You sure it was Republicans?
If I were a Democrat, that’s the sort of thing I would do. Gets people pissed off and they vote Democrat in retaliation.
Thanks, folks.
Quickly answering some of you at random:
Storage unit: yes, it might be a good idea, Oakminster, Merkwurdigliebe and company. Annoyed as I am to have to pay for what I was legally allowed to do when I acquired the boat, it might be the way to go, although ground-level-access units go for premium prices (indoors, up narrow stairs, rent for less, but can’t get the boat up there). Oakminster is right, the mast and boom are removable (and currently the mast is “stepped down” into two parts and stored in the long part of one room in my condo).
New Jersey slip: Very generous, Onomatopoeia! But impractical as I am down in Virginia.
Gatopescado – Now you’ve got me wondering exactly when the no-boat-zone restriction passed, and who controlled Congress at that time. I’m pretty sure Bush was in the White House, although it’s a strain to blame this one on him. My gut feeling is that the current Republican Party wouldn’t hesitate to meddle at least as much as the Democrats, even the caricature Dems in your post. 
Perhaps Eisenhower’s Republican party would have acted as you describe.
StarvingButStrong Yes, that’s the rational route. Boat ownership is like having a trophy wife; you can’t do it until you reach a certain level of resources, everybody thinks you’re just showing off, it won’t take the family on routine errands, maintenance is more than you expected, and it costs you more to get rid of it than acquiring it did. In my case it’s also like she’s in the country on an expired visa; I’ll get in trouble with the government if she stays in one place, but hiding her is impossible – she’s conspicuous as hell among the frumpy family minivans. It is a foolish love at best.
Some FNG – granted, I don’t know who did it. But the sticker (and perhaps the golf course location) are my only clues. Republicans created the sentiment behind the sticker, Republicans buy the damned thing, Republicans honk when they see it, and Republicans will have to take the rap for it in my rant. They can be “innocent until proven guilty” in someone else’s rant.
Sailboat
Do you play Mafia on the StraightDope? Because with that sort of logic, you’d TOTALLY fit right into those games.
That’s Republican thinking right there, Your average Democrat (or liberal anyway) wouldn’t do anything of the sort.
Bullshit.