Robert De Niro on Mitt Romney

This is hilarious when you weigh what Bobby says here v. what he does in real life..........


Back in 1997, Robert De Niro bought a big, ol’ farmhouse and a few dozen acres of land in the Ulster County town of Gardiner.

In the years since, he’s done what many homeowners do: He improved it. He added land, and he transformed one unused barn into a recreation center and another into a workshop. There are also two guest houses.

Then the town did what almost all towns do: It jacked up his assessment — to $6 million. The De Niro trust that owns the land is contesting the assessment.

That’s led to some perverse consequences. De Niro’s wealth gives him the wherewithal to fight even after a judge ruled against him. Under the new assessment, his property taxes come out to $170,000 a year. Problem is, the town’s already spent $150,000 in legal fees.

And even if the city wins, it will get only 11 percent of the tax revenue: 60 percent goes to the school district. So it’s already a losing financial deal for Gardiner.

De Niro has been painted as greedy, with the suggestion he should just shut up and pay up. And there is certainly an element of hypocrisy on the actor’s part.

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