Detroit City Councilwoman Shocked -- Shocked! -- to Find She Pays Only $68 in Property Taxes

Sunday, May 24. 2009

Detroit City Councilwoman Shocked -- Shocked! -- to Find She Pays Only $68 in Property Taxes

This is a total classic in the genre of political corruption.

Former congressional aide to US Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) and current Detroit City Councilwoman JoAnn Watson (D) paid only $68 in property taxes in 2009, according to a report by the Detroit Free Press' M.L. Elrick and Naomi R. Patton.

Councilwoman Watson's property taxes are around 1%-3% of those of her neighbors.

Watson told the Free Press that her taxes were reduced when 'a tornado hit her home in 2002, or 1993,' but she wasn't sure, because it's hard to remember tornados.

"'If it's an amount that's been determined by the people who are in the business of assessing ... and you pay that, then what's the issue?'" she asked the Free Press' M.L. Elrick and Naomi R. Patton, who further write:

Watson said that when the lower bill arrived, she simply paid it and did not ask any questions.

"I came to the natural conclusion my house isn't worth much any more," she said. "This assessment dropped because of something that had nothing to do with me." ... She said she did not rejoice in the tax break.

"In fact, I was kind of insulted," she said, adding that she feared the value of her home had plummeted.

However, in 2002, as she prepared to run for City Council, Watson obtained a $60,000 mortgage.

To obtain the loan, Watson acknowledged that her property was appraised. But she said that appraisal did not prompt her to think that her home had regained value and, consequently, would merit an increase in her property tax bill.

She said she assumed the appraisers "used their financial wizardry" to help her get the loan on her home.

According to sources, Chicago Democrats are said to in awe of Councilwoman Watson, and are seeing if it is possible to get her to move to Chicago and become a member of its city council.

Posted by Tom Elia in Humor at 08:17 | Comments (2) | Trackbacks (0)

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Insulted the bill wasn't enough?

Pay some more..the difference. What's stopping you, Ms. Watson?

#1 BillW. on 2009-05-25 10:34 (Reply)

Rahm Emmanuel:

In a May 2006 New York Times piece on the scandal involving Rep. Jefferson, reported by Carl Huse, then-Rep. Emanuel is paraphrased and quoted concerning his opinion regarding the difference between the charges against Rep. Jefferson and those leveled against a number of Republicans.

The Times' Huse wrote:
Representative Rahm Emanuel of Illinois, the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said [corrupt Democrat official]'s situation was that of an individual who had yet to be charged formally. The Democratic case against Republicans, he suggested, went to a pattern of trading influence for personal gain within an incestuous world of revolving-door staff members, lobbyists and campaign fund-raisers that Republicans helped establish.

"They are different scales," Mr. Emanuel said. "One is a party outlook and operation; the other is an individual's action. They have institutional corruption."

http://theneweditor.com/index.php?/archives/9565-Rahm-Emanuel-on-Individual-vs.-Institutional-Corruption.html

#2 David Rogers on 2009-05-25 16:46 (Reply)

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Detroit City Councilwoman Shocked -- Shocked! -- to Find She Pays Only $68 in Property Taxes

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