Democrats- pay your taxes and stimulate the economy!
ATLANTA --- An effort to allow the state Senate to sanction members who don't pay their taxes failed to win approval Thursday as Democrats accused ruling Republicans of launching a partisan witch hunt.
The vote came after the state Department of Revenue said 22 state lawmakers -- about 10 percent of the General Assembly -- were delinquent on their taxes. Tax records obtained by The Associated Press on Thursday through an open records request identified three of those legislators as House Democrats.
Senate Minority Leader Robert Brown leveled a bitter personal attack on the measure's sponsor, Sen. Eric Johnson, calling the Savannah Republican "a bloodsucker." As he spoke, Mr. Brown displayed a photo of Mr. Johnson in front of a flag adorned with the Confederate Battle symbol.
Mr. Brown, a Macon Democrat, admitted he had to file an extension on his taxes after an illness that left him hospitalized for six months.
The documents released Thursday indicate state Reps. Al Williams, Winfred Dukes and Roberta Abdul-Salaam all owe the state taxes. The other 19 legislators have not yet been named, and their names and Social Security numbers are redacted from the report. Mr. Graham has said their names can't be made public until they are notified by the department and given a chance to respond.
The records indicate Mr. Williams owes Georgia tax collectors $42,672. His state pay is being garnished and a lien topping $73,000 was placed on property he and his wife own in Midway, the records show.
Mr. Williams said his accountant concluded the state actually owes him more than $400, and that state tax collectors wouldn't deduct his charitable givings while federal collectors would.
The records show that Mr. Dukes owes $828 stemming from $470 in uncollected taxes. The Albany Democrat said he wrote a check to state authorities Thursday morning to clear his tab
Ms. Abdul-Salaam, a Riverdale Democrat who owed $646, had an excused absence at the Capitol Thursday and could not immediately be reached for comment.
The House's attorneys are studying the chamber's rules to see if they have any recourse against those not paying tax bills.
In the Senate, Mr. Johnson, chairman of the chamber's ethics committee, was trying to change the Senate rules to make senators who fail to pay their taxes subject to sanctions and even removal from office. He said the Senate should make clear to Georgians that legislators are not above the law.
"They are not people who can't pay their taxes. They are people who are refusing to pay their taxes," Mr. Johnson said.
The resolution fell short of the needed two-thirds majority. The vote was 32-16.
Comments
Democrats- pay your taxes and stimulate the economy!
Perhaps we should make it a felony to lie. Then we could simply ask politicians every year if they have paid all their taxes. Problem solved. lol
The names of all of the delinquent politicians should be printed. They had a chance to respond before the taxes were due. If no extension is filed, the name should be released...along with party affiliation, race and area represented. No protection for these employees of the government. No pay until their taxes are paid...with penalty.
Everyone should write their representative to pass this bill. Also, we want to see who voted against this bill. Next year hopefully the ones voting against will be voted out of office. Mr. Johnson we applaud your efforts to put ethics back into our government.
Opinion, do you have any doubt who voted against it? Hint: Democrats.
Geez, another tax scandal involving politicians... who'd have thunk it. Who owes US money? Bet it's the same ones who just spent our money, our kids money & grand kids money.
Go, Mr. Brown! I am glad you called the GOP out on their tacitcs! They are bloodsuckers.
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