Posted on 11/15/2008 6:02:03 AM PST by GOP_Lady
Joe the Plumber case still dripping -- Half-dozen agencies access records of Ohio man
By Dennis J. Willard, Akron Beacon Journal staff writer
Published on Friday, Nov 14, 2008
The election is over, but the Joe the Plumber case is not.
Ohio Inspector General Tom Charles said his office is now looking at a half-dozen agencies that accessed state records on Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher.
The Beacon Journal has learned that, in addition to the Department of Job and Family Services, two other state offices — the Ohio Department of Taxation and Ohio Attorney General Nancy Rogers — conducted database searches of Joe the Plumber.
Wurzelbacher became an instant celebrity after he asked Barack Obama a series of questions in his Toledo driveway about the Democrat's tax policies.
In the third debate between Obama and Republican John McCain on Oct. 15, the candidates referred to Joe the Plumber more than 20 times.
The next day, the taxation department conducted two separate searches of a database of liens for unpaid taxes that were certified to the Ohio Attorney General's Office for collection.
John Kohlstrand, a taxation department spokesman, said he is prohibited from talking about individual taxpayers, but he confirmed that the databases were checked.
The searches were done to determine whether a lien placed against the individual was appropriate and whether it remained unpaid or not, Kohlstrand said.
The department's first search of the day was unsuccessful because of incorrect information about the individual, Kohlstrand said. Ohio Attorney General Nancy Rogers' office then contacted taxation because it was having difficulty accessing the database, Kohlstrand said. After the two agencies talked, taxation completed a successful search.
Kohlstrand said that the AG's office wanted access to the records so they could turn over to the national media lien information that was a public record in Lucas County. He said the national media did not have reporters in Toledo, so the attorney general's office was helping them out with public records.
On the day following the two searches, the taxation department conducted a search of another in-house database that tracks cases and correspondence between taxpayers and the department before the liens being certified and turned over to the attorney general for collection.
Rick Anthony, deputy tax commissioner, said there are times when a payment can be in the pipeline so a lien appears unpaid when in fact the taxpayer or business has repaid the state.
Anthony said the database searches on both days were conducted to ensure that the information in Lucas County was being properly reported by the media.
''Wouldn't that have been a disaster if the lien had been paid,'' Kohlstrand said. ''The responsible thing for us to do would be to take prompt steps to make it right.''
''We are not aware of any inappropriate browsing of information by anyone in our department pertaining to Mr. Wurzelbacher,'' Kohlstrand said.
Jim Gravelle, a spokesman for Attorney General Rogers, said he could not comment on individual records because of privacy issues. He said he would not confirm or deny that the AG's office went to taxation or whether his office had been queried by the inspector general.
The day after the debate, media outlets began reporting that Joe the Plumber's real name was Samuel, he was not a licensed plumber and he owed close to $1,200 in back taxes and additional money to a hospital.
His home was besieged by media outlets, including television crews that camped on his lawn.
Wurzelbacher had questioned Obama's plan to raise taxes for anyone with an income exceeding $250,000 because he planned to purchase his own plumbing business.
His current income made him eligible for a tax break under Obama's plan.
Wurzelbacher later endorsed McCain at a campaign stop in Ohio and hired the Pathfinder Management group in Nashville to manage his career.
Kohlstrand would not comment on an investigation by the inspector general, but Charles confirmed Thursday that he is looking into the taxation department to determine whether their searches were appropriate.
Charles said he does not know at this point if anyone in any of the agencies did anything wrong.
The inspector general began investigating after news reports surfaced that Helen Jones-Kelley, director of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, ordered her agency to conduct background checks on Joe the Plumber.
Jones-Kelley maintains that her agency routinely checks on people who are thrust into the spotlight to determine whether they have unpaid child support bills, are receiving public support from her department or owe unemployment taxes.
After the election, Gov. Ted Strickland placed Jones-Kelley on paid leave. The governor said the suspension was for a matter unrelated to the background checks on Joe the Plumber.
Then the DemonRat run agencies of Ohio used government computers to sniff out Ohio drainpipes and databases trying to detect a foul odor with Joe the plumber.
And yet in 24 months neither the media nor any state or federal agency has lifted a finger to do the crudest, most rudimentary background check on Obomie the Commie.
These DemonRat agency and media people are pathetic examples of human waste. They need to be brought down low.
“Dissent is about to become a dangerous avocation....”
Remember when the Democrats were so angry at Obama regarding FISA?
What Ohio did to Joe the Plumber is uncalled for. Surely there is some sort of privacy violation or misuse of government property crime that someone can be charged with. Half dozen agencies-—someone needs to go to jail so this kind of thing doesn’t happen again.
The radio station was 610 AM WTVN in Columbus; the ad aired on Wednesday evening between 6-6:30 PM. The doctor I work for heard it too. I’ll see if I can contact the station tomorrow during business hours, but their website didn’t have a link.
Hmmm. Hubby of 38+ years. Oh my, hadn’t had enough coffee when I posted that, I guess! If I were male, you could say it SEEMS like 47 yrs? ;)
Thx for the kind words, he works very hard and I am proud of him.
I hope the spite and malice of the Democrat Party doesn’t lead to the kinds of abuses the Clintons employed during their reign of terror. Their use of government agencies (IRS especially) to punish people they considered their enemies was amazingly transparent.
A local liberal rag, The Tennessean, took out after Joe last week - slamming him condescendingly in a cartoon basically emphasizing the importance of Obama and of his position as a nobody. I wrote a letter to the editor telling them that for now, President Bush was still the POTUS, not Pres.-Elect Obama and that Hussein had been the one trespassing on Joe’s front yard, not the other way around - and that Joe had just asked a simple question. Of course, they haven’t printed it, and probably won’t. It was a good letter and said what needed saying. I would urge my husband to cut that subscription off. I’ve given “Katie” and “Charlie” the axe.
If we don’t stand up for the regular people that this powerful crowd is coming after, there may not be anyone to stand up for us if the time comes.
If Joe decides to run for office, I am sending him a little contribution.....
I think we as conservatives need to develop a list of provocations as a pre-emptive measure.
Prosecuting Joe the Plumber, for whatever "reason" - provocation.
Taxing ammunition above a normal and reasonable amount - provocation.
Attempting to restrict ammunition availability by government regulation - provocation.
Harassing or prosecuting George W. Bush or others in his administration after he leaves office - provocation.
Except for Eliot Spitzer, who, though he committed numerous felonies, didn't commit any felonies...
That would be under CANDIDATE obama's PROPOSAL which apparently can't even be found on obama's website anymore. When obama becomes President, we will find that just like clinton, CANDIDATE obama's plans had to be changed to reflect the new reality he faces as President, and Joe the Plumber will be eligible for a heft tax INCREASE.
I have a foolproof way of refuting those who claim that 0bama is NOT cutting taxes on those making less than $250/$200/whatever it is today.
Bet them.
“
For the duration of the 0bama regime, we’ll calculate my taxes based on 2008 tax codes and compare it to my tax liability under 0bama. If I owe less, I will GIVE YOU the difference, and pay the accounting fees.
However, if I owe more under 0bama, you will PAY that difference for me.
“
You’ll get few takers, I’m sure. When they don’t take the bet, ask them if they think 0bama’s lying, and why they’d support a liar.
unfortunately, the VA is not the only gov't system where this exists. Buddy of mine is a manager for my local city. He inherited an employee that was a total screw up. Completely without any redeeming qualities whatsoever.
After giving the guy far too many chances, my buddy went to his manager and said "I know I'm new here, but what am I going to do with this guy?"
Manager told him, approximately, that it would be faster to go down to the problem employee's cubicle, shoot him, do the time, and come back to work....than to try to navigate the firing process.
So, my buddy did exactly what happened to him....when the next sucker, erm new manager, came in...the problem employee was foisted off onto the new guy.
My tax dollars at work.
I hate to admit that I did the same thing. I felt awful about it, but this guy was driving me insane. Always taking off for ‘union’ time, always moaning and complaining, always reporting me to the union for being ‘unfair’ to him.
So, when a supervisor from another department called me for a reference I gave the guy a fair enough one to be considered for the vacancy. He got the job and even though I pitied his new supervisor a great weight was lifted from me and I was able to be a better manager.
{{Here’s a prayer up asking that I be forgiven for what I did to _____ for giving him ____ at the V.A.}}
Buddy's supervisor was looking for a more permanent solution, I think. :-)
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