At last! A newspaper article sympathetic to liveaboards

[eryka]

in last Sunday's Annapolis Capital (where else but the self-proclaimed 'sailing capital of America'?)

Life afloat - Lifestyle

(I also posted this link in the 'Chesapeake Bay' forum)

I've so often seen versions of "liveaboards are all drunks, dropouts and losers who throw their trash to wash up on the beaches, why don't they get jobs and start paying property taxes" etc etc. It's nice to see that someone's figured out that many of us are 'upstanding citizens' who are living on our boats simply because we love it.

Okay, I'm off my soapbox now.

[sailingdog]

Well said Eryka... unfortunately, in any group or demographic, there are some bad apples who cast all of the others in a bad light.

[TomPCT]

I don't understand the "argument" people posit when they criticize liveaboards as not paying property taxes. Seems to me that if you're paying a marina, and the marina pays property taxes, well, you're paying taxes. Plus a lot of states collect property taxes on things like boats so depending on where you're registered, you're paying taxes. Just an observation.

[eryka]

Originally Posted by sailingdog

Well said Eryka... unfortunately, in any group or demographic, there are some bad apples who cast all of the others in a bad light.

Thanx S-dog, (sorry for the delayed response, we've been living on the hard while doing boatwork and internet is limited).

As for the bad apples, I'm torn between feeling that its our responsibility to care for our own, and not wanting to be the dock-Nazi

[Freesail99]

The newspaper link didn't work for me. It said it was over 30 days old.

[eryka]

Originally Posted by TomPCT

I don't understand the "argument" people posit when they criticize liveaboards as not paying property taxes. Seems to me that if you're paying a marina, and the marina pays property taxes, well, you're paying taxes. Plus a lot of states collect property taxes on things like boats so depending on where you're registered, you're paying taxes. Just an observation.

Well, you know we pay taxes, I know we pay taxes, and my checkbook certainly knows it!

Maybe they're just jealous of our carefree lifestyle? We're sitting in the cockpit enjoying the view, while they're out there mowing the lawn or cleaning the gutters

[eryka]

Originally Posted by Freesail99

The newspaper link didn't work for me. It said it was over 30 days old.

sorry, I didn't know it would do that. I have the text at home & will post it this weekend.

[TheStorm]

The original article was published in the Toronto Star newspaper, 30-June-2007, "Homes" section. Here's a link to the online version, which actually made the entire front page of the "Homes" section.

TheStar.com - living - Home is where the Wind goes