Spoiled rich teenager commits fraud - you gotta read this

[Sauron]

You have to know something about the Puget Sound area to know how predictable this is.

Samammish wasn't even a town until a few years back, when it decided to separate from Issaquah, because Issaquah wasn't rich enough. Since that time, it's been filled to the brim with overbuilt homes, McMansions. Oh, and nightmarish traffic jams; it seems the homebuilders paid off the city planners to ignore limitations on growht and sprawl. They have the most expensive "public" high school in the state; fully hi-tech and state of the art, with a parking lot full of Audis, BMWs, etc.

Mostly rich Microsofties, other software company employees, etc. Conservative Republican and/or libertarian "I got mine, fuck everyone else" viewpoints, combined with a swollen sense of entitlement.

Now this:

http://www.kingcountyjournal.com/sit...ry/html/204714

Teen accused of having BMW stolen so he could get new Bentley
2005-04-21
by David A. Grant
Journal Reporter

Bellevue police Tuesday arrested a 17-year-old Sammamish resident they suspect of trying to work an insurance scam aimed at junking his 2002 BMW M3 so he could upgrade to a new Bentley.

According to police spokesman Michael Chiu, the teenager reported his BMW stolen sometime Monday evening while working at his job at a restaurant in downtown Bellevue.

But early Tuesday morning, police in Snoqualmie found the car at an unspecified location and arrested four young men, both adults and juveniles, who were in the process of stripping the car, said Snoqualmie police Sgt. Robert Keeton.

Keeton said most, if not all, of the parts were recovered. The four were arrested for first-degree possession of stolen property.

Chiu said that after being arrested, however, they implicated the Sammamish resident, who they said wanted his BMW stolen and stripped so he could collect insurance money and buy a Bentley.

The Sammamish teenager was interviewed by Bellevue police and released to his parents, Chiu said. Information on the incident will be forwarded to the King County Prosecutor's Office for investigation of fraud.

A 2005 BMW M3 sells for a suggested price of about $47,000, according to an online search of new car prices.

A 2005 Bentley Continental GT coupe, with a 552-horsepower engine and a top speed of 190 mph, runs about $159,000.

A 2002 BMW M3 sells used for about $42,000.

[xouper]

[sidenote]

... or libertarian "I got mine, fuck everyone else" viewpoints

Allow me to clarify, these two viewpoints are not synonymous. There's the "I got mine fuck everyone else" viewpoint and then there's the libertarian viewpoint and they are not at all the same thing. Occasionally the same person may hold both viewpoints at the same time, but this is not a necessary consequence of either of the viewpoints.

[/petpeeve]

[Dingfod]

He seems to me to be a couple BMWs short of a Bentley.

[Sauron]

Originally Posted by xouper

[sidenote]

Allow me to clarify, these two viewpoints are not synonymous. There's the "I got mine fuck everyone else" viewpoint and then there's the libertarian viewpoint and they are not at all the same thing. Occasionally the same person may hold both viewpoints at the same time, but this is not a necessary consequence of either of the viewpoints.

[/petpeeve]

I've never met a libertarian who wasn't of the "I got mine" variety.

[Sauron]

Update from a friend of mine back in Seattle:

Did you all hear about the parking auction at Bellevue High School?

The few spaces available for students were auctioned off for the school year: each fetched $3500. That’s ~$20 per day that some parent is paying so their kid doesn’t have to walk, carpool, or bus to school. They had an interview with one of the auction winners, and it was disgusting. A 16-year old Paris Hilton wannabe with a $45k car… what ever happened to driving a beater for practice?

[xouper]

Sauron: I've never met a libertarian who wasn't of the "I got mine" variety.

Well, now you have. Me.

I have never met a libertarian who was also the "I got mine" variety. There is nothing in the libertarian philosophy that includes the "I got mine fuck everyone else" viewpoint.

[xouper]

Sauron: Did you all hear about the parking auction at Bellevue High School?

The few spaces available for students were auctioned off for the school year: each fetched $3500. That’s ~$20 per day that some parent is paying so their kid doesn’t have to walk, carpool, or bus to school. They had an interview with one of the auction winners, and it was disgusting. A 16-year old Paris Hilton wannabe with a $45k car… what ever happened to driving a beater for practice?

I'm curious - You got something against people who can afford to drive nice cars and pay for parking spaces at the high school? What exactly is your complaint here?

[TomJoe]

Well, I also think it's a bit of a gross stereotype of conservative republicans as well. Neither one of my parents, or my sister, all conservative republicans, are of the "fuck everyone else, I got mine" mold. I should know, I've known them for 30+ years.

I think there probably are quite a few liberal, democratic pricks out there who look down on people ... look at most of Hollywood for example. So what does that mean? Not a damn thing ... other than some people, regardless of political affiliation can be total pricks.

[livius drusus]

Originally Posted by TomJoe

Neither one of my parents, both conservative republicans, are of the "fuck everyone else, I got mine" mold.

Same with my dad.

The kid in the OP, otoh, is just dumb as a sack of hair.

[Ensign Steve]

I guess even rich, white kids can be criminals. Who knew?

Anywho, when I was a libertarian, I most certainly didn't "have mine" either. I was flat broke most of the time.

[Legs]

Silly kids. No matter what you buy for them they always want something different.

[TomJoe]

Not that I am a kid anymore but ... if by chance my parents did pull a "fuck them, I got mine" attitude and bought me a BMW. I'd keep it. To heck with a Bentley.

[Sauron]

Originally Posted by xouper

Well, now you have. Me.

That remains to be seen.

I have never met a libertarian who was also the "I got mine" variety. There is nothing in the libertarian philosophy that includes the "I got mine fuck everyone else" viewpoint.

Every libertarian I have met falls into this bucket. They dress it up nicely and protest otherwise, but when it's examined closely it turns out to be exactly what I said.

[xouper]

Sauron: I've never met a libertarian who wasn't of the "I got mine" variety.

xouper: Well, now you have. Me.

Sauron: That remains to be seen.

That sounds like a direct challenge to my integrity. I certainly hope you are not suggesting I'm lying here.

xouper: I have never met a libertarian who was also the "I got mine" variety. There is nothing in the libertarian philosophy that includes the "I got mine fuck everyone else" viewpoint.

Sauron: Every libertarian I have met falls into this bucket. They dress it up nicely and protest otherwise, but when it's examined closely it turns out to be exactly what I said.

None of the libertarians I have met fall into that bucket.

If your view of libertarianism is that its philosophy includes the notion "I got mine fuck everyone else", then you do not have an accurate perception of what libertarianism is about. The two viewpoints are NOT synonymous, regardless what your personal experience with certain people has been.

[Cool Hand]

Sauron,

I don't know you from Adam, and I haven't read any of your other posts or threads, but this one is pretty assholish. Not only did you insult Republicans and libertarians, and those who are friends and/or relatives of such persons, but you display a gross immaturity in your envy of those from privileged backgrounds and the nouveaux riche. What's it to you if someone pays for a school parking space? It doesn't take anything out of your mouth.

I'm with xouper here. I'm a libertarian and a nominal Republican and I don't subscribe to the attitude you attribute to me. Oh yeah. I also drive a 2002 BMW. I guess according to you that means I got mine and you can go fuck yourself. Whatever, dude.

CH

[Sauron]

Originally Posted by xouper

I'm curious - You got something against people who can afford to drive nice cars and pay for parking spaces at the high school? What exactly is your complaint here?

1. That auctioning off parking spots at a public high school is a bad precedent; it is a public institution, and there are more democratic and more productive ways to divide up the limited parking other than a show of wealth;

2. These "people" do not afford the cars; their parents do. Yes, there is a difference;

3. $3500 for a parking spot is ludicrous and shows a lack of respect for the power of wealth and the opportunity cost of the money; most of the millionaires I know also would never spend over $60 for a dress shirt, or $25K for a car. Just because you have more money does not mean that ordinary items should cost more than they are worth.


I can afford to drive nice cars. I'm quite well-off. But I know better than to wave it around ostentatiously, and I'm also keenly aware that luck plays a much larger factor in wealth than most wealthy people realize -- or care to admit.

[slimshady2357]

http://www.kingcountyjournal.com/sit...ry/html/204714

Teen accused of having BMW stolen so he could get new Bentley
2005-04-21
by David A. Grant
Journal Reporter

.........

A 2005 BMW M3 sells for a suggested price of about $47,000, according to an online search of new car prices.

A 2005 Bentley Continental GT coupe, with a 552-horsepower engine and a top speed of 190 mph, runs about $159,000.

A 2002 BMW M3 sells used for about $42,000.

The BMW M3 only depreciates $5000 over 3 years?

Nice.

[Sauron]

Originally Posted by Cool Hand

Sauron,

I don't know you from Adam, and I haven't read any of your other posts or threads,

Then you should probably not participate in this thread.

but this one is pretty assholish. Not only did you insult Republicans and libertarians,

1. Which is not a crime.
2. What I said was accurate as well.

If it is insulting, that is hardly my fault.

and those who are friends and/or relatives of such persons,

Huh? Saying things about republicans/libertarians hurts the feelings of their friends and family?

Is being republican/libertarian some kind of group allegiance or genetic condition?

Sheesh. If friends or relatives of republicans/libertarians get insulted whenever someone questions the politics of a family member, then I hate to tell you but those are the people who are immature here.

but you display a gross immaturity in your envy of those from privileged backgrounds and the nouveaux riche.

And you display a gross lack of background information. I worked for Microsoft for 13 years - the source of the wealth in this story. I have expert-level knowledge of what I am talking about.

I'm with xouper here. I'm a libertarian and a nominal Republican

Gee. Didn't see that coming.

[Sauron]

Originally Posted by xouper

That sounds like a direct challenge to my integrity. I certainly hope you are not suggesting I'm lying here.

Challenge to your integrity? Not at all. But you're going to have to prove to me that you don't fit into that bucket, if you want me to believe that claim. On the other hand, you may not care what I believe - that's also fine.

I've just found that every libertarian I've met made the same claim that you make; they honestly believed that about themselves. No lying involved. But in the end it all boiled down to a rationalization of basic greed and almost evangelical faith in capitalism, in spite of obvious flaws.

If your view of libertarianism is that its philosophy includes the notion "I got mine fuck everyone else", then you do not have an accurate perception of what libertarianism is about.

I have an accurate perception.

[xouper]

Sauron: 2. What I said was accurate as well.

I disagree.

[TomJoe]

Originally Posted by Sauron

1. That auctioning off parking spots at a public high school is a bad precedent; it is a public institution, and there are more democratic and more productive ways to divide up the limited parking other than a show of wealth...

It's a good way to raise money for the school, which, as long as it's used for educational purposes, is a good idea. If someone wants to spend $10,000 for a parking spot ... let them. I'd be taking the bus, and I might be a bit envious of the whole shebang but ... fact of the matter is, it's their money.

[xouper]

Sauron: I have an accurate perception.

Quite clearly, you do not have an accurate perception of libertarianism.

[TomJoe]

Originally Posted by Sauron

I can afford to drive nice cars. I'm quite well-off. But I know better than to wave it around ostentatiously...

I dunno. Looking at the post of yours, one could argue that you were being a braggart there. That could, IMO, be classified as ostentatious.

[Sauron]

Originally Posted by xouper

Quite clearly, you do not have an accurate perception of libertarianism.

No, I do. As you're demonstrating in the Microsoft thread.

[xouper]

Sauron: ... you're going to have to prove to me that you don't fit into that bucket, if you want me to believe that claim.

So you will pre-emptively assume I am an asshole until I prove otherwise?? Very big of you.