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Kyle Hopkins

Kyle Hopkins writes about Anchorage city government and politics. He covered last year's campaign for governor, and has blogged extensively about Alaska politics for the past year. He grew up in Southeast Alaska and was a reporter at the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner and Anchorage Press. E-mail Kyle at khopkins@adn.com

Sean Cockerham

Sean Cockerham writes about Alaska state politics. He spent three years based in Juneau for the Daily News before joining the Tacoma News-Tribune two years ago to write about Washington state politics. He went to Iraq twice for the News Tribune, and previously wrote about Alaska government and politics for the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. Now he's back in Anchorage. E-mail Sean at scockerham@adn.com

Erika Bolstad

Erika Bolstad covers Alaska issues, including the congressional delegation, from Washington, D.C., for McClatchy Newspapers. Before joining the bureau this summer, she spent seven years as a reporter at the Miami Herald, where she covered politics, government and the state legislature. E-mail Erika at ebolstad@adn.com.

Begich responds

Posted by Alaska_Politics

Posted: April 10, 2008 - 1:17 pm

From Sean Cockerham in Anchorage --

Here's the response Mark Begich's campaign put out to the National Republican Senatorial Committee's posting of his federal tax liens:

WASHINGTON REPUBLICANS ALREADY ATTACKING MARK BEGICH

Negative Campaign Starts Even Before Begich is a Senate Candidate

Mark Begich, who has yet to announce his candidacy against 40-year incumbent Republican Sen. Ted Stevens, is already on the receiving end of typical Washington negative attacks. The National Republican Senatorial Campaign today attacked Mark Begich for late payment of taxes over a decade ago.

"I've started and operated small businesses for 30 years, with my first one at age 16," Begich said. "Like with all small businesses, some have been successful and some not, but I've always paid my taxes, made payroll to my employees and I believe everyone should pay their taxes. Like many people who own struggling businesses, in both of these cases, we paid the taxes as soon as we were able to, which was within a few months of receiving the lein."

"I believe in full disclosure," Begich went on to say. "If I become a candidate for the Senate, I will release my past income tax statements to Alaska voters. I think a candidate's personal finances should be part of the public record."

Heather Rauch, manager of Begich's exploratory committee said it's not surprising that the National Republicans are resorting to the same negative tactics as usual.

"It's too bad that the Washington Republicans are more engaged in negative campaigning than passing laws to help Americans successfully start and run small businesses, which are the backbone of our economy" said Begich.

Background

Begich and his older brother Nick were partners in a small vending business, Northstar Vending, in the early 1990s. Like many small business, it experienced growing pains as the brothers expanded it. They fell behind on payroll tax payments and when notified by the IRS of the overdue payments, paid them off within six months. The Begich brothers paid $8,820.81 on 5/30/95 and $8,024.88 on 11/3/97.

After successfully operating and growing the business for 11 years, they sold it to Vend Alaska in 2002.

Another business in which Begich was involved is certain to be used against him by the national Republican smear machine. In 1996, Begich was one of a small group of investors who pooled their money to help a young woman retool the old Hog Brother's Café into the Roosevelt Café. Begich was only a 1 percent investor and had no involvement in the day-to-day operations of the restaurant. But when notified by the IRS that taxes had not been paid, Begich organized the partners to close down the café and pay off the taxes.

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10 April 11, 2008 - 8:31am | Kuskdaka

As someone who sometimes takes cheap shots, yes I'm human...

a hypocite.

Let me say I don't like Begich, won't vote for him, but this is a awfully base and crass political charge. What a load of BS...

I don't want to even dignify the charge, by reading the article, although I shall.

Who hasn't fudged on their tax bill? Left out some cash income? True there are probably some, but we all have made mistakes in the past. It's just that no one will admit to it.

Lots of folks probably casting the first stone, here that might want to look back at their own history. Or maybe looking at a chip in someone else's eye, while ignoring the plank in their's.

April 11, 2008 - 9:03am | richardhoneman

Well said.

I don't agree with a lot of his ideas and projects. BUT if he had an overdue tax bill more than 10 years ago, he paid it-with late fees and interest. SO WHAT? NOW-I want to hear about it if he had VECO remodel HIS house. Proof please. Barbara Honeman

9 April 10, 2008 - 9:52pm | yours_truly

The republicans

must really be scared.

April 11, 2008 - 1:20am | SAILOR2007

Scared of Begich?

Why? He sucks, plain and simple. He doesn't stand a chance in hell of beating out Stevens. Begich is a po-dunk, small time mayor who would be eaten alive in DC.

He can't even decide if he wants to run. Is he afraid or something? If Begich runs against Stevens, then Stevens is a shoe-in to win.

8 April 10, 2008 - 9:02pm | akted

shocked

I thought they would start from the beginning with the illegaly obtained Fannie Mae loans or being bought off by the city unions to kill the ATU sale which ended up costing the city over 500 million. There is just so much to chose from when it comes to the boy mayor.

April 11, 2008 - 8:58am | richardhoneman

Maybe they would have-

IF they could prove it. The only place I have heard about these things has been on Blogs like this-and YES, I have looked. If you have PROOF lets have it FACTS, provable. Just like the guy who we KNOW Killed Mindy Scloss-gotta PROVE it. Barbara Honeman

April 11, 2008 - 1:23am | SAILOR2007

You Rock AKTED!

Maybe you should sign up for the webmaster of begichbaditch.com I think you nailed it here!

April 10, 2008 - 10:56pm | TheSdog

Al Jazeera

aka KTUU tried to spin this away with their story.

Get ready for the Pravda/Al-Jazeera axis to get to work trying to deflect everything that comes up about Begich's record.

They will undoubtedly try and tell us he really is an NRA member and never meant to sign that resolution at the Conference of Mayors. We will get the he thought it only meant "illegal guns" spin.

The problem for Begich is the power of the axis is not quite as strong in a statewide fight. A mysterious thing happens in November as well in Anchorage, people other than the super voter union hacks and granola chompers come out and vote.

7 April 10, 2008 - 7:52pm | rfn

Any politician

accustomed to a kind, benevolent, local press should not be shocked to learn that there are media out there that are as devoted to tearing him/her down as the tame folks at home are to building him/her up.

Failure to understand that bespeaks an innocence that leads to ineffectual performance in national level office.

April 10, 2008 - 11:14pm | TheSdog

Begich

knows his record will be questioned.

He is counting on Pravda and Al-Jazeera to do a lot of the work of deflecting the attention. If today is any indication it looks like the Axis is more than willing to defend the faith of the COB at every turn.

6 April 10, 2008 - 3:24pm | black33

The NRSC is responding to a poll

A new Rasmussen poll came out on the Alaska Senate race.

Rasmussen: Alaska Senate 4/7, 500 LV, MOE +/-4.5%
Mark Begich (D): 45%
Ted Stevens (R): 46%
Some other candidate: 4%
Not sure: 5%

The Rasmussen group is one of the more respected pollsters. In the eyes of "pundits," the data makes the race a tossup. The NRSC is obviously responding.

5 April 10, 2008 - 2:54pm | Stags_Leap

How about Ted Stevens and Don Young

and half of the State Republican legislators being under investigation, already indicted by a federal grand jury, or tried and convicted by a jury?

You apparently cannot trust any republicans in our state, but we should focus on 10 year-old tax liens, which were all paid in full?

If I were behind the money, I'd start airing fuu-page newspaper ads and 60 sec TV ads full of all of those nice news stories and newpaper clippings outlining the illegal activities of our Republican elected officials. Enough said. Begich in 2008, baby!!!!

April 11, 2008 - 9:19am | richardhoneman

I don't agree Stags

There ARE some good "R's in Alaska and some good "D's". And some bad on both sides. I am sorry to hear the "swift boat" smears starting so early. Just tell the truth, give any FACTS-people aren't stupid, we can figure it out. THIS is another big reason our voter turnout is so low. Barbara Honeman

April 10, 2008 - 7:49pm | Cartman3_16

More moral relativism

"Begich isn't as corrupt as Stevens or Young, so it's OK to vote for him." Nice partisan-hack sentiment.

By the time Ray Metcalfe gets done with the mayor, there will be little left for the FBI.

April 11, 2008 - 9:11am | richardhoneman

I am waiting.

I respect Mr. Metcalfe speaking out about corruption. But if he has PROOF of anything about the Mayor-or anyone else then give it to all of us. Not a smear please-FACTS-PROOF. Barbara Honeman

April 10, 2008 - 8:52pm | akted

i wonder if he will debate Ray

I bet beich would avoid debating Ray. I would want front row seats

April 10, 2008 - 8:39pm | Stags_Leap

Ray who?

the polls don't even include his name. He must be that less than 3% percent other option.

Palin is no longer hot. And she was never smart. I win.

4 April 10, 2008 - 3:09pm | black33

No-Give me a break!!

We-re talking about:

1. something that occurred 10 years ago.

2. something that is not illegal. Lots of taxpayers find themselves in the same situation- the IRS puts a lien on, and it is removed when the tax owed- and any penalty and interest- is paid. Not everyone enjoyed the $80,000 per year tax cut that Dick Cheney and other millionaires got.

I wonder if Begich got any parking tickets, or maybe got stopped for speeding when he was 16. Call the NRSC.

While the Republicans are at it, perhaps they can urge McCain to release his income taxes. So far, he's the only one of the 3 major candidates left who refuses to do so. Obama did some time ago, and Clinton did recently after some pressure. Every major party candidate has done so for years- what's McCain hiding?

April 10, 2008 - 3:43pm | TheSdog

b33

What are you talking about? It is illegal to not pay taxes. People can go to jail for it and ignorance is no excuse. It may be that deals get cut but to say it is not illegal is completely false.

As for 10 years ago. Perhaps, Mechele Linehan could have used your defense? Sure, tax evasion is not murder butt it can say something about you.

And again, I ask you what per cent of the federal income tax burden is carried by the top 10% of income earners?

April 11, 2008 - 7:48am | twodux

And I'll ask you,

what percentage of all income is earned by the top 10% of income earners? When you compare that with what they pay, then we can talk apples to apples.

April 11, 2008 - 9:27am | TheSdog

According to b33

the answer is 50% but I would have to look it up.

Yet they pay 80-90% of the taxes so there is discordance.

April 11, 2008 - 9:51am | twodux

If that were true, you'd think the rich would be all over a flat tax trying to get it passed. And who has the connections to get it passed? Maybe one of the reasons they don't push it is.......they'd lose a lot of deductions and tax shelters that help them hide how much they REALLY make, not what is reported after their tax consultants get done with their return.

I think the reason the tax code is so convoluted is so the rich can hide what they really make.

April 11, 2008 - 7:46am | twodux

jail

You go to jail for not filing. Not filing is a criminal matter, not paying is a civil matter. It's better to file, but not pay on time than to not file and not pay. Usually as long as you work with the IRS and are making an effort they'll work with you. They like the interest and penalties.

April 10, 2008 - 10:17pm | theodosius30

Wrong

Actually, it is illegal to fail to file income tax returns. Don't believe that one can be criminally prosecuted for failure to pay if one does not have the money to pay.

Instead, liens will be placed on the delinquent taxpayers property. But this is civil-not criminal, me thinks.

Any IRS people,lawyers or accountants out there who can confirm this or tell me that I am wrong.

April 10, 2008 - 10:49pm | TheSdog

If you file an extension you may be correct. Maybe Begich could actually give us details on what happened here.

April 11, 2008 - 9:33am | richardhoneman

Sdog

Not true. If you file on time-no extension-and say I owe X $$'s and need to arrange a payment plan you can. It's legal. You will pay interest at the Fed's rate. I KNOW this to be true. Two years ago my son lost his wife who had always done his taxes and paid the bills-he is a construction worker who traveled for weeks at a time. Sorta like I did because my husband was in the Military and at times-like Korea and Veitnam-he was sort of busy. In his grief and all the upset my son couldn't pay all his taxes when they were due. When he filed he told them that and asked for a repayment plan. No problem, no criminal act. Find something worse to bash Begich for PLEASE. Barbara Honeman

April 10, 2008 - 6:23pm | Emperor

'dog

He paid them. He wasn't trying to cheat or evade taxes, he was late. Stuff happens.

Do you think that anyone who has ever been late on bills or taxes should be barred from elected office?

April 10, 2008 - 6:29pm | TheSdog

Not what I said

He can still be elected. It is worth some consideration. Certainly, I paid the "nanny" tax when I had one a number of years ago because I actually care to know the laws of the country.

However, ignorance is no excuse. Call it failure to pay taxes or tax evasion, whatever you want. He still broke the law.

If you believe the COB, he is the smartest businessman on the planet so it is hard to believe it was an "honest" mistake.

3 April 10, 2008 - 2:05pm | concerned1voter

Give Me a Break!!!!

So now every time something negative comes out on Begich who has a airline terminal full of baggage, it is an attack by the Republican Party?

The ADN and Democrats attack our Senator daily. They attack him if he ties his shoes wrong.

Kyle, you are better than this.

2 April 10, 2008 - 1:31pm | Soloman

Ethics lapses?

Speaking of problems, would the Washington Republicans be so kind as to tell us WHERE those WMDs were? Or were we lied to by REPUBLICANS? Would the Washington Republicans be so kind as to tell us EXACTLY what were the connections between Saddam and Ossama? Or were we lied to by REPUBLICANS? Sorry, GOP, you lost credibility with me with waterboarding. Now go throw yourselves onto the trash heap of history.

1 April 10, 2008 - 1:27pm | TheSdog

Sean

Go read your tow posts on this.

Your bias is given away in your language and style. It would be absurd to call you an honest hard journalist after the pseudoeditorializing you have done here.

You fit in well with the Pravda mode.

April 10, 2008 - 3:22pm | akallegro

sdog is correct

Sean and others at the ADN deliver an editorial in almost every article and blog entry.

Sometimes its subtle sometimes more blatant. Rarely are we presented just the facts and quite often the spin is the omission of facts that are relevant.

Spending time on this debate would be what the good Mayor would like most at this point. He definitely does not want any of us, or more importantly the ADN and KTUU fleshing out the story.

Here are some facts that we could be discussing.

When you have an employee you deduct payroll from them. It is their money, not the employers. It is the responsibility of the employer to keep that money segregated from other funds as they are not the employers funds, they are the employees, and the employee owes them to the federal/state government.

This did not happen in a vacuum until the IRS levied a lien. The taxes were not paid in the last quarter of 92 and all of 93. The IRS starts sending progressively nastier notices within 90 days after they are due.

That means while letter after letter from the IRS came in the mail the taxes were deducted from the employee but not sent to the IRS for over a year. It took another 2 years of letters before the IRS levied the lien.

All of this occurred while the Mayor was not 16 years old but a member of the Assembly and at times was the Chairman of the Assembly.

Those are facts, the following is editorial.

This type of behavior shows a willingness to use other peoples money to take care of ones own needs.

Sound familiar?

Perhaps this also explains the Mayors proclivity to want to bail out others who don't pay their taxes ala Robert Gottstein and the 4th Ave Theater.

April 10, 2008 - 2:10pm | rfn

Some might call it

job security ehnancement.

The boy mayor needs to remember something that every candidate for public office should know.

Every move you ever made is under the microscope when you announce for office. Though your tame newspaper may shout your praises, somewhere there will be media eager to shout from the rooftops the nasty words you might have exchanged with another child in kindergarten.

When a candidate chortles with delight at what their cheerleader press does TO their opposition they must also accept that another sid going to dance with glee when their own warts and pimples are similarly spun out of proportion.

Maybe that's why nice guys don't run for office.

It could explain a lot about the current crop of candidates nationwide.

April 10, 2008 - 2:21pm | richardhoneman

That is EXACTLY why!

Nice guys or nice women don't run-why would they? And it is such a shameful state of affairs. It happens in BOTH parties. This is the problem- "R" Party and "D" Party will keep doing this from Local to Feds. Sling S### with both hands-but remembr, it does stick to the to the ones who sling. Come on people, you can do better than this-maybe a speeding ticket when he was 17? I bet he had a beer sometime before he was 21 too! Better hang him. SICK. Barbara Honeman

April 10, 2008 - 2:55pm | rfn

Well, young lady.....

it's "do unto others....".

Neither side dares quit and with good reason.

When you have a one-"news"paper town the temptation is immense and we're seeing what happens. Once side slings snot; the other digs a little deeper.

Streets are gonna get miggghhhhttttyyyyy slippery over the next several months.

April 10, 2008 - 3:03pm | richardhoneman

Yep!

Better get our "pooper scoopers". Barbara Honeman

April 10, 2008 - 1:44pm | chilcoot

Lrn2Read

SDog fails at literacy; all Sean Cockerham wrote in this post is the following: "Here's the response Mark Begich's campaign put out to the National Republican Senatorial Committee's posting of his federal tax liens:"

The remainder of the post is the Begich release.

Seriously, SDog, lrn2read kthxbye.

April 10, 2008 - 2:08pm | concerned1voter

Chilkoot

Sdog is so far beyond you in literacy; is this all you have?

April 10, 2008 - 1:51pm | TheSdog

coot

Go back and compare how the blogs worded it when the Ds launched theanti-DY and anti-Ted sites.

I am not fond of Ted or DY. However, Pravda's need, and in this specific case Mr. Cockerham's need, to be a Begich mouthpiece is pathetic.

April 10, 2008 - 2:38pm | chilcoot

Apology Accepted

Cool, glad to see your reading comprehension is as I suspected.

When reality doesn't suit, create your own, eh SDog?

April 10, 2008 - 2:56pm | TheSdog

Your intellect

is underwhelming.

Perhaps you could get a job in one of those cellular phone texting commercials.

April 10, 2008 - 1:31pm | Emperor

'dog

Come on now. He posted a link to the Republican site and posted the Begich press release response. Where is the bias?

April 10, 2008 - 1:34pm | TheSdog

Emp

He called it an "attack" on the other post while look at how he words it here to glorify the response.

You are smart enough to pick up on the wording, are you not?

Just report the news without the editorializing unless he wants to admit what he is... a liberal Pravda(ADN) hack.

Believe me, I've played the game before and have an eye for it.

April 10, 2008 - 1:38pm | Emperor

Sorry...

...I thought "attack" was appropriate. What word would you have used?

Remember, I don't have a dog in this hunt. I'll probably write in NOTA again.

April 10, 2008 - 1:48pm | TheSdog

The connotations

of words play a very important role.

Simply stating the the Rs had posted the infor would have been enough. There is quite a bit of editorializing in that post.

April 10, 2008 - 1:51pm | Emperor

Reasonable people...

...can disagree reasonably.

I suppose I have become desensitized to the finer points of propaganda.

April 10, 2008 - 7:41pm | Cartman3_16

Reasonable people also

understand how their own biases color what they read. But we are talking about Sdog here.

I agree with you, Emperor. There is nothing overtly biased about the few words the reporter wrote.

April 10, 2008 - 11:10pm | TheSdog

Read this paragraph

Too bad this won't be the only Begich Baggage tumbling out. Today, the NRSC announced the launch of BegichBaggage.com, a micro site devoted to uncovering Mark Begich's baggage. Today is the first in a series the NRSC plans to launch this week and next.

Those are from Mr. Cockerham's original post on the begichbggage.com site. "Too bad" is hardly what one would consider objective journalism.

It may be hard for you to get past concrete thought but at least try and make an effort once and a while.

April 11, 2008 - 7:31am | Alaska_Politics

That's from the press release

Hi Sdog,

I didn't write those words. They are from the National Republican Senatorial Committee press release that I posted in full.

I want to be perfectly clear about this. Everything on that post following "Here's the press release NRSC put out:" was from the NRSC press release.

Also, everything on the above post following "Here's the response Mark Begich's campaign put out to the National Republican Senatorial Committee's posting of his federal tax liens:" was from the Begich response.

I didn't write that either.

Sean Cockerham

April 11, 2008 - 8:19am | akgen

shucks

I was hoping for a few more veins in sdogs head to pop, before someone pointed out who actually wrote those words.

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