More tax troubles for Dudley
In another tax-related embarrassment, Oregon gubernatorial candidate Chris Dudley has reportedly been taking deductions on his Oregon tax return for the garbage carted away from his Lake Oswego home.
According to an exclusive report in the alternative weekly Lake Oswego Buzz, Dudley has claimed the write-offs as charitable contributions to the town of Arlington, Oregon, where the Lake Oswego garbage is deposited in a landfill.
Dudley's campaign defended the moves as perfect legitimate. "He's allowed under the law to take a deduction and he did everything by the books," campaign manager Josh Ginsberg said late Sunday night in a statement. "It was legal, ethical and proper and any suggestion otherwise is completely unfair to Chris Dudley."
Ginsberg produced a letter of thanks from then-Arlington Mayor Carmen Kontur-Gronquist, acknowledging Dudley's contribution to the small Oregon town's growing landfill. "Your gift," the mayor wrote, "has filled a void, literally and figuratively." Kontur-Gronquist and Dudley first discussed the idea of the deduction at a sports-themed charity fundraiser in 2007, at which she beat him in three straight bouts of arm wrestling.
The Dudley campaign produced an appraisal backing up Dudley's claimed deduction of $250 per bag of garbage. The appraisal, which Ginsberg claimed was "conservative," computed the value of the refuse by valuing the amount of time that Dudley family members took to produce it. The appraiser estimated that each bag consumed 25 hours of family time, and that the time was worth $10 per hour. "A premium is justified," the appraiser wrote, "in that the material had been meticulously sorted to remove 62% of all recyclables."
When asked whether the appraisal signaled that Dudley thought $10 an hour was a living wage, Ginsberg responded, "He thinks it's high, but he won't do anything to lower it."
| Posted at 8:45 AM | Permalink |
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Comments (22)
Wish I can vote for "none of the above" this November...
Posted by Christian | October 11, 2010 9:10 AM
I am surprised that a true-believer would fall for the gag, Jack.
How about some Kitzy satire:
"oooohhhhh THAT envelope stuffed with Benjamins doesn't have to go on my financial disclosure form, that came from my girlfriend's employer...I would only have to disclose THAT envelope of cash if I married her, and I didn't"...
Posted by Mister Tee | October 11, 2010 9:21 AM
Christian: If you were voting in Nevada you would have that "None of the Above" choice...
Posted by Dave A. | October 11, 2010 9:34 AM
Wow, what a clever tax-dodger Dudley has turned out to be. I'll vote for him anyway.
Posted by PD | October 11, 2010 9:45 AM
It'll solidify the progressive base, but probably not keep the independent vote from leaving John.
Posted by David E Gilmore | October 11, 2010 9:55 AM
It's not April 1st but this has to be a joke. But if it isn't I want more details so I can do it too.
Posted by Don | October 11, 2010 9:56 AM
Hardy har har har...
Nice one Jack, if only it were true we could all try it!! Vote Dudley, save Oregon.
Posted by NoPo Guy | October 11, 2010 9:58 AM
clever one Jack. Satire becomes you........The Oregonian endorsed Dr. Retread in their Sunday editorial. I thought the headline should have read, "Oregonian endorses mediocrity."
We need to shake this state up. Get rid of all the worn out users and abusers of the public trust. Tri-met, metro, judges, legislators. Everyone. Remember the definition of insanity. Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.
There hasn't been a better time to clean house in the last THIRTY years.
Posted by the other Steve | October 11, 2010 10:17 AM
John Kitzhaber's record of contributing to and defending failed education reforms (CIMCAM, ESL etc) has not been reported at all.
How is it that the Oregonian doesn't report ANY of Kitzhaber's track record on education while he was the two term governor?
Simple, the Oregonian supported and defended the same failed policies. So in covering up for John Kitzhaber they are covering up their own track record of misguided reporting and editorial advocacy.
Now here we are exactly where we were during Kitzhaber's first term and the Oregonian is doing everything it can to have Oregon repeat every mistake made n the last 20 years.
Posted by Ben | October 11, 2010 11:01 AM
It's not satire if you have to explain to folks that it's satire.
Posted by Sid | October 11, 2010 11:21 AM
Sid
Talk to the people who DIDN'T get it.
Posted by mp97303 | October 11, 2010 11:39 AM
Well, if anything, it's kind of entertaining these tax deduction maneuvers. I am voting for Dudley because he has first hand experience at looking at tax loopholes. If he wants to keep his job as governor, he'll put himself in better light if eliminates these types of tax deductions.
Posted by Bob Clark | October 11, 2010 11:57 AM
I am voting for Dudley because he has first hand experience at looking at tax loopholes.
Following this logic, we should make Homer Williams head of Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, because he understands how developer weasels work the system.
Posted by John Rettig | October 11, 2010 12:12 PM
Jack,
Funny stuff but have you got the same spirit of satire in you to lampoon Kitzhaber as well?
Posted by LexusLibertarian | October 11, 2010 12:43 PM
LexusLibertarian
Funny stuff but have you got the same spirit of satire in you to lampoon Kitzhaber as well?
Funny, I thought he was.
Posted by Lc Scott | October 11, 2010 12:57 PM
"Wow, what a clever tax-dodger Dudley has turned out to be."
====
Didn't the draft-dodger Bill Clinton deduct on his taxes (as Governor of Arkansas) his old boxers (no tighty-whiteys for him) he donated to Goodwill?
Not that there's anything wrong with that...
Posted by Harry | October 11, 2010 1:52 PM
Bob Clark wrote:
"Well, if anything, it's kind of entertaining these tax deduction maneuvers. I am voting for Dudley because he has first hand experience at looking at tax loopholes. If he wants to keep his job as governor, he'll put himself in better light if eliminates these types of tax deductions."
Using that yardstick, why vote for Dudley? Vote for Dudley's tax accountant or financial advisor.
Posted by NW Portlander | October 11, 2010 2:05 PM
Lake Oswego has an alt newspaper?? huh. Okay.
Posted by bujeeboo | October 11, 2010 3:23 PM
Can anybody prove the source ... is an actual source?
Who's got a website or link to Lake Oswego Buzz?
Use your favorite search engine -- can anybody find a any listing, blog, anthing anywhere, for this alternative newspaper?
Posted by got logic? | October 11, 2010 4:11 PM
Is this real, or is it not?
Posted by Annoyed and Confused | October 11, 2010 4:33 PM
The LO Buzz is like the Onion-real news. That's how the Oregonian gets it's real news.
Posted by Lee | October 11, 2010 4:44 PM
hell, even Rassmussen has Kitzy leading and Rassy is pretty much an outlier for every R in every race. kinda surprised actually. that behind the scenes video of Dud talking about the waitresses is pretty damning and i don't even like both of the candidates.
Posted by geoff | October 11, 2010 6:01 PM