| Revision as of 18:53, 17 October 2008 edit0kmck4gmja (talk | contribs)4,456 edits readded lien info per consensus on talk← Previous edit | Revision as of 18:56, 17 October 2008 edit undoDp76764 (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users, Pending changes reviewers, Rollbackers16,816 edits Undid revision 245948202 by Bstone (talk) you can't call consensus after only 1 hour, give people time to replyNext edit → | ||
| Line 101: | Line 101: | ||
| In an October interview, Wurzelbacher said, "You know, a lot of the stuff that our government is doing right now is all about taxation without representation, and, you know, the last time that happened a couple guys got together and threw the Brits out."<ref></ref> | In an October interview, Wurzelbacher said, "You know, a lot of the stuff that our government is doing right now is all about taxation without representation, and, you know, the last time that happened a couple guys got together and threw the Brits out."<ref></ref> | ||
| In January 2007, the Ohio Department of Taxation place a ] on Wurzelbacher's property because he owed the State $1,182.98 in personal income taxes. As of October 17, 2008, the lien is still active.<ref></ref> | |||
| ==References== | ==References== | ||
| {{reflist|3}} | {{reflist|3}} | ||
Revision as of 18:56, 17 October 2008
 | This article documents a current event. Information may change rapidly as the event progresses, and initial news reports may be unreliable. The latest updates to this article may not reflect the most current information. Feel free to improve this article or discuss changes on the talk page, but please note that updates without valid and reliable references will be removed. (October 2008) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
| Joe Wurzelbacher | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Joe the Plumber |
| Citizenship |  United States |
| Occupation | assistant to plumbing contractor |
| Employer | Newell Plumbing & Heating (A. W. Newell Inc.) |
Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher (from Holland, Ohio) is an employee of Newell Plumbing & Heating, a plumbing firm. Wurzelbacher was mentioned by Republican United States Senator John McCain and Democratic Senator Barack Obama at least 23 times (usually as "Joe the Plumber") during the third and final presidential debate of 2008.
Encounter with Obama
A few days before the October 15, 2008 presidential debate, Obama was meeting residents in Wurzelbacher's neighborhood. Wurzelbacher, who had been playing football with his son in his front yard at the time, asked Obama about his tax plan. As a Fox News Channel camera maintained tight focus on the interaction, Wurzelbacher said he was upset about his interpretation of Obama's tax plan and suggested that such a plan would be at odds with "the American dream". Wurzelbacher said, "I’m getting ready to buy a company that makes $250,000 to $280,000 a year. Your new tax plan is going to tax me more, isn’t it?" Wurzelbacher suggested that making more money should not result in paying a higher tax rate and asked Obama whether he would support a flat tax plan.
Obama responded with an explanation of how his tax plan would affect a small business in this bracket. Obama stated, "If your revenue is above $250, then from $250 down, your taxes are going to stay the same. It is true that for $250 up, ..., you'd go from 36% to 39%, which is where it was under Bill Clinton."
Regarding the flat tax Obama said,
I would be open to it, but here's the problem with a flat tax: ... in order for it to work and replace all the revenue that was got , you'd probably end up having to make it like a 40% sales tax.
Obama said,
It's not that I want to punish your success. I just want to make sure that everybody who is behind you, that they've got a chance at success, too. And I think that when we spread the wealth around, it's good for everybody.
Steve Schmidt, McCain's chief campaign strategist, commented that this statement would be a focus of their campaign in its final weeks.
Press coverage
Asked by Katie Couric of CBS Evening News on October 15 whether Obama's proposed $250,000 tax threshold would affect him, Wurzelbacher replied: "Not right now at presently, but, you know, question, so he's going to do that now for people who make $250,000 a year. When's he going to decide that $100,000 is too much, you know? I mean, you're on a slippery slope here. You vote on somebody who decides that $250,000 and you're rich? And $100,000 and you're rich? I mean, where does it end?" He also said, “I asked the question but I still got a tap dance ... almost as good as Sammy Davis, Jr.”
On October 16, Wurzelbacher appeared on Your World with Neil Cavuto on Fox News. Cavuto asked if Wurzelbacher was persuaded by Obama's plan. Wurzelbacher said that he was not and that he was more frightened upon hearing it. Wurzelbacher suggested that Obama's plan was socialist in nature.
Wurzelbacher also appeared on Good Morning America the day following the debate (October 16). Diane Sawyer asked him if he was taking home $250,000 now, Wurzelbacher said with a laugh "No, not even close." Sawyer asked Wurzelbacher if he had been contacted by the McCain campaign before his encounter with Obama. Wurzelbacher said "I have been contacted by them and asked to show up at a rally."
Wurzelbacher held a press conference at his home the morning following the debates, where he refused to express support for either candidate. "I'm not telling anybody anything" about which candidate he prefers, he said, adding, "It's a private booth. I want the American people to vote for who they want to vote for." He reportedly had been registered in 1992 under the name "Samuel Joseph Worzelbacher". He told an Associated Press reporter that in the most recent Republican primary, he backed McCain.
Plumbing career and licensing issues
An Associated Press article revealed that Wurzelbacher does not have a plumber's license or apprenticeship. He claimed he does not need a license because he works for someone else. Lucas County, where Wurzelbacher and his employer reside, requires plumbers who perform work including sanitary drainage, water supply, storm drainage, and natural gas piping, 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. Local 50 of the United Association of Plumbers, Steamfitters and Service Mechanics, whose membership endorsed Obama, indicated that Wurzelbacher applied for an apprentice program in 2003 but never completed the work.
Wurzelbacher is one of two employees of a small plumbing firm, Newell Plumbing and Heating Co. of Toledo. This is the company he described to Obama as making more than $250,000 per year; however, according to Bloomberg News, the company's net profit in reality is between $150,000 and $200,000, and would not see a tax hike under the Obama plan. MSNBC reported an even lower estimate: "Ohio business records show the company’s estimated total annual revenue as only $100,000. Actual taxable income would be even less than that." Wurzelbacher reported that the idea of buying the company was discussed during his job interview six years prior.
In his interview on ABC's Good Morning America on October 16, Wurzelbacher stated that his two current plumbing jobs were for a gas station and for a shopping center, Levis Commons.
Views on taxation
In an October interview, Wurzelbacher said, "You know, a lot of the stuff that our government is doing right now is all about taxation without representation, and, you know, the last time that happened a couple guys got together and threw the Brits out."
References
- ^ Vellequette, Larry (October 16, 2008). "'Joe the plumber' isn't licensed". Toledo Blade.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - Saine, Cindy (16 October 2008). "'Joe the Plumber' - Unexpected Star of US Presidential Debate". Voice of America: VoA News.
- http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Mentioned-26-times---Joe-the-Plumber--becomes-a-national-fixture/374282
- ""America's Overnight Sensation Joe the Plumber Owes $1,200 in Taxes"". ABC News. 2008-10-16. Retrieved 2008-10-16.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Rohter, Larry (October 15, 2008). "Plumber From Ohio Is Thrust Into Spotlight". New York Times. Retrieved 2008-10-17.
- ^ Rohter, Larry. (2008-10-16). "Real Deal on 'Joe the Plumber' Reveals New Slant". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-10-16.
- "YouTube video 'Joe the Plumber'". 2008-10-15. Retrieved 2008-10-17.
- "LiveLeak video 'Complete Joe the Plumber video'". 2008-10-15. Retrieved 2008-10-17.
- Fouhy, Beth (15 October 2008). "McCain, Obama get tough, personal in final debate". The Associated Press. Retrieved 2008-10-17.
- Nagourney, Adam (2008-10-16). "Polls Cause Campaigns to Change Their Itineraries". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-10-17.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ ""Joe The Plumber's Chat With Couric"". CBS News. 2008-10-16. Retrieved 2008-10-16.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ ""Meet Joe the Plumber"". ABC News. 2008-10-16. Retrieved 2008-10-16.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - Mehta, Seema (16 October 2008). "'Joe the Plumber' still a topic for McCain, Obama". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2008-10-16.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - Bridget Tharp and Mark Zaborney (2008-10-16). ""'Joe the Plumber' is focus of presidential debate's first few minutes"". Toledo Blade. Retrieved 2008-10-16.
- ^ Seewer, John (16 October 2008). "'Joe the Plumber' says he has no plumbing license". The Associated press. Retrieved 2008-10-17.
- ""Is 'Joe the Plumber' a plumber? That's debatable"". Yahoo. 2008-10-16. Retrieved 2008-10-16.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - "Ohio Plumbing License". National Contractors Pre-Licensing Services, Inc. Retrieved 2008-10-17.
- Barnes, Robert. "After Debate, Glare Of Media Hits Joe". Washington Post. Retrieved October 16, 2008.
- Donmoyer, Ryan J. (2008-10-16). "'Joe the Plumber,' Obama Tax-Plan Critic, Owes Taxes". Bloomberg.com. New York, New York: Bloomberg L.P. Retrieved 2008-10-17.
- "'Joe the plumber' and Obama's tax plan". msnbc.com. 2008-10-16. Retrieved 2008-10-17.
- 'Who is "Joe the Plumber"?', KARE11, October 16, 2008
External links
- Full, unedited video of the conversation between Joe the Plumber and Obama
- Full text of the conversation, Jake Tapper, ABC News online, 2008-10-14