Arnold Councilman Delinquent On His Taxes

Death and Taxes.  There is an age-old adage that says those two things are the only things you cannot avoid in life.  Apparently this rule of thumb does not apply to politicians.  We've all heard the stories before of elected officials not paying their taxes.  The most publicized cases are on the Federal level.  Stories like Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner's inability to figure out TurboTax, or New York Congressman Charlie Rangel's tax evasion scandal, makes us scratch our head.  This problem is not only a problem on the national stage, but on the local political scene as well.  The latest incident involves current Arnold City Councilman, and candidate for Rock Township Ambulance Board, Randy Crisler.

On March 1st of this year, the Missouri Department of Revenue filed a lien against Mr. Crisler and his wife for $662.72 of taxes owed.  The court does not list the years in which Mr. Crisler was delinquent. 

Now let's be honest.  A lot of people have been late paying their taxes at one time or another.  However, it's one thing to be notified that you are delinquent.  It's another to completely ignore the situation, and require the Missouri Department of Revenue to pursue a lien against you to recoup the money.  Especially when you are an elected official.

And especially when you are a certain elected official that proposed to sue the Rock Township Ambulance District for tax money that the City claims it is owed.  Pardon me if I don't find Mr. Crisler's actions a little bit hypocritical.  I mean, it's very clear that the whole time he was trying to persuade the City Council to sue the Ambulance District, he fully knew he was delinquent on his own personal taxes.

Then there is that pesky State Statute 115.342, which states that "any person who files as a candidate for election to a public office shall be disqualified from participation in the election for which the candidate has filed if such person is delinquent in the payment of any state income taxes, personal property taxes, real property taxes..."  Then there is the Candidate's Affidavit of Tax Payments which all candidates for offices, large or small, must file.  You basically swear (under the penalty of perjury) that you do not have any delinquent taxes at the time you file for office. 

At the very least, Mr. Crisler should be disqualified from his upcoming Ambulance Board race.  At the very most, and in my opinion, he should be removed from the Arnold City Council.  For too long, the political process has been smeared by politicians who do not  play by the rules.  Politicians who feel they are above the law and answer to nobody.  This must stop if we are truly going to get back to the Republic our Founders intended.  "We are a nation of laws, ...not men", a wise first President once wrote.  If we cannot trust the people we elect to tell the truth and follow those laws, then what can we trust them to do? 

Comments

[Coincidence?]

Isn't this the same Randy Crisler that stood behind Robert Sweeney of the Jefferson County 911 theft (broken here at 24thstate.com), in his little press conference organized by Ed Rhode when he we removed as the City Attorney for Arnold? What a coincidence........those guys seem to hang togther. The law must just be for everyone else. You would think the Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney or the FBI would get involved at some point.

The corruption knows no bounds....

[Dan from Mehlville]

Wow! I live on the other side of the river from Arnold, but this seems like just another in a long list, they makes me ask "Who the hell elected these guys in Arnold?!" "Who is running this town and why don't the citizens vote all of these guys out?"
1) smoking ban
2) traffic cameras
3) tax evasion
4) corruption