The state of Pennsylvania has a new commercial out for those who haven’t paid their taxes yet. Just tell me this doesn’t creep you out a little.
Now, I don’t doubt for a minute that “Tom” is a fictitious person. However, if he were not, the state of Pennsylvania just used tactics that debt collectors have been barred from using for over 30 years now via the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act of 1978(pdf) . They publicly advertised his debt, revealed personal information to a third party and made some very thinly veiled threats.
Not only are these practices illegal, the industry has an association set up that helps advise agencies how to stay current in a changing world of compliance. So, congratulations Pennsylvania. You just stooped to tactics that even the bill collector frowns upon.
JadedByPolitics
Michael Becker
Ben Domenech
Erick Brockway
Hear, Hear!
Vassar Bushmills Monday, May 3rd at 4:56PM EDT (link)My suggestions, make this big enough one of the networks (fox) pick it up. This is too good to be on the blogosphere. A lot of good angles, Brian Simpson.
The truth comes out!
Jim Monday, May 3rd at 5:08PM EDT (link)If there was any doubt as to how the parasites in local, state and federal government view the public, this should clear things up.
These are mob tactics…although there is very little distinuguishing the M.O. of the goverment from the mob these days.
“If we wish to preserve a free society, it is essential that we recognize that the desirability of a particular object is not sufficient justification for the use of coercion.”
F.A. Hayek
“It is an enormous simplification to speak of the American mind. Every American has his own mind.”
Ludwig von Mises
the mob has better ethics
Doc Holliday Monday, May 3rd at 5:13PM EDT (link)and better food.
Molon Labe!
this is like someone stealing your credit card
Doc Holliday Monday, May 3rd at 5:10PM EDT (link)maxing it out in Vegas, then sending a few thugs over to your house to make you pay the bill.
Molon Labe!
Ummm....
reddogreport Monday, May 3rd at 5:22PM EDT (link)If they already know who you are, shouldn’t they just send you a bill?
Just saying,
Brian O’Connor
http://www.RedDogReport.com
Brian O’Connor
Red Dog Report
http://www.RedDogReport.com
“Conservative Opinion”
@RedDogReport
heh
Doc Holliday Monday, May 3rd at 5:25PM EDT (link)stop using logic, it will be lost on them.
Molon Labe!
They have sent bills
Raven Monday, May 3rd at 10:59PM EDT (link)They haven’t been paid
-Mahatma Ghandi
Sigh... Just one reason to leave PA...
anotherindyfilmguy Monday, May 3rd at 5:46PM EDT (link)morons… also one more reason to hate the politics as usual by both parties in this state…
Annoy a terrorist, buy a copy of “Babar the Jihadi” on Amazon.com today!
NightTwister posted on this earlier today
randy streu Monday, May 3rd at 5:56PM EDT (link)here: http://www.redstate.com/nighttwister/2010/05/03/we-know-where-you-live/
Blogging also at
SLC Republitarian
The Minority Report
Sadly, the only real difference between PA and a lot of other states
randy streu Monday, May 3rd at 5:57PM EDT (link)is that PA is just being honest.
Blogging also at
SLC Republitarian
The Minority Report
To me PA and honest are words that don't seem right together...
anotherindyfilmguy Monday, May 3rd at 7:34PM EDT (link)but that’s just me…
Annoy a terrorist, buy a copy of “Babar the Jihadi” on Amazon.com today!
They should
Raven Monday, May 3rd at 11:01PM EDT (link)Kind Eddie doesn’t care what you think. Philly and Pittsburgh elected him and his last term as PAs governor ever is about over. Why not be honest?
Hell, he’s been honest his entire term. He won’t pick your pocket. He’ll have his buddy pull a gun on you while he rifles through your pockets with you watching.
What are you going to do about it? Can you outvote Philly and Pitt?
As it turned out. No. We couldn’t.
-Mahatma Ghandi
this spot is effective and moreover ITS THE TRUTH
tngal Monday, May 3rd at 9:06PM EDT (link)As to, why don’t the send a letter? They do. Many times. In the case of back taxes they send several. I’ve been called in on late property tax issues to track down people after attempts by regular mail, then certified mail, then sheriff’s attmepting process did not pan out. I generally get the papers after the 3rd year in arrears.
Once they do decide to pay their tax, they end up not only with interest and penalty but also the sheriff’s dept. attempt at serve and then my serve fee. With the PA spot, sounds like they’re getting off light.
The feeling I get from the spot is that its wayback taxes. Now, they could go through the courts and garnish ‘Tom’s’ wages or get some other default judgement from the court. They obviously don’t want to do that and rather give Tom the chance to handle his obligation. Not every govenrment is going to hire a pi to locate and/or serve but it keeps names from being posted in papers and prevents lengthy court entanglements.
This ad is an attention getter.
One can only wonder
texasgalt Monday, May 3rd at 9:48PM EDT (link)about the amount of taxes in arrears in PA if the state must resort to an ad this creepy (and politically stupid). I would say someone will be fired but then that rarely happens in government.
Yes, people should pay their taxes but the state shouldn’t invoke Orwellian tactics in their collection efforts.
The program this ad is for is excellent
Raven Monday, May 3rd at 11:03PM EDT (link)It has already paid off quite handsomely. Eliminating or reducing interest and penalties for failure to pay taxes owed if they are paid within this time frame.
It’s getting folks who owe little enough that going after them would cost more than it would get out of them.
The Ads for it, however, this one and the ones on the radio…
Well, they make me want to say, “Come and get it.”
-Mahatma Ghandi
Another example of Hypocrisy,
mdd1956 Tuesday, May 4th at 11:01AM EDT (link)PA along with most other states and the Fed have rules about what can and can’t be used to collect debt. I don’t think it is funny. I think it coarsens our culture and is a waste of money.
What is wrong with publishing the names, broadcasting them , using shame?
So ... If They Can Find YOU ...
bay0wulf Tuesday, May 4th at 11:08AM EDT (link)How come it is that they can’t seem to find the REAL tax cheats like … ohhh I dunno … Charlies Rengel and a bunch of those Obama buddies who owe not a few thousands but … HUNDREDS of Thousands or … MILLIONS? I mean, really these folks are on TV almost every week and you can find them strolling through the Halls Of Power in DC regularly. As they are Civil Servants we should know where they are all the time.
And yet they can't find the illegal immigrants...
rightwingmom52 Tuesday, May 4th at 1:28PM EDT (link)Can you imagine an ad that says, “Hey Miguel, we do know who you are.”
more 'honest' shakedown than others
ewwv Thursday, May 6th at 10:11PM EDT (link)This threat is a more ‘honest’ shakedown than other such operations. All the thuggery imaginable behind the threats in this Orwellian advertisement, and more, are already being carried out in Maine. At least PA openly reveals its mentality and possibly operates within some kinds of limits.
Maine Revenue Services shakes down innocent people who don’t even own the taxes. MRS is going back at least as far as 13 years demanding ‘proof’ of taxes paid under new ‘interpretations’ retroactively changing tax policy without legislative approval. It imposes ‘estimated’ taxes and punitive double-digit ‘interest’ plus ‘penalties’ doubling the take on transactions that never occurred. It threatens to seize property worth far more than the alleged tax, also intimidates people with the false claim that they have no right to appeal (not that an objective hearing is possible), deliberately runs up legal costs with abusive litigation tactics, demands under state law that the victim must prove his innocence, maintains and operates off an ‘enemies list’, smears victims who dare to contest or speak out against the agency, and stonewalls state senators investigating complaints of abuse. A specialty is bullying non-residents under a strategy called “exporting taxes”. See http://MaineTaxAbuse.org.
This state-sponsored organized crime is in addition to Maine’s extraordinary high taxes that long ago killed the economy and drove out most industry. Maine doesn’t need to advertise its threats like PA does — the legislature keeps giving MRS more money to hire more enforcers, in the name of ‘compliance’, in a panicky attempt to close enormous budget gaps. Taxes and controls under non-objective law imposed at the ‘discretion’ of agency bureaucrats have turned Maine into a third world country, with everything that implies about abuse of civil rights.