Link. By conservative standards, Sarah Palin wouldn't even be fit for a Federal Government job that requires Senate confirmation, much less for the job of VP or President.
The more we know about Palin, the more unfit she appears for any kind of leadership position in this country -- moral or otherwise.
She is also a huge hypocrite. She rightly throws this major hissy fit about Rahm Emanuel using the word retarded but tempers her comments when Rush Limpbag uses it and has NO comment as of yet about Glen Beck actually making fun of retarded children. http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/200901090014
ReplyDeleteAs a conservative I still can't see the fascination with her.
ReplyDeleteBTW: Sunday's coming up! Geaux Saints!
Regardless of your thoughts on Palin, this isn't a news story. The property taxes on that parcel are fully paid and have never been delinquent. They built a house and it hasn't been assessed yet. That's a sign of how lousy government is at doing things, not a moral failing of Sarah Palin.
ReplyDeleteEric - You know that's not a good argument. By your argument, folks who withhold reporting income on their taxes are merely taking advantage of government incompetence. As the article notes, property owners are supposed to correct any errors or issues with their assessments. If Sarah Palin were a good citizen, she would have reported the cabin structure to the assessor and not just shrugged it off saying that it is up to the assessor to "discover" the existence of a structure located in a very inaccessible place. Maybe you think it's fine for folks to try to get away with not reporting property subject to taxation and risk being called on it. Maybe you also think it's fine for individuals to try to get away with not reporting income subject to taxation and risk being called on it. But we all know that we should report such things. And that getting caught not reporting such things is not something that is immune to criticism. The moment conservatives stop lambasting liberal politicians for similar "omissions" in calculating their tax liabilities is the moment I'll think Sarah Palin should get a break on this one.
ReplyDelete"folks who withhold reporting income on their taxes are merely taking advantage of government incompetence."
ReplyDeleteAbsolutley, they are, but they are also breaking the law because their tax forms specifically ask them to report any and all income they have recieved throughout the year (and that includes the old treadmill you sold for $50 on craigslist that nobody ever reports).
"But we all know that we should report such things."
Absolutely, if the state formally and specifically asks us for data pertaining to those things.
"...property owners are supposed to correct any errors or issues with their assessments."
How are property owners supposed to know what an error on their assessment would look like? If the state sends out a document asking about the existence, value, and details of any improvements you've made to a property, then you are legally required to answer those questions honestly. But there is no rational argument that states a person is obligated to second guess the state's assessment of their property for the year. The state may have a right to go back and look at Palin's property and say they owe more on it because it was not properly assessed, and if so then they Palins may be obligated to pay it, but if the state does not formally ask for information from people about improvements made to the property, then the obligation of assessing the value is on the state.
"The moment conservatives stop lambasting liberal politicians for similar "omissions" in calculating their tax liabilities is the moment I'll think Sarah Palin should get a break on this one."
I think you should consider the difference between wrongfully declaring information on a tax statement, and not answering a question that was never asked of you. The person who didn't declare their $50 income for the treadmill they sold on craigslist has made a larger ehtical transgression than the Palins have here, assuming the Palins made one at all. At any rate, I don't think the Palin's situation is ethically suspect enough to warrant calling Sarah Palin a 'tax cheat' (and that is from somebody who is politically agnostic re: the virtues of Sarah Palin).