The Democratic mayor of Oakland, CA and his wife recently admitted to failing to pay $239,000 in taxes since 2005. The San Francisco Chronicle covered the story, but made no mention of the mayor's party, in striking contrast to coverage of recent ethics violations by Republicans in the state.
"We owe taxes," Mayor Ron Dellums, pictured right, bluntly said in a statement on Tuesday. "The matter is being dealt with and will be resolved in short order." The IRS imposed a tax lien on the couple's $1.4 million home in the Foxhall Crescent neighborhood in Washington, DC, and 3,200 square foot house in Oakland Hills.
There is no party identification in the story, however, only a statement in the second-to-last paragraph that Dellums is a "stalwart of progressive ideals." It seems the Chronicle could not bring itself to state the he is a Democrat.
In contrast, the coverage of Orange County Assemblyman Mike Duvall's extramarital affairs with lobbyists--which were revealed after a tape surfaced showing Duvall bragging to a colleague about some of the more lurid details--made sure to emphasize the fact that he is a Republican.
"An Orange County Republican resigned from the Assembly Wednesday after a videotape surfaced of the lawmaker bragging about his sexual exploits with two women, one of whom reportedly is a lobbyist." So read the lede of a September 10 story in the Chronicle on the Duvall scandal.
The article went so far as to point out that "Duvall's Republican colleagues stopped short of condemning him for his actions." But nothing in the piece on Dellums discusses his colleagues' reactions, only quoting a tax attorney and a Cal State Sacramento professor on the mayor's situation.
Add this stilted coverage to the Chronicle's long history of liberal bias. A disgraced Republican is just that--a Republican. But a tax-cheat Democrat is a "stalwart of progressive ideals," and his party affiliation really isn't worth mentioning.
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How many Dem tax cheats
November 5, 2009 - 10:51 ET by mattmHow many Dem tax cheats does that make in the last few years?
Geitner, Rangel, Jefferson, Franken,...I know there's more.
No wonder they don't mind raising taxes - they don't plan to pay anyway...
"No wonder they don't
November 5, 2009 - 12:44 ET by G. MayThis.
In the Bay Area, that's stating the obvious
November 5, 2009 - 11:42 ET by Anneke9It would be nice if the Chron had actually used the word "Democrat," but here in the SF Bay Area everyone knows that corruptocrat Dellums is a Democrat. Dellums is a stalwart of self-interest, a career politician who has little to show for his years of public service other than a recognizable name.
Camouflage conservative in Baghdad-by-the-Bay
I always find it interesting....
November 5, 2009 - 11:49 ET by Prester John.....how "public" servants who have salaries of less than $200,000 living in high cost areas somehow find a way to afford million dollar houses.
I also find it interesting that these same public servants who continually call for more money to be spent on the disadvantaged and the poor do everything they can keep their own taxes low so they can maintain their own standard of living at "elite" levels.
"Irony can be pretty ironic sometimes."
Captain Buck Murdock, Airplane II
"The Truth is Treason in the Empire of Lies"
www.campaignforliberty.com
"Stalwart of progreesive ideals"
November 5, 2009 - 12:26 ET by KC BeachExcept that tax the rich ideal.
Red Ron Dellums
November 5, 2009 - 12:32 ET by clhOne of the funnier aspects of this is that the paper breaking the story was the "East Bay Express" The local big boys are so busy slobbering all over their progressive friends and vilifiying anyone that is to the right of Van Jones that they missed a huge story.
Boys, girls and scribblers on indeterminate gender, THIS IS WHAT SELLS PAPERS. If you want a job, start reporting.
You have a corrupt mayor, a trophy wife controlling access to him, the IRS, Congress people, City Hall in shambles, investigation of ex-city manager and all the scribblers can do is weakly report what the East Bay Express broke and apologize for a crooked politician.
At least, the Chronicle will launch a new, more glossy format next week. That should trump actually doing your jobs.
I understand.....!!
November 5, 2009 - 12:53 ET by Patriot IIThey are ashamed to even mention the word! dumocrat! LOL
Dellums is far more radical
November 5, 2009 - 14:14 ET by celatorDellums is far more radical than being merely "progressive".
Let's review the strange career of Ron Dellums:
"Dellums is best known for his attempts to collaborate with Cuba, the Sandinistas and communist Grenada, possibly passing on American classified intelligence materials to Castro. At one point, a Salvadoran operative
working for Cuban intelligence actually set up shop in the
congressional offices of Ron Dellums, with the conniving of the
Congressman himself. In the Cold War, Dellums was on the side of the enemy. Dellums was a squeeze toy for John Kerry.
On February 17, 1968, Dellums delivered the keynote address at
a birthday party for Black Panther Minister of Defense Huey Newton, who
had been convicted of killing a policeman. The next year, 348 Panthers
were arrested for such serious crimes as murder, armed robbery, rape,
bank robbery, and burglary. Party leaders openly called for the
assassination of President Richard Nixon, and the FBI determined the
Panthers to be "the most notorious and dangerous of current militant
groups." But the Panthers’ appalling record of violence did not cause
Dellums to turn his back on them. During his 1970 campaign for Congress
Dellums openly endorsed the Panthers."
http://www.chronwatc...
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