It must be too dry a topic, but when people run for office, someone should look up and see whether or not they've paid their taxes. After all, if elected they're going to be spending money that comes from those of us who do get the job done.
The first race I'm looking at this year is that of Carrboro's Board of Aldermen and, unfortunately, I've found one of the candidates, Catherine DeVine, in serious delinquency. She owes Orange County $239.31 for her 2000 taxes and interest on her 1994 Mazda and $216.29 in 2001 taxes and interest on the same vehicle, whose registration is now blocked. That means she can't sell the car without satisfying the tax bill.
I checked out the other candidates and found either no records (Haven-O'Donnell, Ryan) or bills paid in full (Herrera, Gist).
Pointing this out gives me no pleasure. I happen to like Catherine DeVine. We'll hope she clears this up in short order.
12 comments:
And, there might be a logical reason. I sold a car here in NC and am STILL not sure that everything is cleared up in South Carolina. I've called, emailed, lettered, all to no avail. So, I have decided to hope and pray everything is cleared up on their end.
Boy, with friends like you who needs enemies.
"Chuckles" makes a good point. I sold a car a couple of years ago, then got a dastardly notice from the state about its inspection date having passed. I'd sold it to a Virginia resident, so that caused the problem, I guess.
Catherine is driving this particular car currently, so that's not the issue here. One hopes that if the tax records are in error, it will get cleared up.
As for this having to do with friendship, well, it doesn't -- it has to do with people running for office and being scrutinized by the electorate. I checked on all the Aldermen candidates. I've known Jacquie Gist a long time, but would have put her records up also if she was apparently delinquent. These are public records for heaven's sake. I didn't go through anyone's trash or violate a confidence.
Did you talk to Catherine or otherwise make a reasonable effort to do so before posting this negative information this close to an election? If not, then it is irresponsible to fail to get her version of the situation before posting.
Does she know that you have posted this info or is she supposed to just happen upon it?
My car registration is perfectly in order. I probably will have to prove this -- a time-consuming proposition similar to Chuckle's lament.
Ahhh. Shoot the messenger. Good strategy.
The messenger should've checked the facts before posting, especially given the fact that she is friends with (or at least used to be) Ms. DeVine and could have very easily gotten her side of the story before posting this info.
The Orange County Government's web site posted this info. It's available to anyone. When it's cleared up, that will be posted there, too. What's the big deal?
To the extent that these facts are being "reported", particularly by someone who apparently used to be a newspaper columnist, basic journalistic protocol of checking with the accused individual should have been done. This is true whether the accused is a "friend" or not.
Otherwise, it is just mudslinging. Particularly this close to the election.
With friends like this...
Hence my comment that I hoped the local media would follow up. I'm not the local media -- not anymore. I'm an individual with her own blog. I don't owe anyone the disclosure of what I'm about to write or equal space, etc. for response as a reporter might do. That's absurd.
Regardless, Catherine knows that the public has every right to inquire and comment on the payment of taxes. She is clever enough to know the difference between fact (here's an unpaid tax bill according to county records) and opinion (I think people running for office should pay their taxes). Further, I'll bet she agrees with that opinion.
Whether or not she pays the tax right away (assuming that she does owe it) I think that she should straighten it out, pay it, get a payment plan or demonstrate that she doesn't owe the money. I'd give anyone that advice.
I have not (and would not) attacked Catherine personally and as for this being "so close" to the election ... isn't it in November?
Confirming that five different Orange County revenue people see no delinquent taxes on my car. It only took an hour. Things got rather hectic in the Emissions Department.
Posting to your own blog is journalistic; copying your post to another more widely read blog seems like you're out to achieve something more than the public's right to know.
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