Posted on 04/09/2009 12:23:46 PM PDT by hripka
It's been all over the news - Rush Limbaugh packing up camp and abandoning his operations in New York City. It's been the subject of a Jon Stewart "The Daily Show" tirade [0] and even drew the attention of New York Gov. David Paterson [0].
Limbaugh appeared on Fox News Channel's April 8 "Your World with Neil Cavuto" [1] and explained why he was leaving and how he felt about those that were glad he was leaving.
"Well, if they're glad I'm leaving, Neil, then I assume that the governor of New York, the unelected governor - has no interest in the tax revenue he collects from me, in which case I would ask him to call off his audit dogs," Limbaugh said. "You know, one thing that hasn't been reported in this and I've mentioned it each time I've talked about stopping doing business in New York is I left New York as a resident in 1997. I moved down here to Florida, and I have been audited every year. This has been going on since '97. This is 12 years that I have been audited. The most recent audit is for the last three years. It's been going on since October."
Limbaugh told Cavuto he'd lead the modern-day "Atlas Shrugged" exodus out of the New York, but didn't think everyone would follow. He said some would stay behind.
"I've joked and I said, ‘Look if he wants to drive people out of there, I'll lead the way.' I'm sure that there are people in New York who will stay and put up with this," Limbaugh said. "I mean, liberals are liberals first, and they will be convinced that they're doing the Lord's work here by having more taxes confiscated. If there was some value for it that one could see, but look at the out of control budgets this state has, the out-of-control spending, and the ‘spending cuts' are always mythical. I've never seen a budget get smaller at a state or federal government level. You might have individual bureaucracies that get cut, but overall, budgets never go down."
He told viewers he was a victim of his public persona and that his tax dollars are being wasted by the state and local governments.
"The only reason I'm a poster child for it is because I'm hated, envied, and despised by people that live there in the media and so forth," Limbaugh added. "I'm a convenient target, and this is another way for people to have fun. I think it's more serious than that. I left New York in '97 specifically to escape the onerous income taxes I was paying then. It's not a question, like I said, of, ‘I can afford it,' or it's something that I don't need. It's stupid! It's stupid to waste money - and taxes in a profligate and wasteful state like New York are wasted. They do not accomplish anything. You know, really, Neil, if you look at the structure of New York City, with all the high-rise condominiums and apartments and co-ops, those streets ought to be paved with gold just from the property taxes collected from one building."
The auditors, Limbaugh claimed, even went as far as requested to go to Limbaugh's residences to determine which one he lived with their aggressive tactics.
"And they claimed I owed them x-number of millions," Limbaugh said. "They even wanted to come, Neil, to both my residences, New York and Florida, to see which one was really more lived in, which one had all the pictures. I mean, the hassle these audits has just reached a point."
Title was shortened to fit FR’s 100-character limit.
Did any of these auditors visit with Bobby The Weasel Wexler to ascertain where the heck he was living?
I HATE NY!
No, he’s a Democrat. They assume he’s always telling the truth.
Having the guts to speak out about liberal fascism one becomes the target of harrassment, intimidation, and theft of personal funds. This is the game they play while we stand by in meek retreat. Rush continues to carry the brighest torch for freedom and rights of the smallest minority on the planet, “the individual.”
“This is 12 years that I have been audited. The most recent audit is for the last three years. It’s been going on since October.”
12 years? Good grief. Sell the friggin’ NY apartment ASAP. Get out while you can Rush.
I wonder what would have happened if they had applied the same “lived in” standard to HRC’s New York and Washington, DC, residences. Would she have been eligible to be one of New York’s Senators?
Yeah, I thought he smarter than that.
From what I hear, Califorinia is even worse. They try to "Source Tax" the portion of your retirement income that was earned while you lived in their state....long after you've moved away. I dodged the bullet on that one because I always lived on base (that means it was a Federal reservation, not property of the state) while stationed there.
This is clearly Gov’t intimidation for political reasons. Rush should sue their pants off.
Liberal Facism at it’s worst.
It’s not just his apartment. He’s got to move his radio station and employees.
I don't disagree one bit. NY, CA, MN, NJ, MA, WA, IL....wouldn't live in any of them. Wonderful geography...marginal population...abysmal leadership.
Before someone thinks that it is just the Spitzer/Patterson regime, GOP George Pataki was governor up to 2007. New York’s combined government just spends like it is going out of style. Personally, if I had been Rush, I would have exited at the time of the 3rd consecutive audit as an oppressive business environment.
I’m glad Rush is otta there. He deserves better than New York.
Glad Rush realized what a hole in the ground New York really is.
How about Our KENYAN Teleprompter Protegy! Did they audit ZERO’S Birth Certificate or Zero’S MUSLIM Faith? They sure didn’t audit ZERO’S Friends like Rezko, Wright, Ayers, Emanuel, Turbotax Tim, ad infinitum:-)
we need a “Escaped from NY State: Free Citizen List” of those who are free of NY.
The most astonishing thing he said was that the NY revenue agents demand that he account for his whereabouts every day with multiple documentation. That should turn the stomachs of EVERY American.
The auditors, Limbaugh claimed, even went as far as requested to go to Limbaugh's residences to determine which one he lived with their aggressive tactics.
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