Sailing – The Job Creation Engine
As a class of people, sailors are under-appreciated. I say this with no evidence to back up the claim, but pretty much everyone feels under-appreciated, so, at a minimum, sailors must qualify as a sub-category.
The super-rich are under-appreciated, too. I say this with even greater confidence since we have all heard the resentment lodged against billionaires, especially those who bank in Bermuda or the Caymans despite the higher ATM charges.
I figure that if you combine the above two statements it becomes obvious that billionaire sailors are hugely under-appreciated. (And I am not simply pandering to the billionaire sailors who read writeonthewater.com.) I would even venture to say that no one sailor is more slighted than is Larry Ellison, CEO of Oracle and leader of the Team Oracle America’s Cup syndicate. I, in my humble way, hope to right this wrong.
Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to watch the AC/America’s Cup series take place in Newport, Rhode Island. Newport is no stranger to excess, but the arrival of the America’s Cup put it in high gear. As a lover of boats, it was a hoot to watch these high-speed catamarans scream around at speeds up to 30 miles per hour – think NASCAR with a dose of Moet and Grey Poupon. But it’s the economics of it all that impressed me the most. Despite your politics, we all know that we need more job creation. What I want to tell you all is that I have now seen the light when it comes to the wealthy and job creation. Ponder this:
There we were, sitting in Narragansett Bay in a 22-foot runabout when my wife said, “Something smells fishy.” Given that I am a lifelong angler, my first thought was that a school of mackerel or herring must have passed below. Yet this fish smell was more sweet that oily, more grilled than raw. “I think it’s coming from that boat,” Sally said.
The boat in question was a 150+ foot yacht, the scent now more detectable as swordfish. We were downwind of a floating feast. Now, before envy or jealousy take over, consider the economics. Stop and think of the commercial swordfishing crew who owe their jobs to these party goers. Think of the factory workers who bottled the massive amounts of mayonnaise required to marinate the meal. And don’t forget the garbage haulers whose jobs are tied getting rid of the enormous amounts of wasted food. We’re talking jobs, baby. Wages. Employment. And that’s just one yacht!
As I looked across the harbor I began to think about these mega-yachts and the jobs created by these captains of industry. Why, then, would anyone even think about taxing the wealthy at the same proportion as others when their income can be expensed on creating all of these maritime jobs. Just imagine how many gallons of bottom paint it takes to cover the belly of a Feadship. Painting those hulls means jobs. And stop and think about how many containers of wax it takes to keep one of those Browards clean. And we’re not even getting to the Larry Ellison Category.
It is my belief that if everyone in the country headed to the next round of the America’s Cup we might just end the political debate about the wealthy and job creation. The facts would be right there in front of everyone. Plus, we’d all get to see some really cool sailing.
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