Mr. Wesley Snipes, actor, star of Blade (and not much else…but I digress) has been sentenced to 3 years in prison for failing to file income tax.
I make light of Wesley’s career, not because he is a bad actor (because he actually is a good actor) but mostly because I only remember him from films like Waiting to Exhale, White Men Can’t Jump, New Jack City and Mo Better Blues and…that’s all I really liked him in. Just my opinion (I’m not that into action movies).
So, Whoopi Goldberg and others have come to Snipes’ defense in saying that he is a scapegoat for the IRS, but I say that the fact that he could have gotten 16 years and only got 3 years is a step down from Leona Helmsley’s fate. It is interesting to note that Snipes was acquitted of tax fraud which would have resulted in a much longer sentence. Helmsley was convicted of tax evasion and several counts of everything anti-tax you can imagine…she was sentenced to the full 16 years and only served 18 months.
So why is Snipes really being accused? I think it has more to do with his political beliefs than anything else.
My theory is that he was being watched for a while. His arguments in court have indicated that he doesn’t believe that the IRS collecting wages is constitutional – the government hates people who challenge their authority.
In addition, Snipes is a man who, back in 2000 was targeted in the media for supposedly organizing a militia-type group called the Royal Guard of Amen-Ra. The business was a legit one, yet authorities in Putnum County Georgia had reason to believe that the group had ties with United Nuwaubian Nation of Moors, a religious cult known for being well-armed.
Yes a man like Snipes most likely has many complex reasons for not filing income taxes, (and not paying property taxes).
I don’t know Mr. Snipes, and I may never get to know him, but even so, I don’t wish him to spend 3 years in prison for a white collar crime, when there are so many more people out there that need to be off the streets. I think one year behind bars is plenty. The more appropriate sentence would be 2 years of probation and 5 years of community service, but 3 years in prison is too long, and that is why I believe there is more to this case than meets the eye…especially what is meeting our eyes.
Gas, Gas and Less Gas Monday, May 5 2008
commentary and current events Bush, foreign oil, gas, gas prices, oil, price of gas, rise in gas, rise in gas prices ebailey2008 9:25 pm
If you are a driver, (and even if you are not), you have been watching and anguishing over the rise in prices at the pump for the past 10 months (or more).
Gas is at an all time high. In my neck of the woods (Western New York) gas is $3.78 for regular and $4.01 for premium. This is at least a 30% increase from last spring. The thing is, nothing else is changing. Wages are the same. Food is increasing as well, although there are discount options and sales, so food is still reasonable. It is the gasoline that has everyone in a pinch.
Bush was quoted by MSNBC recently as saying that the rise in gas prices troubles him and it is like “a tax on the working people.” Well, funny that just a few months ago Bush was caught on camera saying to a reporter that he had no idea the gas prices were through the roof. Could his current claim to want to help the “working people” be a last ditch effort to save face as his controversial administration comes to an end?
I can only hope he is serious about wanting to explore options as it relates to domestic gas rather than foreign gas. He said there is no quick fix – of course we all know that, but what we need is a stall in these rising prices before it gets way too expensive to drive a Honda Civic around the block.
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