Sunday September 2, 2007, 7:16 am
Yes, luxury is OK...to a point. But think of the good Chase could be doing with his millions - couldn't a nice 15,000 square foot shack have made him just as happy?

Sunday September 2, 2007, 7:27 am
More power to him. While it would be NICE to see him doing humanitarian and pursuing philanthropic goals with his money, this is what will make him happy. I don't see any comments here about the fact (noted in article) that his house is just a smidge larger than Bill Gates house...while social conscious would be nice, you cannot force him to do it. It's his money and his choice. At least the building of the monster is employing a lot of local craftsmen!

Sunday September 2, 2007, 7:51 am
And wasting a lot of natural resources.

Sunday September 2, 2007, 7:54 am
No one NEEDS this sort of excess, though if one is able and wants it, they have a right. Personally I find this sort of thing obscene, but that's just me.

Sunday September 2, 2007, 7:56 am
Conspicuous consumption is just plain wrong. I SO agree with Scott, this man Chase should be busy giving his money away, not spending it on his McMansion. I'm reminded of a saying,
"Live simply that other may simply live."
And another one which should scare Chase half to death, from the Bible, regarding the final judgement,
"Thy money shall be a witness against thee."
Thank you, Cate.
noted.

Sunday September 2, 2007, 8:06 am
That money could have been donated to a worthy cause, instead he wasted it.

Sunday September 2, 2007, 8:19 am
Perhaps Mr. Chase is planning on opening the doors to this huge mega-mansion to all the homeless people in his area. Probably why he needs so many bedrooms and bathrooms.

Sunday September 2, 2007, 9:29 am
He does have a right to spend his money as he chooses, but what a waste of all those beautiful trees....what a waste period....and I heard yesterday the Hemsley left 12 million to her dog...what are these people thinking, or do they think at all?

Sunday September 2, 2007, 12:01 pm
You got it Danielle, they only think of their greedy "selves". Selfish, greedy, and addicted to vanity/luxury. Some people have to come down for others to come up, and in 5000 years of history, all castles eventually fall. People can be as greedy as they wish and make greedy choices, but, "pride when your rich is a bore when your lonely". Most mega-rich are mega-sad!! Such was my lesson with some of my own family members and is the reason I'm not materialistic. I give all extra money back to the community where its needed and if everyone did that, we would live in an entirely different world. One with happiness, contentment, and pride.....another type of wealth.

Sunday September 2, 2007, 12:46 pm
Right on Ron!
Materialistic excess, and greed and pride such as this can only only result in one trying to mask loneliness and sadness as walled in and impenetrable-with no forethought to the waste of nature and those less fortunate...Yes Mr. Chase may have provided employment in the short term.But in the longterm he has robbed his soul of good deeds...Karma?

Sunday September 2, 2007, 12:55 pm
I would normally laugh at someone who would need such a ridiculous display of........, but the level of greed and indifference in the world today is not laughable anymore.
Cate, as always ,Thank you very much.

Sunday September 2, 2007, 1:31 pm
Someone please tell me he's putting massive solar panels on top of his mall--I mean, house!! Otherwise, can you imagine what that heating biil is going to look like?? I mean, this IS New England people!! Personally, I can't comment on his contributions to society. For all I know, he could be donating millions to various causes. (Let's hope he's not completely self-absorbed!)

Sunday September 2, 2007, 1:35 pm
NOTED!!

Sunday September 2, 2007, 2:55 pm
Showing off and why not money in it self it can drive someone to serve only one's self :)

Sunday September 2, 2007, 3:09 pm
You can't buy happiness....This is conspicuous consumption that is beyond reason. I wonder if he has 103 friends to fill his home theater? Also, he's likely a major political donor and hosts fundraisers for his cronies that pass the laws for tax breaks. Now he'll get more guests who attend for curiosity alone. I try not to be cynical but this is symptomatic of what is wrong in the U.S.A. today. Thanks Cate

Sunday September 2, 2007, 4:40 pm
Well you can't take it with you so if that is the way he chooses to spend his petty cash all well and good...provides plenty of work for builders and allied trades...seems wrong on a moral level in terms of distribution of wealth withing a society...but it was ever thus.

Sunday September 2, 2007, 5:30 pm


"Do you actually need to have that amount of space to live a good life?" said Susan A. Eisenhandler, a sociology professor at the University of Connecticut. "There are homeless people. There are impoverished people. There are serious social concerns, and we're not addressing that."

Amen to that. Just once I'd like to see one of these suckers build some quality homeless or disabled housing that looked beautiful.

Really does it come with solar panels? Can you imagine the electric bill or the cost of heating that thing in the debt of winter? So much for greening. I think that global warming just got a little hotter with one stroke.

Sunday September 2, 2007, 5:53 pm


I'll be happy to say it for you Scott L. Bill Gates is just as big of a wasteful rat bastard. He spent a quite a bit to have a tree moved on his property 6 INCHES. I guess it just didn't go with his feng shui. Poor baby.

From http://www.gizmohighway.com/people/bill_gates.htm
"In 1994 Gates married Melinda French. He built a house on the shores of Lake Washington that cost 97 million dollars .... it took seven years to build and a lot of it is built into a hill."

From http://www.evancarmichael.com/Famous-Entrepreneurs/556/Bill-Gates-House.html
"At one point, Bill Gates himself insisted that a cedar tree be moved over just six inches. "
"From the $200 each custom-made door handles"

Yeah those door handles are real necessary and now poor Billy is going to have to rip it all down to keep up with the Chase's. I tell you the pressures of being a millionaire are just unrelenting.

Sunday September 2, 2007, 6:20 pm
Maybe they are preparing for a siege?

Sunday September 2, 2007, 8:11 pm
Chase must have an "army" of domestic help to keep up with the housecleaning. I hope he has a great security system ! How can he go to sleep at night? Doesn't he ever wonder what's going on in the rest of the "kingdom" , I mean house, while he's asleep?
Thanks, Cate. Noted !

Sunday September 2, 2007, 8:57 pm
Noted/thanks

Sunday September 2, 2007, 11:02 pm
what a waste! Noted

Monday September 3, 2007, 12:44 am
I don't agree that Chase is providing a valuable service by employing an army of builders and other trades professionals, after all, those trades are based on voracious "supply and demand" consumerism that destroys the environment, impoverishes massive numbers of peoples and bankrupts economies.

Monday September 3, 2007, 12:55 am
Also: Chase was born in the wrong century, his "nibs" is reminiscent of those base 19th century robber barons and their ilk, who also employed huge numbers of the working class at povery wages (Chase is likely doing the same).

Monday September 3, 2007, 3:52 am
I don't think it's right o dictate what people do with their money, but I do feel that people of such wealth have a moral obligation to practice philanthropy, and a good many do.

Monday September 3, 2007, 6:13 am
There is a house sale going on now, but the catch is you pay over $1 hundred million per home. Yep that's the latest craze. Randolph Hearst is selling his house for $ 165 million. No takers yet. Even the obscene wealhy are watching the economy..

Monday September 3, 2007, 11:30 am
The problem is that so few have so much(that they really don't need), and so many have so little or nothing. Truly that can't be right. Especially when you consider how many of those with little or nothing are being worked nearly to death(making about one or two dollars a day) so that a privileged few can enjoy such excess.

Tuesday September 4, 2007, 5:45 pm
I wouldn't want to wash all those windows!!!!

Tuesday September 4, 2007, 7:06 pm
it should be against the law to have that kind of money

Wednesday September 5, 2007, 8:51 am
and if you do a little digging, you will find he contributes rather heavily politically (although, Lieberman...) and the arts center in Hartford...etc. Of course, with all that money you NEED to make charitable donations...but to deny him the money he made...You people are judging him on his wealth, that if he is that wealthy he must be bad...Double standard folks! Being poor doesn't make you good either! With ALL the things going on around the US, Bush and Cheney committing high treason against the Constitution, Pelosi DESTROYING the farm bill (HR 2419) by sticking on $4 billion in taxes at the end (making it even more attractive to send jobs overseas), Pelosi "impeachment is off the table", mountain top removal mining destroying the Appalachian mountains and poisoning the land...with all these things that REALLY matter, THIS is one of the most noted stories and raises the most ire? Jeez...

Saturday September 8, 2007, 2:33 am
Noted! You could have a whole family and never see them in a house that big. I have trouble with anything even remotely close to a million dollars far less this one. Personally, I would have trouble living like that when there are so many people who have very little or nothing at all. In fact, I have been told if I was wealthy, I wouldn't be wealthy long because I would give it all away. Not far from the truth there. Thanks Cate.

Saturday September 8, 2007, 3:28 am
I have to quote a line from someone far greater than I, whose name escapes me at the moment:

"If you want to know what God thinks about money, look who he gives it to!"

'Nuff said

Love & blessings to all

Kaz

Friday September 21, 2007, 8:25 am
Noted and agreed. My cousin used to own a Mercedes (no offense to those who may too), but as much as I loved the "fanny warmers" I could never spend as much on a car as someone could buy a small home with!

Sunday September 30, 2007, 6:16 pm
noted