Romney Party Yacht "Cracker Bay" Flies Cayman Islands Flag

Romney Party Yacht "Cracker Bay" Flies Cayman Islands Flag
(ABCnews.com)

Romney and his top donors, who contributed more than $1 million each, partied it up on a 150-foot yacht "Cracker Bay", flying the flag of the Cayman Islands.

Gov. Mitt Romney's campaign toasted its top donors Wednesday aboard a 150-foot yacht flying the flag of the Cayman Islands.

The floating party, hosted by a Florida developer on his yacht "Cracker Bay," was one of a dozen exclusive events meant to nurture those who have raised more than $1 million for Romney's bid.

The party on the yacht, exclusive for Romney's top donors, was completely off the calendar. ABC News had to stalk him to uncover the event. Romney has refused to identify who his cadre of million-dollar donors are.
ABC news

“I think it’s ironic they do this aboard a yacht that doesn’t even pay its taxes,” a woman who lives at the marina where Cracker Bay is moored told ABC News.

(Video from ABC News at link above)

Relevant off site information:

Solomon Harris have a dedicated shipping department who are able to deal with all manner of shipping matters such as registrations, de-registrations, mortgages and charges of status for both local and international clients.
Although Cayman has been a popular base for the registration of foreign owned vessels for many years, recent conventions adopted by the Islands mean that a Cayman registered vessel owned by a Cayman company enjoys all the privileges afforded to the British Flag and full international recognition while benefiting from the tax free status and shipping laws of the Cayman Islands.

Cayman Benefits
The benefits of registering in the Cayman Islands are as follows:
Manning restrictions are less onerous than for other British dependencies, while still providing the benefits of flying under the Red Ensign Flag.
Red ensign flag entitles ships to the protection of the Royal Navy.
Full assistance of the British consular service worldwide, which is especially useful in connection with crew matters.
Registration and annual tonnage fees are very competitive.
High quality local expertise in the fields of banking, company management, legal and accounting services.
Excellent international communications by fax, telephone and telex.
Absence of exchange controls.
No income, corporate or capital gains taxes exist in the Cayman Islands.
Colony status.

Source

At least he is consistent in his belief that the rich shouldn't be burdened with tax's.....

~Heff

He laughs directly in your faces.
But hey, its a good laugh. You should join. He is a winner. He will be president. We all should be at least a little like him.

If someone detects hints of sarcasm, thats just you. I would never do such. Nevereverever.

Woa, this stuff about the RNC is really getting on my nerves. How can anyone really take the nonsense happening there for being DEMOCRATIC? Or even for being done in your name?

It looks really, really stupid from the outside.

If someone told any American that they could avoid all vehicle and gas taxes if they registered their car in Missouri, wouldn't they?

It's not illegal, it's not even unethical because there is no moral requirement to pay more in taxes than you are required to.

So is the problem that it "looks bad?" Is the objection that Romney has found a way to keep money for himself instead of giving it to the government? I can see how that would be an easy call.

Forgive me if I'm misunderstanding the motives, but this seems like an attemt to stir up envy or jealously. Please correct me if needed.

reply to post by charles1952


No no, Mitt Romney is a true American - maybe he'll replace the flag over the White House with the ensign of the Cayman Islands. That seems to be where his loyalties lie.

reply to post by Blackmarketeer

Dear Blackmarketeer,

You've just made my presidential selection harder. Now we have two presidential candidates suspected of not being loyal to the US. How to choose, how to choose. Maybe I'll have to look at their records while in office. That's the idea!

With respect,
Charles1952

reply to post by charles1952


Sure you don't want to try and squeeze in a birther comment, too?

You can have the guy flying the Cayman Islands flag over his party central where he is entertaining and kissing the rings of his multimillionaire benefactors.

Originally posted by Blackmarketeer

“I think it’s ironic they do this aboard a yacht that doesn’t even pay its taxes,” a woman who lives at the marina where Cracker Bay is moored told ABC News.

(Video from ABC News at link above)

It isn't ironic at all. It's as ironic as the things listed in the song 'Ironic' in which the only ironic thing is that it's called ironic.

Why can't he fly that flag again, someone remind me?

Originally posted by Blackmarketeer
reply to post by charles1952

 

No no, Mitt Romney is a true American - maybe he'll replace the flag over the White House with the ensign of the Cayman Islands. That seems to be where his loyalties lie.

I don't care for Romney, either, but I don't understand your position in this matter. From your post (quoted from the article):

Gov. Mitt Romney's campaign toasted its top donors Wednesday aboard a 150-foot yacht flying the flag of the Cayman Islands.

The floating party, hosted by a Florida developer on his yacht "Cracker Bay," was one of a dozen exclusive events meant to nurture those who have raised more than $1 million for Romney's bid.

From the article:

Registered in the Caymans, and flying a version of the Caymans' "civil ensign" or merchant flag ....

The Cracker Bay is owned by Gary Morse, developer of the Villages retirement community.

Romney doesn't own the boat, though the article title (and, hence, your thread title) implies that he does.

If the boat is registered in the Caymans, why wouldn't it be flying the flag of the Caymans?

How do you draw the conclusion that because Romney accepted an invitation to use the boat ... or even if he ASKED to use the boat ... or the party was thrown in his honor ON the boat ... he would "replace the flag over the White House with the ensign of the Cayman Islands?"

If Obama is campaigni ng in Switzerland, Sweden, France and China, does that mean he intends to "replace the flag over the White House" with a flag from one of those Countries should he win the election? (And, yes, I do know that Romney has had overseas fund raisers, too).

Romney was 'honored' on a big yacht. Obama was honored with million dollar parties in Detroit. Detroit is one of our poorest cities - what do you think $40,000 pizza dinners might say to the poor people of Detroit?

How do you view Romney's association with the ultra wealthy differently than Obama's association with the ultra wealthy? When was the last time we had a President or presidential candidate who was NOT wealthy?

I'm not crazy for either candidate, but I believe there is enough mud slinging going on in the world of politics without it being necessary for average citizens to join in it. I believe that our Presidents and presidential candidates are forgetting, more and more, that they're not royalty. Most sadly, it seems to me that many supporters of those Presidents and presidential candidates are also forgetting that they are not royalty.

Romney, if elected, isn't likely to fly the flag of the Caymans. Obama, if re-elected, isn't likely to fly the flag of Switzerland. Either, if elected, ARE, however, likely to continue to throw lavish parties at the taxpayers' expense, surround themselves with the wealthy, and forget the common man.

One coin; two sides. How tragic that citizens continue to contribute to it.

It's legal. Isn't your party yacht flagged in Cayman? I thought everyone's was.

I thought the name was odd, so I looked for a place in the US called "Cracker Bay" and found none... But I did find this relevant information:

For the record, the colloquial term "Florida cracker" refers to the colonial English settlers of what is now the Sunshine State, as well as their descendants. The Democratic 41st governor of Florida, "Walkin'" Lawton Chiles (a now-deceased buddy of the Clintons), famously quipped about winning the "cracker vote"—meaning down-home white voters. Chiles also praised Bill Clinton's ability to fluently "speak cracker."

Cracker Bay is also the name of a road in South Africa.

Source

I don't know who named the boat (sorry... "Yacht") but I do know Romney is doing everything he can these days to win the white working class vote. This should do it, eh?

We are seeing the results of "Citizens United". I thought everyone here hated that ruling... But now, these corporations are going to be our next president! Congratulations! We will truly be a country run by the most elite and wealthy!

God Bless the United Corporatocracy of America!

It's registered there so it'll have the flag from there.

I'm wondering if Senators Dianne Feinstein (D., CA), Richard Blumenthal (D.,CN), Frank Lautenberg (D. NJ), and John Kerry (D., MA) have boats there as well. And The Clintons. They use the Caymans ... and Kerry is a known boater .... hmmmm ...

google google ... ah here it is ...

Info on John Kerry's Boat Looks like Kerry had his boat built in New Zealand to avoid taxes .. and then moored it in Rhode Island, instead of Massachussets where he lived, so he could avoid all those pesky Massachussets taxes. But it did indeed have an American flag on it. So I guess that makes it all okay.

What about other Cayman investments?
Wouldn't that be the same as a boat with the Cayman flag??

Reids Glass House ... Democrats have Cayman Island Accounts
Cayman Island Off Shore Accounts

ABC Smears Romney Tax Haves but Ignores Kerry 2004

Romney is not, in fact, the richest recent presidential contender. That honor goes to John Kerry. Do you remember ABC, or any other news outlet, running stories like this one–”Kerry parks millions in Cayman Islands,” or Switzerland, or whatever–in 2004? No, I don’t either.

Boston Globe

Documents obtained by the Globe detail John Kerry's 1983 investment of between $25,000 and $30,000 in offshore companies registered in the Cayman Islands. The document below, signed by Kerry, shows his pledge to purchase 2,470 shares of Peabody Commodities Trading Corp. through Sytel Traders, registered in the Caymans.

Cayman Island Tax Havens are used by all the uber-rich. Democrat and Republican. It's exceptionally sad. That money should be here in the USA to help our economy. Unfortunately .. it's all legal. Anyone using the Caymans to hide their wealth is doing so legally ... but they can't turn around and whine that the other side is killing American jobs or whatever ..Because by investing overseas, they themselves are also killing American jobs and the American economy.

reply to post by FlyersFan


Is John Kerry running for president? Besides, John Kerry Released 20 Years of Tax Returns so the public could see the facts and judge for themselves. That's ONE big difference between Romney and Kerry.

2004 Source

There's nothing wrong with being wealthy. Paying your fair share is a moral obligation, if not a legal one.

The Bain Files

Originally posted by ManFromEurope
He laughs directly in your faces.
But hey, its a good laugh. You should join. He is a winner. He will be president. We all should be at least a little like him.

If someone detects hints of sarcasm, thats just you. I would never do such. Nevereverever.

Woa, this stuff about the RNC is really getting on my nerves. How can anyone really take the nonsense happening there for being DEMOCRATIC? Or even for being done in your name?

It looks really, really stupid from the outside.

Can't help but agree your your assessment of the appearances.

The sad part is that most of the people in the U S don't seem to see it that way.

Somehow they think a "real American businessman" should do everything that is "legal" to make and keep as much money as possible. It doesn't seem to matter how it appears.

I will be glad when a "real American" with a spine decides to take this office again.

I am not worried about what kind of job they may do, I just want someone in office I can have some confidence in as a fellow American.

I know we will never have another John Kennedy. Right now I would settle for Jimmy Carter.

Anyone with any sea experience knows this a common practice with boat owners who travel, Like someone mentioned above it is done to make traveling between ports in the islands more simple and way less expensive. I would say 90% of the larger boats in South FL fly the Cayman Islands flag. Pay the fees once to dock an American flagged boat in the islands and you to will be switching flags to.

Originally posted by charles1952
If someone told any American that they could avoid all vehicle and gas taxes if they registered their car in Missouri, wouldn't they?

What??? Is Missouri a foriegn country?

Is it too much to ask the millionaire Romney owners that are pretending to be patriotic to NOT plan thier rhetorical, utter BS while flying the flag of another country?

Originally posted by FlyersFan
It's registered there so it'll have the flag from there.

I'm wondering if Senators Dianne Feinstein (D., CA), Richard Blumenthal (D.,CN), Frank Lautenberg (D. NJ), and John Kerry (D., MA) have boats there as well. And The Clintons. They use the Caymans ... and Kerry is a known boater .... hmmmm ...

Short answer...NO...none of them have boats/yachts that fly a foriegn flag...nor do they have strategy meetings on electing the next President of the United States beneath a foriegn flag.

I think the issue is more character based. We are in economic turmoil in the states and are hanging on by our fingernails and mortgaging our children into bankruptcy right now. The economy is the major issue - another major issue is taxes.

In a time of war a person who avoided the draft would be called out for it.

So, in a time of recession / depression.. a tax dodger gets called out. Fair game.

~Heff

Originally posted by Hefficide

I think the issue is more character based. We are in economic turmoil in the states and are hanging on by our fingernails and mortgaging our children into bankruptcy right now. The economy is the major issue - another major issue is taxes.

In a time of war a person who avoided the draft would be called out for it.

So, in a time of recession / depression.. a tax dodger gets called out. Fair game.

~Heff

You are so off base its scary....This is not to hide from US taxes. It is to save money on Island taxes.

If you buy a yacht or fishing boat you are mostly buying it to spend sunny Summer days swimming in the ocean and getting a tan. Well people who live in the North East don't buy boats to put them behind their house and freeze all year long. Most people with boats like tropical weather and purchased a boat to spend time in those climates. Welllll....if you like tropical weather and the Virgin Islands are only a short boat ride from FL wouldn't you want to hop in your new boat and cruise on over?? Imagine when you get there you find the docking , fuel, marina, and everything else is tripled for American registered vessels. Wouldn't you also register your boat in the place you love to vacation if it could save you thousands every year, or in this case probably hundreds of thousands.

I would say flying the Cayman Islands flag is a service to the US taxpayers. If keeps Americans from paying SUPER high prices to the Cayman Islands just to dock a boat there. I would rather my fellow Americans keep there money instead of giving it another Country just to enjoy a little Summer fun.

reply to post by GuidedKill


I'm not referring to the boat, as it was pointed out earlier - it's not even his.

I'm talking about the other implications of tax sheltering that I've been reading about concerning Mitt Romney. If he is using shelters and taking advantage of the system, then I don't trust him to be the guy in the White House right now. I want a POTUS who's going to shore the hemorrhage of money up - not make sure that the bleeding continues. And a guy who's already in that game isn't likely to call it off.

~Heff