Georgia Democrat Hasn't Paid Taxes in Two Years

Apparently he's not the only one. The story says there are at least 22 state legislators that haven't paid their taxes.

Nearly 10 percent of Georgia state legislators are late filing or paying their state taxes, and state Sen. Robert Brown is apparently among them.

Brown, D-Macon, said Wednesday he’s not sure whether he actually owes the state or federal government any money because he hasn’t filed tax returns. He said he’s gotten extensions, but he declined to give more information or say for what years he received filing extensions.

He told Atlanta station WXIA-TV that he had not filed his income taxes at least in the past two years, according to a report on the station’s Web site. He volunteered the information while arguing against a change in Senate rules that would make it easier for the body to take action against, or even expel, members who don’t pay their taxes.

That effort came in response to the discovery late last week that 19 legislators had failed to pay income taxes, some for several years. Those legislators have not been identified, due to Georgia Department of Revenue and federal Internal Revenue Service privacy policies. But a list, without names, was prepared and given to the chairmen of the House and Senate ethics committees, at their request, Revenue Commissioner Bart Graham said.

Graham said Wednesday that the list has grown to 22, with three of the legislators actually having liens levied against them or wages garnished so taxes could be collected. That would make their names public record, but Graham said Wednesday evening that he didn’t know them off the top of his head.

The department publishes a list of taxpayers with a lien or garnishment against them online, but it has to be searched by name. There are 236 elected members of the Georgia General Assembly, with 56 in the Senate and 180 in the House. Brown’s name doesn’t appear to be on the list.

Graham said the 22 legislators were, in most cases, “repeat offenders” who “without a doubt” are purposefully behind. There are Republicans and Democrats among the 22, and members of both the House and Senate, he said.

If we were living in a country that treated politicians like regular people, they'd all be removed from office and be facing jail time.

But they're the special people, so they can just take a dump on the rest of us and make it up as they go along.

After all, Barack Obama's appointees don't pay taxes, so why should mere Georgia legislators?