he can well afford nor legally trying to avoid additional taxes on it.

[Tailormyst]

91. The boat needs a deep water port.

Where are they saying they saw the boat docked?

[cadmium]

100. It is owned by

a Heinz company LLC. I doubt Kerry had much to do with the financial decision making.

[Warren Stupidity]

24. how is he ripping any entity off? be specific.

[dsc]

30. The law clearly states that if within 6 months you dock the boat in MA

which Kerry did, you are supposed to pay which he didn't.

[ProSense]

32. Your boat is being tugged

by a bunch of RW assholes trying to stir shit.

There is no news here.

[dsc]

43. Even right wing people can be right

The article you linked appeared to be factually accurate as far as I knew (the cheesestake and wind surfing parts). I frankly don't know the rest. Yes it was snarky and the interpretations were biased. Here, assuming the facts as printed were accurate, it appears that Kerry evaded taxes with at best a morally shaky dodge.

[ProSense]

44. "Yes it was snarky and the interpretations were biased."

"Here, assuming the facts as printed were accurate, it appears that Kerry evaded taxes with at best a morally shaky dodge."

Tugged.

What I wonder is why anyone would put so much stock in a story that's so short on facts, including the year he ran for President?

[Zavulon]

64. It appears to me that

he avoided taxes with a perfectly legal loophole, like millions do every year. Good for him.

This is a complete non-story which was designed to create the same frenzy I'm seeing in this thread. The media is throwing doggie treats at a bunch of people here and saying "speak," and they're getting the desired response.

Pathetic.

[wisteria]

50. I highly doubt he is doing as you say. It seems to me you have a personal issue

with the Senator or perhaps anyone who has more than you do. I am sure, if it is true he owes Mass the money if his boat was docked there for a while, then I do not think he will not pay the tax. But, I don't begrudge him this boat nor any attempt at saving some tax money on it. I think we all have at one time or another tried to avoid paying more taxes than we had too. Didn't you?

[dsc]

56. Not really

To take one example. I lived in Cleveland for a couple of years. Cleveland had e check while Ashtabula where my parents lived didn't. I could have quite easily registered my car there instead of Cleveland and saved myself the e check. It was a decent amount of money to me. I didn't because I believe in paying the taxes I owe. I have no problem with Kerry having more money than I do. I have humungous problems with him evading taxes. Just like I had problems with Geitner doing so. This was a clear case of evading taxes and getting caught.

[ProSense]

58. "This was a clear case of evading taxes and getting caught."

Maybe you shouldn't take the word of RW hacks who have a habit of distorting the the facts to try to smear people.

Look at the type of people who they hire as editors: wingnut blogger Jules Crittenden.

They lost a libel suit brought by a judge. The author of the piece was Dave Wedge, whose wife also works at the Herald. She is responsible for this piece.

But hey, eat up!

[blm]

75. It's a CLEAR CASE of racism...Breaitbart's video nailed Sherrod just like this 'report' from Murdoch

rag, Boston Herald, nailed Kerry.

CLEARLY you aren't interested in the full set of facts. CLEARLY you aren't interested in knowing that Teresa has a home in Newport where the boat is docked and where they enjoy sailing. And CLEARLY aren't interested in the truth about how much THK and JK subsidize so much of the good work that goes on in Mass.

[dsc]

87. racism?

are you joking? Attacking Kerry over what is at best his legal but pretty scuzzy avoidance of taxes and at worst his illegal avoidance of taxes is racism?

[blm]

95. YOU claim he's avoiding taxes cuz Murdoch's paper said so. Sherrod is racist cuz FOX said so.

You have no desire to notice that there are other facts to be considered - like the fact that the boat is docked near Teresa's home in Newport where they enjoy sailing.

You accepted a cheap smear piece by the Herald because you WANTED to, dsc, and you're too dug in now to step out of the mudhole.

Shame.

[dionysus]

116. well, you've bought this RW shit hook line and sinker. i think you have a personal axe to grind over

with Senator Kerry.

[blm]

52. Because you ALWAYS believe Murdoch's news outlets, dsc? Now you state Kerry's 'ripping off'

Mass. Based on the lies in the Herald?

Did you also insist that Sherrod's racist because FOX said so?

BTW, dsc, how many millions PER YEAR do you think Teresa spends funding health-clinics for the poor and uninsured in Mass? How many millions PER YEAR do you think Teresa spends on environmental projects in Mass? Then add how much she delivers to Pennsylvania. NJ. Africa....etc....

Herald spun this story exactly the way they knew it would get your reaction. Congrats. Your attack here is no different than the foolish attempts to smear the Clintons in THOSE threads. Ironic, eh? Double standard? Yes. From you. You didn't see me bitching and moaning on wedding threads, because I didn't trust the article's claims as stated and even if it was to be believed I considered all those who laborers who would benefit if even half that amount was spent. But...apparently you trust Herald now...as long as the spin is against Kerry.

Disappointing display, dsc.

[dsc]

57. oh please

even the other article that Prosense quoted to defend Kerry said the very same stuff. Kerry did it. Now you apparently think if one gives enough to charity then it is OK to evade taxes, I don't. The difference between this and the Clinton wedding stuff is that the Clintons didn't evade taxes. I think that it is appalling for rich liberals to evade taxes and every bit as hypocritical for them to do so as it is for conservatives to have the morals of alley cats.

[ProSense]

59. You're citing me?

All the articles were from the same RW rag. You are the one taking stock in them.

[blm]

60. No I don't. But you also ignore the FACT that Teresa has a home inNewport where they usually sail.

So your OUTRAGE is nothing but BS. Pass the bottle of Feign Feign around so MORE disingenuous slurs can be made against Kerry.

And, it's not JUST charity, dsc. Teresa built and funded those clinics for people who had no access to healthcare. It's one of her many PROJECTS that she is DEEPLY involved. You really don't know the Kerrys still to this day. SHAME N YOU for directing attacks at them based on Murdoch's RW smear machine.

You're disgustingly wrong here, but, I am quite certain you'll dig in and refuse to see it. Once you buy spin you stay bought. Not fair, but, it suits your purpose, I guess.

[golfguru]

72. You can't win here

even if you are right. Just relax and go get a cold one.

[Spagettio]

54. The Clinton are just much more fun to attack

Didn't you know this?

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[golfguru]

11. Is Kerry's new yacht faster than the swift boaters?

j/k

[DCBob]

17. Why on earth does anyone need a $7M yacht?

I will take a $1M one any day!

[Warren Stupidity]

26. I'd even settle for a 3.5M one.

[wisteria]

36. Because he works hard, deserves it and has the money to pay for it.

If I had the money I would certainly want the best I could afford.

[OwnedByFerrets]

38. Actually, he can afford it because he married into money.

[ProSense]

40. You're right, and

his wife has devoted her life to helping people. So good for them, they can afford it.

[wisteria]

49. Actually, he has plenty of his own money to purchase this.

He didn't need the Heinz money.

[cadmium]

69. What business is it of anyones what

Teresa Heinz Kerry wants to spend her money on--Her money, her boat big deal -- she can dock it where she wants to. Her Pennsylvania LLC that owns the boat is probably going to use if for charter cruises. Big F--n Deal.

Nobody learned anything from the Sherrod story --- I think it is a good idea to check out the details and let story sit a bit before going ballistic every time a new outrage about a Democrat causes a media shit storm

[golfguru]

74. Because Teresa Heinz has loads of money?

You go find a rich one and you can too.

[ProSense]

78. Jealous? n/t

[golfguru]

79. You want the honest answer?

damn right I am jealous! My next wife must have loads of $$$ :)

And that reminds me of a joke....

This guy walks into the bar with a drop dead gorgeous babe on his arm.
A curious bar patron asks him who is that gorgeous woman?
"Why she is my wife"
"How did you manage to attract such a young and pretty lady"
"Cuz I lied about my age and money"
"Oh...you told her you were rich & 30?"
"No, I told her I was rich & 80"

[Freddie Stubbs]

81. Kerry didn't take the yacht, he bought it

[JVS]

18. If you have the money for a yacht, you should probably not need to dodge taxes on it.

[Warren Stupidity]

23. Nobody ever docks in Newport RI for any reason other than taxes.

In fact this is the first time I've ever heard of Newport being used as a port for yachts.


:sarcasm:

[LostinVA]

21. Getting kinda tired of the "Clinton and Kerry and Other Dems are Insenitive Rich Pigs" threads

:wtf:

[golfguru]

76. I agree

self flogging is masochism.

[xultar]

85. [phone]

[Warren Stupidity]

22. In other news: rich people have lots of money.

Why do we insist on pushing the latest bullshit hot of the RNC?

[koski]

28. Hard to even read this hit piece, when they can't even

proofread what year Kerry ran for President

the 2008 Democratic presidential nominee

[YvonneCa]

37. Did you see their motto, "Read less, Know more"...

...at the top of the page? To encourage less reading tells much about the source. ;) Maybe the people who work there would do better if they read a little more... :7

[wisteria]

31. Don't we all try to make sure we pay as little taxes as possible? What a lovely boat. n/t

[phleshdef]

39. As long as its legal, I don't give a shit.

[KittyWampus]

45. Kerry pays PLENTY of taxes to his home state, I'm sure. Rhode Island can use the cash.

[hack89]

47. The local boat industry likes him too. nt

[golfguru]

105. Boat was built in New Zealand.

Why would the local boat industry like that?

[hack89]

114. Designed, maintained and chartered in Rhode Island. nt

[jesus_of_suburbia]

55. Rhode Island repealed those taxes in 1993. That has made the state something of a nautical tax haven

*from the article*

[awoke_in_2003]

65. "It was built in New Zealand"

Did we stop making yachts in this country, too?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

70. Pretty much. There aren't very many U.S. manufacturers of high-end sailboats.

Most of those are now made in Europe, Australia or New Zealand.

[golfguru]

77. Tiger Woods boat was designed and built right here

in Portland, OR. Or should I call it a yacht?
Anything that floats is a boat to me :rofl:

List of boat builders in Oregon:

http://www.oregonboats.com/manufacturers/

[Catchawave]

73. Nope :)

JK sent 7 million to New Zealand for jobs. Have to think globally :toast:

[ProSense]

80. How many jobs have you created?

It's the Senator's personal funds. If he wants to buy something, he can damn well spend his money anywhere he chooses to.

Should members of Congress only vacation in the U.S.? What about all the resorts and restaurants that lose money when they go overseas?

It's amazing how many people eagerly latch onto RW garbage even as many are criticizing the administration for an error in judgment.

[Freddie Stubbs]

82. Absolutely not:

http://news.bostonherald.com/news/politics/view.bg?articleid=1270040

[ProSense]

83. Keep pushing

RW garbage.

The right is probably desperate for any help they can get to absolve Scott Brown of voting against unemployment benefits, to undercut the Democrats push for additional stimulus and ending Bush's tax cuts for the wealthy.

Not that this is it, but if they can get a few people to get giddy with them over nonsence, that's all they need. They're easy to please.

[Freddie Stubbs]

97. I don't think that there is anything wrong with Kerry docking his boat in another state with

more favorable tax laws. And he has every right to buy a boat from whomever and wherever he wants. But it is disingenuous to suggest that he had to purchase a boat made outside of the US because no one makes them here anymore.

[Sgent]

111. His brother in law owned

a Minnesota built yacht made by http://www.bluewateryacht.com/ ... another big luxury yacht maker in Louisiana is http://www.trinityyachts.com/

[zulchzulu]

86. So you have to keep your boat in the same state you live in?

Rhode Island is RIGHT NEXT to Massachusetts and perhaps if the slip fees are less and whatever else, isn't that exactly what REAL CAPITALISM is all about?

I thought people wanted others to pay less taxes. Isn't that the Right-Wing mantra?

[Name removed]

92. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[PatrynXX]

88. Kinda ignored this because Fox Entertainment Channel Promoted this heavily

So..... where is it cheaper??? Tell me do you shop around and waste money??

Totally shocked to see this on DU. Think someone watches too much Fox... :( Everyone else was either carrying Sherrod or the President , sure enough there was Fox attacking a Dem.

Lemme know how many indicate they bought something online come tax time? Way to confusing for me.. I would expect the sellers to take care of that...

[Tailormyst]

89. This is a very big sailboat and needs a deepwater port to dock

Sailboats are different then other boats in that they need alot more clearance below the waterline. I would also point out that Newport is a wealthy sailing community with businesses that specifically service and maintain very large sailboats and it also has a deep water port and close to Boston. Given the choice between Boston and Newport, Newport is clearly the more beautiful and sailboat friendly port.

This is just more shit stirring by the RW.

[wisteria]

93. +1 n/t

[ProSense]

94. Not only that, but it's now definitely clear that the Boston Herald was doing the teabaggers'

bidding.

<...>

“People react strongly to this kind of arrogant disregard to everyday taxpayers,” said Carla Howell, of the Alliance to Roll Back Taxes. “It will definitely get people fired up.”

<...>

Barbara Anderson, executive director of Citizens for Limited Taxation, said people struggling to get by should be drawn to the tax-cut question on the Nov. 2 ballot - including small-boat owners who couldn’t find a safe harbor from the tax.

link

They really aren't concerned about increasing the tax coffers of Mass.

Citizens for Limited Taxation, aka teabaggers.

Carla Howell, aka teabagger

Here's a little rich tidbit:

In 2000 she ran against Ted Kennedy and won 308,860 votes – the highest vote total of any third party U.S. Senate candidate running against both a Democrat and Republican in recent history. In 1998, she ran for State Auditor and received the endorsement of the Boston Herald.

[wisteria]

98. You are so good at finding these types of things. The BH is just another RW rag and articles

from them should have no place here at DU. We have been helping to "carry the water".

[KoKo]

104. Cool! If I had a yacht that cost that much I'd want to dodge taxes, too!

Good for Him! Repugs do this all the time. I don't see why he shouldn't take advantage of the same tax breaks others get while he can.

[ProSense]

107. Oh look, RW drivel seeped into the news again

Kerry: Yacht in RI for work, will come to Mass.

WEYMOUTH, Mass. – Sen. John Kerry says he is docking his family's new $7 million yacht in Rhode Island so it could have work done before moving it to Massachusetts to be available for charters.

The Massachusetts Democrat spoke to reporters Monday after an event at the former South Weymouth Air Station.

Kerry has come under fire in recent days for docking the 76-foot, New Zealand-built sloop in neighboring Rhode Island, saving roughly $500,000 in Bay State taxes.

If the "Isabel" were docked at the couple's summer vacation home on Nantucket, Kerry's family would be liable for $437,500 in one-time sales tax. They'd also have to pay $70,000 in annual excise taxes.

Kerry said his family will pay their taxes and it wasn't an issue.

And all from a RW story in which the facts got lost:

“The boat was designed by 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,” Wade told the Track.

Guess he should have had the boat designed and then purchased in the Mass.

Simply ridiculous, and people wonder how the RW media keeps doing this crap.

[zulchzulu]

110. It's a damn good thing no Republicans own boats they keep in different states...

Oh wait...

:crazy:

I personally have a Pearson 27 sailboat that I keep/rent in Maryland along the Chesapeake Bay and pay slip fees in Maryland for a corporation I own in Delaware. I time share the boat to people I know and trust. I pay Delaware taxes for the slip fees. It's complicated, but not really...

[zulchzulu]

109. What a cool boat! I hope it gets repaired in Rhode Island and is ready to sail soon

Next...

Oh wait... so you are only allowed to live in one state and can't have stuff that's registered in another state?

Maybe I missed the fucking memo...

[Kringle]

113. Skull and Bones, annual dues, $500,000 .nt