Ahoy Taxpayers: $en. John Kerry avoids Yacht Taxe$

Why, isn’t he special in that “eat cake massholes” kinda way?

$enator Thurston Howell Kerry III

From the Boston Herald:

Cash-strapped Massachusetts still collects a 6.25 percent sales tax and an annual excise tax on yachts. Sources say Isabel sold for something in the neighborhood of $7 million, meaning Kerry saved approximately $437,500 in sales tax and an annual excise tax of about $70,000.

But it’s okay, his “masshole” is covered with this simple explanation:

The senior senator’s chief of staff David Wade denied the old salt was berthing his boat out of state to avoid ponying up to the commonwealth.

“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.

Charter purposes? To his summer home in Nantucket? Or it’s a commercial investment to “charter” tourists or poor kids maybe. Shoddy journalism to leave those pesky details out 😦

Oh, and it helps to have friends in high places, maybe a little political payback?

And state Department of Revenue spokesguy Bob Bliss confirmed the senator “is under no obligation to pay the commonwealth sales tax.”

This guy didn’t catch much of a break:

But back in 2006, then-gubernatorial candidate Christy Mihos took some flack for avoiding some $23,000 in Bay State sales tax and $1,320 in local excise taxes by berthing his motor yacht in Rhode Island. But Mihos paid just $475,000 for his 36-foot vessel Ashley and readily admitted that he used the boat at his West Yarmouth summer home.

We’ll be watching you JK. I just hope the taxpayers didn’t pay for your little boat shopping trip to New Zealand too:

Fontaine, a protege of legendary sailboat designer Ted Hood, was tight-lipped about the (original) owners of Isabel but he did confirm the boat was built in New Zealand. According to Internet reports, Kerry was seen in Whangarei last December inspecting his new high-seas plaything.

I’m sure this will all be a huge misunderstanding, now go back to raising MY taxes. Meh. I wish only “fair winds and following seas to the “Isabel” and her crew, but I think the U.S.S John Kerry has struck a political iceberg:

(Inspired by Not Your Sweetie and Weasel Zippers.)