Presidential hopeful John Edwards recently told the website Beliefnet.com: “I think that Jesus would be disappointed in our ignoring the plight of those around us who are suffering and our focus on our own selfish short-term needs. I think he would be appalled, actually.”
This is interesting coming from a millionaire who is so loathe to fork over his taxes.
From the July 31, 2003 issue of The Washington Times:
Sen. John Edwards, North Carolina Democrat and 2004 presidential hopeful, is four months delinquent in paying the property taxes on his Georgetown mansion and owes the cash-strapped District more than $11,000, city records show….
In at least eight instances during the past decade, the Edwardses have been so late paying property taxes on their Raleigh home and various automobiles that bill collectors assessed them penalties, according to records kept by Wake County in North Carolina.
In 1995, for example, they were more than two months late paying their taxes on a 1989 Mitsubishi and a 1991 Acura. That same year, they were nearly a month late paying taxes on their Raleigh home.
Last year, they were late paying their taxes on a 1998 Volvo and a 1998 Buick.
That did not include the dozens of times the Edwardses paid months past the due dates on their Raleigh tax bills but were not assessed late penalties.
Regarding the outstanding bill in Washington, Mrs. Daisley said that even in cases where a tax bill is in dispute, the city requires owners to pay by March 31.
“You can protest the bill, but you must still pay your taxes on time, and we’ll reimburse you,” she said. “It’s the owner’s responsibility.”
If Mr. Edwards fails to pay his taxes, the city could sell his Georgetown mansion at auction in July 2004.
From the July 10, 2004 issue of The New York Times:
The Kerry-Edwards Democratic presidential campaign released Mr. Edwards’s income figures in a statement yesterday in response to questions about the taxes he paid after he created a tax shelter in 1995.
Mr. Edwards paid $9,353,448 in federal taxes on his income of $26,869,496, but the shelter allowed him to avoid paying $591,112 in Medicare tax, the figures provided by the campaign show….
The campaign said Mr. Edwards created the tax shelter, a so-called S Corporation, on the advice of his accountant, who cited its legal liability protections as well as its tax advantages, about two years after he left a larger firm to start his own practice with a partner.
