Those Pesky Tax Laws II

As an addendum to an earlier post citing the Obamas’ and various politicos’ (including Treasury Secretary Geithner and Tom Daschle) problems either understanding or adhering to the nation’s tax law, former Socialist Congressman Ron Dellums has apparently also decided that taxes are for the “little people.” He and his wife Cynthia owe at least $239,000 in back income taxes, according to the Internal Revenue Service.

Now serving as mayor of Oakland—where he’s established a reputation for being largely AWOL from City Hall—Dellums and his wife appear to be living well beyond their official means, including renting a large house in one of the city’s most exclusive areas.

The Dellumses also are well known for their expensive tastes. The mayor dresses in exquisitely tailored suits, and his official mayoral calendar reveals that they eat out often, usually in upscale restaurants.

An investigation last year, “Ron Dellums Living Large While Oakland Budget Bleeds,” disclosed his practice of at least partially supporting such lifestyle choices at taxpayer expense:

The expenses include stays at 5-star hotels in Washington D.C. such as the Four Seasons and Ritz Carlton, on his many travels away from Oakland, although Dellums owns a luxurious home in the nearby exclusive enclave of Georgetown.

All this while proposing unpaid furloughs for city employees, severely cutting back services, and sharply raising taxes to cover the city’s projected $14.5 million deficit.

Just another case study of a Socialist for whom equality is an ideal not to be contemplated as a personal lifestyle.

Mary L. G. Theroux is Senior Vice President of the Independent Institute. Having received her A.B. in economics from Stanford University, she is Managing Director of Lightning Ventures, L.P., a San Francisco Bay Area investment firm, former Chairman of the Board of Advisors for the Salvation Army of both San Francisco and Alameda County, and Vice President of the C.S. Lewis Society of California.
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