Business Week magazine's website has an amusing account of John Kerry's investments in the sort of corporations he has termed "Benedict Arnold" companies, for "traitorously" exporting jobs overseas. Companies like General Electric and IBM, for instance, not to mention H.J. Heinz.

Kerry tries to dodge the bullet by averring that he doesn't control the investmesnts made by the trust fund he inherited, and that his wife's trust's investments are not his to control either. As we have pointed out before, rich people commonly invest in tax planning and expensive lawyering, to insulate themselves from paying high tax rates. All perfectly legal.

But hiding behind trusts to avoid taxes doesn't square very well with Kerry's announced intention to make certain that the "rich" pay their "fair share" of taxes. Kerry's legalistic approach to avoiding taxation, and also avoiding responsibility for the investment decisions underwriting the checks he cashes, just won't pass muster with a lot of voters. We hope that he continues his current hypocritical stance. The voters will not be fooled.

Posted by Thomas   04 22 04