Unpaid Taxes

(Boston) Here's today's tip. If you plan on running for public office, try to pay your taxes.

From Myway.com:

Marie St. Fleur was a candidate for lieutenant governor for less than 24 hours before she had to drop out over unpaid taxes and student loans, leaving voters to ask how a key player in crafting the state budget could make such a mess of her own checkbook.

It is a question Massachusetts voters have asked themselves before.

Massachusetts, dubbed "Taxachusetts" years ago for its tax-happy ways, seems to churn out scofflaw lawmakers unable or unwilling to pay their own taxes on time.

St. Fleur, a state lawmaker who is the vice chairwoman of the budget-writing House Ways and Means Committee, was late in repaying $40,000 in federally backed student loans, failed to pay automobile excise taxes in 2005, and had a $12,711 tax lien placed against her by the IRS.

In fairness to Rep. St. Fleur, not paying taxes seems to be common among Massachusetts lawmakers so she's not unique in that regard. In fact, voters complain that lawmakers in Massachusetts only know how to raise taxes, not pay them.

However, Rep.St. Fleur had a novel explanation for why she didn't pay her taxes. She indicated that "she did not file because she had received a death threat and had to hire bodyguards, leaving her with no money to pay her taxes."

Evidently, if one lives in the Bay State and receives a fatwa, prevailing logic is that a person can avoid paying taxes. Strangely, I don't see anything odd about death threats and unpaid taxes being related. Death and taxes -- just like peas and carrots.