Cayman yacht party stirs up controversy for Romney

| 30/08/2012

cracker bay.JPG(CNS): As Republican candidate Mitt Romney's investments in the Cayman Islands continue to star in the US presidential election campaign, the international media focused on a Republican Party campaign bash toasting top donors yesterday on a 150-foot yacht flying the Cayman flag. Romney was on board at the floating party hosted by Florida developer, Gary Morse, on his yacht Cracker Bay. The event, attended by around 50 people along with Romney relatives, appeared on no public calendars, according to ABC’s news reporter Brian Ross. "It was a really nice event. These are good supporters," billionaire Wilbur Ross, an energy industry executive told the US news channel.

Romney's Cayman-based investments have come under fire during the campaign as they have enabled him to pay much lower taxes than middle income Americans.

The Cayman flag flies on many vessels around the world but the US media was quick to point out that by registering his yacht in the Cayman Islands, Morse does not have to pay any taxes on his luxury vessel, which is said to seat 30 for dinner and has an extensive art collection.

The Cayman flag flies on many luxury, and not so luxury, vessels around the world, as a result of the on-going success of the Maritime Authority of the Cayman Islands (MACI).

The Cayman registry boasts modern maritime legislation and an experienced global team. There are 1,985 boats registered in the Cayman Islands from merchant ships to super-yachts.

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  1. Anonymous says:

    Yet another image of the Cayman Islands as a greaseball tropical island, that is home to so many millionaire and billionare deadbeats.

    • Kung Fu Iguana says:

      Sounds quite accurate from my experience, although "self-proclaimed millionaires" might be more accurate.

  2. Anonymous says:

    This is priceless… a rich maritime history destroyed by Caymanians who didn't know we fly the Cayman Red Ensign on Cayman registered vessels and think that there is something called a "Yatch"?!

    • Anonymous says:

      There never was a rich maritime history, There was just cheap non-unionised labour.

      • Anonymous says:

        Another hater that did not see an ocean before they came here.  So what would you know about maritime history?  As for the cheap non-unionised labour thank God for it because it is what has build Cayman into such a society that the world is now running to our doorstep everday and people like you won't leave.

    • Man From Foreign says:

      Isn't a yatch some kind of long haired or wooly bovine?

      • Is it just me... says:

        I think that's called the "bi-yatch".  I dated her once…

  3. Slowpoke says:

    Anybody who can figure out how to get a US$ 77,000.00 tax deduction for his wife's dancing pony, knows a thing or two about how to avoid paying taxes.

  4. Anonymous says:

    This is pathetic.  Just because the ship is registered in the Cayman Islands, and just because many businesses have registered offices in Cayman, (and from which the government makes money for the public purse from the registration fees), the USA has to insinuate something sinister.

  5. Man From Foreign says:

    Scandalous! He went to a party of high dollar supporters on a boat with a Cayman flag! Can you imagine?

     

    All joking aside, I'm rather disappointed in the increasingly frequent insinuation that anything connected to Cayman is somehow underhanded or inappropriate.

    • Anonymous says:

      Times are changing and the immoral tax avoidance of the rich is now as wrong as tax evasion.

    • Anonymous says:

      Caymanians that can vote in the USA need to vote for MR because we know that he does business with these islands and our financial industry will continue to prosper if he is elected. 

      • Anonymous says:

        But I suggest the tax dodging ones that were up in arms over FACTA don’t vote.

    • Anonymous says:

      I very much regret that our fearless leaders help to project that image, with their bungling, thieving etc…and who else does the world have to judge us by??? Only the ones it sees…

    • Anonymous@thepoint says:

      I'm so sick and tired of the Obama rhetoric and supporters. I'm on my knees every day praying that Mitt wins this election, so the world can see how bad Obama has made America.

      Everything must be free, dont work for it, we will take from the people that work and pay taxes to support all of the lazy a**** that beleive that they deserve it, those that come across the border and expect that the United States owes them a living, move on, get the picture.

      There is such a thing as AVOIDANCE, which the U.S says is legal, EVADANCE is what those that lie about it do. So in my book, Mitt is doing what is legal,and because he attended a party on a yacht  that flew Cayman flag,   so what,   do these BAIT watchers know that the Cayman flag is flying around the world and we collect for this. I would love to shake Mitts hand some day.

  6. Anonymous says:

    There it is!! Been lookin for that everywhere…couldn't remember who I lent it to or where I left it!!

    Looks like even the Yanks have their Nation Building Fund based down here !!

  7. Anonymous says:

    Sorry CNS i dont have a yatch so i would not know that we had a martime flag. 

  8. Anonymous says:

    Ok who is doing your reporting? The same reporter that wrote this article on ABCNEWS?? must be an expat cause the last time I looked the flag that is flying on the yatch is NOT THE FLAG OF THE CAYMAN ISLANDS!!!!

     

    CNS: It's the Cayman maritime flag. Look and learn. And here is the MACI website – note the top left corner. You're welcome!

     

    • SSM345 says:

      16:06,  assuming you are Caymanian (judging by the reference to the expat in your post), you should be ashamed of yourself.

      That is the maritime Cayman flag, are you blind? The Cayman coat of arms is clear as day in the photo.

      A Caymanian (embarassed)

    • Anonymous says:

      Me knew dat nme is a 'furriner'…:) Tut, tut for you!

    • Anonymous says:

      Im sorry i have to say this. If you are a caymanian and did not know what the cayman islands maritime flag looked like you should be ashamed of yourself. At least research before you comment.

    • Anonymous says:

      OK where do you get your facts?  The same place Bush does? GET AN EDUCATION AND START THINKING FOR YOURSELF!

    • Another Anon says:

      Perhaps you should read the study materials I had to study for the PR test. Shameless!

  9. Anonymous says:

    only 2,000 ???

    • Anonymous says:

      That can not be right. Are you sure. Every where you go you see them. Maybe it is like the car registration and they are not paying the fees.