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1. #201
   On July 23rd, 2010 at 8:09 pm, American Elephant said:

   Thurston & Lovey Avoid $500k in Mass. Luxury Taxes

   Hey now! We LIKE Thuston and Lovey!

2. #202
   On July 23rd, 2010 at 9:49 pm, chapoutier said:

   T Bone,

   There is a huge difference between a “tax haven” and a jurisdiction that has a different tax rate.

   Tax havens and tax shelters are places that people can hide assets that are ALREADY subject to a tax. That is NOT the case with Kerry.

   What Kerry did was more analagous to a company moving to a different state with no corporate tax, or someone moving to Florida because they don’t have an income tax. They are not hiding assets that are already taxable. They are simply deciding to subject themselves to less tax going forward. Surely you don’t object to jurisdictions having different tax rates, do you

3. #203
   On July 23rd, 2010 at 10:03 pm, JHSII said:

   What we object to is Kerry being a hypocrite on taxes.

4. #204
   On July 23rd, 2010 at 10:25 pm, chapoutier said:

   Yeah…problem is, though, that he’s not.

5. #205
   On July 24th, 2010 at 12:28 am, jt3151 said:

   What Kerry did was more analagous to a company moving to a different state with no corporate tax, or someone moving to Florida because they don’t have an income tax.

   OK Chappy, but aren’t you now forced to recognize that higher taxes can chase businesses and individuals away from jurisdictions, including states and even countries?

6. #206
   On July 24th, 2010 at 12:38 am, chapoutier said:

   Don’t recall ever denying it.

7. #207
   On July 24th, 2010 at 6:23 am, JHSII said:

   The problem, chappy, is that Kerry is being a hypocrite. You denying that pretty much confirms it for the rest of us.

8. #208
   On July 24th, 2010 at 11:15 am, cheapseat said:

   THURSTON AND LOVEY INDEED! This turd is truly one for the ages. He volunteers for Nam, gets three purple hearts and NO scars so he’s out before his boots get wet, comes home with outrageous lies of misconduct and attrocities our troops have committed in Nam, and parlays that crap into a Senatorial career. He marries a golddigger who inheritted the Heinz fortune, which is a perfect pick for this golddigging (_*_). Then he gets his yacht and won’t register it or park it in his state because the TAXES HE CREATED ARE TOO HIGH THERE.

9. #209
   On July 24th, 2010 at 1:14 pm, Blackstone said:

   On July 23rd, 2010 at 12:29 pm, chapoutier said:

   I am sure if I thought about it I could come up with some better way in which many people here take advantage of something that, on a philosophical level, they would prefer not be there in the first place.

   But we’re not just talking about “philosophical” objections. Kerry has made it clear that he has a moral objection to “the rich” paying too little in taxes, that it’s a social injustice. That’s what makes his actions hypocritical.

10. #210
    On July 24th, 2010 at 1:52 pm, BrianNY said:

    #205 JHSII said:

    What we object to is Kerry being a hypocrite on taxes.

    #206 chapoutier said:

    Yeah…problem is, though, that he’s not.

    Chap, let’s go to his own web site, (since removed) and search for instances of John Kerry accusing other Americans of being “Benedict Arnolds” for avoiding excessive tax rates:
    

    “Unlike the Bush Administration, I want to repeal every tax break and loophole that rewards any Benedict Arnold CEO or corporation for shipping American jobs overseas.”

    “Instead of George Bush’s raw deal, we need a real deal that stands up to the powerful interests. That’s built on people and products not privileges and perks. And that closes every loophole for the Benedict Arnold companies that ship jobs overseas.”

    Chap, if John Kerry has a history of condemning and ridiculing other Americans for legally avoiding the excessive tax rates that he has consistently advocated for, but he is now exposed for doing the very same thing…and if the definition of a hypocrite includes “a person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings,” then how exactly is John Kerry not a hypocrite, as you have stated in #206?

11. #211
    On July 24th, 2010 at 2:15 pm, chapoutier said:

    You know what, BrianNY…those quotes are pretty good. Not totally willing tosay it demonstrates hypocrisy on his part, as I would need the full context of what he said and proposed.

    But…let me just say you have made a prima facie case that I was wrong if that is indeed Kerry’s stance.

    But let me also say that what he is quoted as saying there is different than what other people were claiming was the source of his hypocrisy.

12. #212
    On July 24th, 2010 at 3:15 pm, BrianNY said:

    I would need the full context of what he said and proposed.

    My understanding, from witnessing Kerry’s 2004 Presidential Campaign, was that Kerry was building a political case, in favor of his union support, and against “Benedict Arnold” corporate types who “traitorously” scheme to avoid paying their prescribed tax liabilities.

    Judging from the article that I linked to, Kerry seemed, in typical fashion, to drop the subject altogether after he started catching guff for referring to law abiding Americans as “Benedict Arnolds,” so I can’t seem to find any tax proposals that Kerry may have been pondering at the time.

    Our arguments are only as strong as our sources and facts,but the Kerry quotes that I found from 2004 don’t seem to be out of context from what I remember of his “Benedict Arnold” kerfuffle at the time.

    Not totally willing tosay it demonstrates hypocrisy on his part…

    I’m curious. If Kerry did indeed label law abiding Americans as “traitorous,” for hedging their tax liabilities in order to remain competitive in a global market, but then did a similar thing in order to protect his personal finances…what would Kerry have to do in order to change your partiality on this subject to a total acceptance of his hypocrisy?

13. #213
    On July 24th, 2010 at 3:28 pm, chapoutier said:

    what would Kerry have to do in order to change your partiality on this subject to a total acceptance of his hypocrisy?

    I simply need to make sure that he is talking about companies simply moving jurisdictions to minimize tax consequences. I admit that, on its face, that seems exactly what he is talking about. And since I am too lazy right now to look any further, I have to take his words at face value.

    In other words…you won this round, BrianNY. I am admitting that. I’ll buy you a drink next time you are in DC.

14. #214
    On July 24th, 2010 at 7:03 pm, BrianNY said:

    I’ll buy you a drink next time you are in DC.

    You might want to reconsider that. A quick review shows that DC pockets 10% for every cocktail served in that wonderful, swampland district…9% if you want to buy and carry a six of Genny Cream Ale to the Mall.

    NYC has a much more affordable 8.9% government theft rate. I wonder if Ebenezer Kerry knows about this tax play, before he stocks his pilothouse fitted with a wet bar and cold wine storage?

15. #215
    On July 24th, 2010 at 7:06 pm, corkie said:

    On July 24th, 2010 at 3:28 pm, chapoutier said:

    In other words…you won this round, BrianNY.

    Nice job, BrianNY

16. #216
    On July 24th, 2010 at 7:12 pm, chapoutier said:

    Two things, Brian

    You can’t get Genny Cream Ale down here. They only sell that in upstate NY where people are dumb enough to buy that swill.

    Second, if you were to take some onto the Mall, rest assured DC will be collecting more than 9%. DC will be collecting anything you haven’t drank by the time the Park Police find you, as well as a nice chunk of change from the open beverage citation.

17. #217
    On July 24th, 2010 at 7:57 pm, BrianNY said:

    You can’t get Genny Cream Ale down here.

    Actually, I heard a rumor that they have been producing that ol’ Boston Red Sox swill, Narragansett Beer, at the old Genny Cream Ale facilities for a few years now…so I’m not sure one can get GCA anywhere now.

    …dumb enough to buy that swill.

    I’m not going to fall into a Bell Curve/Beer debate, but I will confide that my dad used to keep Rheingold tall boys around the house for drinking purposes, and Genny Cream Ale for when we ran out of Drano.

    Second, if you were to take some onto the Mall, rest assured DC will be collecting more than 9%.

    Hogwash. I’ve seen Forrest Gump. You can interrupt entire anti-war demonstrations with old girlfriend reunions in the reflecting pool if you want to!

18. #218
    On July 27th, 2010 at 10:59 am, Politicalguano said:

    Kerry just needs to drown some innocent woman in his yacht to put the F in John F U Kerry.
    Are there any democRAT politicians that aren’t tax cheats? Rangel the tax cheat, Geithner at treasury a tax cheat- it is amazing. And none of them ever go to jail. How nice.