`Joe the Plumber,' Obama Tax-Plan Critic, Owes Taxes

[OneAngryDemocrat]

Source: Bloomberg

``Joe the plumber,'' the Toledo, Ohio, man whose complaints about Barack Obama's tax plan were highlighted by John McCain in the final presidential debate, owes the state of Ohio almost $1,200 in back income taxes.

According to records on file with the Lucas County Court of Common Pleas, the state filed a tax lien against Samuel J. Wurzelbacher for $1,182.98 on Jan. 26, 2007, that is still active.

Wurzelbacher was thrust into the national spotlight this week when he told Obama he worried that the Illinois senator's proposals to roll back Bush administration tax breaks for Americans earning more than $250,000 would prevent him from buying a plumbing business that would earn between $250,000 and $280,000 a year.



Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aC4j3T5.s_eQ&refer=home

---

Please visit my anti-war website, which I have NOT updated due to a not-too-serious illness (but STILL feel like sh!t), www.shockedandawful.com

[SharonAnn]

1. And he doesn't hold a plumber's license.

[fascisthunter]

2. which could potentially mean he's in some legal trouble

[TheCowsCameHome]

3. Poor Joe - He's on the hook for back $$$

Wonder if the IRS has anything on him..............

[Kalifornia.Kid]

4. Watch for the McCain spin on Joe FAKE Plumber's tax problems ...

The McCain team to avoid embarrassment will provide Joe FAKE Plumber with some heart sobbing story as to how the economy tanked and ruined him. McCain will want to play the white knight and save poor slobs like Joe FAKE Plumber with four more years of Bush.

[Blaq Dem]

5. I'd like to hear from his ex-wife about how he beat the crap out of her.

He's a wife beater.

[LiberalHeart]

13. No he isn't. That's a different guy.

[wuushew]

20. Are you sure?

I doubt WURZELBACHER is the another form of Smith, and given the rather small population of Holland OH it would be rather large coincidence that the first, middle initial and last name are identical.

The tax lien and domestic abuse record do list different addresses for the plaintiffs however.



What info do you have?


http://apps.co.lucas.oh.us/onlinedockets/default.aspx

[dgibby]

22. His full name is:

Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher. Wurzelbacher is a very common name in that part of Ohio.

Joe was born Dec 73 in Ohio, lived in Fla, where he attended high school.

He joined the AF, was stationed in Alaska, lived in Az, moved back to Ohio.

He is not a licensed plumber, made approx $44,000. in 2006, according to divorce papers. He's a single dad with a 13yr old son.

He has a lien against his house for failure to pay taxes. There is a rumor that he is related to a Robert M. Wurzelbacher,Jr., who is related to Charles Keating of the Keating 5; however, Keith debunked that on his program tonight.

Keith also stated that he had some connection to right wing radio before the meeting with Obama.

Joe is a registered republican. His last name is misspelled on his registration, ie Wortzelbacher vs. Wurtzelbacher.

Most of this info has already been posted on one of the enumerable threads on DU, as well as the Toledo Blade, KOS, etc.

And to top it all off, there is a Doug Wurzelbacher in Wasilla,Alaska, who may or may not be related to Joe.

Hope this helps!:hi:

[wuushew]

23. The Lucas county land records are pretty useful

The tax lien was sent to a house owned by a Frank Wurzelbacher(blood relative?) and the domestic complaint from 2006 was sent to a house owned by a Samuel(financed via Countryside?).


I still think it is the same guy in both disputes.


http://www.co.lucas.oh.us/real_estate/AREISmain/areismain.asp

[LiberalHeart]

34. The two domestic cases are 1) divorce, and 2) dissolution. There was no abuse.

[LiberalHeart]

35. Some corrections...

He attended Springfield High School (that's in Springfield Township, which is also where Holland, OH, is).

His "connection" to rightwing radio is this: he was interviewed on the radio after video of his conversation with Obama hit YouTube and the national news (which was days before the debate).

[LiberalHeart]

33. I'm sure. There was a guy in another county who had the charges, if....

...what I read about the other guy is true. BUT...the reason people think Joe the Plumber beat his wife is because his divorce record shows some dough going to battered women. But that's just a thing they do in divorce cases in Lucas County -- they have court costs, and the costs are divided among various agencies and funds, and one of those is for battered women. It has nothing to do with Joe himself.

[ShockediSay]

16. sounds to me like a swift boat plant w/ neoCon funding

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gJsPHiQlgYvAsrHz9mvHJlezQJLwD93RTEH80

HOLLAND, Ohio (AP) — Joe the Plumber's story sprang a few leaks Thursday. Turns out that the man who was held up by John McCain as the typical, hard-working American taxpayer isn't really a licensed plumber. And court documents show he owes nearly $1,200 in back taxes.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Obviously he doesn't like to pay even his fair share of taxes, IMHO

[Steelworker In OH]

6. I have no clue

about this guy on a personal level, but come on guys. Digging up crap about a random person who spoke to a prominent politician (no matter his party affiation or his stance on the politician hes speaking to) will just make people less likely to talk to our leaders. Sorry if that sounds a bit jumbled, but its the best way I can put it. I would love to have the oppertunity to speak with Obama or McCain, face to face, but not at the expense of having my life story dug up and posted for the masses to see.

[LynnTheDem]

9. He wasn't dug up at random. He was a plant by the mccain campaign.

And it backfired on them, you betcha.

[LiberalHeart]

14. He's not a plant. Obama walked through his neighborhood and that's when he met him.

It was an unannounced visit when Obama was in the Toledo area.

[Psephos]

26. Evidence?

Or have we stopped using that now?

[LiberalHeart]

36. No need to be snotty. If you followed the story you'd know he met Obama on his own street.

He lives on Shrewsbury. Obama made a surprise visit to Shrewsbury when he was spending several days in the Toledo area. Joe was playing football with his kid when Obama showed up. He approached Obama and asked a question. It was captured by news cameras (the media were on Obama's trail the whole time he was in the area). The video hit the local and national news, and the video was also posted on YouTube. So Obama came to him, not vice versa. It is impossible that he was a plant. His story about buying the plumbing business, however, is a pipe dream.

[Psephos]

37. Perhaps you misread my post...

...because you and I agree completely that it's not credible that Joe the Plumber was a plant.

I don't understand why we didn't just dismiss him for the schlub he is, and move on to the next thing. Because making him the center of a secret conspiracy (cf. the poster to whom I originally responded) or crucifying him publicly over his personal matters is just plain political stupidity. Proof: repugs love the vilification of Joe the Plumber by the left. Their "outrage" is faux; their glee is real.

[SemperEadem]

11. that guy allowed himself to be pimped by mclame

he gave no thought beyond going on camera to try and stump Obama and tell him to his face that he wouldn't vote for him.

Pride goes before destruction and the haughty spirit before the fall. Dude should have thought long and hard before climbing up the pole because now, the press is climbing through his business and pulling out those things I'm sure he forgot about and wished would stay hidden. If he kept quiet and didn't allow himself to be turned out like a cheap whore, there wouldn't be any issues.

this is indicative of the level of mediocrity which defines the mclame supporter. They don't have the brain cells required to attain common sense. It's like back in the 16th century when Sir Anthony Babington allowed himself to be pimped by the Catholic conspirator, Ballard, to get a group of friends together to assassinate Queen Elizabeth I and to set Mary, Queen of Scots upon her throne. Babington's mediocre reasoning compelled him to decide to climb the pole, but he didn't take the time to find out that Sir Francis Walsingham, the queen's spymaster, put the pole in place. By the time he put two and two together, he and his group were caught up in the snare and they died the "full horrors of the traitor's death".

This guy's pride compelled him to out himself, knowing that he had too many questionable actions in his background--that are part of public record. A Lexus-Nexus search can reveal all. All media outlets pay the exhorbitant price to subscribe to it. Too bad Joe didn't know this.

[dogfacedboy]

30. Many don't think before grabbing their 15 minutes of fame. n/t

[TNMOM]

18. he wasn't dug up, dude. he used lies to draw attention to himself.

he should be exposed for what he is A LIAR. And if you don't wan't to read about it, just ignore these threads.

[dgibby]

24. It's not about Joe,

it's about McCain's knee-jerk reaction of pouncing on something he thinks he can use against Obama. And once again, his impulsivity in not vetting someone (think Sarah Palin) shows just how erratic and reactive he is. Certainly not someone I'd want answering the phone at 0300! Talk about shooting first and asking questions later! Soooo, any day we can discredit McCain is a good day for Obama!

[earthlover]

7. The guy's real name is not Joe...and he does not have a plumber's license

Other than that, Joe was vetted about as well as McCain vetted Sara Palin.

[LynnTheDem]

8. ROTFLMAO!!! Ya picked a good un, McCain! You betcha!

:rofl:

[AlbertCat]

10. What is this? "Leave it to Beaver"?

Joe the plumber? as the average worker?

Like they said on Olbermann, What about Cherie, the system's analyst?

This is another pig/lipstick distraction. And "Joe" sounds like a clueless GOP talking point clone....especially since he isn't a plumber.

[crossroads]

12. LOL

http://www.eisenstadtgroup.com/2008/10/15/joe-the-plumber-wurzelbacher-related-to-charles-keating-oops/

[dgibby]

25. Take this blogger with a grain of salt.

Evidently has been involved in some controversy.

[LiberalHeart]

15. His company has "unsatisfactory" rating at the Better Business Bureau (link)

http://toledo.bbb.org/WWWRoot/Report.aspx?site=101&bbb=0422&firm=7000258

[truthisfreedom]

17. Excellent work. Fear the DU!

w00T!

[Psephos]

27. There's nothing excellent or progressive about destroying a little guy.

This thread, with one or two exceptions, is disgusting. Bunch of fucking hypocrites.

Joe the plumber has different politics than us so it's o.k. to anally probe his entire life to find dirt. Who on this thread would fare any better under the same invasion of privacy? Not me. Got plenty of dirt. It's called life.

Get a clue. There are tens of millions of Joe the plumbers out there, and they all can relate. By chopping him up, we alienate millions who have tarnish spots on their biographies, too. I thought we stood for the little guy.

Meanwhile, Martin Nesbitt, Obama's campaign treasurer, has a state tax lien in Texas for $1700, and another in California for $2400. Some other small stuff, too. Is it a "scandal"? No, it's because he's been in business, and that's the kind of stuff that accumulates. I imagine Al Franken would agree, given his unpaid tax situations. In any analysis, Nesbitt's still a fine and fully qualified treasurer.

Time to move on, and fast.

[mitchum]

29. Fuck that noise..."Joe The Plumber" wanted to play the big man and call out...

Obama with right wing talking points.
Now he is getting his ass handed to him (buttcrack and all)

[Oak2004]

32. If you stick yourself into national issues, and make claims about yourself, that is what happens.

"Joe" did not just have a short chat with Obama. He made false claims about himself, held press conferences, was (metaphorically) wined and dined by right wing radio, and every bit of the way, until people started to check his story, sought out the attention.

I've been in the news. And I've been assisting a friend who has gotten some national media coverage. It is absolutely standard for the media to investigate claims about their lives made by previously unknown newsmakers.

CNN has gone so far as to do background interviews of my friend's elementary school friends. The background research they did never made it to the news however, because everything they discovered matched what my friend said about herself and her past. They did of course find the occasional skeleton in her closet, but as the skeletons were completely unrelated to her role as a newsmaker and the claims she has made, CNN has never waved those skeletons around.

If "Joe" had actually been a plumber, he would not have had any problems. If "Joe" had actually been in a position to buy a business that actually was worth what he claimed it was, there would not have been a problem. If "Joe" had actually paid his taxes, there would not have been a problem. If "Joe" had not talked about his truck, no one would have brought up his suspended license.

Rule #1: Don't lie to the national media. Rule #2: Don't lie to the national media. Rule #3: Don't lie to the national media. If you don't want to discuss something, say you won't discuss it, but do not tell a lie. Occasionally you can get away with lying to local media, but don't do that either, because when they do catch you they will skewer you.

The media will respect your privacy in matters that are irrelevant to the reason you're dealing with them, but they do not, even for a moment, tolerate lies, and once they catch you in a lie, they will open the floodgates and make you wish you never ever lied to the media.

[The Doctor.]

19. Soooo.... "Joe" the plumber just screwed not only himself,

but his place of employment.

They can't be too happy with him right now.

[du_grad]

21. Front page story on Toledo Blade tonight

www.toledoblade.com has the plumber story on the online front page as of 11 p.m. (The Blade recently endorsed Obama. They're going to work this story TO DEATH. They're like that!)

Story is here:

http://tinyurl.com/4le8eo

Toledo is a huge union town. The quote below was in the article. Having lived in Toledo my entire 59 years, this is NOT going to help him get work here. If he can only work in the townships, that leaves out the entire city.

"Mr. Wurzelbacher’s notoriety has raised the ire of Tom Joseph, business manager for Local 50 of the United Association of Plumbers, Steamfitters, and Service Mechanics, who claimed that Mr. Wurzelbacher didn’t undergo any apprenticeship training.

"When you have guys going out there with no training whatsoever, it’s a little disreputable to start with," Mr. Joseph said. "We’re the real Joe the Plumber."

Mr. Joseph said Mr. Wurzelbacher could only legally work in the townships, but not in any municipality in Lucas County or elsewhere in the country.

"This individual has got no schooling, no licenses, he’s never been to a training program, union or non-union, in the United States of America," Mr. Joseph said.

The association has endorsed Barack Obama, according to Mr. Joseph."

[onager]

28. The clown wanted his 15 minutes of fame. He got it.

"There's a lot more important issues than me, and I'm starting to feel a little uncomfortable with it," he said. "Everyone's more worried about what Joe the Plumber has to say than what Obama or McCain has to say."

False modesty, followed immediately by raging egomania.

While watching the debate at home with his father, he was interrupted several times by calls from the national media including CNN, Fox News, and Good Morning America. In addition, CNBC, ABC News, the Wall Street Journal, the Houston Chronicle, and the BBC called The Blade in their quest to reach Joe the Plumber.

And THAT's what it was all about. Next he'll be doing commercials for toilet cleaners. Or chatting with Oprah about the day Jesus came into his heart.

But he said Mr. Obama's health-care plan scares him. "It's just one step closer to socialism," he said.

Next time this asshat uses that line, somebody should immediately demand that he (1) define socialism and (2) name several of its most imporant historical leaders.

[dogfacedboy]

31. He'll do neither, because he can't. n/t