This is the first of two TC diaries to feature the behavior of a couple of politicians in Erie County, PA, where I live. This behavior ranges from odd to downright illegal. To be completely bipartisan, the two diaries on this topic will feature pols from each major party: one a Republican, and the other a Democrat. They both have displayed bad and/or irrational behavior. Tonight, we take a look at the Republican: Erie County Councilman Ebert G. "Bill" Beeman. He spent a week in jail in December of last year, and is currently out on bail. I was tempted to give this diary the title "The Adventures of Ron Paul's Dumber Brother," but that seemed a bit too long. Nonetheless, this alternate title might give you an idea of Beeman's character.
More below the doodle-thingie...
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Erie County (PA) Council elections occur every four years in the year after a presidential election. The most recent such election was in 2009. The origins of the Tea Party movement are generally traced to
Rick Santelli's rant in February of 2009. Republicans, who were in the mood to rebel over the results of the 2008 election anyway, latched on to the idea that government spending was out of control, and threw their support behind any politician that promised to slash spending and taxes.
Enter Ebert "Bill" Beeman, a retired welder who had a running dispute with the IRS as well as numerous traffic violations for driving with a suspended license. His political beliefs run to extreme libertarianism, but he opted to run for Erie County Council as a Republican, with the message of cutting spending and privatizing everything (e. g. the county public library). In a field of 5 candidates, he managed to win the Republican nomination. By the time the general election rolled around, the Republican Party of Eire County had disowned Beeman, and asked voters to write in the incumbent, who had been planning to retire. On the Democratic side, the vote was split between the Democratic nominee and a perennial liberal independent. The combination of Beeman's message of slashing taxes and spending, popular at the time in many local quarters, and the crowded, fractured field, Beeman ended up winning. I suppose this is typical of what can happen in an off-year election; low overall turnout gives special power to the fanatical.
So, what are the origins of Beeman's conflict with the IRS? And why was he arrested and put in jail? Well, Beeman failed to file tax returns for the years 1994, 1996, 1997, and 2002-2006. The IRS estimated a tax liability of approximately $1 million, with $1.1 million in additional interest and penalties. For years, Beeman has battled the IRS in court using libertarian, tax-protester arguments that have never gotten him very far. After the IRS seized Beemen's property last year, Beeman actually hired a lawyer who then took the time to figure what Beeman actually owed in taxes; his figure was on the order of $111,000, about a tenth of what the IRS claims. Since shifting his legal strategies, which required him to drop his nut-ball libertarian theories of taxation, at least in the venue of the court, he may actually survive his difficulties with the IRS. The judge in his original trial has expressed an interest of softening Beeman's penalty after learning that the unpaid taxes were much less than the IRS asserted.
But it wasn't the IRS problems that got him landed in jail--it was that business of driving with a suspended license. He was found guilty for his 7th and 8th incident annd incarcerated on December 22, 2011. Eventuallly, he got out on $5,000 bail on Dec. 30, but he spent Christmas in jail. Beeman's attorney claimed that Beeman was being singled out and punished unreasonably for political reasons. In earlier times, he defended himself against citations for moving violations with the statement:
I am a living, breathing man who works, earns and creates value on the land known as Erie County, Pennsylvania. In order for a society to be prosperous, it must produce more than it consumes. The documents [traffic tickets] I am returning are an example of unproductive, parasitic consumption
So Beeman believes that government ought to have no authority in determining who can or can not drive a car. And Lord knows government ought not have the authority to tax people. As you can see, Beeman is a real piece of work.
For his beliefs and for his current legal troubles, Beeman has become something of a minor celebrity in the libertarian blogosphere. On the other hand, I don't know many Erie County residents of any political stripe who don't wish Beeman would crawl back into the hole from whence he came.
Next week, we look at yet another Erie County (PA) Counncilman who has displayed erratic behavior recently, and to assure balance, this one's a Democrat!
So, are there any wacky politicians out in your neck of the woods? Do tell in the comments!
And now, on to Top Comments!
TOP MOJO
February 29, 2012
(excluding Tip Jars and first comments)
Got mik!
1) Thanks man, I was honored to be invited by MinistryOfTruth — 167
2) It's like my man Biggie used to say... by ericlewis0 — 148
3) Aww poor baby. by Horace Boothroyd III — 146
4) Just to clarify, is the Judge saying that by Penman — 140
5) and this is one example of why no tax money should by Tamar — 134
6) 17,000 a year. by TomP — 134
7) Hot damn, jesse by ontheleftcoast — 130
8) Thanks for pointing this out by ParkRanger — 127
9) I'll trade my stresses for Mr. Dlugash's. by Aji — 122
10) the 99% have had to downsize, this arrogant prick by Statusquomustgo — 122
11) maybe his kids could clean bathrooms by jfromga — 117
12) Still it's worth a complaint to his licensing body by marykk — 113
13) I'm seriously contemplating . . . by Aji — 113
14) We are doing it:) by Tool — 113
15) proven. by psilocynic — 108
16) This was just devastating. THINK OF THE CHILDREN! by voracious — 108
17) Think of the woozles! by operculum — 105
18) LDS really needs to knock this shit off by rexymeteorite — 104
19) And Motions For Recusal From Every Female And/Or by majcmb1 — 104
20) if he used a gov't computer to send that crap.. by Karl Rover — 104
21) I'm starting to see why these guys can't ever by voracious — 103
22) B.S. by varii — 99
23) Pride, no doubt, bursting his buttons pride. n/t by ontheleftcoast — 98
24) Bush II, actually, according to the article by jj32 — 98
25) Over in Bloomberg's comment section, there was by be the change you seek — 96
26) I would vote for him (if I could) by annetteboardman — 96
27) Removing Federal judges is not that easy by lgmcp — 95
28) So true. by Ree Zen — 95
29) People who have money don't understand by second gen — 91
30) Defense attorneys, mount up! If your client by More Questions Than Answers — 87
31) First of all... by SuzieQ4624 — 87
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TOP PHOTOS
February 29, 2012
Enjoy jotter's wonderful PictureQuilt™ below. Just click on the picture and it will magically take you to the comment that features that photo. Have fun, Kossacks!
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