Free Republic

Phoenix, Arizona — The assessor of Arizona's largest county has been indicted in connection with 11 felony offenses, including human smuggling, sale of a child and communications fraud in an adoption fraud scheme, authorities said.

Thank you - and your colleagues Edward Lotterman, Frederick Melo and Ruben Rosario - for shedding light on the city of St. Paul/Ramsey County real estate tax "system." That system puzzles me. Should I conclude that it is broken? Perhaps even a less than artful attempt, like mine below, might add to your helpful analysis. Compare the real estate tax system to the "progressive'' income tax. A published schedule indicates the basic tax burden that a particular amount of income will bear. Or, compare the real estate tax to the "regressive'' sales tax. A product purchase price leads to a...

Contra Costa Tax Assessor Gus Kramer used an arcane real estate transaction known as a gift deed to acquire millions of dollars worth of property in the county during the past decade despite an ethics law limiting gifts to a few hundred dollars a year that a public official can accept from any one person. Public records show Kramer obtained full or partial title to seven properties from 2000 to 2010 for which no money changed hands and no real estate transfer taxes were paid. Kramer didn't list three of those properties on his annual ethics disclosure statements, as required...

MARTINEZ — Contra Costa County District Attorney Robert Kochly said Thursday that his office has been looking into the activities of county Assessor Gus Kramer, who was the subject of a series of stories in the Times about his private property investments and actions as an elected official. Kochly, who stressed the probe is not a criminal investigation, said he would not reveal the focus of the inquiry. Kramer's attorney said the inquiry began about six months ago. In a series of stories in June, the Times revealed that Kramer is an active property investor who in 2004 bought a...

<p>A group of FBI agents searched San Francisco Assessor Doris Ward's office early Friday looking for documents that could determine whether she used public funds for her re-election bid.</p> <p>Federal and state investigators have been looking into allegations Ward signed a city contract worth nearly $50,000 with political consultant Claude Everhart so she could save money on her campaign for assessor-recorder. Federal law prohibits the use of taxpayers' funds for electioneering.</p>