McCain reported on his taxes that he paid $273,000 for household help last year

[hedgehog]

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0808/12700.html


With 7+ houses to keep up 24/7, that's not enough money. I think he paid some people under the table.


If he didn't pay some people under the table, then some sort of family trust paid for the upkeep which means that you paid for it because it was a tax write-off!

[williesgirl]

1. Yea and Obama's the "elitist". Give me a break! rec'd

[C_U_L8R]

2. He certainly isn't paying them $50 per hour

My hunch is McCain is a real cheap fucker (he's probably cheating too)

And I bet he doesn't provide any of his servants with health care either.

[sandnsea]

3. I think that's help, not maintenance

Cooks, maids, waiters, catering, people like that. Maintenanace would be separate.

[hedgehog]

6. OK, but figure that you've got people coming in to 7 or 8 places making sure

the linens are fresh, rooms are dusted, the kitchen is stocked. Someone is doing the cooking. Someone is running the laundry and doing the ironing. Those are small places, either. How many people are we talking? What's the minimum each is being paid? Even if he is using a service to provide part time people at each location, it's got to add up.


Anyone want to bet that in Arizona, every single one of the people working for John McCain houses is either a citizen or holds a green card?

[sandnsea]

8. Some houses are probably closed up

But my point is that someone should look for the maintenance costs and then put the two together. I bet that figure would astronomical.

[panader0]

4. That's ten, TEN times what I make in a year

[Igel]

5. Why keep them up 24/7?

Some are condos. Nobody there, nothing to clean, no one to cook for. Contract for help when you're there. There's probably one house w/ staff, two houses if they split their time evenly or erratically.

Houses otherwise get yard maintenance weekly, additional attention 2-3x/year.

At least one house is occupied by a relative, I don't know if they have a maid or cook for her.

Can't say I can challenge the number.

[hedgehog]

7. But unless the McCain's travel with an entourage of servants, someone

has to be available for when they do drop in!

[sandnsea]

13. A local cleaning service

That's what the rich do here, when they come to spend a week in their oceanfront house. It's actually only about $100 to get someone to go in and go through a relatively clean house.

[hedgehog]

14. Still, figure the equivalent of a full-time cook, at least 1 full-time maid,

maybe toss in a valet....

[JerseygirlCT]

9. So... he paid his household help maybe twice Biden's net worth? nt

[Fleshdancer]

10. Someone should ask him how many household staff he keeps, but he probably doesn't know

I assume household help includes cleaning, pool service, and lawn maintenance. Some homes need more help than others so I wonder how many people are employed for this.

[hedgehog]

12. t of the pools would be covered under the condo fee unless

he actually has private pools at the condos!

[blonndee]

11. Oh, geez. That's only seven times what I make before taxes. He's not THAT out of touch.

[Inkyfuzzbottom]

15. This explains it!

With all the help they have, no wonder Cindy suffered that unfortunate handshaking injury recently. She obviously isn't used to using her hands.

[Orangepeel]

16. why is the money he spent on household help reported on his taxes?

household help isn't deductible. Is it because they bought the properties as investments (even though they are available for their own use) and deduct the "upkeep" expenses?

[hedgehog]

17. So you're saying we DID pay for his householfd help! nt

[Orangepeel]

20. I don't know, but I'm wondering why it's listed on his taxes if we didn't

:shrug:

[rainbow4321]

18. If that household staff gets a check from them, they would have had to pay taxes

on them. I'm assuming that is why. They would be seen as "employees"?

What I would like to see is if any are on a "cash only" agreement with the McCains.
Especially given THIS comment by McCain:


http://thinkexist.com/quotes/john_mccain/2.html

“Just stop at one of these construction sites and look and see who those workers are. They're all Hispanic, ... And I bet you they're illegal"

[sandnsea]

19. They have to report the social security

Maybe someone is using the gross wages from those tax returns.

[Orangepeel]

21. ah! they work for the McCains directly and not through an agency.

:dunce:

[sandnsea]

22. I imagine there are some of both

And I imagine it would take a little more investigating to figure out which is which, and whether there is additional maintenance involved, etc.

[ladjf]

23. Somebody had better check out those 1099's. We'd hate for the

candidate to get busted over a thing like that.