Joe The Plumber: Not A Tax Expert

Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher, a.k.a. "Joe the Plumber," is the topic of the day on the campaign trail, in part because he held an impromptu press conference Thursday morning in front of his house to discuss tax policy, his disdain for Social Security, and his critiques of Barack Obama.

Already, however, there is some dispute as to whether or not Wurzelbacher was being accurate with his critique of Obama. His business, as ABC reports, would almost certainly get a tax cut under Obama's plan, given that he does not expect to make anywhere close to $250,000 in profits.

Moreover, for someone worried about his taxes, Wurzelbacher doesn't -- it appears - always pay them. A filing with the Lucas County Court of Common Pleas shows that he has had state tax liens filed against him, meaning he was either delinquent or didn't fully cover taxes that he owed.

A representative at the court explained that Wurzelbacher had not paid $1,182.98 of personal income tax. The state filed a lien on January 26, 2007, and the payment remains outstanding. But the court rep also cautioned that this all may have occurred without Wurzelbacher's knowledge.

"We get hundreds of state liens every day and we don't have to make a judgment on them. We are just putting in there what the state says is owed. We don't notify that person and neither does the state. If there was activity on this lien, if they attempted to collect it on this case - which they haven't -- it would show up. But I am 99.9 percent positive that he doesn't even know about this."

Tax-issues aside, the "Joe-the-Plumber" fervor seems to be spreading beyond small town Ohio. On the streets of Manhattan this morning, a plumbing company car was spotted with a "Joe The Plumber For President" poster on its side.

But before Obama supporters fret about losing the plumber vote, it's worth noting that the United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters has endorsed the Illinois Democrat, in part because the union thinks he has the best economic agenda for its members.

"Obama will help us keep existing jobs and work to develop new, higher paying jobs here in America, reform our health care system, fix our ailing schools and make sure that the pensions of our retirees are safe," the union said.

Comments

[FedUp60]

Let's just say that we don't trust the Republicans and as always, they are up to their old dirty tricks! I will be glad when this election is over and President Obama is taking office!!!

[fair-n-square]

I dunnow, a little suspicious, maybe I'm being paranoid. He walked up to Obama and said: 'I am a small business owner expecting to make about 250K per year and that means you're going to tax me'

Joe is "planning" to make the exact salary that Obama's plan would start taxing? And how perfect the sound quality was? And McCain's crappily run campaign people somehow found just that exact moment of tape?

Hmmm.

[TheAlchemist]

Not sure Sam "Joe" will be all that pleased with having been taped in the end...

[freddynono]

You are being paranoid.

Obama was campaigning on his street. The guy walked out his front door to ask this question. He asked a fair question regrading a major policy issue. What is wrong with that?

[surlybird]

Man the MSM has already reported more about this cat than they have about Palin.

[Budokan]

that's easy to understand since he's given more interviews than Palin has

[Tobiasism]

But is Joe related to Charles Keating's son in law?

The right wing seems to think so.

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

[LadyBirdJ]

Plumber.... plumber... ummm... I seem to remember another fake plumber (or group of them), who brought a Republican down. Wishful thinking?

[hortonhearsawho]

Stocking Stuffer!

[Tobiasism]

But, is Joe related to Robert Wrtzelbacher the son in law of Charles Keating?

Right wing blogger Martin Eisenstadt seemed to think so.

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

[Countdown09]

I think Joe is going to realize the worst thing you can do is talk to the press off cuff! There's a reason people hire professionals to train people how to deal and talk to the press. This guy is going to become a laughing stock by the time the press finishes with him.

[bluepearl2001]

Looks like Joe the Plumber is in WAY over his head. Obviously naive about how open to investigation his life now is. Not paying his taxes? No wonder he's worried about Obama's plan to 'spread the wealth'. Didn't pay his taxes in the first place, regardless of what the tax law required. Now that's American as apple pie, yes?
I heard he doesn't doesn't even have a plumbers license... Not sure how to check on that.
And if he really is directly related to the Charles Keating of the McCain protected Savings and Loan Scandal, well, doggone. Ya think he might have been a plant? You betcha.
What goes around comes around.

[truthseeker7]

If Joe the Plumber is like any of my numerous small business contractor friends, you can be damn sure he his tax return shows him making virtually no money at all. For a typical small contractor to "have" to report >$250,000 in income he is either:

a) doing pretty darn good and is honest,

b) doing pretty darn good and spending nothing on business epxenses like vehicles, advertising, materials, etc. or

c) doing great like grossing $400,000 plus

Why is politics so freaking stupid?

[Liberal2]

Politics needs only be smart enough to con 50% + 1 of all voters. And that ain't very smart.

In eight years we've gone from standing astride the world to needing both hands free to hold our pants up.

[robbie44]

Joe must not be a very smart plumber.if my toilet gets backed up i know who not to call.

[RealHRCFansVoteObama]

This is a little troublesome - this guy is getting way more than fifteen minutes. I hope this doesn't become the chisel that chips away Obama's lead.

Most people aren't looking at the substance of Joe, only the facade.

[happypup]

In a land of fairness and media equity, the truth about Joe the wanna-be plumber would get as much play as the legend of Joe the plumber created by the McCain Camp and the media. Too bad we do not live in this mythical land of fairness.

[bluepearl2001]

Just another layer of absurd mythology (BS) about the McCain and Palin ticket. No one is buying.

[moosetacos]

You know the economy is bad when Vic Mackey gets into plumbing.

[PoliticalEnnui]

Congratulations Joe! You're rich!

[Budokan]

congratulations, Joe, you've been revealed as a fraud!

[Nikola Tesla]

Congratulations Joe, the County wants to take you to Court!

Thank your buddy, John for outing you on National TV!

[1truthhurts]

Joe the Plumber is a Mcain plant and he was obviously vetted by the same person that vetted Sara Palin

[bluepearl2001]

I agree. If McCain's campaign had done their homework, McCain wound never have said a word about Joe.
SO WHO IS JOE THE PLUMBER?
A person who doesn't pay all of his taxes
A person who doesn't have a plumbers license (anyone want to check this out?)
A person who is part of Charles Keating's family. (as in the KEATING FIVE SAVINGS AND LOAN SCANDAL...)
Just a simple Joe Six Pack kinda guy who is an independent thinker and who just happened to be there with Obama and the cameras. Yeah, right.
I feel sorry for the guy. Much in the same way I sometimes feel sorry for Sarah Palin. Neither of them were properly vetted.
They both rushed in where angels fear to tread.
They are both naive half-wits who got in waaaaaaay over over their heads because they weren't smart enough to realize that they were about to step in it
And both of them are being used by the McCain campaign to 'energize the base'--as in the lowest common denominator instincts and ideas in America.
And in the end, when McCain goes back to Arizona to live off of Cindy the Billionairess, both of them will live with the Kiss of mcCAIN.

[stardot]

Dude. Don't tell me Joe the Plumber is going to turn out to be Karl Rove's cousin or something....

[happypup]

LOL! And you know what? It wouldn't really be all that surprising now, would it?

[bbbear]

ROTFL! Thanks for the giggle!

[zippywpinhead]

no, Charles Keating's cousin, maybe...

[Mishymalkin]

Drudge vets their sources like the McCain Campaign.

From the Gallup website for Oct 16, 2008:

Gallup Daily: Obama 49%, McCain 43%

Why are some in our society so lazy that they don't check this stuff for themselves? Lying to voters is horrendous, but if voters don't punish the liars they just keep on lying.

[Mowogg]

Drudge was reporting the daily likely voter "traditional" which is 49% to 47% It's the registered voters that are at 49% to 43%.