Comments on: Franken tax trouble http://www.secretsofthecity.com/mnspeak/12287 Minneapolis + St. Paul Sun, 22 Nov 2009 08:23:37 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: s4xton http://www.secretsofthecity.com/mnspeak/12287#comment-160607 s4xton Thu, 01 May 2008 05:19:43 +0000 #comment-160607 Charley, you are everywhere, aren't you? Jeez, neighbor. Charley, you are everywhere, aren’t you? Jeez, neighbor.

]]> By: charley http://www.secretsofthecity.com/mnspeak/12287#comment-160595 charley Thu, 01 May 2008 02:12:46 +0000 #comment-160595 Obviously Franken had no intention of avoiding taxes. He merely paid them in the wrong jurisdiction. Sadly, it has been a trivial scandal which has rocked a trivial campaign. The Franken frontrunner status has always been based on celebrity and fundraising ability, never on any core issues. So there has been a fragile sense of inevitability, which is now damaged.<br /> <br /> A far better pick for the senate was always Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer, who has amassed a significant following, in spite of having a shoestring, grassroots campaign that has been ignored by the media. The appeal has been to those seriously interested in peace and sustainability, which is beginning to sound pretty good at this point. Obviously Franken had no intention of avoiding taxes. He merely paid them in the wrong jurisdiction. Sadly, it has been a trivial scandal which has rocked a trivial campaign. The Franken frontrunner status has always been based on celebrity and fundraising ability, never on any core issues. So there has been a fragile sense of inevitability, which is now damaged.

A far better pick for the senate was always Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer, who has amassed a significant following, in spite of having a shoestring, grassroots campaign that has been ignored by the media. The appeal has been to those seriously interested in peace and sustainability, which is beginning to sound pretty good at this point.

]]> By: richg http://www.secretsofthecity.com/mnspeak/12287#comment-160574 richg Wed, 30 Apr 2008 22:01:31 +0000 #comment-160574 I hate it when I agree with Swandog. Right now there's the cut and run approach and the stay forever approach. Never shall the twain meet. The real answer is somewhere in between, but no one has a Marshall Plan for Iraq. <br /> <br /> Granted, in the Democrats' defense, coming up with a plan to address the ongoing clusterfuck that is Iraq boggles the mind. I hate it when I agree with Swandog. Right now there’s the cut and run approach and the stay forever approach. Never shall the twain meet. The real answer is somewhere in between, but no one has a Marshall Plan for Iraq.

Granted, in the Democrats’ defense, coming up with a plan to address the ongoing clusterfuck that is Iraq boggles the mind.

]]> By: swandog http://www.secretsofthecity.com/mnspeak/12287#comment-160570 swandog Wed, 30 Apr 2008 21:52:35 +0000 #comment-160570 <em>I still see that working out better than showing up without one</em><br /> <br /> My point exactly no vision forward only backwards. I think we can all agree that we have some real morons in the white house right now but for god's sake someone come up with a plan for the future. I still see that working out better than showing up without one

My point exactly no vision forward only backwards. I think we can all agree that we have some real morons in the white house right now but for god’s sake someone come up with a plan for the future.

]]> By: Bixby http://www.secretsofthecity.com/mnspeak/12287#comment-160562 Bixby Wed, 30 Apr 2008 21:35:49 +0000 #comment-160562 <em><br /> Not even with a majority in the house and the senate come on.</em><br /> <br /> You need a bigger majority. They *barely* have a majority in the grand scheme of things.<br /> <em><br /> Furthermore, they have no vision or solution to solve the problems in Iraq, they just say leave and have no real plan.</em><br /> <br /> I still see that working out better than showing up without one.
Not even with a majority in the house and the senate come on.

You need a bigger majority. They *barely* have a majority in the grand scheme of things.

Furthermore, they have no vision or solution to solve the problems in Iraq, they just say leave and have no real plan.

I still see that working out better than showing up without one.

]]> By: swandog http://www.secretsofthecity.com/mnspeak/12287#comment-160559 swandog Wed, 30 Apr 2008 21:34:19 +0000 #comment-160559 <em>And many of the dems elected in 06 were and are against the war, but you can't change Washington overnight.</em><br /> <br /> Not even with a majority in the house and the senate come on. They use the war as a tool to gain votes. If they wanted to cut funding for the war they could have, they did not. Furthermore, they have no vision or solution to solve the problems in Iraq, they just say leave and have no real plan. And many of the dems elected in 06 were and are against the war, but you can’t change Washington overnight.

Not even with a majority in the house and the senate come on. They use the war as a tool to gain votes. If they wanted to cut funding for the war they could have, they did not. Furthermore, they have no vision or solution to solve the problems in Iraq, they just say leave and have no real plan.

]]> By: makesnosense http://www.secretsofthecity.com/mnspeak/12287#comment-160514 makesnosense Wed, 30 Apr 2008 21:03:28 +0000 #comment-160514 The dems took over in 06. When did they raise taxes? Unless you're talking about the gas tax here in MN, which is what, a couple of weeks old? And many of the dems elected in 06 were and are against the war, but you can't change Washington overnight.<br /> <br /> Sounds like you had your mind made up about democrats a long time ago. Or maybe this politics stuff is just too complicated for you. The dems took over in 06. When did they raise taxes? Unless you’re talking about the gas tax here in MN, which is what, a couple of weeks old? And many of the dems elected in 06 were and are against the war, but you can’t change Washington overnight.

Sounds like you had your mind made up about democrats a long time ago. Or maybe this politics stuff is just too complicated for you.

]]> By: swandog http://www.secretsofthecity.com/mnspeak/12287#comment-160464 swandog Wed, 30 Apr 2008 20:27:05 +0000 #comment-160464 <em>Franken initially supported the war, so endorsing Franken doesn't make as much sense as endorsing JNP, or myself. It has been a disappointment that the 2006 Democratic sweep did not result in serious efforts to prosecute war profiteers or end the occupation of Iraq.</em><br /> <br /> What is disappointing is that we voted a bunch of democrats into office to protest the war and instead they did the bait and switch and raised my taxes and accomplished nothing. So why would I trust a democrat now to accomplish anything but creating more governmental intrusion and raise my taxes. I do not think the republicans are much better, they talk the talk but they like their pork too. Wellstone was a good man and I never liked his policies but I always voted for him because I trusted him. Dayton was the normal limousine liberal with a silver-spoon in his mount. He was a complete joke and proved that money does not buy brains. Franken initially supported the war, so endorsing Franken doesn’t make as much sense as endorsing JNP, or myself. It has been a disappointment that the 2006 Democratic sweep did not result in serious efforts to prosecute war profiteers or end the occupation of Iraq.

What is disappointing is that we voted a bunch of democrats into office to protest the war and instead they did the bait and switch and raised my taxes and accomplished nothing. So why would I trust a democrat now to accomplish anything but creating more governmental intrusion and raise my taxes. I do not think the republicans are much better, they talk the talk but they like their pork too. Wellstone was a good man and I never liked his policies but I always voted for him because I trusted him. Dayton was the normal limousine liberal with a silver-spoon in his mount. He was a complete joke and proved that money does not buy brains.

]]> By: barryS http://www.secretsofthecity.com/mnspeak/12287#comment-160461 barryS Wed, 30 Apr 2008 20:23:27 +0000 #comment-160461 Even when Franken does get taxes back from MN/NY; he'll still have to deal with the notion that he was incompetent in doing his taxes. Something that might score him a few more sympathy points, but in the long haul still hurts him.<br /> <br /> I don't expect Coleman and the GOP not to hit Franken hard with this any further. It's enough to have planted the notion that Al is a tax-evader in the minds of voters. They won't go further with this once the accounting is done and Al gets refunds from NY & MN; because that only lessens the effect of this blow.<br /> <br /> Even when Franken does get taxes back from MN/NY; he’ll still have to deal with the notion that he was incompetent in doing his taxes. Something that might score him a few more sympathy points, but in the long haul still hurts him.

I don’t expect Coleman and the GOP not to hit Franken hard with this any further. It’s enough to have planted the notion that Al is a tax-evader in the minds of voters. They won’t go further with this once the accounting is done and Al gets refunds from NY & MN; because that only lessens the effect of this blow.

]]> By: friend http://www.secretsofthecity.com/mnspeak/12287#comment-160451 friend Wed, 30 Apr 2008 19:45:51 +0000 #comment-160451 Franken initially supported the war, so endorsing Franken doesn't make as much sense as endorsing JNP, or myself. It has been a disappointment that the 2006 Democratic sweep did not result in serious efforts to prosecute war profiteers or end the occupation of Iraq.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=107&vote=00237&session=2" target="_blank">Wellstone and Dayton voted against it</a> and we can continue to elect Senators that will make unpopular stands for what is right, instead of getting swept up in the hype about celebrity candidates... Franken initially supported the war, so endorsing Franken doesn’t make as much sense as endorsing JNP, or myself. It has been a disappointment that the 2006 Democratic sweep did not result in serious efforts to prosecute war profiteers or end the occupation of Iraq.

Wellstone and Dayton voted against it and we can continue to elect Senators that will make unpopular stands for what is right, instead of getting swept up in the hype about celebrity candidates…

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