The American Spectator : Swift Tax Dodgers

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Swift Tax Dodgers

By Andrew Cline on 7.29.10 @ 6:09AM

John Kerry's not alone in dodging Massachusetts taxes.

John Kerry is the gift that keeps on giving, a cornucopia of contradictions and hypocrisy. After flip-flopping his way to defeat in the 2004 presidential race, he is still doing the opposite of what he says everyone should do, and it is still getting him into trouble.

Last week the Boston Herald reported that in March Kerry registered his $7 million yacht not in Boston, where he lives, but in Newport, R.I. Kerry's office has said the Rhode Island registration had nothing whatsoever to do with the fact that Rhode Island has no sales or use tax on boats, but Massachusetts has both.

The Herald's public service here was not to expose Kerry as a hypocrite. Kerry needs no help doing that. In 2004, he said people earning more than $200,000 should pay more in taxes, but here he is dodging taxes on a $7 million yacht. He also said it was immoral to move American manufacturing jobs overseas. But he had his custom-built yacht made in New Zealand. The real public service in the Herald story was to expose just how awful Massachusetts taxes are.

The state has a 6.25 percent sales and "use" tax on most everything, not just boats. If you live in Massachusetts and buy a product in sales-tax-free New Hampshire, where I live, Massachusetts expects you to pay a tax just for the privilege of using it. And the state is aggressive about pursuing that tax.

Last year, Massachusetts tried to order a regional tire chain doing business in neighboring states, Town Fair Tire, to charge the state's sales tax on tires purchased by Massachusetts residents at New Hampshire stores. In the 1990s, the state successfully forced Circuit City to pay sales taxes on items stored in Massachusetts but purchased in another state.

In the past, Bay State tax collectors aggressively went after residents who registered their cars and bought liquor in New Hampshire. In the 1970s, New Hampshire Gov. Meldrim Thomson sent state troopers to arrest Massachusetts tax agents who were parked (Thomson said "loitering") in New Hampshire Liquor Store parking lots to record the license plate numbers of Bay Staters buying N.H. booze.

Massachusetts has lowered a lot of taxes since earning its "Taxachusetts" label, but its taxes still send people over the border for all sorts of activities. A lot involve avoiding the sales and use tax. And those tax dodgers include many of the Democratic public officials who support high taxes.

Last year, a Massachusetts resident saw Massachusetts state Rep. Michael Rodrigues walk out of a New Hampshire liquor store with a box of booze. The poor representative had driven there in his personal car, which bears his official legislative license plates. It turns out that Rodrigues had voted earlier that year to raise the state's sales tax to 6.25 percent. Months later, he was in New Hampshire (along with thousands of fellow Bay Staters) dodging the very sales tax he had voted to raise.

Earlier this month, former U.S. Rep. Marty Mehan, D-Mass., now president of the University of Massachusetts at Lowell, was caught by the Lowell Sun coming out of a New Hampshire liquor store with two bottles of wine -- a savings of nearly $5 in taxes.

It's not that John Kerry is a hypocrite. It's that the entire political class in Massachusetts is a bunch of hypocrites. They support high taxes, except when given any opportunity to dodge them.

They don't really believe everyone should have to pay 6.25 percent to the state on every purchase. They simply find it a convenient way to raise revenue. If they believed that their high taxes were moral and just, they would pay them, not dodge them.

With the Obama administration, the story of tax-dodging advocates of high taxes has become familiar to the nation. To those of us who live near Massachusetts, it's an old, old story.

About the Author

Andrew Cline is editorial page editor of the New Hampshire Union Leader. His Twitter ID is Drewhampshire.

Letter to the Editor View all comments (73) | Leave a comment

Majito| 7.29.10 @ 6:48AM

a 6.25% sales tax is low (compared to washington state or texas..a little over 8%)...the real story here is that the idiot residents of this state keep on electing these clowns to office locally and federally...folks in this part of the country view themselves as 'enlightened', 'sophisticated', 'smart' and 'educated' and yet they're a bunch of morons who keep on sending good ol'horseface to dc...it appears that the last act of good common sense they had was the party by the bay dumping tea into it...but that's ancient history

Houston Rao| 7.29.10 @ 8:31AM

About Texas, please keep in mind it does not have any income taxes unlike MA. Also, the state sales tax is at 6.25% - counties, cities, communities can then add up to another 2% at the local level.

gypsy| 7.29.10 @ 12:28PM

in the age of Obama, taxation is theft

Tom Shire| 7.30.10 @ 10:52AM

Actually, when George W. Bush and Dick Cheney gave themselves tax cuts while doubling the national debt, THAT was theft.

They stole from the national treasury and from future generations who will have to repay the debt they created, plus interest.

When Kerry and Obama allow the Bush/Cheney tax cuts for the wealthy to expire, they will pay higher taxes themselves. That sounds a heckuva lot more responsible than what Bush and Cheney did.

As for Kerry's yacht, I don't know it to be true, but it is possible that Boston moorings are either difficult to get or outrageously priced compared to Rhode Island moorings. That being said, I think Kerry should take more pride in his home and pay whatever it takes to keep his boat there.

Dean| 7.30.10 @ 2:03PM

Tom Shire - if you think someone who pays more than $7 Million for a boat is concerned over the price of a mooring, you are naive. That's like saying the new owner of a Lamborgini or Ferrari would compain about their new cars MPG?

Wake up man!

Mike| 7.30.10 @ 4:56PM

I find it interesting that you think of a tax cut as theft. I will than assume that you think every penny a person earns belongs to the state (state or federal). It it than up to the politicians to let a person keep a portion of their earnings. In 2008 47% of tax payers paid nothing in federal taxes yet they had used 80% of the service available. Is that not theft? The top 50% of taxpayers paid 98% of the taxes. The top 10% of taxpayers paid over 60% of the total taxes. When the Bush tax cuts took effect the top 10% of taxpayers paid 18%-20% more than they did before the tax cuts went into effect. If you are so set on soaking the rich why don't you start first and give up 50% of your income and than ask politely for the rich to contributed a little more of theirs. BTW it seems that a lot of Democrats have a problem paying taxes. It isn't until they are caught that they say oh I missed that just an over sight!!!

glenny| 7.30.10 @ 5:35PM

Tom,
If you "don't know it to be true", why would you even bother to say it????? Weaselly, dude, weaselly. glenny

Mimi| 7.30.10 @ 9:02PM

Hi DEM....Whatcha doin, trying to change some minds on TAS??? It must be hard to make BLACK/..WHITE [uphill battle] go back to your old fishing spot....WE WON'T BITE!!!

terrie| 8.1.10 @ 12:24PM

You are sadly mistaken Mr. Shire. The Congress passed the "Bush" tax cuts and it INCREASED revenue brought to the feds due to more economic activity. The entire Bush admin had at most, a deficit of about $250 Billion (in last 2 years when DEMs controlled congress). Obama's been in for a year and a half with DEMs in total control, and the deficit is 1.4 TRILLION. Just wait til everyones taxes go up on 1/1/11 and watch it skyrocket even more. ..... libs = useful idiots to the ruling class.

Ned| 7.29.10 @ 1:24PM

combined state and local sales tax in King County, WA (Seattle) is 10% on restaurant food purchases and 9.5% on everything else except groceries and some services... and I'd be happy to trade Batty Patty "Brain Trust" Murray or Maria Can't-count-well (a local reference to her innumerable campaign finance irregularities) for someone as dignified as Lurch Kerry....

ACynic| 7.29.10 @ 2:40PM

Washington State has no state income tax, so the roughly 2% additional sales tax paid in Wa., is more than compensated by a zero income tax. Plus, outside of rip-off uber liberal King County, property taxes are most likely far less than in Mass.
By the way, the uber-liberals of King County, Wa (Seattle and immediate vicinity), the most populous county in Wa, are just as liberal as the morons in Mass. who repeatedly re-elect hypocritical, elitist, arrogant multi-millionaire "progressives" such as Kerry (never had a real job in his adult life), the now dead Kennedy (never had a real job in his ENTIRE life), and Barney Frank (the corpulent marble mouthed millionaire FATHER of the mortgage debt bomb crisis).

doolittle| 7.29.10 @ 4:32PM

we do have a higher sales tax in Texas than in Massachusetts..but NO INCOME TAX and a lower unemployment rate, as well

Brant| 7.29.10 @ 11:18PM

the difference is the lack of a Texas income tax. Massachusetts has all of them.

Appleby| 7.29.10 @ 7:08AM

In Ontario, Kanukistan, the sales tax is 13%. Our electricity rates have just jumped 16% -- 8% in sales tax, 8% in government granted rate hikes occasioned by the fact that due to Smart Meters that charge huge premiums for using power when most people are at home, people are shifting use and not using so much power -- and they actually sneaked in an Eco Tax in which they secretly raised taxes that sometimes doubled the price of an item, on over 9,000 commonly used household products. That last one they have retreated on *for 90 days* as the public outrage was overwhelming...and its immediate effect was to cause people to shop in the States. (The Seven Last Words of Kanukistan are *I will buy it in the States*.) These items include laundry and dish soap, which do not go into landfills and despite the fact that we are already hammered with a Blue Box Tax to dispose of the bottles they come in.

You guys have only scratched the surface of what is to come. Look North. Your doom is in plain view.

old white guy| 7.29.10 @ 7:40AM

the 90 day retreat will remove the tax from the minds of the people of ontario and it will come back on schedule. you see the average canadian will pay any tax imposed upon them at any time. f--kin sheep. ditto for most americans.

jd| 7.29.10 @ 8:18AM

No wonder I see so many Ontario license plates at my outlet mall. I figured the exchange rate must be good -- I forgot about all those hidden Canadian taxes. I agree, people have no clue about what's coming here, especially those who believe Obama "won't raise any taxes on anybody making under $250,000".

Bill Hussein O'Stalin| 7.29.10 @ 7:16AM

Look at Washington, D.C. It is a city full of tax cheats, and they are all Democrats. From Turbo Tax Timmy Geithner whose egg shaped head with his large brain can't remember to pay his own federal taxes, to Charles Rangel who develops tax policy at his former Ways and Means Committee, to Senator John Kerry, who has now paid the tax to Massachusetts, they are all tax cheats.

What a disgrace!

JF| 7.29.10 @ 4:14PM

Joe Biden claimes that paying taxes is patriotic, so can we conclude that Geithner, Kerry and Rangel just aren't very patriotic? A true believer in big government should be proud and anxious to turn larger and larger amounts of what used to be disposable income over to the government to cover the costs of all of the fine legislation they crafted during their tenure. And btw, what the heck is a friend of "the little guy" doing owning a 7 million dollar YACHT?

jrjr| 7.29.10 @ 5:14PM

That 7 million that the Ketchup lady bought for the big guy would have purchased 70 or 80 Habitat houses, fed several thousand homeless, encouraged many people to do "green" things, paid the costs of numerous students to attend charter or private schools, etc. No, it will be used by the elitist Kerry to show what he can do with a 7 mil boat - which, by the way, has a polluting engine.

Faffnir| 7.29.10 @ 7:29AM

I often wonder why the concept of lowering government spending to match revenue never occurs to these buffoons. Their only thought is "raise taxes", as if people will not alter their behaviour to avoid the tax. Is it genetic that politicians are such abject fools? Or is it some environmental factor linked to anyplace they congregate?
I shall await enlightenment over a Bloody Mary and some ham and eggs.

wbheff| 7.29.10 @ 9:32AM

Politicians are parasites. That is a fact, not a perjorative assessment. Government is parasitic in nature, as it does not, and in fact cannot create wealth, it can only consume it after gaining it by confiscating it from those who do produce it. Thus politicians will always want to raise taxes. If those who are politicians were capable of doing anything real and useful, they would not be polticians. I believe that we should make being a congressclown or a senator a part-time job. They should be allowed to meet only every other year, for the sole purpose of enacting a Federal budget, that will cover two years, not one. They don't need to pass any more laws, we already have far more of those than we will ever need. They certainly don't need to waste one more penny of our money "investigating" things about which they have no knowledge nor understanding, and never will. And they should perdiem to cover lodging and meals during that time they are in session (once every two years, for about a month) and no more.
It was Mark Twain, I believe, who once described Congress as "America's only native criminal class."

finefello| 7.29.10 @ 2:22PM

Politicians only realize that people will alter their behavior to avoid paying taxes when it means they can use that fact to justify raising those taxes (examples: tobacco & alcohol).

old white guy| 7.29.10 @ 7:42AM

politicans are not fools it is the voter.

Melvin| 7.29.10 @ 8:39AM

People, people, people...Hypocrisy is a perfectly excepted norm in todays American society. Take for example your every day run of the mill American Soccer mom. They'll fight literally tooth and nail and to the death if need be to protect the honor of their virginal daughters, but turn around and let their daughters dress like street walkers going to middle school, stating, "Its my daughter's right to wear clothing like that, she's merely expressing her freedom, !Hey, what are you leering at, you filthy animal."
Politics isn't any different. Look at Congressman Charles Rangle. He's been skimming off the top and scamming the system for so long, he actually believes that he did nothing wrong and after all doesn't everybody do this?
Are we really that naive to believe that politicians are acutally looking out for us, I guess we are, because old Charlie is expecting he reelection to be a cakewalk.
But what do we expect he's from New York City, to those citizens it just the way ya do business.

Old Soldier| 7.29.10 @ 8:47AM

I grew up in MA, crossed the border to save on taxes, and never returned.

The tradition of Mass. politicians dodging their own taxes goes back much farther than Kerry. The Kennedy's invited the practice. Rose died in Hyannis Port and much to our surprise, we all learned she was a Florida resident and her estate didn't owe any MA estate taxes - unlike my very middle-class in-law's estate.

Now the Kennedy trust is offshore and out of reach of all the American tax collectors.

c. j. acworth| 7.29.10 @ 6:36PM

I grew up in CT, came to NH for some room and lower cost of living, including taxes. Problem is, a lot of libs did the same, and brought thier lib attitudes with them. Now NH is a blue state, probably headed down the tubes like MA and CT.

Gill O’Teen ✝✡$| 7.29.10 @ 8:50AM

First love this column’s twisting sin-eater curry’s experience with the swift boaters and his yacht dilemma: ‘to pay or not to pay? What a predicament! Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outraged voters, or to make sail against a sea of troubles.’ However, I must admit that I actually have no problem with anybody’s attempting to deprive gum’mint of desperately needed revenue. While I most certainly never ask anyone to do so, I certainly understand paying in cash, thus encouraging folks to hide income from their 1040s. And if I might find a picture of Franklin left inadvertently on the curb, tax cheat timmy will be none the wiser unless it’s me that might tell him so. What I oppose is the blatant hypocrisy, the do as I say not as I do tyranny that has been rammed down our throats in the guise of hope and change.

Gill O’Teen ✝✡$
gill.Oteen07041776@gmail.com
“Taxation with representation ain't so hot either.” - Gerald Barzan.
Only 906 days to go.

Louis Jenkins| 7.29.10 @ 9:02AM

Old Soldier:

You are correct. Overseas Trust Funds! Just about everyone of some money has a trust fund safely stashed away in an overseas account. The Clintons, for instance, have a trust fund overseas, and even Chelsy is a officer with a nice little salary. But our supreme rulers, well, they are going tax $200,000.oo households. Really, they will tax everyone except the entitlement society. So hang on folks, the Kerry's will keep on doing their usual-tax avoidance- and the households of modest means-they'll be taxed without letup.

Anthony | 7.29.10 @ 9:49AM

Pelosi and the Ds can't drain the swamp because they are the swamp.
Rumor has it that John "swiftboat" Kerry cut his finger on his yacht's cappuccino machine, prompting the war hero to put in for another Purple Heart.
When the political corruption gets this bad, the solutions necessary to remedy it must be sufficiently harsh enough, so that the elites finally "get it".

Joel| 7.29.10 @ 10:44AM

Anthony, that rumor isn't true. Mr. Kerry would NEVER touch his cappuchino machine; that is what servants are for! Oh, and what would he DO if Tuhrayza were to catch him in the act of touching a lowly appliance! Why, he would find himself sleeping in one of the yacht's guest cabins for a WEEK!

Sam Vaughn| 7.29.10 @ 10:11AM

Mainers have a nickname for people from Massachusett's, it does not apply to everybody from the Bay state like those who have the misfortune to be imprisoned in Taxachussetts' through circumstance,,, Ma**holes. They could jsut as well borrow a term from the South. "What do you call a Ma**hole that comes to Maine and stays?" another d**n Ma**hole! You know who I'm talking about,,, the smarmy Harvard educated know-it-all who thinks because you graduated from a State University you're not fit to lead.......too bad they've occupied Washington DC

Matt Morehouse| 7.29.10 @ 10:18AM

I live in California, close to the Oregon border. We often vacation in Oregon because they have no sales tax and a very low hotel tax. My son is building a house in California. He buys his large ticket building materials in Oregon and has saved thousands. For large ticket household items it is possible to enjoy a weekend getaway in Oregon at no expense because of the tax saved.

Recently we were planning a vacation and thought we might like to go to an upscale Napa resort. When we found out the room tax was 14% we canceled and made plans for Oregon.

When will they learn?

Ned| 7.29.10 @ 2:16PM

Try Sun River - not too long ago we spent a day skiing at Mr Bachelor, passed golfers on the way down the mountain, and spent the next day mountain biking in the sunshine... NO SALES TAX. Stay away from Portland though... too many Commies these days...

Fenestra| 7.29.10 @ 10:21AM

I believe that Sen. Kerry actually doesn't own the boat; it's an investment belonging to the Heinz Corporation. The boat is supposedly based in RI for charter work. Reality is that if you have a lot of money, you have to come up with routines like corporate ownership of your stuff to get around the tax man.
So while Kerry doesn't legally owe taxes on the boat, morally he is a typical rich liberal hypocrite.

JF| 7.29.10 @ 4:21PM

So not only is Kerry cheating in paying personal taxes, the boat is serving as a tax writeoff for the Heinz Corporation. They can take depreciation on it for the next 10 years and use it as a prop in their balance sheet, classifying it as an "asset" and making their asset to debt ratio look better than it is. All I can say is, turn the auditors loose on Heinz (of course they will fire their accountant rather than point the finger at Teresa.)

Andrew Keirns| 7.29.10 @ 10:39AM

Rep Rangel shows you don't need to live in MA to love the tax-dodge ...
I wonder if Sen. Kerry ever vacationed at Rangel's property?

scythe| 7.29.10 @ 10:46AM

They are the Ruling Class. Bow down and OBEY! How are they any different than the Feudal Lords of old and how are we not their SERFS??? Left Wing politics is a desire to return to Pre-Enlightenment Hierarchies. And those in charge have the gall to pretend to champion "egalitarianism".

Fast Johnny| 7.29.10 @ 10:48AM

Sam, your nickname for the people of Mass is not limited to just Maine residents. M%$#-holes is a nickname that we from NY and NJ have used for years to describe the policies and habits of those from MA. Originally, in my experience we used to use that term to describe their driving habits, but it has since come to symbolize their general being. We also used to call it the great state of "Du-taxes" in honor of Dukakis. Nothing has changed, I mean lets face it, Teddy got away with negligant homicide in Chappy and went on to represent the state that hid and protected him from prosecution.

Gill O’Teen ✝✡$| 7.29.10 @ 1:06PM

Reading your comment reminded me of the only time I visited the only state, possibly besides Maine, which considers Scotty Brown a right-wing extremist. It was June of 1970. A friend of mine and I had driven up there to visit some folks he knew who attended Boston U. (might still have been a mere college then). While there, we wandered around their neighborhood which, as I recall, was in Brookline. I don’t recall the particular intersection, but there was a JFK birthplace sign at the corner pointing to the right. We stood there debating where to do the noon meal. Having observed the local drivers and pedestrians, I bet lunch that if we stood there 15 minutes, we’d witness a jaywalker getting flattened by a motor vehicle. Not 5 minutes later, I won.
Gill O’Teen ✝✡$
gill.Oteen07041776@gmail.com
“According to a news account last month, people leaving the Democratic National Convention asked a Boston policeman for directions. He replied, ‘Leave here - and go vote Republican.’” - Dick Cheney
Only 906 days to go.

Jerry F. Iavarone| 7.29.10 @ 11:17AM

Please it is not the politicians who are the problem it is the people who live in the state. Don't complain about taxes when in Massachusetts they had the chance to remove the Income Tax but they overwellmingly 70% voted to keep it. Who are the idiots in that state.

Ned the Red| 7.29.10 @ 11:34AM

This November let’s send all of the leading Democrats for a three hour cruise on Kerry's boat, the SS Flip Flop.
Nancy Pelosi as Mary Ann.
Kerry and wife as Thurston Howell III and Lovely wife.
Barney Frank as Ginger Grant.
Biden as the professor.
The Dingy Harry Reid as Gilligan.
Obama as the Skipper.

David W| 7.29.10 @ 11:48AM

How about the ultimate in hypocracy. Hillary Clinton talks about the need to redistribute wealth. Yet, how much will her daughter's wedding cost? They could probably feed the poor in Nigeria for what they are spending. They could fund several soup kitchens with that money.

Appleby| 7.29.10 @ 7:47PM

Half my office is getting married this year and is bankrupting itself and putting the arm on would-be guests to Ante Up Big Time (*No boxed gifts* is the code word for GIMMECASH!) and not a one of them has the money Chelsea has. However -- its their money and they are entitled to spend it on whatever they want to buy. The people who are catering this bash, from the wedding planner to the busboys, will take home enough cash to give their own kids a nice party or take a vacation, or buy the latest binkie that they otherwise couldnt have. Why not let them ladle the wealth into the local economy? Its better than shoving it in an offshore trust.

Supreme Galooti| 7.29.10 @ 11:50AM

I have travelled extensively in New England and have made the acquaintance of many of its fine denizens, but when it comes to intellectual honesty there is not a one of them I would trust alone in a room with a red hot stove unless the stove were comparatively valueless.

Howard| 7.29.10 @ 11:55AM

John Forbes Kerry "The Man of The People" is a world class a**hole. It is shocking this creep keeps getting reelected. Shame on us. Sadly, there is no Republican party to counter the Democrats. Scott Brown is an exception. Two party government is important.

Oldefarte| 7.29.10 @ 12:01PM

This is typical of most YANKEE LIBERALS, in their DO AS I SAY, NOT AS I DO activities. As environmental wackos, they protest our Gulf, etc oil drilling [and have their CHOSEN ONE place a drilling morotorium on us] but correspondingly fill up their SUV's [and yachts] with gasoline/fuel that was drilled/produced in our Gulf waters. They vacation on our Gulf beach resorts and then return home to critisize Southerners as backwoods racists. They dine at fancy restaurants and demand that their served seafood dishes not come from our now oil-spilled waters. To them, I and many others here say, EAT OUR EXCREMENT AND JUMP OFF A BAY STATE CLIFF!!!!

Jerry C| 7.29.10 @ 12:04PM

I work near the border of MD and VA. VA has a personal porperty tax on peoples large items like cars, boats, and RVs that are physically in VA. A lot of my VA friends store those items in MD to avoid the tax. It is legal so why not. Do all you righteous Americans pay taxes you don't legally have to pay. I don't think so.

Fast Johnny| 7.29.10 @ 12:29PM

"Do all you righteous Americans pay taxes you don't legally have to pay. I don't think so."

Jerry,

I think most of us don't have any assets that we can put into some tax exempt shelter. I only wish I had something valuable enough to be charged taxes on. But that is the point anyway, isn't it? Those limousine liberals with fat wallets can lambaste all of us 'little people' about our responsibilities when in reality is it their dodges that are evident. Taking payment in cash for a 500 dollar painting job to avoid taxes is nothing more than pure survival for many of us: dodging taxes on a 7 million dollar yacht is hoarding wealth. Maybe all those disposable income liberals should 'spread the wealth around'?

Jerry C| 7.29.10 @ 3:30PM

Specifically, what taxes are you paying that you don't legally have to pay.
It doesn't matter if it is my very conservative friends $100,000 motor home or Sen. Kerry's yacht. The principle is the same.

Matt Morehouse| 7.29.10 @ 11:32PM

Jerry C---You are spot on. Tax avoidance is perfectly OK and to be lauded. George Soros, George Bush, Rush Limbaugh, John Kerry, Jerry C. or Matt Morehouse makes no difference we should all be of the same mind on this one. Tax evasion? Well that's another question.

NeilBJ| 7.29.10 @ 12:41PM

Now if the wealthy politicians would reflect on their efforts to avoid high taxes, and realize that if they vote to "tax the rich", the rich will behave in the same manner as they do, then we'll be getting somewhere.

But I'm not holding my breath.

bill carson| 7.29.10 @ 12:48PM

I can't really complain about Kerry myself. He's been a known quantity for many years, yet he is re-elected again and again and again.

This article and others like it should focus more on why the people of American keep handing power over to those who would put us in the chains of a socialist government. Personally, I think Americans want to dive into socialism. If I'm wrong, then maybe someone can tell me why Dems have 60 seats in the Senate and their little messiah in the White House.

Stan Allen| 8.2.10 @ 8:40PM

I, too, am searching desperately for evidence that this is *not* the case, but there isn't much out there - all signs are pointing to the socialist road...sure, not tomorrow, and not by armed insurrection, but steadily, by degrees. Very sad.

Harrison| 7.29.10 @ 12:53PM

The point regarding Kerry's yacht being built overseas is a worthy one, and I have not read this elsewhere.

Nice!

Steve A| 7.29.10 @ 12:59PM

Hey Jerry C,
I bet most of your pals also pull the lever for the idiots who made the tax law that they go out of their way to avoid. The difference here is the hypocricy of railing against the rich, seeking to penalize this "privelidged class" of which you are a member (Kerry) while going out of your way to avoid paying a tax that you backed. Any light bulbs going off, moron??

Mike Gabel| 7.29.10 @ 1:17PM

The hidden story here is the beauty of the formation of this country. The states have rights to enact their own laws, so as to provide freedom and flexibility to the people. If a person does not like the tax in MA, they can freely choose to dock their boat elsewhere. If a person doesn't like the laws in one state, they can move to another.

These states' rights also highlight why federal law is often so oppressive, becuase it reduces such freedom and flexibility, not to mention personal property.

What Kerry did is not a crime. I won't even label it as corrupt because he, like each taxpayer, can act to pay the lowest tax allowable by law.

The hypocrisy, of course, is when Kerry and his party make their frequent assualts on "the rich". It is a common tactic of the left to separate people by class and race when trying to increase the size and spending of government. They are also good at spending other peoples' money. But, if Mr. Kerry sincerely believes that "the rich" don't do their "patriotic duty" by paying enough tax, you would think he'd gladly dock his boat in his home state, MA, no?

Steve A| 7.29.10 @ 1:40PM

Mike, Agree, however, just look at Arizona's attempt to solve it's problem & the resulting Federal action as well as the states attempts to void the Obamacare law via suit & you have to admit it is strongly trending in the wrong direction. These people are bent on centralizing power & must be stopped.

Mike Gabel| 7.30.10 @ 11:21AM

Steve A: I agree. Everything the current administration does is done with their interest at the forefront. Despite Obama's lofty platitutes, We The People are not his priority.

Achilles Toejam| 7.29.10 @ 1:50PM

The old saying Vote with Your Feet comes to mind but unfortunately it's getting more difficult to do that because the ever-increasing size of the government, that's why our founders gave us only the size of federal government that was necessary to do the job and no more (Enumerated Powers) but unfortunately our people have been dumbed down in our history has been revised in our founders demonized unfairly.
But that is starting to change because there is an awakening taking place of our history and Constitution and the people are learning to reject the language and the very premise of the deliberate distortions and lies propagated by the progressive socialists.

Jeanette| 7.29.10 @ 1:51PM

Kerry is like so many other democratic officials. He wants to hoard his own money, but he will freely spend yours.....

Bloefeld| 7.29.10 @ 2:08PM

I'm from Alberta Canada. I am proud to say that my province charges no sales tax. Canada has a GST (Goods and Services Tax) that started at 7% and is now 5%. Yep you heard me right; our nation LOWERED a tax.

Incredibly Canada now has a way more intrusive government than the U.S. but also has lower taxes on corporations and personal income. We have universal healthcare (it's bankrupting us), but somehow Canada has lower taxes than the U.S. and much lower when the Bush tax cuts are taken into account.

Cheers,

Bloefeld

David| 7.29.10 @ 3:27PM

Houston Rao, thanks for setting straight Majito and informing the other posters here.

If I correctly recall, over the last several years, 70% of ALL jobs created in America have been in Texas.

That is because of our low taxes, no state or local income taxes, and a friendly business environment.

David | 7.29.10 @ 3:42PM

Fantum, I bet you're glad you got that off of your chest. Ha ha.

I agree. Unfortunately, too many who are right leaning love to say that "all politicians are the same. There is no difference between them". To that I say, hogwash.

I have watched politics for a long time, and for many years, about 80% of what I watched on the tube was C-SPAN. That sure opened my eyes to just how downright dishonest the liberals and democrats are. At least the repubs would try to have honest debates, whereas the dems simply make up things they claim are facts and demagouge the arguments.

To my fellow conservatives who have the habit of thinking that all politicians are alike, I say that in some senses they are; however, the repubs are not dishonest like the dems.

Why? Because the media allow the leftists and dems to lie and get away with it. They will nail a repub who they catch lying or even exaggerating. So, yes, the dems are lying pigs and the repubs are not.

voters_are_folls| 7.29.10 @ 4:05PM

as someone else already said, the real fools are the people of mass. , the voters.

MAJ Mike| 7.29.10 @ 4:23PM

Let's not forget Barney Frank, who imposed trillions of dollars in debt on America through his protection of the bloated slush funds that masqueraded as mortgage houses, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, but who reacted with a full on tantrum when he didn't receive a $1 dollar senior discount on a ferry ticket.

If Massachussetts ever tries to secede from the union, we should let them.

dw| 7.29.10 @ 6:27PM

Is hate for these leftist ideolouges too strong an emotion? I mean when a bunch of rich hypocrites want to ruin our unique way of life as a means to further strengthen their dictatorial reign over us is hate too strong a term?
When indoctinated morons are more than ready to give away our heritage, is hate too strong a term?
When people like Frank and Todd can ruin us financially and get away with it and then further divert attention away from them by blaming Wall Street is hate not an applicable feeling?

Cincinnatius| 7.29.10 @ 8:36PM

It angers me that Lurch Kerry is still using oxygen that could be used by bacteria to do something useful for the world. It is a crime. This walking, talking piece of excrement should still be in prison for the little act he did before congress in the 70's, if not shot for treason. He is nothing more than a man whore and Ms. Heinz must be really stupid to put up with this t**d.

Constitution Statesman| 7.29.10 @ 9:51PM

Classic example of legislators making laws and believing that the masses should be subjected to them while they are not. Oh, the privileges of the legislator.

2 Gunz., AZ| 7.30.10 @ 2:05PM

"Taxes are for the little people" Leona Helmsely.
(sorry for the misspelling)

Harry| 7.30.10 @ 2:12PM

A tax cheat is a tax cheat. Can't get around it. Interesting how democrats have this problem of responsibility to pay taxes. I guess they follow the leader Tax Cheat Geithner

Derek Leaberry| 7.30.10 @ 4:06PM

It's funny how our left-wing friends become very anguished about taxing the rich when they themselves become rich. For instance, George Orwell was all for taxing the rich until he hit the big time with "Animal Farm" and "1984." George Harrison felt the same pinch about two decades later, hence the song "Taxman." One for you, nineteen for me.

Wally| 7.30.10 @ 6:36PM

Every last problem in America can be traced directly back to Washington and our corrupt politicians. No exceptions. The problem is, the people of their home states are the people who keep putting them back in office, and that is the problem.

Term limits...........................

People entering the milatery serve a 6 year enlistment, part active and part inactive. They get their pay and health care while on active duty, but if they can't perform their duties they get kicked out. At the end of 6 years, they are finished and get nothing more.

Why can't government in Washington do away with the house of representatives completely and have 6 senators from each state? They get paid $75,000 per year plus health care. If they can't do the job the state governor gets to pick the senators replacement to fill the term. Every 2 years, 2 of the senators are voted out and there is no such thing as being reelected. You serve 1 term of 6 years and you go home and find a job.

There are no other benefits. Small cheap hotels can be bought for which they pay rent. They are responsible for cleaning their own apartments and food. If they want other housing, it's out of their own pockets.

You would soon find politicians who are more concerned with the everyday affairs of America rather than their personal gain and power.

A lot more can be said but you get the point.

I have been suggesting this several times a year, every year for more than 40 years. I have gotten a half dozen replies saying thanks for you're concern and input blah-blah. Not once has the letter be addressed directly.