Posted on 02/18/2008 2:13:59 PM PST by Shermy
Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee’s visit to Grand Cayman at the weekend to give a paid speech to the Young Caymanian Leadership Awards (YCLA) banquet has caused a stir in the United States, where he is still campaigning against seemingly impossible odds for the Republican presidential nomination.
Mr Huckabee was also the keynote speaker at the YCLA banquet in 2000 but all concerned have declined to comment on how much he is being paid for his appearance.
However, since he left the governor’s office in Little Rock, Arkansas, a year ago, Mr Huckabee’s primary source of income has reportedly been such paid speaking engagements.
“This is his job,” campaign manager Chip Saltsman told reporters last week. “It’s his livelihood.”
Mr Saltsman added that it would be Mr Huckabee’s first paid speech in months.
According to Mr Huckabee, he is effectively “subsidising” his opponents, because the other remaining candidates in the nomination contests are all on the US federal payroll.
“I’m the only person who doesn’t get paid by the taxpayers to campaign,” he said.
“I have to make a living. I do that through my writing and my speaking,” Mr Huckabee told reporters last week. “There will be a few other times when I go out and make sure I can pay my mortgage payment like everybody else has to.”
He also dispelled any ideas that he might be taking advantage of the absence of income tax in the Cayman Islands. “I’m not parking my money in the Caymans. My money is coming back to the US, where it’ll be taxed at 40 percent.”
However, some people online have characterised his trip to the Cayman Islands as inherently self-contradictory.
As part of his “Fair Tax” pitch, throughout his election campaign Mr Huckabee has complained about the “$12 trillion” he claims is parked in offshore tax havens such as the Cayman Islands, and which he says is a burden on the American economy.
Mr Huckabee says corporations put their money in offshore bank accounts because of productivity taxes in the US and he therefore advocates a tax on consumption and not income, which, he argues, would send much of that money back home.
Does his apparent point that the US needs to end the flow of dollars into the Cayman Islands and other offshore financial centres represent a contradiction with his upcoming trip? It does not, Mr Huckabee said last week.
In a potentially incendiary remark, Mr Huckabee said of his visit to the Cayman Islands, “I may go down there and visit one of those post office boxes where some of the other candidates have their money and maybe one of those banks and see what it looks like down there.”
http://www.caycompass.com/cgi-bin/CFPnews.cgi?ID=1028639
another story.
Maybe Huck will accept an offer from Pres. McCain to become the U. S. Consul-General in the Caymans. It couldn’t happen to a nicer guy!
oh he is just getting weaned off Jennings Osborn’s teat.
interesting,
Cayman Islands known for offshore (see sheltered) banking and condo residences for people who can’t return to their country of origin.
GMTA
Just checking on his money.
This is a little Mena perk that helps augment the stingy salary an Arkancide governor receives.
Huckleberry can thank Billy Goat for that little perk.
“I’m not parking my money in the Caymans. My money is coming back to the US, where it’ll be taxed at 40 percent.”
Parking...interesting familiarity with that term...I don’t think one would use the term about a sum of money equal to a speaking fee for a little island youth group.
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