For those that don't know, I am a Nationally Certified Marine Electrician that works for a "small" (44 employees), family owned business that was established in 1950, that specializes on those evil mega yachts that make up the 1%.
Col. Allen West, Representative from S. Florida, Gets It...
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1211/70440_Page2.html
By REP. ALLEN WEST | 12/14/11 1:40 PM EST
Perhaps the most conspicuous symbol of wealth is a mega-yacht. Only those “millionaires and billionaires” among us can attain these magnificent vessels, measuring 100 feet or more in length.
These mega-yacht owners are the same “1 percenters” now vilified by both the Occupiers of Wall Street and one particular occupier of the White House.These occupiers resent mega-yachts as a symbol of ill-gotten gains — of wealth stolen from others and squandered needlessly.
But I want to ask those occupiers some questions. What about the mechanics, dock hands, electricians, carpenters, plumbers, welders and fiberglass laminators who build these yachts? What about the crews, captains, cleaners and caterers who serve on them?Are the livelihoods of these “99 percenters” frivolous and expendable? Do the occupiers care at all about
“the workers”?
Evidently not. When the 1 percenters are asked to pay their fair share with a “luxury tax” on their yachts and decide, maybe, they won’t buy a yacht after all, who suffers the most? Those who build, service and provision mega-yachts — skilled workers paid an hourly wage, or small family businesses and local retailers.South Florida’s marine industry supports more than 200,000 workers. Each superyacht built requires more than 1,000 workers to complete.
Ten percent of the purchase price of each yacht goes into maintenance each year, performed by 99 percenters, including mechanics, dock hands, cleaners and other service staff. In two years, we will have the best mega-yacht facility in the world, when Rybovich opens for business in Riviera Beach, Fla.
This year, I went to the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, for a congressional summit with members of the Marine Industries Association of South Florida.
I toured a breathtaking 165-foot vessel with a $50 million price tag. It would take $5 million each year to maintain this impressive yacht’s seaworthiness — and roughly $125,000 just to fill the gas tank.
In every way, this boat exemplified the greatness of America’s free-market capitalist system. First, that people have the capability to purchase and maintain a vessel like this. Second, that we have the capabilities here of production, manufacturing, investment, innovation, ingenuity and craftsmanship to build them in the first place.
As I walked along the floating docks, speaking with yacht builders and vendors, it was easy to get a sense of their pride in America. Many vendors are family businesses that have long histories and will be handed down to the next generation — unless policies like high estate taxes continue to ruin the American dream of building a business and passing it on.At the congressional summit, we discussed the marine industry’s concerns, which center primarily on the ideological “war” on the biggest producers and consumers. Liberals call these producers “the rich,” demanding they pay their “fair share.”
The marine industry fears for its livelihood because of this war against the private sector and the emphasis on creating bigger government to redistribute wealth and “increase fairness.”Rich people did not get our country into its fiscal mess. Rich people are not responsible for increasing our national debt from $10.6 trillion in 2009 to $15 trillion today. Rich people are not the reason Medicare will likely go bankrupt in 13 years without reform.
There are not enough rich people to solve our financial problems, anyway. Confiscating 100 percent of the income generated by all those earning more than $10 million a year would yield $240 billion — enough to fund government spending for about 2 months.To the occupiers of Wall Street and the White House, mega-yachts are symbols of the problems we have in this country. But they could not be more wrong. In South Florida in particular, mega-yachts and the entire luxury marine industry are key parts of the solution.
Bloated government is the problem — and bloated, overreaching government that attempts to penalize “the rich” will end up punishing the very people it purports to help.
Liberals conveniently overlook that while it takes great wealth to purchase a mega-yacht, the wealth is transferred to those who build and service it. Far better for that wealth to be distributed among businesses and workers here in South Florida than poured down the drain in Washington.Let’s reduce regulations and bureaucratic red tape on our small businesses in the marine industry so they can thrive and better serve their customers. Let’s reform the corporate tax structure to help U.S. yacht-builders remain competitive with foreign companies. Above all, let us set the conditions for economic success to create more superwealthy individuals — so they can purchase more and more yachts. That is the American entrepreneurial dream.
Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.) serves on the House Small Business Committee.
*****
The Libs just don't get it....my avatar, is the M/Y Cakewalk...The largest American made private yacht built in 80 years.
OWNED by an American....
I helped complete this boat at Derektor Shipyards in Timothy's state of CT... There were hundreds and hundreds of tradesman, who order supplies from local, regional, and national and international distributors.
The workers, (including my team), also eat, and buy tools and gear...WTF does the Liberal party have as a mental defect to "punish" these folks...The overhead during construction, just my companies part, was over $50,000 a week....
Yet we were all paid, working and happy....The Dems would crush this.....
Dumb ass idiots...
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