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Al Franken Pays $70,000 In Back Taxes
Al Franken is now working to undo a tax controversy that has caused him some damage in the polls paying $70,000 in back taxes to 17 states where he's done business over the years and where he neglected to pay -- a story that has chipped away at his credibility in making the transition from entertainer to politician in a top-tier Senate race.
"What happened is our accountant made a mistake, and all of these are repercussions of that same mistake," said Franken. "His mistake was not understanding the law, the obligation to pay these state taxes."
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I guess this means he won't be sharing a cell with Wesley Snipes.
Probably just as well. I could throttle Al for blowing this so badly.
April 30, 2008 9:58 AM | Reply | Permalink
Well, Franken's a smug little piece of shit, but I have to say, this is a completely understandable mistake, but of course he's made a living hysterically accusing completely honest businesmen of various crimes and misdemeanors based on flimsy reasoning, so it's apt he's getting a bit of his own medicine.
April 30, 2008 10:06 AM | Reply | Permalink
Don't sugar coat it, give it to us straight!
That's quite a claim to throw out there. Evidence, please?
I agree with Tena that Al could've handled the whole background check better. And I'm a bit surprised that Chuck Schumer didn't exert more effort to find a safer candidate. After Ventura, I'm afraid most Minnesotans won't cast a "what the hell" vote for an entertainer this time. It is worth noting that many voters in 1998 were not so much voting for Ventura as they were voting against either Skip Humphrey or Al's current opponent, the political chameleon known as Norm Coleman.
April 30, 2008 10:14 AM | Reply | Permalink
I'm pissed - I want to get rid of Coleman and Al knows better than to run like this - I thought.
He's just been absurd and I could kill him.
April 30, 2008 10:17 AM | Reply | Permalink
Agreed 110%. Coleman makes me ill. Just one example: he recently voted not to extend the Brady Bill ban on assault weapons. As the father of a 4 year old who is about to start attending a public school, I didn't appreciate that. He's a total Bush lackey and is now running ads calling himself "an independent voice for Minnesota." Gag. Who falls for this crap?
Selfishly, I wish Al had kept on his Air America radio show. I think he performed a a valuable service there, countering right wing talk radio BS.
April 30, 2008 10:25 AM | Reply | Permalink
Schumer already foisted that safe robot Amy Klobuchar on us. How many DLC friendly votes did she cast on war and civil liberties before she found out her Senate office does not have an unlisted phone number.
April 30, 2008 7:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
Gotta respectfully disagree with you on Klobuchar. I think she's been great -- and hats off to her for having the courage (especially as a junior senator) to endorse Obama weeks ago instead of sitting on the sidelines. Kudos to her!
April 30, 2008 11:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
Norm Coleman never pays his back taxes.
Norm Coleman also doesn't want to pay for the military AND he doesn't care if they are ground to bits in a senseless war.
April 30, 2008 10:20 AM | Reply | Permalink
Seriously folks . . . Franken found out there was an issue and made amends by paying taxes and penalties without sending a boot-load of attorneys to argue why he did not owe the bucks. Take you time and name one Republican who has done the responsible thing in the last decade . . .
Vilifying someone for doing the responsible and correct thing is so . . . Republican.
The process of tusheva requires that the transgressed upon consider forgiveness once amends are made. I'm am sure that the various states are content. Holding a grudge for a trangression not against you is . . . well . . .
April 30, 2008 10:41 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah, I'd lighten up a little on Mr. Franken for this error.
Tax laws are ridiculously complex. Why on earth should a Harvard-educated person have to hire a specialist to do his taxes for him? Why should it be that hard to comply with the law??
And why is it Al's fault if the specialist he hired couldn't figure it out and do it correctly? How do we hold Al accountable for his accountant's mistake -- should Al have known better? Should he have become an expert in the tax laws of 17 different states, just so he could check his accountant's work??
I have a Master's degree in engineering, but I had to give up years ago and hire someone else to do my taxes. And my situation is not nearly as complex as Mr. Franken's.
Our tax laws are broken and completely out of control. We badly need some serious simplification.
No law should be so hard to comply with that you have to hire a paid professional in order not to land in jail.
Anyone who has filed in good faith, and corrects a problem when it's brought to his attention, is doing all that he can within the constraints of our stupid system.
-- ARG
April 30, 2008 11:20 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah, I'd lighten up a little on Mr. Franken for this error.
Tax laws are ridiculously complex. Why on earth should a Harvard-educated person have to hire a specialist to do his taxes for him? Why should it be that hard to comply with the law??
And why is it Al's fault if the specialist he hired couldn't figure it out and do it correctly? How do we hold Al accountable for his accountant's mistake -- should Al have known better? Should he have become an expert in the tax laws of 17 different states, just so he could check his accountant's work??
I have a Master's degree in engineering, but I had to give up years ago and hire someone else to do my taxes. And my situation is not nearly as complex as Mr. Franken's.
Our tax laws are broken and completely out of control. We badly need some serious simplification.
No law should be so hard to comply with that you have to hire a paid professional in order not to land in jail.
Anyone who has filed in good faith, and corrects a problem when it's brought to his attention, is doing all that he can within the constraints of our stupid system.
-- ARG
April 30, 2008 11:25 AM | Reply | Permalink
Sorry for the double post.
I'm sure you heard me the first time.
GD stupid effing computers!! (Or should I blame the software??)
-- ARG!
April 30, 2008 11:26 AM | Reply | Permalink
I think you should blame Jeremiah Wright. All the cool kids are.
April 30, 2008 1:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
Give him money:
secure.alfranken.com/.../contribute
April 30, 2008 5:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
I have . . .
April 30, 2008 5:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
And despite what I said above, so did I...
April 30, 2008 11:29 PM | Reply | Permalink