Paul Allen's Other Yacht
You can tell a nation's soul from the state of its budgets. So are we really going to abolish the estate tax?
Tue Sep. 6, 2005 12:00 AM PDT
In the wake of the New Orleans disaster, I thought of an article I read about Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen's other yacht. The 300-foot Tatoosh carries a 30-person crew, two helicopters, a swimming pool, a spa, a private movie theater, six other surface boats (including a separate 54-foot racing yacht and two Hobie catamarans) and a submarine. Reading about the Tatoosh and a third yacht just slightly smaller made me wonder about Allen's yacht of choice. Did it have two swimming pools? Four helicopters? Twelve other on-board boats? And what was Allen doing with two yachts, when he could only ride on one at a time?
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Allen bought the Tatoosh in 2000, when it was America's second largest. Three years later, he added the Octopus (aptly named for a Microsoft man), enabling him to leapfrog the founder of Victoria's Secret to own the largest yacht in the world. Itself since surpassed by the yachts of Oracle founder Larry Ellison and the ruler of Dubai, the Octopus is 413 feet long, with seven decks, a 60-person crew including several former Navy SEALs, seven other on-board boats, a basketball court, the obligatory movie theater and swimming pool (just one?), and two submarines, one of which can stay two weeks on the ocean floor. Allen also owns a third megayacht it turns out, plus two personal Boeing 757's, in case one is in the shop.
We know Allen is unimaginably rich, so maybe his yacht collection comes as no surprise. But the Republicans are talking about permanently ending the estate tax in the new Congressional session. Our leaders are already lavishing more and more gifts on those who already have more than they can ever use, even in the midst of crises from the Iraq War to the New Orleans disaster, to the shifts in global warming that, by warming the ocean, may have turned a routine hurricane into a cataclysmic one. Allen's yachts remind me of our choices about what we value.
As former Congressman Ron Dellums once said, you can tell a nation's soul by the state of its budgets. Time and again we have the chance to house people, feed them, give them health care, affordable education, and a decent chance in life. Or to invest in renewable technologies to head off future climate-related catastrophes. Or at least to rebuild critical infrastructure and restore dignified lives to the wounded and displaced when tragedy hits. Each time we're told we don't have enough resources. Yet in the richest country in human history, we make it a point, at every turn, to help those of vast wealth accumulate more and more. Recently I saw a $3 million Brentwood house being torn down so someone could build one on the same lot worth twenty million. I've seen comparable extravagance throughout the country, combined with massive cuts in practically every program that serves the needs of ordinary citizens. The super-rich get infinite breaks with nothing asked in return, while more and more Americans struggle just to survive, even in the absence of unexpected cataclysm.
The proponents of ending the estate tax warn of devastated small farmers and businessmen, though they can't come up with a single case of a family farm that's gone under in recent years as a direct result, and the handful of affected family businesses could be addressed with modest increases in the exemption level. Evidently it's far more salable to couch these and other regressive cuts with salt-of-the-earth images than those of Paul Allen on his yacht or Paris Hilton in her gilded video playpen.
We might remember Dwight Eisenhower's famed words: "Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies in a final sense a theft from those who hunger and are not fed--those who are cold and not clothed." So is each massive regressive tax break.
Permanently ending the estate tax will cost the public another trillion dollars over ten years. But we were already making things far worse before the ending of the estate tax. The top 5 percent of Americans now get $110 billion a year from Bush's tax cuts, with most going to the top 1 percent, during a reign that's cut child abuse prevention, community policing, AmeriCorps, low-income childcare, health care, housing, and even support for military families. Because payment of Social Security taxes is capped at $90,000, and because capital gains taxes have been cut to a maximum of 15%, self-employed carpenters making $30,000 a year already pay a higher percentage of their income than do Paul Allen and his co-founder Bill Gates. In Seattle, where I live (and in whose suburbs Allen and Gates reside), the public paid $300 million to subsidize a football stadium for a team Allen owns, and the City Council has just allocated $50 million to fund a mile-long streetcar connecting downtown with Allen's cluster of biotech companies. Meanwhile the high school my son attends recently had to lay off 11 teachers.
We should debate where our government should spend the revenue it takes in. But we also need to discuss where it gets this revenue, and how to share the burden equitably. As Bill Gates Senior wrote, in opposing the estate tax repeal, "Our society has facilitated wealth-building by creating order, protecting freedom, creating laws to govern property relations and our marketplace, and investing in an educated work force. What's wrong with the most successful people putting one-quarter of their wealth back into the place that made their wealth and success possible?"
That's one key argument: those who have the most benefit infinitely more from the institutions of our society than do those who have far less. The other argument is the concept of enough, where we question whether our most important social priority really is to do everything possible to enable a tiny few to buy as many yachts and $20 million houses as they please. Do we really need to help Allen be able to fly 500 of his closest personal friends wherever and whenever he chooses on his two 757s? We might remember that there are more important goals to support with common resources, and more important things to live for.
Comments
At times Mr. Loeb it seems that some have more than they need. You think. thats only the correct option in our society.
You want to bring up disaster's, your right of course. What did Paul give, you really don't know do you.
Which yacht, or plane, is the one that makes it to much?
Don't worry your life is the same, it will be ok.
Hey check out this link....Paul Allen gave $41 million for research on the human brain.
http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,1539657,00.html
i don't think you will ever make a contribution like that in your lifetime....
about the tearing down of a
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat Feb. 21, 2009 9:42 PM PST.
about the tearing down of a 3 million $ house to build a 20 million$ house. That project provided jobs for hundreds, perhaps thousands, of workers for a year or more. It's not like the money goes into a hole and is never seen again. The money spent by these folks enters the economy is a flood and is spread out all around, through many, many layers. But, that's convenient to overlook, when you want to take money from people who have EARNED it to give to people who sit at home and bitch that they don't have digital TV yet. But, what do I know? I only work every day, trying to get to that highest point...
I find it funny that upon
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun May. 3, 2009 9:19 PM PDT.
I find it funny that upon attacking the rich it is never mentioned the amount of taxes they pay, how much they donate, or how much they contribute or change society based on their generosity. I'm glad the other comments show how much Allen has given. Mr. Loeb, if you want to become rich like Mr. Allen just so you can give it all away, then do it! This is America and your free to do that......oohhh I guess that's the same freedom Mr. Allen has to spend his money....or give away millions, ooohh or employ thousands of people, if not millions by helping to develop and change the computer age, oh not to mention the small sum of 41 million he doneated, I wonder which poor person will benefit from that! Grow up Mr. Loeb and quit whining about what other people have and do with what they have.
Paul Allen's wealth?
Submitted by NO EXCUSES the band (not verified) on Mon Jan. 4, 2010 3:52 PM PST.
You better quit worrying about Paul Allen and Bill gates money, they produced something useful. You better start worrying about the producers of big pharma and the creeps that produce eugeniks.
NO EXCUSES
Thought Control Technology, Scientology, WATERS, MR CASE,
Submitted by Rhys Paul Hovey (not verified) on Wed Feb. 3, 2010 12:58 AM PST.
Um,.. I know the PIRATE CODE:
My name is Rhys Paul Hovey, and for sometime, I’ve been investigating the links between “thought control” or “mind control” in the mainstream computer industry, specially those companies which grew during the home computer era (Microsoft,commodore,apple, Atari (warner), Nintendo). Much of this research is rooted around 2 events, the inclusion of my personal information in ROGER WATERS: RADIO KAOS (album about mind control) and introduction of Microsoft’s PROJECT NATAL. Through finding out that WATERS included my personal data in RADIO KAOS, I could pinpoint from the date (I was 13-14 years old) that he most likely was given information obtained via MY COMMODORE 64 MODEM, in which my codename was RADIO CONTROLLED MEGA PIRATE (RCMP), where I set up an appointment with RON SMITH of LMS technologies, to trade a Kracker Jax RAMBOard, for a utilities unlimited SUPERCARD. These are COMMODORE 64 MOD CHIPS. It is highly possibly that my modem data was recorded on their “pedophile detectors”. Since ROGER WATERS:RADIO KAOS, is very forward about mind control, I took this on as part of the reason I was a victim, and assumed that this information used by waters, could discover the links to the HOME computer industry. Indeed I started to investigate EAGLE SOFT INCORPORATED, as they were early home computer organized crime. This soon led me to the “octopus” trail, of Paul Allen, and “rock prophecy” (see youtube: rockprophecy paul allen). and through ESI, was able to obtain, the names of several people who’s names are fake, and who are possibly covert ops. BEN DAGLISH, and ANTONY “the rat” CROWTHER, worked together with ROB HUBBARD on “Auf Wiedersehen Monty (German for “Goodbye Monty”). This may bind ROB HUBBARD, to L RON HUBBARD of Scientology, which was most likely the NAVY, and scientoloy remains the police to this day at the inner level. EAGLE SOFT INC, used “the rat”’s song “FOOTBALLER OF THE YEAR”,. which indeed points to PAUL ALLEN, as well. The reason that this data was stored in CD’s and Video games, is that it would be mass distribution, and exported, and difficult to be destroyed, or hacked. Indeed it is beginning to serve it’s purpose, the adjenda of hiding mind control, and it’s integration with the HOME computer (see scientology MY COMMODORE video). It also shows the role of artists, ROGER WATERS,JAMES CAMERON, KONAMI METAL GEAR SOLID, STEVEN SPEILBERG, DON MATRIX (EA), and how they help hide the mass murder and torture of children with satalite technology. Many of these people have fake names, and are being implicated by the over use of the digit 8, and in many cases 9,42,and 1984. You too, can learn the RADIO CONTROLLED MEGA PIRATE story, and the FOREST HILL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, 1984 incident, district 18, and MR CASE,. and you can see a lot of the state of the art on the fight against MIND CONTROL,. or THOUGHT CONTROL, and you to can help spread awareness, of the depressing and deadly “advertising” related technology, and the artists and fake “activists” involved. ROGER WATERS: Amused to death, the album after RADIO KAOS, song #1 was called: The BALLAD OF BILL HUBBARD, and song #8 was called “too much rope”, and indeed at the 1984 elementary school, a child “MONTY” hung himself in the forest playing with rope, and he was friends with MARC and REESE and JEFF,. now this brings me to Bill Gates deposition video where he mentioned “Marc Andreesen” and “hooks in his API”, I believe that this deposition was related to the operation, Bill Gates, and ROGER WATERS, and STEVE “little boy” BALMER, and STEVE BLANK (Hidden in plain site) all look like fake names to me, and they may be part of it, or criminals.
Now we have a problem with NEGATIVLAND,. and CHRIS GRIGG, who was another musician in the ROCK PROPHECY, that worked with EPYX, and ESI, and ROB HUBBARD,. and was in a band called NEGATIVLAND who got into a lawsuit with U2, and BONO,. who is linked to Joseph "live at" Pompei through AUDIO SPOTLIGHT, GRIGG may have been an FBI or NAVY. Getting really close to them all being scientology and caught,.
r2d2
Submitted by Rhys Paul Hovey (not verified) on Mon Feb. 8, 2010 11:11 PM PST.
And last but NOT LEAST:
Hillary Clinton is MY MOTHER,. and AM Slaughter,. is REALLY close to home,. and I have the PIGS that can fly,. standing by!
The problem with the article
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon Feb. 8, 2010 11:42 PM PST.
The problem with the article is summed up in it's last line. "common resources"?
No, those are *private* resources. Asserting ownership of what isn't yours doesn't make you worldly, wise, caring, or superior. It just makes you a would be thief.
MY COMMODORE
Submitted by Rhys Paul Hovey (not verified) on Tue Feb. 9, 2010 12:12 AM PST.
Here is the "MY COMMODORE" Scientology video:
You know,. if you are reading
Submitted by Rhys Paul Hovey (not verified) on Tue Feb. 9, 2010 2:06 AM PST.
You know,. if you are reading this,. you should really get SYNTH video game, and look at the EASTER EGG DOCUMENT
Rhys Paul Hovey
Submitted by Tortured Victim (not verified) on Tue Feb. 9, 2010 7:45 PM PST.
Rhys, I know that you claim to be a victim of mind torture, I know that I am, and I've come across dozens of your comments. They seem all over the space spectrum of eat/run/and learn propaganda. Yes propaganda exists, we all know this, and the intentions of feeding this useless information to the masses. Please stop feeding this crap all over the place and put an end to plugging individual's heads with damaging consequences. Perhaps you are one of them, them who do this for a living and prosper at victims expense and life. Stop helping them with reference material that just further exploits us victims and any new prey they are trying to lure into their sick game realm.
Automatic photgraph deformers for the teens (trojans and virii)
Submitted by Rhys Paul Hovey (not verified) on Wed Feb. 10, 2010 12:16 AM PST.
They have shown me the "UGLIFICATION" filters that they are using,. thought youtube, and HILLARY CLINTON, BRAD PITT, and ANGELINA JOLIE,. PLEASE WARN your children about the fact that there are virii/trojan apps (GIMP for example) that will slowly "deform" their pictures slightly uglier than they are and start contextualizing their advertisements around their new fake "disproportional" like, leper skin, nose humpers (skewing) chin "underbiters",. fatteners,. TAKE IT FROM THE CREATORS OF THIS FILTH PLEASE,. I know EXACTLY how this works, and it does,. at it can take 6 months to deform the picture,. very slow,. do not let your self esteem be based on digital photographs stored on INTERNET connected PC's,. virus scanners are CRAP!!! These programs can detect faces in any photograph and do HUNDREDS of photographs,. they are most effective on CLOSEUPS.
Ruining the self confidence of a teen is worth MAJOR BUCKS,. but NOT NEARLY as much as your confidence,. smash something digital today.
I'm going to leave a VERY
Submitted by Rhys Paul Hovey (not verified) on Wed Feb. 10, 2010 12:55 AM PST.
I'm going to leave a VERY DETAILED text description of my face on this blog for the crawler to cache,. just in case anyone needs to know, who needs to get in touch with me or anything and cannot find a picture online, or other WORSE THINGS,. like lawyers,. FBI,. CIA,. NAVY,.
As of Feb 8 2010:
* I have dark brown hair with a layer (about chin length) pushed back to look like a pony tail hair style.
* My L/W ratio of my face is approx 1.41
* My jawline angle slope is approx 1:1
* I have high cheek bones
* My face divides into even 3rds from fairly straight on with a 35mm
* My nose is relatively triangular and "flat"
* I have "full lips" for a white male (I'm part French Canadian) that has "diagnol sides"
* I have blue grey eyes, that are similar in shape to (johnny depp)
* The width of my nose is precisely the inner of my eye (similar to classic plastic surgery diagrams)
* one of my ear's is slightly higher than the other (my right hear) approx 3 mm (mostly from sleeping on it more)
* My ears do not really "stick out" they are somewhat "set back"
* I have a "class one" profile, average forehead slant, and no major underbite or overbite, nor ridge.
* The back of my mandible bone is approx level with my lip corner.
* I have class 1 orthodontic occlusion
* I have a fairly thick eyebrow ridge.
* My hair is wavy
* I am 6 ft 0.5 inches
* weight 155 lbs
* my shoe size is 10.5-11
* my facial symmetry has been shown to be approx equal to Angelina Jolie.
* I have narrow longish fingers.
*I am missing 1 molar on the left
*I have 1 dental implant that is not capped
*it should be easy to find on the internet that I had MAJOR confidence,. people do tell me I look like either Johnny Depp or Angelina Jolie's Brother,.
I am considered attractive amongst my peers, and was indeed studying acting in Hollywood under William Morgan Sheppard.
http://sites.google.com/site/
Submitted by Rhys Paul Hovey (not verified) on Mon Feb. 22, 2010 1:13 AM PST.
http://sites.google.com/site/rhyshovey/
Now has my Picture, Finger Prints, and Dental Records for the public
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