Wesley Snipes vs IRS - I owe how much?

Ah the lovely major news media. Rarely has there been a more jaded and fickle industry, exceeded by perhaps the Hollywood machine only. Once again they have proven why I dislike their actions.

Wesley Snipes won another major blow against the Government and it’s silly case about tax evasion. The major news media acted in its usual biased and obtuse form. They avoided the story.

The major news media wasted neither time nor space in alleging that Wesley Snipes was hiding from the Government when this case first became public. They were like flies around feces when they manipulated the perceptions of Snipes previously agreed upon surrender to authorities – once he got news of problems in America while he was filming in remote areas in Africa. And Snipes stood his ground, claiming his innocence as the Government tried to allege that he was a mastermind behind 42 people evading taxes – which included his accountants that filed the taxes for him.

In the end Wesley Snipes faced a potential sentence of 16 years in Federal prison. A jury found him innocent of all charges except 3 misdemeanors. It was a slap in the face of the Government, and the media that was pounding away with pundits claiming his absolute guilt. But the Government fought back, giving Snipes an over-the-top and unprecedented (for anyone that wasn’t Black) sentence of 3 years and a fine.

Today the fine was announced, $217,000. Wesley Snipes trial claimed that he owed in excess of $14 million. That all that Wesley Snipes owes the IRS.

So in retrospect it seems that the Government, and the major news media, lied to the American public. Since the same reaction never occurred from Willie Nelson (who owed and lost a case for $35 million in taxes he evaded) and others, I am left with the thought that race and stardom were the driving factors of this farce. And rather than face criticism or have the general public realize what they’ve done, they buried this latest piece of news, just as they buried the fact that every serious and important charge against Wesley Snipes was found to be wrongly charged against Wesley Snipes.

Snipes is currently appealing the incredibly, and potentially racially driven, overreaching punishment. The fine is sure to be added to that appeal. A realistic penalty for what he did get found guilty for, given to most Americans – and definitely White Entertainers that the media likes, is 6 months of probation. Think about it, entertainers have been caught with excessive amounts of drugs, intoxicated while driving, and/or armed with illegal weapons and walked away with less time. What reason can you think of for this penalty?

I’ve followed this case from the beginning, and I continue to do so. The major news media may have a bias and care nothing about truthful reporting, but I do.

The real effect of the mortgage crisis on a real person - Excerpt

This is an excerpt from a post of the same name found at VASS

Looking over the housing markets, and considering the negative sentiment out, I decided that this was a good time to purchase a new home. Rates are 5.875% fixed and many home prices are depressed currently. And I’m not alone in my decision to pick up some property. So I wanted to share my experience so far, and at the end of this post I have 2 questions for you my reader.

Many who have good to excellent credit ratings, and available cash are out looking for a new home or a first time buy. But don’t believe this is exactly a buyers market. Even in a dying economy that is the Binghamton New York experience, home prices have held firm if not risen up. In fact I would say that prices over the last 6 months have risen about $3,000 on median. Because many like myself are entering this troubled market. ...

Full post found at The real effect of the mortgage crisis on a real person

Wesley Snipes news coverage minimizes Dr. Martin Luther King's birthday Part 2 - 1.15.2008.3

Concluding from Wesley Snipes news coverage minimizes Dr. Martin Luther King's birthday Part 1...

The next part of the story takes place in June of 2007. The major media virtually ignores and then spins the allegation that this entire event is racially based. They take the claims of set up and racial motivation on the part of the government to be a playing of the race card and a distraction by Mr. Snipes. Again no mention is made of a few odd facts like

“In piecing together the facts as they appear to be I gather that Mr. Rosile and Mr. Khan have not been charged, though they have 2000 clients that have allegedly made false claims with the IRS, exactly the same as Mr. Snipes though for less money. Yet only Mr. Snipes has been singled out as a ‘co-conspirator’.”

Finally in December of 2007 there was a near total major media news blackout on the comments of Mr. Snipes in this case. I noted that minor news, of no importance or worth has been covered ad nauseum by the media, but the defense of Mr. Snipes wasn’t worth 30 seconds.

“When Ellen DeGeneres cried about a puppy, it was news for 2+ days. When Rosie O’Donnell got into a battle of name calling with Donald Trump, it was news for over a month. When Anna Nicole Smith died, 3 months. And Paris Hilton has been a week each incident. And that’s just off the top of my head.”

But let Mr. Snipes defend himself, and call a list of character witnesses and the meida goes into a frenzy. They claim he is ‘most obviously guilty’, and ‘insulting potential jurors with his actions and defense claims’. Not one mentioned that Mr. Snipes tried to work out this entire matter with the IRS and the government failed to be amicable. They alluded that Mr. Snipes was passing out bad checks, which I have never heard confired or stated anywhere.

And I have yet to hear an answer to 1 key question, how do you ammend a tax filing claiming 0 and get a refund of $7 million without a single red flag appearing and no comments from the government for 6 years?

In fact the government is doing everything to hinder the case. To place as much fault, blame , and inference of guilt on Wesley snipes as possible.

“They [Snipes lawyers] have tried, unsuccessfully, to separate the three defendants at trial….

Snipes had tried unsuccessfully to get his trial moved from this central Florida town, arguing it was racist and he couldn't get a fair hearing….

Most had heard of the case, but not extensively.”

I simply have this to say. Today is Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday. A day that was ignored and denied for most of my life. A day that is barely celebrated by the nation. It’s a day in memory of a man who fought to remove bias based on the color of skin in America. And for the last 15 months the American government has been working hard to apparently keep that bias alive.

Does that deserve a bit more attention? Don’t you think so? Sadly, it seems that as we go forward the only attention will be to further demonize Mr. Snipes, regardless of his actual guilt or innocence. That just seems to defeat the whole purpose of celebrating Dr. King in the first place.

Wesley Snipes news coverage minimizes Dr. Martin Luther King's birthday - 1.15.2008.2

You know that if you only listened to the major news media you would have a very limited and derogatory image of African Americans. Perhaps one of the better examples of this is how Wesley Snipes has been portrayed by the major media. If you were listening to various pundits and talking heads on Fox News as an example you would get the impression that Mr. Snipes flagrantly defrauded the IRS and expects to get away without paying taxes simply because he is arrogant.

This isn’t exactly the case though from what I have been able to follow.

In October of 2006 the initial event starting this entire case unfolded. The IRS issued an indictment against Wesley Snipes, who was no where to be found. My thoughts at the time were,

“As a celebrity it would not be unusual for him to be on vacation, or on a trip, outside the country or in seclusion. It would not be strange for Mr. Snipes to be working on a film somewhere in the world, and not immediately aware of what is going on here in the United States. To hear the talking heads speak, it sounds as if Mr. Snipes is actively avoiding contact, which may well be inaccurate.”

There was not one major news media outlet that stated the same thing I did. Every single one took the position that Mr. Snipes was evading the law. The virtually stated that his lack of response and absence was a sign of guilt.

They also glossed over the odd facts of the case. In quick summarry they were,

“First is the fact that the government accepted an amended claim of 0 income and made a refund of $7,000,000 without a red flag popping up is not Mr. Snipes fault….

…the fact that the business preparing the taxes is considered a “tax protest organization” should have drawn some interest….

It was claimed, as reports say so far, that the funds are not available for taxation as the funds were from overseas. I do not think that funds paid out in a foreign nation, for services in a foreign land, should be taxed by the government….”

These facts of the case have been roundly ignored in all the major news media.

Then came the news that Mr. Snipes was in Nambia.

“I’ve seen anchors defend and minimize actions of dozens of entertainers. I’ve heard them brush off gun charges and violence by rappers, barely mention potential criminal actions of actors, and breeze past arrests of musicians and singers on drug charges. Yet, there has been a direct implication of Mr. Snipes being guilty and hiding. Why the difference?”

I would ammend that statement made 2 days after the first. I would include the sympathy and outpouring of emotion to the utter devestation that is Britney Spears. This woman has endangered the lives of her children, indulged in drunken and intoxicated binges, blatantly violated the law, and acted in a manner that few would call rational. Yet with all that, there are constant cries for her to get another chance, that compassion should be shown, and the need of the children to be with their mother declared. Yet a crackhead mother, or a working single parent for that matter, can have their kids removed in a heartbeat. And Mr. Snipes is demonized.

A month later, on news of comments by Mr. Snipes I was able to find I stated,

“Well I’m not sure if Mr. Snipes is exactly innocent, but I do agree that he is being railroaded. The media has worked hard to portray him negatively…”

In December of 2006 Mr. Snipes returned from Africa and peacefully surrendered to authorities as he had previously arranged via his lawyers. The media and law enforcement swoped down on this event as if it were David Koresh exiting his compound in Texas. The media played it out as if this was the government standing up against a vile wrong-doer who was evading them and presenting danger to the public.

“Mr. Snipes has not evaded arrest, has not resisted, nor hindered the authorities. Mr. Snipes was doing his job when authorities indicted him, and his work happened to place him overseas at the time. I have no doubt that the Government knew this fact, or could have known it if they chose to. To create a media event by claiming to be unaware of Mr. Snipe whereabouts, to structure this matter as if there was negative intent, is almost conspiratory.”

Concluded in part 2...

The anti-Wesley Snipes movement continues on Part 2 - 12.18.2007.2

Continued from The anti-Wesley Snipes movement continues on Part 1...

Perhaps one of the most important items I was able to understand throughout this whole drama occurred June of 2007. Again this was after further comments on the case Wesley Snipes is defending himself against went without coverage amongst the major news media.

“In piecing together the facts as they appear to be I gather that Mr. Rosile and Mr. Khan have not been charged, though they have 2000 clients that have allegedly made false claims with the IRS, exactly the same as Mr. Snipes though for less money. Yet only Mr. Snipes has been singled out as a ‘co-conspirator’.”

And

“The government apparently indicted Mr. Snipes while he was away working, without bothering to ask his publicist or manager if he was working. He was picked out of 2000 clients to be the poster child of government acting tough on taxes. When Mr. Snipes arranged to meet the cops to be taken on the charges made when he had no voice in the country (nor knowledge that he needed one) the media jumped on the story as if he were a fugitive, like he was a crackhead running from the police with 2 strikes over their head.”

Considering the long-term, dubious nature of the U.S. governments case and the overtly biased near yellow journalism tactics of the major news media, I find no surprise that there is news no one has heard.

As I stated at the beginning, an A-list actor has made a statement and there has been a media blackout. When Rosie O’Donnell and Charlie Sheen claim that the Government was in fact the reason for the 9/11 attacks, everyone covers it. But when Wesley Snipes states that

"It was easy for people to jump on the 'Wesley's the bad guy' bandwagon," he says. "That's where I think the systematic racism comes in. We're conditioned in this country to believe that if there's a problem, the black man is the culprit."

Media acts like his words are the plague. That last quote was from December 17th. Did you hear that from any news source besides EURweb or me? More importantly, did you hear any coverage from the major mainstream media? I didn’t, not then nor today.

So again I have to say that this does have racist elements. I have to say that I believe Wesley Snipes. And I believe there is a major issue that the major news media will take advantage of when it benefits the image they want to promote, and ignore when a mirror is held up.

Pay attention, and make some noise on this. Because if the fame of Wesley Snipes (or Al Sharpton recently) isn’t protecting him, what will happen if the Government turns on you?