Boy, Republicans can sure pick ‘em.
The Democrat-Gazette today ran through a litany of tax problems for Republican gubernatorial candidate Jim Keet — claiming a homestead tax credit to which he wasn’t entitled; non-payment of property taxes on a plane kept in Arkansas; late payment of property and restaurant taxes. He’s settled up. (The case of the plane, craftily outside of the reach of tax collectors everywhere, seemed the most problematic.)
In the course of the article, Keet was again quoted as saying he moved back to Arkansas in July or August of 2008 after five years in business in Florida (where there is no income tax, including in the period after his sale of a restaurant business.)
So yeah, Jim Keet’s residency questions are going to haunt him and now it’s clear that he’s got plenty of ethical baggage. Remember, he and the Republican party wanted to campaign on ethics, from railing on the corruption of Democrats like Robbie Wills and Mark Wilcox to trying to manufacture a scandal about Beebe. As I said from the beginning though, they’re not serious about it. If they were, they would have complained about Huckabee’s corruption and would call out candidates like Keet (and Mark Martin) for their ethical baggage. They’re not going to do that though because Republicans don’t care about corruption. Remember, when Wooldridge, Wills, Wilcox, and Davenport all had their ethical improprieties come to light we busted them on it. We’re still waiting for the outrage over Keet and Martin from the Republicans…
I’m surprised there isn’t more outrage about this story today. Or is that people just expect this of Keet so they don’t care that much?
I mean seriously, how offensive is it that this guy thinks he can get away with bending — or even breaking — laws in order for him to (a) save money and (b) run for public office?
It’s FRAUD! when are charges going to be filed?