Politico: Brian Davis's property tax penalties

From Politico's article In campaigns, tax liens emerge as issue:

A review of public records compiled by outside campaign operatives and independently confirmed by Politico suggests that there will be more of the same before voters go the polls in November:

• Minnesota Republican Brian Davis, who is challenging freshman Democratic Rep. Timothy J. Walz, paid tax penalties on his house in Rochester, Minn., every year from 2003 to 2007 — a combined total of $1,237.05 in fines, fees and interest — according to Olmsted County property records.

This hasn't been on anybody's radar in Minnesota, but we suspect it will be now, especially since the NRCC MDE had scolded El Tinklenberg over his two late payments, which were years apart in 1999 and 2005.  Davis looks a bit more habitual in his behavior.

What is it about paperwork and Brian Davis? His stint as Olmsted County PRM treasurer is discussed in Olmsted County RPM: Just who was that treasurer who quit in 2007?; he lost or destroyed paperwork for over $13,000 in contributions. His drivers license was also suspended for failure to pay a ticket, according to Blueman, who first picked up the tip from an anonoblog.

And that doesn't even include the many horse apples Davis has lobbed about energy policy, his brief career as an engineer....

Second Update 7/24: Davis tells MPR that he didn't pay his property tax bills on time because "it's something that comes in the mail":

"It's something that has come in the mail, and between my wife and I it's taken a while to pay it," said Davis. "It's not been a problem of us having the funds to pay it. It's just been a problem of us paying it late. I don't know how many times we've paid them late."

Since he has no financial worries, why not pay the bill on time?  An oversight once or twice, as was the case with Congresswoman Bachmann and El Tinklenberg, her challenger,  is understandable,  but paying late year in, year out looks to be a habit, not an oversight. [end update].

 

Update: According to Polinaut, the DCCC had fired back when when news of Tinklenberg's tardiness hit the Minnesota blogosphere in May:

The DCCC issued this news release:
Bachmanns Who Live in Glass Houses Shouldn't Throw Stones
Bachmann fined for paying property taxes late in 2003

National and State Republicans attacked Elywn Tinklenberg for paying his property taxes late without doing their homework. In 2003, Michele Bachmann paid her property taxes late and was fined $156.72.

"While spending so much time trying to defend President Bush's failed agenda, Republicans neglected to do their homework on their own candidate's poor tax filing record," said Carrie James, regional press secretary at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. "Instead of paying her property taxes on time, Michele Bachmann is too busy following around President Bush and introducing the Light Bulb Freedom of Choice Act.”

Frankly, the dueling property tax penalties in the Sixth haven't come to much. Michele was late once; El was late twice. The exact number of times Davis was late (and if late payment was the problem) isn't clear from the Politico article. Since property taxes are due twice a year,  the minimum number of times Davis paid penalties has to be five, and the maximum, ten.  The tax records for Olmsted County aren't freely available online; a LandShark account costs $300 for set-up and the monthly fee.

It is surprising that the Republicans played offense on this one in May. But then, just as he's not mayor of Minneapolis, Brian isn't a DFLer running in Minnesota's Sixth.

And since there's a primary in the First, the dirt could have come from either side of the aisle.

Comments

[MinnesotaCentral]

There is a disturbing trend here when those of us who "play by the rules" and comply with Federal Law while others just seem to ignore it.
Has anyone questioned Congresswoman Michele Bachmann why her Personal Financial Disclosure Form that had a May 15 due date was filed late?
I have now found her filing that was date stamped as received on June 16th ... there was no mention of including the $200 late penalty.

Ollie Ox replies: Property taxes are a local and state concern, not a federal law.

There seems to be a sense of these rules are meant for only some of us.