More Rich Democrats Who Don't Pay Their Taxes.

John Kerry, a Democrat, Massachusetts Senator (who also once ran for President in 2004) and married to Teresa Heinz (heiress to the Heinz fortune and millionaire philanthropist) recently bought a 76 foot luxury yacht (with its Edwardian-style, glossy varnished teak interior, two VIP main cabins and a pilothouse fitted with a wet bar and cold wine storage) for something in the neighborhood of $7 million dollars. John Kerry christianed the yacht Isabel after his late mother, Rosemary Isabel Forbes. (Forbes? Duh?)

Rather than moor the boat in his home state of MA, Kerry arranged to have the boat purchased and docked in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. Rhode Island is the sailing capital of the world and there's a very good reason for that. Back in 1993, RI repealed their boat sales and use tax which when translated means, if you buy and moor a boat in Rhode Island, you don't have to pay any taxes. The Ocean State is a haven for tax-skirting luxury yacht owners. If Kerry had moored his yacht in his cash-strapped home state of Massachusetts, he would have had to cough up (in addition to the $7mill purchase price) $437,500 in sales tax and $70,000 in annual excise tax. MA Governor, Deval Patrick. who signed a 25-percent tax hike into law last year to bolster the state’s dwindling coffers, had 'no comment' regarding Kerry's recent tax avoiding actions.

When Kerry was questioned, he stated that his new yacht was only moored in Newport, RI because it was undergoing "longterm maintenance, upkeep and charter purposes, not tax reasons.” But how many brand new, multi-million dollar yachts do you know of that need long term maintenance after just being purchased? Under law, if a boat owner berths the vessel in Massachusetts waters within six months of purchasing the boat, there’s a “presumption of use,” and the owner must fork over the 6.25 percent sales tax to the commonwealth. Local excise taxes also are due. According to sources, Kerry was seen coming ashore off the Isabel on the Edgartown town dock in Martha's Vineyard, MA after he sailed into the harbor on July 16 as he made his way to an event at the Harborview Hotel. Kerry and his wife were also spotted in Nantucket over the Fourth of July weekend aboard the Isabel.

In a statement made yesterday: Sen. John Kerry moved to end a controversy over his decision to base his new $7 million yacht in tax-free Rhode Island, informing the Massachusetts Department of Revenue on Tuesday that he would "promptly" pay taxes as if the vessel were docked in his home state.

Imagine that? Paying your taxes ONLY because you got caught?

MA Republicans were quick to point out: "Senator Kerry will only pay the taxes because he got caught," party Chairwoman Jennifer Nassour said in a statement. "He should spend more time creating jobs rather than customizing his yacht. Democrats think they live by another set of rules, and the voters of the commonwealth will soon remind them they do not."

And so the beat goes on.