| Topic: |
Politics > Politics-USA |
| User: |
"thereactionary" |
| Date: |
18 Oct 2004 05:34:40 PM |
| Object: |
Tax the rich! The other rich, not us! |
Reader and former Foley & Lardner tax partner David Lott was impressed
by the low effective federal income tax rate revealed in the tax
information released by Teresa Heinz this past Friday. He noticed that
her state of residence had been redacted from the information and
ascertained that it was Pennsylvania, a state with a far lower income
tax rate than Massachusetts. He performed some online research and
discovered this September 9, 1999 AP story on the subject:
She may be his biggest supporter, but Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry's
wife Teresa Heinz can't vote for him, despite owning a $3 million home
in the city's Beacon Hill neighborhood.
Heinz, the ketchup conglomerate heiress, has kept her legal residence
in Pennsylvania, meaning she can't vote for her husband.
It also means she hasn't paid income tax in Massachusetts since
marrying Kerry four years ago, according to Department of Revenue
records.
Instead, Heinz pays taxes in her legal residence of Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania has one of the lowest tax rates in the country - 2.8
percent - less than half of Massachusetts's 5.95 percent.
Kerry files taxes separately from Heinz in Massachusetts, he said.
Kerry said Heinz's move to keep Pennsylvania residency is not due to
Massachusetts' tax rate, but rather because it would be too
complicated to move her corporate and philanthropic dealings to the
state.
"All her operations are based in Pittsburgh, all the foundations, it's
just too complicated legally (to move),'' Kerry told the Boston
Herald.
Heinz's decision comes with another catch - she's legally prohibited
from spending more than 182 days in Massachusetts each year.
That's not a problem for the couple's marriage, Kerry said.
"It doesn't constrain it in the least, ever,'' he said. "Five days a
week, four days a week, we're down in Washington.''
Mr. Lott writes: "To me, the issue is hypocrisy." Mr. Lott adds:
Kerry's explanation is bunk. She wouldn't have to move anything to
Massachusetts to become domiciled there. [Residence is] a pure intent
test. You can bet your bippy that if the Massachusetts rate were
lower, she would be domiciled there in a heartbeat.
Usually I view politicians like the clowns at the circus—there's
always one more coming out of that little car. But these are not
amusing times and every instinct I have tells me that John Kerry is
and always has been an utter fake.
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