Zillow.com real estate listing
Mitt Romney has repeatedly emphasized a call for "sacrifice," as part of his vision for European-style austerity in the U.S. starting in 2013. Of course, the talk would be more compelling if it weren't for that pesky mansion and its elevator for the Romney family cars.
At Mitt Romney's proposed California beach house, the cars will have their own separate elevator.
There's also a planned outdoor shower and a 3,600-square foot basement -- a room with more floor space than the existing home's entire living quarters.
Those are just some of the amenities planned for the massive renovation of the Romneys' home in the tony La Jolla neighborhood of San Diego, according to plans on file with the city.
As if this story couldn't get any worse, it turns out Romney's house also has its own lobbyist, who will help push the proposed design plan through the local approval process.
Not bad for a guy who jokes about being "unemployed."
Jamison Foser joked, "What's the big deal about Romney wanting an elevator for his cars? They can't use the stairs, can they?" David Waldman added, "Sometimes I like to spice things up by hitting 'shuffle' on my car elevator, and driving whichever one comes up."
At a certain level, I can appreciate why this seems irrelevant to the campaign. After all, following a successful career as a vulture capitalist, Romney enjoys enormous personal wealth, and it stands to reason he would spend some of his millions on lavish accommodations.
But I'm inclined to take note of stories like these in large part because of Romney's policy agenda.
The former governor's platform calls for "sacrifice," but only for those at the bottom -- the very wealthy (those who can afford elevators for their cars and lobbyists for their houses) would get a massive tax break from a President Romney, while those struggling most would get a tax increase, in addition to cuts to programs the less fortunate rely heavily on, including deep cuts in education and health care.
It's against this backdrop that Romney boasts about his wife driving "a couple of Cadillacs," says he's "not concerned about the very poor," and says making over $374,000 in speaking fees in a year is "not very much" money. All of those examples followed Romney suggesting elected office is only for the rich, clumsily talking about his fondness for being able to fire people, demanding that talk of economic justice be limited to "quiet rooms," accusing those who care about income inequality of "envy," daring Rick Perry to accept a $10,000 bet, and suggesting that Americans should somehow feel sorry for poor banks.
This is also relevant as it relates to homes, in particular. Romney has inexplicably adopted a pro-foreclosure agenda. Given the larger context, this isn't at all helpful -- at last count, Romney has three homes: there's the $12 million oceanfront residence in California (the one Romney is quadrupling in size); a $10 million home in New Hampshire; and a townhouse in Belmont, Mass. There's also the nearby mansion, where one of Romney's sons lives, and where Romney was registered to vote as recently as last year, but it's technically not one of the candidate's houses.
There was also the $5 million ski-house in an exclusive area in Utah, but he sold it in 2010.
While Romney's spending habits are his business, it's hardly unreasonable to think voters may take note of these details. Very wealthy candidates are perfectly capable of doing well in national elections, even in tough economic times, but their success depends on voters' ability to perceive these candidates as champions for those who work for a living. With Romney, that appears to be impossible.
Leave a Comment:
Something else for You might be a Romney
http://polentical.com/2012/03/17/best-of-the-week-the-daily-show-with-you-might-be-a-romney-if-and-more/
Hey, Maddow you crack me up. You have Mitt mixed up with President Obama. The President is the one that has been telling everyone we need to sacrifice, meaning everyone but him and his friends. We should stay home instead of waisting our money in Vegas so he can send his daughter and 10+ Friends to Mexico for spring break.
At least Mitt is spending his own money instead of the tax payers money.
Go ahead and cry all you want about the way he made his money, because he did it legally using the same rules and laws that Warren Buffet, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates and most of the other filthy rich Liberals.
The Ryan tax plan that Mitt endorsed actually cuts out most loop holes for the rich so they can't use the shelters that Buffet get away with along with others.
When Mitt released his taxes only 2 news organizations Washington post and your hated Fox reported that with his Taxes and charitable contributions Mitt gave 46% of his last years income to others. So say what you want Mitt has it right. If we would limit government and let people used their OWN money many of us could help those in need instead of helping GE avoid taxes, Sylindra and our government official taking monthly vacations while most people can't even take a real vacation.
Would you care to enlighten us on how the President spending his money, pay check, is "tax payer money". OH my God, he got paid for doing the job he was hired to do. I guess that means you are spending your employers money right. And the President has money he and his wife earned prior to being hired as President. You like to blast the President for his money but fail to mention, Robme inherited much of his and gutted companies and "fired" people for the rest. The President doesn't hide his off shore and pays taxes, unlike Robme.
If you going to try and put someone down, feel free, but do properly. Present both sides. Or, better yet, go back to Fox. I heard they missed you and needed more stupidity for their programs.
chemdmd: please go back to grade school and learn how to spell. Stop by the high school and attend a grammar class while you're at it. Thank you.
Hi Chemy, I'm a little confused as to what you're so upset about? I believe our President deserves nice things, he's a nice person. What upsets me is how Romney made his millions. It wasn't very nice what he did to those poor folks who lost their jobs. The President is more personable. I don't have anything against Romney, I just don't think he is the right one to run our Country. Our President has accomplished quite a bit. I always pray for our President, even if I didn't vote for him. We need the best man for the job and if you investigate everything hopefully you will agree . Please feel free to visit often and read some of the posts with an open mind.
A car elevator saves green earth. One driveway can service multiple parking spaces.
Consider neighborhoods with houses with attached 2 and 3 car parking garages doubling or tripling the footprint of the house. If you add an elevator and reduce the number of garage doors, and spaces, to only one, 200 square feet of earth planted with trees or grass can be preserved per parking space.
The elevator enables less footprint.
In California if every two-or-more door garage were only a single door, it would be possible to have 10,000 square miles more green space. Additionally, if parking aprons were singles instead of multiples, another 30,000 square miles of greenspace could be claimed in the state.
I'd like to reply to myself. I put too many zeros in my report about the car elevator above, should be 1,000 and 3,000 square miles, respectively.
Also, the elimination of sidewalks saves green earth. If everybody in the state of California were to take away the concrete sidewalk in the front of their houses there would be another 1,000 or so square miles of land for planting grass or trees in the state.
Those people who absolutely must walk on concrete can glue a piece of concrete to the soles of their shoes.
Jeepers. I cannot even afford elevator shoes.
Of course, I do not need them either. ;-)
This could be his biggest job creation success in his entire career!
What is he planning to keep in the Basement? A helicopter used for a quick escape route.
Perhaps a bunker with catacombs to survive a forced apocalypse, created by the rich to turn the planet into an empty Nottingham Forest Game Preserve in the massive corridors between super-wealthy bunkered enclaves, while other areas remain gutted and toxic like northern Alberta or mountain-topped West Virginia, giant dumps to keep out of sight, like in the ending of the film Brazil, or forced labor serf-zones like District 12 in The Hunger Games.
And you wonder why it feels like we're living in a science fiction movie?
What Mitt needs to do is buy a huge piece of property with at least some unimproved land, and call his new home a "ranch" a la GW Bush and Reagan. Then it won't matter how big or fancy the place is, it'll always be just a ranch.
Bonus points for riding a horse or running a brush hog.
Then he could put bees on it and not have to pay taxes on that land, just like Jon Bon Jovi does. We need to get rid of loop holes in the tax plan.
Tearing down a multimillion dollar home and replacing it with a bigger home is not going to make voters think Romney gets it and understands the economic challenges for those who are not wealthy. Conspicuous consumption during the campaign has to be the dumbest move during his election campaign. I cannot decide Romney is ignoring his advisers or they are just plain stupid.
He went to Utah and saved the Olympics form collapse. Sounds like he know something about business. Oh, and he did it for free.
You should actually find out something about Mitt. If you look at his record he is a big government guy that is liberal leaning. He is like an Honest President Obama. After all Obama care was patterned after Romney care.
He is anything but honest. He has done more harm to the economy than good. Don't have to look far to find the damage he has done. Don't have to look far for the lies he's told. He's no where near "liberal leaning". You forgot to mention, he also has bad mouthed "Obama care".
An Honest President Obama??? You must be joking. The man has been on both sides of every issue. He has no principles other than to win the Presidency to which he thinks he is entitled to by his wealth and upbringing. Romney is an empty suit who will say anything or do anything to get what he wants. He doesn't know the meaning of honesty.
Mitt saved the Olympics from collapse by getting them a big government bailout, not thought "business knowledge." Look it up.
I also have an outdoor shower. A hose on a 2x4. I have people who put my vehicle on a elevator for me. He is called a mechanic. So really Mitt and I are really not that different.
At least this gives us a view inside how the 1% are spending the money they took from us. I imagine the 1% spend more money building houses, tennis courts, fancy cement ponds (or additional infinity pools) and the like than they spend on creating jobs or investing in the community or infrastructure. I don't know if that's true, but I'll take a clue from Mitt and just say it like it's true.
Don't you think that he payed someone to build all of that stuff or did he just send his money over the Internet and POOF a new house, POOF new tennis courts, Poof cement pond? All of those things you mention created a job and were investments in the community. The economy in Gilbert AZ. was driven for 20 years by the building of new homes.
The only work I have ever done for a poor man was charity work. Every job that I have had, that payed money, was from a rich guy, and if you are good at what you do you'll make more than min/wage. If you are really good you'll start your own business.
Sure he paid someone to build all of those things. Very likely the lowest wage possible - possibly less than minimum, given the proximity to 'immigrant' workers (hey, he's done if before). And the housing boom in Gilbert, AZ is a prime example of the housing bubble that burst. Aren't many of those homes vacant now, on the market for about 20% of their former value?
Hmm....a massive underground expansion of a stately manor? A bunch of cool cars? A car elevator?
OMG! Mitt Romney is Batman!
Oh! Totally icekat!
But who's Robin?!?
Well the way he was behaving at the debates I'd say Ron Paul. ;-)
Now, now, my match box car garage had it's own elevator--what's wrong with that???
And I'm sure he's including a helipad for Marine 1, and maybe even a secret sub dock in the basement--what James Bond villain would be complete without one?
He can hide his true beliefs if he has any in his 'chamber of secrets'.
Aha! Maybe that's what will go in that big basement. One of those fancy archival vaults for geneological records from his grandfather's particular branch of the Mormon Church. Back-up servers (a server farm?) and vacuum rooms to prevent documents from decaying, like they have at the Vatican.
Yeah, that's the ticket.
OTOH, it also could be a really bad-ass indoor skateboard park!
Come Nov 7th, Mittens will have plenty of time to enjoy his new palace.
Unless the dog in the Romney family gets a pooch palace with doggie elevator, this home does not look like a good investment a business man would make.
Despite all the positive things we can say about Romney proposals, based on what he has proposed for a jobs programs, and the details he would support in the health care sector of the economy and the transition from well-maintained roads to energy efficient transport systems, and the proactive defense of Israel, the middle east oil supply, we have to add to those clearly communicated programs. Identifying what a job program really concerns wage workers, standards living, saving, investing; how would insurance policies look in the future, how to maintain or remove old roadways, how to move products to consumers, and how is that defense of Israel is going to benefit the defense business and assure that the oil supply will keep the princes of oil in secure spender. This positive outlook would need to remain board room private during the election because the public has little faith that proposal would get positive feedback. Assuming the best results for conservatives in the election, all but inevitable, future actions need not be spelled out in details that will alarm the public.
But his new home could be a deception. The bunker mentality could strike fear in the enemy just by the new president preparing for a secure location. The elevators beefed up for armored defense vehicles, with basement serving as underground headquarters. The tunnels to the other sides of the surrounding hill as supply route, with munitions runs serving defensive armaments or missiles hidden in trees of the right height.
The business acumen would ordinarily be seen by buying a larger property to lower cost, than the tear down and build up is rather awkward home facility. California has quite a lot of property for sale. Looking at the future of 65 year old, a low profile building with hidden ramp access makes sense. Some future real estate listing, would not mention the cost of maintaining so much equipment.
If you don’t see a plan and you have no rhyme or reason to fathom a plan, and then assume that there is solid plan, and this other stuff just a distraction. When the inevitable happens, just remember his supporters will become a huge mass labor following his vision of work, sacrifice and prosperity building a new nation with no prospect of success.
Gives meaning to "Hey buddy can you give me a lift"? Yes, but you have to ride on top. No elevated conversation here!
A house with an elevator for your car? What the hell. If you were going to have a mansion built, I could see having an elevator go to your garage...you know...for people. But for your car?!?!?!?!? I swear, rich people are so freaking weird.
The 1% are finding more and more ways to spend their wealth. Luxury spending is up. More, better, bigger. I don't think the White House would be suitable for Romney anyway.
Adapted from a story about Muammar Gaddafi. Hopefully this won't be our future:
La Jolla, CA July 4th 2036— The gold-plated cutlery and crystal champagne
glasses, the Versace and Armani suits and rows of unworn designer shoes, are
all that remain at the luxurious seaside compounds of the children of exiled President
Mitt Romney.
The La Jolla Mansion and the beachside compounds are testimony to the fact that the Romney’s not only ruled the United States, they owned it, and treated its wealth as their personal patrimony.
Yet the cars now parked in the Mansion's elevator for the Romney family cars are no longer in the hands of the Romney family. They have been commandeered by a ragtag army of civilians who rose up and overthrew the Romney’s.
And it is those fighters who now sleep inside the Italian-designed bedrooms with their Pierre Cardin carpets and Burberry couches, resting at the end of the 4th of July weekend fighting.
The day that we have been dreaming of all our lifetime has come. This beach which was reserved for Romney children, their families, friends and the ruling elite will now be reopened to the people." said Joe Smith, a legal adviser at the economic council of The United States before joining the revolution in February.
The common American could never swim here or get near these gates. The fate of anybody who dares get close to these walls was all too well known.
he gave away 45% of his money last year. HIS money. if this non-story makes him a hypocrite, what does MSNBC think of al gore and his king kong sized carbon footprint?
considering we have not and never will see a non-story like this regarding al gore, how hypocritical is MSNBC?
so, ranking the three in order of rank hypocrisy
1. al gore
2. msnbc
3. (far, far behind) mitt romney
remember journalism? I do. it died when I was a teenager. I'm 42.