Sorry, Harry, I don't give a rat's patoot about 'sending a message' on this subject. This is big time overkill and I'm sick of seeing MY government waste MY money for time spent prosecuting and time spent in prison for a crime that isn't going to change the face of the nation one iota. Get out there and put this money and effort into catching drug dealers or finding and jailing the idiots that are shooting kids in Chicago. This is just too freakin' stupid to believe.

How are they wasting your money? He's getting a fine big enough to cover the cost of keeping him in prison, and it's not like they had to put a lot of money and effort into catching Snipes. Didn't he pretty much advertise that he wasn't going to pay taxes?

Danbury is a women's prison - lmao

And the prosecuters and detectives that assembled this case worked pro bono? Get a grip, BF. This cost taxpayer money to bring to trial. And wasting that fine he paid on keeping him in prison for three years only adds insult to injury! Wouldn't it have been better to apply that money somewhere where we could benefit from it? This goes in the HDDTTWA* file along with so many other stupid government tricks.

*HDDTTWA = How Dumb Do They Think We Are? A local columnist used to do a weekly column under this heading pointing out the stupidity rampant in our world.

I would dearly love to shove a copy of this letter down the Clintoneesta and the Obamanator's throats for their TOTAL SCORN FOR THE LIVES OF IRAQI CHILDREN. Most selfish, ego-mad, greedy, and careless, irresponsible, disgusting bunch of WIMPS who ever stole breath and food from those who are truly WORTHY of life -- which those slimes most surely ARE NOT. Why God put such two-legged predators on earth is beyond me, except that surviving their greed for stolen gold and stolen power is forcing the rest of the nation to grow some guts fast.

It's too hot for soup today.

Do you really think that we spent MORE on his trial than the fine he payed, or the taxes he was withholding and intended to continue to withhold over the rest of his life?

I ♥ taxes

I ♥ ladies...

You're missing the point, BF. The fact that we spent ANYthing beyond the cost of filing papers to assess and collect the delinquent taxes and fine is STUPID! What a cosmic waste of time and money when the country is full of REAL problems that deserve the effort, not to mention front page coverage, that this (c)rap got.

I'm done now. Again...sorry for the rant.

I dunno, I'd rather see tax dollars used to pursue this actual crime, tax evasion, than that of pursuing people having sexually charged online chats... jmo...

It sends a message to pay your taxes or face the consequences. We all (at least I think) pay our taxes because we know the consequence.

If everyone decided to stop paying taxes, then let's see - your garbage would pile up, you'd be driving on dirt roads, our parents and grandparents wouldn't be able to live, etc.

Message sent.

I say good for the IRS.

Check the second link.

Totally agree. I don't see how it is a waste of money. What should we do, slap him on the wrist? Then no one pays their taxes. Then you will see a waste of money. This guy owed more then all of us on BOL combined. That money goes to support all grovernment programs, which they still funded. Basically, we go into more debt because of him.

Right on! That's what I was trying to say above. You just spelled it out better.

No, I think your missing the point. He was not going to pay the taxes. Even after he was told he needed to. He believed (along with a group of Americans who - like a cult, believe thsi to be true, he didnt owe anything.

http://www.wesh.com/news/15059750/detail.html

Tax specialists and lawyers say that the Snipes case hinges on whether he can persuade jurors that he sincerely believed that he did not have to pay taxes, while prosecutors will argue that he was just trying to avoid them. The Supreme Court has ruled that people can make such an argument, but two leading defense lawyers said that Mr. Snipes might have a hard time using it as a defense.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/14/business/14tax.html

But see, it really isn't his fault... riiiiight

This is hardly ever done on a tax issue. They do this for high profile people to send a public message. Pete Rose went through the same issue. But if you or I conducted the same behavior, they would go after the money and tack on a fine and that would be the end of it.

Straw, the problem with that is Wesley already spent the money.

Mike Tyson owed the IRS money and he just had to come up with it from future purses. The difference is that Tyson never claimed he didnt owe money.

So what ARE you saying, Harry? One minute you're saying I'm missing the point and the next you saying Tyson got just what I advocate.

I don't care WHY someone didn't pay their taxes. My point is, it shouldn't carry a jail term just cause they didn't pay. Same with Martha Stewart. Do you really thing these 'crimes' deserve jail time? Make the fines bigger. Tag on community service specifically related to the crime. But stop sending people like this to jail.

Does this mean we need some sweeping reform to crime punishment? You bet! I'm just sick and tired of the idiotic extent that the justice system has been stretched too. You get a million dollars for not knowing McD's coffee is hot or you get three years in prison for not paying your taxes. But that murderer is out walking 'by reason of insanity'??!!!

Ok. Now I've really got to walk away from this thread. Have at it...or me.

No because I still think you miss the point. Tyson and Snipes were too different scanrios. Tyson did not pay his share of taxes.

Snipes honestly believed he was exempt from taxes. This is perscribed by a lunitic fringe of people who avoid taxes by just not filing them. The government was sending a message to those tools.



ok what should it carry then? A fine? and if they dont pay that, then what?



Securities Fraud? Yes I do. Fraud like this endangers entire corporations.



Ok I agree with this. But its really not what I am advocating. I am advocating that people who knowingly fraud the US Government should be punished harshly. This guy stole millions and can't pay it back. Taxes are designed to benefit, you, me and Wesley. But why do only you and I have to pay them. All of our money goes to help some crack head somewhere. But not Wesley's money.

How can someone advocate higher taxes for health insurance reform, or higher taxes for corporations for getting rick off of us, and not want to enforce tax laws? This makes no sense.