What a surprise, Joe the Plummer is a fake!

[The Other Side]

'Joe the Plumber' says he has no plumbing license
By JOHN SEEWER, Associated Press Writer Thu Oct 16, 5:47 PM ET


HOLLAND, Ohio - Joe the Plumber said Thursday he doesn't have a license and doesn't need one. Joe Wurzelbacher, better known as Joe the Plumber, the nickname Republican John McCain bestowed on him during Wednesday's presidential debate, said he works for a small plumbing company that does residential work. Because he works for someone else, he doesn't need a license, he said.

But the county Wurzelbacher and his employer live in, Lucas County, requires plumbers to have licenses. Neither Wurzelbacher nor his employer are licensed there, said Cheryl Schimming of Lucas County Building Regulations, which handles plumber licenses in parts of the county outside Toledo.
Wurzelbacher, who voted in the Republican primary and indicated he backed McCain, was cited by the GOP presidential candidate as an example of someone who wants to buy a plumbing business but would be hurt by Democrat Barack Obama's tax plans. Wurzelbacher said he was surprised that his name was mentioned so many other times.
"That bothered me. I wished that they had talked more about issues that are important to Americans," he told reporters gathered outside his home.
Wurzelbacher, 34, said he doesn't have a good plan put together on how he would buy Newell Plumbing and Heating in nearby Toledo.
He said the business consists of owner Al Newell and him. Wurzelbacher said he's worked there for six years and that the two have talked about his taking it over at some point.
"There's a lot I've got to learn," he said.
Wurzelbacher said he started his day with an early morning workout and came back to his suburban Toledo home to do live interviews with TV networks.
Reporters camped out by his house overnight and by midmorning there were 21 people on his driveway surrounding him, holding cameras and notebooks.
Wurzelbacher said he's feeling overwhelmed.
"I'm kind of like Britney Spears having a headache. Everybody wants to know about it," he joked.
In Toledo on Sunday, Wurzelbacher told Obama that he was preparing to buy the plumbing company, which earns more than $250,000 a year, and said: "Your new tax plan is going to tax me more, isn't it?"
Obama said that under his proposal taxes on any revenue from $250,000 on down would stay the same, but that amounts above that level would be subject to a 39 percent tax, instead of the current 36 percent rate.
Wurzelbacher said Obama's tax plan wouldn't affect him right now, because he doesn't make $250,000. "But I hope someday I'll make that," he said.
"If you believed (Obama), I'd be receiving his tax cuts," Wurzelbacher said. "But I don't look at it that way. He'd still be hurting others."
As he leaned against the Dodge Durango SUV parked in his driveway Thursday morning, Wurzelbacher indicated to reporters who crowded around that he was a conservative, a fan of the military and McCain. He said meeting McCain would be an honor but said he hadn't been contacted by the Republican campaign.
Still, the plumber wouldn't say who he was voting for and brushed off a question about whether he could influence the election or other voters.

Nice try at putting a "RNC plant" at the OBAMA rally to spark up controversy, too bad the truth hurts.

In addition, "joe" has outstanding tax debts he hasn't paid amounting to over $1200.00. "joe" only makes approximately $42K a year!

"Joe" sounds like a real upstanding citizen. I would hate to be one of the customers who "joe" worked on the plumming without a license that ends up having to take it all out and replaced by a licensed plummer!!

LMAO! Good one John McCain!

 

[paidslave]

Joe the Plumber is an idiot to ask questions regarding small legit business's paying taxes. As Obama reiterated if you make less than a quarter million dollars as most small business do, you will fare better under Obama's tax plan in which with no doubt he would recind the fictitious bush tax cuts for the weathliest .02 percent.


amen to all the get it!

 

[av8torntn]

Is this the new approach by the supporters of B. Hussein? I read this on MSNBC and all I could think of was why do you try to vilify someone who makes 40k and aspires to earn more through hard work and initiative. You guys are so funny.

 

[diesel96]

Joe the Plumber, the star of last night's debate, may have a very interesting connection to John McCain. In fact, Joe the Plumber (Joe Wurzelbacher) of Cincinnati, Ohio may be related to one Robert Wurzelbacher of Cincinnati, Ohio, who happens to be Charles Keating's son-in-law.

Do I have proof that the two are related? I'll be the first to admit the evidence here proves nothing. I don't have the resources to do much more.
No. But something sure as hell doesn't add up. At the very least, this guy, who now seems to be a hero on the right, does not seem to be the 'average joe' he claims to be.

Let me correct you TOS b4 Over9five spell checks ya.....Plumber

 

[outamyway]

It doesn't matter who he is, what matters is Obama's response.

 

[The Other Side]

Say it aint so JOE!!

HOLLAND, Ohio – Joe the Plumber's story sprang a few leaks Thursday. Turns out that the man who was held up by John McCain as the typical, hard-working American taxpayer isn't really a licensed plumber. And court documents show he owes nearly $1,200 in back taxes.
"Joe," whose name is Samuel J. Wurzelbacher, was cited repeatedly in Wednesday night's final presidential debate by McCain for questioning Barack Obama's tax policy.
Wurzelbacher instantly became a media celebrity, fielding calls during the debate and facing reporters outside his home near Toledo on Thursday morning for an impromptu nationally televised news conference.
The burly, bald man acknowledged he doesn't have a plumber's license, but said he didn't need one because he works for someone else at a company that does residential work.
But Wurzelbacher still would need to be a licensed apprentice or journeyman to work in Toledo, and he's not, said David Golis, manager and residential building official for the Toledo Division of Building Inspection.
State and local records show Wurzelbacher has no license, although his employer does. Golis said there are no records of inspectors citing Wurzelbacher for unlicensed work in Toledo.
And then there was the matter of his taxes.
Wurzelbacher owes the state of Ohio $1,182.98 in personal income tax, according to Lucas County Court of Common Pleas records.
In January 2007, Ohio's Department of Taxation filed a claim on his property until he pays the debt, according to the records. The lien remains active.
At the debate, McCain cited Wurzelbacher as an example of someone who wants to buy a plumbing business but would be hurt by Obama's tax plans.
Wurzelbacher, a self-described conservative, had spoken to Obama at a rally Sunday near his home and asked him whether his tax plan would keep him from buying the business that currently employs him, which earns more than $250,000 a year.
"Your new tax plan is going to tax me more, isn't it?" Wurzelbacher asked.
Obama said that under his proposal taxes on any revenue from $250,000 on down would stay the same, but that amounts above that level would be subject to a 39 percent tax, instead of the current 36 percent rate.
McCain said Obama's plan would stop entrepreneurs such as Wurzelbacher from investing in new small businesses and keep existing ones from growing.
The McCain campaign posted a Web ad featuring the exchange between Wurzelbacher and Obama.
During an afternoon taping of "Late Show with David Letterman," McCain said he had not yet spoken to Wurzelbacher, and apologized for the press attention he had received.
"Joe, if you're watching, I'm sorry," McCain said.

Wurzelbacher had to deal with a clog of two dozen reporters outside his home on a narrow street lined with ranch- and split-level homes Thursday morning. No detail about the divorced father of a 13-year-old boy was too small: Was he a registered voter? Did he have a plumbing license? Whom will he vote for?
Leaning against his black Dodge Durango SUV, Wurzelbacher at first was amused by it all, then overwhelmed and finally a little annoyed.
"I don't have a lot of pull. It's not like I'm Matt Damon," he said "I just hope I'm not making too much of a fool of myself."
He indicated he was a fan of the military and McCain but wouldn't say who will get his vote. He is registered as a Republican, the county elections board said, because he voted in the GOP primary in March.
Wurzelbacher said a McCain campaign official contacted him several days before the debate to ask him to appear with the candidate at a Toledo rally scheduled for Sunday.
He told reporters he's unsure if he'll attend, since he's now scheduled to be in New York for TV interviews.
On Thursday in New Hampshire, Obama said McCain was misleading voters by proposing tax plans that favor the rich while criticizing an Obama tax plan that would raise taxes only on people making more than $250,000 a year, just 5 percent of all taxpayers.
"He's trying to suggest that a plumber is the guy he's fighting for," Obama said. "How many plumbers you know that are making a quarter-million dollars a year?" Wurzelbacher said he felt a bit overwhelmed by all the attention.

 

[brett636]

I like how you Hussein supporters try to change the subject on the matter. As stated above Obama mentioned his plan to redistribute wealth in this country. That idea comes straight from the likes of Marx, Lenin, , and many other famous communists throughout history. What is so great about a plan to take away from the most productive members of society to get to the least productive? Kinda goes against everything America stands for IMHO.

 

[diesel96]

I like how you Hussein supporters try to change the subject on the matter. As stated above Obama mentioned his plan to redistribute wealth in this country. That idea comes straight from the likes of Marx, Lenin, , and many other famous communists throughout history. What is so great about a plan to take away from the most productive members of society to get to the least productive? Kinda goes against everything America stands for IMHO.

Change the subject? Kind of like the McCain/Palin supporters with their torches and pitch forks, try to paint a hateful picture of Obama, (an American Senator), as a terrorist. We can debate on social issues and wealth distributions, but the personal distractions, got to take a back seat first in the next 19 days, don't you think?

 

[JustTired]

I don't know. I'm thinking that if I was making over $250k a year, I'd gladly pay the extra tax.

If I made $300k one year, I'd be paying an extra 3% on $50k of it. That would be an extra $1500. Hardly enough difference to keep someone from owning their own business.

As far as the "redistributing the wealth" statement......I think Obama would have been better off calling it "redistributing the tax burden". Taxes (right or wrong) are a way of life in this country. Fairness would dictate that the more you make, the more you should pay. Doesn't seem to work that way, though.

 

[trplnkl]

I don't know. I'm thinking that if I was making over $250k a year, I'd gladly pay the extra tax.

If I made $300k one year, I'd be paying an extra 3% on $50k of it. That would be an extra $1500. Hardly enough difference to keep someone from owning their own business.

As far as the "redistributing the wealth" statement......I think Obama would have been better off calling it "redistributing the tax burden". Taxes (right or wrong) are a way of life in this country. Fairness would dictate that the more you make, the more you should pay. Doesn't seem to work that way, though.

First, you would be paying the extra 3% on the total amount.
250,000- 36%=160,000 vs.300,000-39%=183,000.

 

[trplnkl]

Joe the Plumber, the star of last night's debate, may have a very interesting connection to John McCain. In fact, Joe the Plumber (Joe Wurzelbacher) of Cincinnati, Ohio may be related to one Robert Wurzelbacher of Cincinnati, Ohio, who happens to be Charles Keating's son-in-law.

Do I have proof that the two are related? I'll be the first to admit the evidence here proves nothing. I don't have the resources to do much more.

he MAY be Obama's secret lover too, but I doubt that until there IS proof.

 

[wkmac]

Whatever Joe is, you can debate that however the question Joe posed to Obama was a very legit question. This $250k figure personally I think is nothing but campaign BS to score votes but may have problems even in a overwhelming democrat controlled Congress. A lot of new democrat Congressman elected over the last couple of cycles have portrayed themselves more in a fiscal conservative framework which could prove problematic for them in the 2010' midterms if they walk this Obama line. Campaigns are loaded with promises never kept but it gets votes.

As for the $250k figure, is that gross recipts? Well $250k in gross recipts for a small business would also mean that before all things are said and done, Washington will raise those tax rates. Now our wealthy business owner from what's less has to pay for his/her business including making payroll. In order to save his/her business, someone's job may be sacrificed in order to meet the demands of the higher tax rate. Or to hit close to home, instead of shipping UPS they take a direct alternative like the USPS. Most small business in the $250k to $1mil range are not always large volume shippers or more important large cube shippers. Those smalls are the stuff the USPS loves.

So far Obama has seemed IMO to avoid answering the question at what point would his tax kick in. Gross receipts? After tax profits? Where? Or will this just be another Washington bait and switch where they sell it to the public voter and then once in Washington the lobbyist like for example the Chamber of Commerce move in to re-write tax code with new tax deductions making all this meaningless but in the meantime Federal payroll increases it's jobs program as they hire even more employees to the bureacracy to oversee another meaningless gov't action that really does nothing to their intended bottomline. They say that is balance the federal books. In fact what tax they do get is sucked up to pay the people's wages they hire to oversee it. Some gain! Well more democrat voters who now vote to protect their jobs so it is a gain!

Joe's question was a good question but the problem now was Obama's answer and the only choice at this point is to make Joe look the part of bad.

Joe may have come to this on dishonest grounds but Obama's answer is what it is and there in lay the problem. What is more interesting over the last 24 hours is some polls show this race having tightened up to a 2 point difference making it a draw for the moment. Obama IMO did a Maxime Waters (socialize oil) with his answer so instead of being honest himself and laying out his whole plan and explaining what he wants to do, he's playing dodge and some of you are doing his legwork! Frankly I expected nothing less so there you go.

If Joe's dishonest, then Obama is equally if not moreso IMO but Joe ain't anking me for my vote either!

This whole thing should have been a slam dunk for the democrats and you guys can't even get this one right!

LMFAO!!!!!!!!!!

 

[over9five]

Re: Joe Plummer????

Let me correct you TOS b4 Over9five spell checks ya.....Plumber

Darn! I thought "Plummer" was his last name!





<...and besides, TOS spells things wrong .....ON PURPOSE.....>

 

[brett636]

As far as the "redistributing the wealth" statement......I think Obama would have been better off calling it "redistributing the tax burden". Taxes (right or wrong) are a way of life in this country. Fairness would dictate that the more you make, the more you should pay. Doesn't seem to work that way, though.

The reason he would not say this is because its not true. The tax burden lays heavily on the highest earners in this country.

 

[moreluck]

Over....that would make "The" his middle name !!

 

[outamyway]

Change the subject? Kind of like the McCain/Palin supporters with their torches and pitch forks, try to paint a hateful picture of Obama, (an American Senator), as a terrorist. We can debate on social issues and wealth distributions, but the personal distractions, got to take a back seat first in the next 19 days, don't you think?

Nobody knows what he is, that's the problem.

He's a good speaker(from speeches) but he has a mysterious past. That's who you want to be the next president?

 

[JustTired]

The reason he would not say this is because its not true. The tax burden lays heavily on the highest earners in this country.

OK...fair enough.

I still think a flat tax is the way to go. A flat 10% across the board. No deductions, no loopholes, no tax forms, a slimmed down IRS to monitor those that are self-employed. You make a $1 you pay $.10. Of course, that puts an extra burden on the poor according to the chart. But everyone would adjust over time and I'm guessing that the 10% figure would give the government more money than they need within a few years. I would think corporate america would be all over this if their paying more than 10% now. Makes you wonder.

Basically though, I'd still rather pay 39% of my $1,000,000/yr than 15% of my $100,000/yr.

 

[diesel96]

he MAY be Obama's secret lover too, but I doubt that until there IS proof.

Would that make you jealous?

Nobody knows what he is, that's the problem.

He's a good speaker(from speeches) but he has a mysterious past. That's who you want to be the next president?

"Int'l Man of Mystery".....Sounds like the next Austin Powers flick.

Let's see, since graduating Havard (in the top 5%), working as a community organizer, elected to the Ill state senate for 6 or 7 years, elected Ill Senater, written a couple books on himself, and has been on the campaign trail for the last 18 months as every news and media outlet has disected him including the skunks of the RNC and He's still a mystery to you.

 

[tieguy]

Joe the Plumber is an idiot to ask questions regarding small legit business's paying taxes. As Obama reiterated if you make less than a quarter million dollars as most small business do, you will fare better under Obama's tax plan in which with no doubt he would recind the fictitious bush tax cuts for the weathliest .02 percent.


amen to all the get it!

thats the official party line.

If you go back and reread the actual Bush cuts you'll see that a repeal of them will actually increase taxes for the low income people. I believe a repeal also restores the marriage penalty?

 

[paidslave]

thats the official party line.

If you go back and reread the actual Bush cuts you'll see that a repeal of them will actually increase taxes for the low income people. I believe a repeal also restores the marriage penalty?

It should repeal the marriage penalty. I am no longer married so I am penalized to choose to be single carrying the burden by myself without 2 incomes?

I have to pay Higher taxes to pay for there kids grants and so forth to these married foes? What a joke.......

Even if you rent you will split most of the bills. Unless you married a liberated republican women that chooses to stay home and eat bon bons.....and funny to say most of these liberated women enjoy ERI and get a break staying home? I am tired of paying for everyones elses kids...Get off your duff and pay for your own......

amen

Sorry Tie if you are married and have 2 incomes you ought to pay more than the Single person carrying all the weight by him/herself.......It is cheaper to have 2 incomes coming in under one roof.......

And for Joe the plumber and McCain foes? Supposedly he is behind $1100 under The Bush Tax cuts and He still chooses not to pay?........These are the business that will get hurt......Right!!!!!!! I have a feeling that Joe keeps everything he earns and we pay.......Trickle down Economics doesn't work. It trickles up and you never see it again!

Pay your fair share that is all.......McCain needs more houses............I have a feeling his wife has both heads brainwashed!