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4/28/9
Are the rules different
for the
?er riche?
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DallasArena.com has endorsed Ann Margolin
from early on in the campaign season based on her service to our city,
our county and her district in many capacities on various boards and
commissions. Beyond her community involvement, she is a business
woman in her own right. Just as importantly, she VOTES in
municipal elections. |
A few
months ago, her good looking opponent looked up from
his very busy life and decided this city needs his
in-experience and lack of
involvement on the city council. Where
Ann Margolin has an incredible resume of community
volunteerism and leadership, Brint Ryan can only
point to his credentials as a tax expert.
That's where Mr. Ryan has a problem. When you
present yourself as an expert, you need to have all
your ducks in a row in the field of your expertise.
Mr. Ryan responds to almost every question in most
debates with "I'm a tax expert". He
certainly has made millions as a tax expert.
So, how does he explain the IRS slapping a $482,337
lien against his home on Lobello Drive?
Check out this flyer mailed out by Ann Margolin's
campaign. It may be harsh, but very relevant.
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This tabled flyer was produced by the Ann
Margolin Campaign. |
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Of
course, Mr. Ryan has the right to explain the
matter, and Ch. 8's Brett Shipp gives him space to
do so:
The red-hot topic in the Dallas City Council, District 13 race on Friday: taxes.
Not city taxes but unpaid taxes, by the candidates themselves.
It's a story of bare-knuckled politics and diminishing returns.
The traditional yard signs in upper crust north Dallas neighborhoods present a luster of civility in the city council campaign between newcomers, Ann Margolin and Brint Ryan.
But let's not forget both are preparing for the traditional politics of City Hall.
With just two weeks before the election, the gloves have come off.
Margolin, with an e-mail attack, accusing Ryan, a corporate tax specialist, of not paying $482,000 in personal income taxes last year.
"It calls into question his great expertise regarding taxes," she said.
Ryan says the IRS did put a lien on his house for 30 days but ended up paying him $352,000.
Then he fired a salvo of his own.
"She's the one with unpaid tax liens, not me," he said.
Doing a little digging of his own, Ryan says he found evidence that Margolin's husband, as of a few weeks ago, had more than $216,000 in unpaid business taxes.
"It's pretty disingenuous," he said.
"No they actually aren't it's all been cleared up with the various states, except for West Virginia," she responded.
Both accuse the other of being unfit to be good stewards of taxpayer money.
Yet both quickly claim they are taking the high road to City Hall.
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It's
hard to believe that an investigative reporter like
Shipp would let Mr. Ryan get away with these quotes,
unchallenged.
As exciting as it would be to owe the IRS $482K, I
would be terrified not to pay my income taxes.
For the IRS to slap a lien on Mr. Ryan's home, it
means he played a game of chicken with them.
Most taxpayers pay their taxes under protest when
there is an argument with the IRS and then try to
get the overpayment back, either through negotiation
or litigation. Mr. Ryan says he got back $352K
from the IRS after he paid up to get the lien
removed. That still leaves a tax bill of $130K
that he didn't pay until they hit him with a lien on
his house.
He says "It's
pretty disingenuous"
of Ann Margolin to make a fuss about his non-payment
of his income taxes, when her husband owed $216K in
unpaid business taxes. Mrs. Margolin is not in
a decision making position in the respective
partnerships owing business taxes in various states.
Her husband is no longer in those partnerships.
Is Mr. Ryan implying Mrs. Ryan has been as involved
in running his "tax expert" business as he has been?
Or, that she has been responsible for generating the
revenue that resulted in a $482K tax dispute with
the IRS? That would make her quite the super
woman, since she has also been making 5 babies for
him.
Brint Ryan has never been involved in neighborhood
efforts in District 13. He has a fancy house
on Lobello Drive, but he's building a mansion on the
exclusive Strait Lane. There's nothing wrong
with moving on up when you have a growing family,
but this man will not be a good fit on the city
council. He has no idea what will be expected
of him as a council member.
His website calls Mr. Ryan "CEO
of one of the nation?s largest tax advisory firms".
How is he going to run his business and still be at
City Hall all day for those ridiculous committee
meetings that keep regular employed citizens from
serving on the city council? He would be stuck
in one of those little offices. Worse, he
would go from being "CEO
of one of the nation?s largest tax advisory firms",
to being only 1 vote. Not only would he just
be 1 vote, he would be way down line from the
council's real leaders.
Ann Margolin does understand the job she is seeking,
and the voters of District 13 know her.
Ann Margolin may not be the "CEO
of one of the nation?s largest tax advisory firms",
but she's a successful business woman. Still,
she is as stunned as most of us that anyone with Mr.
Ryan's wealth would refuse to pay his income taxes
until the IRS slapped a $482K lien on his home.
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This
tabled Press Release is from the Ann Margolin campaign. |
LIEN FILED
AGAINST RYAN FOR UNPAID
TAXES
(Dallas?April 24, 2009)?Dallas
City Council candidate
George ?Brint? Ryan, who
portrays himself as a ?tax
expert,? has on record a
Federal Tax Lien filed on
his Lobello Drive home. The
lien was filed in January
2008 for non-payment of 2006
personal income taxes.
According the
Internal Revenue Code, a tax
lien arises when the
taxpayer fails to pay any
tax after a demand by the
IRS for payment. ?Liens
give us a legal claim to
your property as security or
payment for your tax debt,?
according to the www.irs.gov website.
?There are
many hard working residents
in District 13 who manage to
pay their taxes without the
IRS having to file a lien
against them. I find it
incredibly hypocritical to
portray yourself as a ?tax
expert? to voters when you
have not taken paying your
own taxes seriously,? says
Ann Margolin, candidate for
Dallas City Council.
Margolin founded Intercon
General Agency, an insurance
business that generated $60
million in revenue and
employed over 100 people.
She also has a track record
of over 30 years of
community leadership at the
county, city and district
level. In addition to
serving many Dallas
non-profit agencies, Ann
Margolin has also been
appointed to the Planning
and Zoning Commission, the
Park and Recreation Board
and was the first woman to
chair the Parkland Hospital
Board. Margolin?s campaign
platform includes ensuring
that Dallas has strong, safe
neighborhoods, fiscal
responsibility and a vibrant
economy.
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Ann Margolin may not be the "CEO
of one of the nation?s largest tax advisory firms",
but she manages to get her campaign reports filed accurately.
Ann Margolin may not be the "CEO
of one of the nation?s largest tax advisory firms",
but she raised most
of her contributions from Dallas voters who care about this city. In his
first report, Mr. Ryan claims to have only raised $900, but spent $40,000.
In his second report, he claims to have raised $79,000, but spent $360,000.
Of the $79K he claims to have raised, $40K is from out of state contributors.
He makes no reference to loans from himself or anyone else, so what's the source
of the $320,100 he spent over what he "raised"?
Why would a "CEO
of one of the nation?s largest tax advisory firms"
spend $400,000 for a
city council seat? Why did The Dallas
Managed News endorse a stranger to
local politics or community involvement?
Obviously, Our Downtown Betters (the ODB) want to take control of District 13,
which has been represented for over two decades by fiscal conservatives who
focused on the bottom line instead of the ODB's vision. Donna Blumer
followed the late Jerry Bartos, and she was succeeded by Mitch Rasansky.
Their personalities may have been different, but Bartos, Blumer and Rasansky
seldom went along to get along. Ann Margolin will continue in the
tradition of District 13 council members who focus on the quality of life of
their constituents.
Ryan's website has a handful of endorsements and lists Tom Hicks as his campaign
treasurer. Hasn't Tom Hicks ripped off City Hall enough for one lifetime?
The Dallas Managed News
and Tom Hicks may like Brint Ryan, but business leaders and neighborhood leaders
throughout District 13 are backing Ann Margolin. Current and former
council members are endorsing Ann Margolin. Hundreds and hundreds of
neighborhood leaders and business leaders are supporting Ann Margolin, including
her campaign treasurer, Ebby Halliday.
Ann Margolin has run some great radio ads, which is extremely expensive for a
council race. Brint Ryan has been running even more expensive television
ads where he claims to be the candidate who will make City Hall live within a
budget. So, why spend $400,000 to win a job that pays less than $40,000 if
you are budget oriented?
Clearly, Brint Ryan is and moves with the
?er riche.
District 13 is one of the richest per capita, if not the richest, districts in
the city. The difference in Mr. Ryan and previous District 13 council
representatives -- he's never bothered to participate in making the district or
the city better until he decided he wanted to be on the city council. He
hasn't even bothered to vote in council or mayoral races.
It may not matter to others as much as me, but Mr. Ryan's dangerous
driving/speeding habits indicates he sees himself above city laws. Isn't
that typical of the ?er
riche? Regular people follow the rules. Regular people vote in
municipal elections. Regular people don't have the IRS slap a $482,337
lien against their home.
Ann Margolin is a regular Dallas citizen who has all the right experience and
standards to make her a great council member from District 13, in the tradition
of Jerry Bartos, Donna Blumer and Mitch Rasansky.
sb
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