Melissa Etheridge Tells California You Can Forget My Taxes

[meghanchavalier]

Melissa Etheridge has railed against the gay marriage ban in California by not paying her taxes. The full story is on our website now.

http://www.stoppingthehate.com

It got me to thinking after I read it, would I be willing to go to prison for what I believe in? The answer is yes. If you believe that you're being treated like a second class citizen and aren't afforded the same equal rights as every other American then I guess you do what you have to do to get your point across. Some people might find that idiotic, but if you are part of that minority (which we are) it would be completely understandable.

We must fight for what we believe in, and if this is what she is choosing to do, to get her point across then I say good for her. I find it inspirational really. Under the Constitution we are to be treated as equals, and right now in this country that doesn't appear to be what's happening.

Anyway, That's my peace for the night. Check out the article on the site

Have a great weekend
Meghan

[tsntx]

wow... thats VERY brave

if only all the ppl it affects would do the same

[whatsupwithat]

Wow. Now that is taking a stand.

I got to meet her years ago. She just radiates good vibes.

Go Melissa!

[dj4monie]

Well you know the IRS likes to go after famous tax evaders - Helio CastroNieves ring a bell and his trial hasn't started yet....

It might be nice to be activist and all but the worst people you want to be an activist against is the IRS who will make an example out of you...

Actually that's part of the problem too many people with money AVOID paying taxes the best way they know how.

Which is funny because 28 years of Republican Rule has meant less and less money coming into the Government and that's one way to do it, let the Rich horde all their money.

Then you have S&L scandals and Sub Prime failures, along with a 1 trillion dollar war and counting running up the nation's credit card at an alarming rate and you have people trying to avoid paying taxes, hmmmm

Leona Helmsley ring a bell?

Haven't you seen those ads on TV saying if you owe more than 10K to the IRS, give us a call???

Part of the failure of No on 8 was they started running TV ads and Radio ads at the last MINUTE, not a good idea. They UNDERESTIMATED the power of Religion in this country and you KNOW how most stand on Gay issues.

THUMBS DOWN

I see many wanna blame Blacks/Latinos and you know I'm cool with that, I didn't vote Yes, don't look at me. But the Black Church has disconnected itself from Gays, haven't you heard the term "Down Low"??? Many of those same people sit in Church on Sunday and agree with the pastor, yet sneak away to make love to their partner afterwards...

Look I'm not happy it passed its short-sighted and stupid.

Buy some lawyers and get to work...

[SarahG]

Well you know the IRS likes to go after famous tax evaders - Helio CastroNieves ring a bell and his trial hasn't started yet....

It might be nice to be activist and all but the worst people you want to be an activist against is the IRS who will make an example out of you...

Actually that's part of the problem too many people with money AVOID paying taxes the best way they know how.

Which is funny because 28 years of Republican Rule has meant less and less money coming into the Government and that's one way to do it, let the Rich horde all their money.

Then you have S&L scandals and Sub Prime failures, along with a 1 trillion dollar war and counting running up the nation's credit card at an alarming rate and you have people trying to avoid paying taxes, hmmmm

Leona Helmsley ring a bell?

Haven't you seen those ads on TV saying if you owe more than 10K to the IRS, give us a call???

Part of the failure of No on 8 was they started running TV ads and Radio ads at the last MINUTE, not a good idea. They UNDERESTIMATED the power of Religion in this country and you KNOW how most stand on Gay issues.

THUMBS DOWN

I see many wanna blame Blacks/Latinos and you know I'm cool with that, I didn't vote Yes, don't look at me. But the Black Church has disconnected itself from Gays, haven't you heard the term "Down Low"??? Many of those same people sit in Church on Sunday and agree with the pastor, yet sneak away to make love to their partner afterwards...

Look I'm not happy it passed its short-sighted and stupid.

Buy some lawyers and get to work...

IRS deals with fed taxes, not state taxes.

Its entirely different to go and say "i'm not paying my STATE income tax over this shit." However the state won't be too happy about it either. I've been audited before, but from a state (not the feds), so I know what that's like.

As to Helio, he was simply caught up in something else- he is a good example of what happens when your accountant doesn't know what they're doing in avoiding taxes. The reason why the rich get away with hiding money, and avoiding taxes- is because they have good accountants who know where the loop holes are. If you do everything correctly, there won't be any broken laws to send you to jail. Helio wasn't familiar with the tax laws (then again most people aren't), hell he isn't even a citizen IIRC, and was guilty of simply assuming his advisers were telling the whole truth when saying "hey, if we do things this way- it will save you $___"

Helio is small fish as far as that goes, I have heard from what I would consider a reliable source that the same accountants he has used, also do a lot of the tax related accounting for other racers in multiple circuits (not just IRL folks), so my guess is that it won't just be Helio that gets caught, and they're probably hoping he splits a deal to turn over others. There are a lot of scared drivers, and a lot of scared owners right now out there. That's all I'll say on that subject though.

The curious point will be whether Etheridge will simply go to jail, or is anticipating going to jail as a means to help with her activism plans (and yes, there is a difference between the two). To use an example, Emma Goldman put no thought into going to jail, and thus it never helped her cause or arguments before, during, or after imprisonment.

[thx1138]

If she really wants to get attention she should wait for the wind to pick up then go out and set a few brush fires at various locations.

[dj4monie]

Nothing wrong with making a point, it would be more effective if you can get another ballot up around the time we have to vote for a replacement for Govenator than to refuse to pay your State Taxes, small potatoes in the grand scheme of things.

I wasn't audited but paycheck had a lien on it, weee that was fun and they don't care if you can't eat, make your rent or anything. I had to call them and make arrangements for payment and on top of that they took my Stimulus check!

So I don't take that shit lightly at all and to be honest we had to deal with 100 years of Jim Cow laws before the Federal Government outlawed it, I could say something like pay your dues, wait your turn but I won't but not paying your taxes when basically nobody is listening is kinda of silly.

What they need is to really focus on changing the law, which you should have known wasn't safe after the court ruled against it (they filed an suit right after the ruling). They got giddy instead and started to get married left and right (George Takei, Ellen, etc, etc)

Obama was against Yes on 8 and called it "Unnecessary" and don't think for a second a person running for President is about to back "The Gay" (That's what Saxby Cambliss said Obama supported Gay rights), you would enfuriate Latinos in Texas and New Mexico, Blacks in North Carolina and Ohio.

What he MIGHT do is put it back in the State's hands and let the State's decide, that last thing we need is another culturally dividing issue nationally when the extreme ends of the country are in favor of Gay Rights and the Middle/Deep South just isn't.

C'mon most of the middle of the country and Deep South called Obama a Nigga (behind closed doors), Muslim and Socialist and didn't vote for him, you think they have tolerance for Gay people???

So when famous people pull stunts that barely make any sense, I just shake my head.

[tsntx]

huck-yuck i know im just 'nother redneck sumbitch from texas to some yall but im pretty sure that kalifornia aint in the deep south

[NYBURBS]

huck-yuck i know im just 'nother redneck sumbitch from texas to some yall but im pretty sure that kalifornia aint in the deep south

Silly girl, you must be holding the map the wrong way 8)

[Crawler]

Celebrities of course love money a little more than the average Jill. They problem is that they begin to perceive the world through the prism of manna. If I were Melissa (who, by the way, I dearly love and admire), I would not be doing this to gain attention but i would be getting involved in government to effectuate change from the inside or better yet, I would begin raising awareness through performing. Just my two cents. Her last disc, by the way, was one of her best and I still have chills from her "bald" performance. She's a once-in-a-lifetime talent and a great soul.