EconomicsHistoryLiberalismPolitics

The “Dead Broke” Hillary and Bill Meme

We can call it the “We’re just like you, so vote for Hillary in 2016” meme.

Talk about income inequality. Bill and Hillary Clinton are worth millions of dollars. Bill Clinton’s net worth is around $80 million. Hillary’s net worth is more than $20 million. That gives them a total net worth of more than $100 million.

What about coming out of the presidency “dead broke”? Yes, they were in debt, but with high financial prospects on the immediate horizon. If this was not the case, then why would lending institutions lend them money to purchase two multi-million dollar homes? “A few weeks before they left the White House, the Clintons were able to muster a cash down payment of $855,000 and secure a $1.995 million mortgage. This hardly fits the common meaning of ‘dead broke.’”

The following is from PolitFact.com:

“‘While one can claim to be technically broke, creditors wouldn’t take it as such as long as future income streams could cover the liabilities,’ Professor Brian Mittendorf said.

“In December 2000, at least one large bank saw the Clintons through that lens. Whatever their balance sheet might have been, Citibank lent them $1.995 million to buy that house in Washington, D.C. This was a safe loan. By Feb. 5, 2001, Bill Clinton was commanding regular speaking fees of $125,000 or more.

Hillary Clinton herself did quite well in 2001. The book publisher Simon and Schuster paid her $2.84 million in royalties.

“By 2004, the Clintons had erased their debts and Hillary Clinton was ranked the 10th-wealthiest member of the Senate, with a net worth between $10 million and $50 million.”

I don’t have any problem with people making lots of money. I do have a problem when liberals who are multi-millionaires claim to be just regular folks.

Even if the Clinton’s never made a dime in speaking fees and other income streams, they would have done alright. “Presidential retirement benefits have included a lifetime annual pension, staff and office allowances, travel expenses, Secret Service protection and more. At retirement, a president will make nearly $200,000 per year.

There are other payment perks. “Six months after a president leaves office, he or she gets funds for an office staff. During the first 30 months after leaving office, the former president gets a maximum of $150,000 per year for this purpose. Thereafter, the Former Presidents Act stipulates that the aggregate rates of staff compensation for a former President cannot exceed $96,000 annually.”

Not bad a bad living.

The Clintons along with their Democrat loyalists are against “income inequality.” If Hillary and Bill really believed in such a thing, they would work to give away at least 95 percent of their net worth. I don’t know about you, but I could live quite well with $5 million in savings.

In attempt to clarify her comment so they don’t come back to haunt her in 2016, Hillary only made things worse:

“Let me just clarify … I fully appreciate how hard life is so for many Americans today,” Clinton said during a live interview on ABC News. “It’s an issue I’ve worked on and cared about my entire adult life.”

Give me a break. The Clintons, along with liberals generally, have contributed to income inequality with their taxing and spending policies.

Previous post

Cheese Black Market about to Begin Thanks to FDA

Next post

We are Being Manipulated by the Redefinition of Everything