OR-Gov: Dudley's story begins to unravel

Carla Axtman

In hindsight, Chris Dudley's willingness to cop to dodging Oregon taxes by moving to Camas at the advice of his accountant seems rather smart on his part. Given the reality that the Oregon media has begun to uncover, that story of moving to Camas seems like a light-hearted fairly tale.

Brent Walth, The Oregonian:

Interviews with people in Dudley's former neighborhood and public records show that Dudley may not have stopped using his Portland home to the extent needed to claim he was no longer an Oregon resident for tax purposes.

Dudley did live in Camas, but the couple who bought Dudley's Portland home in 1997 -- more than two years after he said he moved to Camas -- said he was still using the house at the time, and that Dudley had clothes in the closet, food in the refrigerator and sports equipment in the garage.

Walth goes on to report that Dudley kept his car registered in Oregon a full 18 months after moving to Washington. This wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that Washington's car registration fees were much higher than Oregon's?

So not only was Dudley gaming the system by claiming to live in Camas to bail on Oregon taxes, he was ducking out on Washington's system as well.

That's quite a racket.

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    Too bad the statute of limitations (even if there was a crime) is something like seven years.

    Oh well. Short of that, let's not vote for him.

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      Just to clarify, if Duds falsified his OR return, then he likely also falsified his federal return. And there is no statute of limitations on tax fraud.

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        Haven't you guys been keeping up... he didn't falsify anything ... the guy who wrote the story for the oregonian ...embellished a little ...then Carla embellished that story a little and so on and so on and the next thing you know you guys are using words like statute of limitations and falsifying tax returns and the whole things was a NON STORY... THE NEIGHBOR SAID HE WAS TOTALLY MISQUOTED AND SO YOU GUYS WILL HAVE TO go find some other non-scandal to breath new life into

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    This is a good illustration that intent is not the only - or deciding - factor. ACTIONS are. And his actions don't match his supposed intent to become a WA resident. Not an uncommon scenario...I don't buy that he can blame it on ignorance of the law or bad advice from his accountant. The individual is responsible for what's on that tax return, regardless of who prepared it or what advice they were given...

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    I wonder how much traction this story will have with voters in Nov. It certainly does muddy up Dudley's squeaky clean rep.

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      Based on conversations with my liberal friends, once they realize he paid taxes on his Blazer salary in Oregon, NOT MUCH.

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        Given the way you spin for Dudley 24/7, I'm shocked that after you mislead them on this issue that they think that.

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          So you are claiming he didn't pay taxes on his Blazer salary?

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            He paid only 4% of his income in Oregon taxes. You I, and every other actual Oregonians pays more of a % of his or hers income in Oregon taxes than this tax-dodger.

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              But even Trailblazers who were Oregon residents ended up paying less the full amount of Oregon taxes on their entire salaries because they get credit against their Oregon tax liability for the taxes they pay to other states for the games they play there.

              To use your argument, since all pro athletes are paying a lesser percentage of their income in taxes than "actual Oregonians," they are all tax-dodgers.

              Even though they all pay far more Oregon taxes than I'm guessing you do.

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                Not as a percentage of income they don't, and given that all of them with the exception of Dudley didn't move out of state to dodge paying Oregon taxes which Dudley admitted to doing he paid less than other Trailblazer.

                That said, give me an $11 million contract and I will gladly pay more Oregon taxes in actual dollar amount as well a percentage than Dudley ever did.

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                  If Blazer A made $5M and lived in OR and Blazer B made $5 and lived in WA, both paid the EXACT same amount in OR taxes on their Blazer income.

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                    dude, income taxes are not the question. it's the other taxes that he did not pay Oregon, taxes that fund the services that made possible his livelihood working in Oregon.

                    not to mention his "me first" attitude, not shared by his teammates.

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                      So how much other income was there? Exactly. You have no clue what there was, if there was. This entire tirade is based on supposition and not one ounce of fact.

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                        So Dudley didn't invest any of his Blazer's income, yet he went on to become a celebrity spokesman for investment strategies?

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                          when is kitzhaber going to make his tax returns for the last 20 years public ...I can't wait to plow thru those with a fine tooth comb...Mitchell ?? anyone?? does anyone know when thats supposed to happen??

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                      You guys need to decide which argument you are making. So if it isn't income taxes, which taxes did he avoid?

                      The complaint used to be that he didn't pay property taxes, except now it turns out he still owned a home in Oregon and therefore did pay Oregon property taxes.

                      You guys are only upset about one thing: He's a Republican. Everything else is just an excuse.

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                    Except for all the income generated on investments off of that income. Not too mention that if he was a true Camas resident he was doing all his shopping in Washington, he was not spending his money in the community that was indirectly paying his salary, or are you saying he was screwing Washington out of the income they should have gotten via sales taxes on all his shopping?

                    NBot that they are mutually exclusive mind you, since it is quite possible (and given the details that are emerging , likely) that he was gaming both states to screw both communities out of the money he should have been re-investing in the communities he claims to have been a part of.

                    I also have serious issues with someone who makes far more than the average Oregonians (or Washingtonian for that matter) paying a lesser percentage of their income in total taxes than someone making minimum wage or even median income (who also buys Blazer tickets I might add).

                    But then I hold the world-view that everyone should pay their fair share and not try and game the system and leave it to others to pick up the tab. YMMV.

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    Since we a quite comfortable pulling random theories out of our asses here, I take a crack at it.

    Dudley slept at the Portland house on the nights before the team flew out of Hillsboro on road trips. This makes perfect sense since you have pointed out how much closer it is.

    He kept the car registered in Oregon b/c he kept it at the Portland house. That makes sense.

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      Exactly. That's what makes sense. Which means that establishing residency elsewhere, say Washington State, would have been a lot tougher had Dudley actually been forthright about what he was doing.

      Appreciate you helping me out with backing up the point, Michael. :)

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        But 11 or so nights at the Portland house doesn't negate residency in WA.

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          I don't know where you're getting "11 or so nights". Please cite your source.

          The O story I linked to above says that neighbors in PDX told the people who bought Dudley's home that he was "around a lot". There was food in the refrigerator, his clothes were in the house, his MultCo property tax bills went to the Portland address, not Camas (odd if you're keeping it merely as "investment" property). And then there's keeping his car registered in Oregon (illegally, if he's claiming to be a Washington resident)

          We're talking about "legal residency" here, btw. I can call myself a resident of Idaho if I owned a house there, but if I'm still living in an Oregon house even part time, registered to vote in Oregon, my job is based in Oregon, have my car registered in Oregon, register my jet skis with the Oregon Marine Board--there's a very good case to be made that I'm actually an Oregon resident.

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            11 is the approx number of times the team would fly out of Hillsboro in the morning after 1+ days off, as opposed to flying out after a game.

            Based on current Blazer schedule, but should be true for any year.

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              That seems like a fairly large presumption which doesn't take into account returning from away games. And if the guy has food and clothing in the house , its a reasonable bet that he's there more than 11 days a year.

              But for the sake of argument, let's say you're right and it's 11 days. There's a bunch of other residency stuff that's problematic.

              And then there's the lack of vehicle registration in Washington, further ducking out on their fees...which costs their state as much as $10 million a year.

              http://www.columbian.com/news/2010/jul/19/car-licenses-again-under-scrutiny/

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      Seems like an awful lot of trouble and expense to avoid a small amount of inconvenience.

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    Oh Carla- there you go again- Don't you know that the rich live by separate rules?

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      I wouldn't say different rules so much as different comfort levels and different things they take for granted or think of as normal. He sounds like the perfect sort of thrifty dude Oregon needs ...finally

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    "This wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that Washington's car registration fees were much higher than Oregon's?"

    You're on it detective. LoL

    I'm sure a millionaire basketball player was trying to avoid the cripplingly high Washington car registration fees. Please.

    Do you know how silly this all sounds? Seriously.

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      Do you know how silly YOUR comment was? We don't want leaders who live like a separate elite class but then talk down to us with comments like: "Don't demonize us. We do the hard work of spending and investing in order for you to have any wages or benefits." Parents of young children deal with this all the time. Children say: oh, it's no big deal. And the parent has to show them that if it is no big deal, then why are the balking. We get it. Our boy Dudley just didn't want to pay his taxes because he was too smart for that.

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        I thought you liked obama Theresa? ...You missed the story on Dudley...he paid over 400K in taxes and didn't not pay anything he was supposed to pay

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      So you think that as long as it may have been a relatively small amount of money, it's perfectly fine to engage in illegal activity.

      Interesting advocacy for Dudley you've got going there.

      Carry on, please.

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      he wouldn't be the first millionaire to go cheap on the little stuff.

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        Which would be the wealth-building strategy described in the book, "The Millionaire Next Door".

        Dudley does, of course, also tout himself as a wealth management advisor.

        [My firm built John Kitzhaber's campaign website. I speak only for myself.]

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    Oh, the Huffman social security privatization crowd is here...

    So, the Dudley brand seems to be more tarnished by the day. Nothing seems to add up, and he won't respond to the allegations, nor disclose his tax returns, even to a third party. Here's a guy with the silver spoon crowd. Enters Yale on a legacy admission, like GWB. And now wants to be governor because he has some name recognition being a back bencher for the Blazers. No history of accomplishment in public service or management, or any position of leadership. Doesn't vote, plays the shell game about his residency and tax status. Avoids debates and journalistic scrutiny because he can't even put up a an adequate defense of his non-specific, vague platform platform. He's the perfect cosmetic candidate whose mascara is beginning to run.

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      Bill, you obviously don't know anything of Dudley's childhood if you characterize him as part of the "silver spoon" crowd. His parents were divorced when he was young and did not grow up with money.

      None of which is relevant to this topic, of course, but your obvious need to demonize everything about him betrays your obvious unwillingness to bring any smidgeon of fairness and objectivity to anything dealing with him.

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        Wasn't he a Yale legacy? Not a lot of downtrodden who spend multiple generations at Yale.

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        Uh Jack? Divorced parents doesn't equate with "poor" parents. It sounds like you bought into the line that he "came up from adversity". You notice you don't see that ad anymore on TV. Because people did the research and reacted negatively to it. He went to Torrey Pines High School and was Legacy Yale. Please stop treating us like we're stupid. Some of us have actually done the research on this guy.

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          I didn't say he had "poor" parents. I said he didn't grow up with "money." That's a relative term, of course, but Bill's comment that he was part of the "silver spoon" crowd is untrue and inappropriate.

          The envy and resentment here is palpable. Is your self-esteem really that low that you have to resort to this?

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            This is really low of you Commissioner Roberts -- attacking a woman's self esteem, Jesus Christ. You really should be ashamed.

            Also, when you point a finger at others three are pointing right back at you. Miss the lime light much?

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            Jack, my frustration is that we don't know this guy running for Governor. We have no way vis-a-vis a voting record of knowing how he will govern. He won't debate Kitzhaber. Pardon us all here if we are doing a little bit of investigation and a little bit of scrutiny to see what we can find out. If there is nothing at the bottom of this rabbit hole, then fine. But focus on this story (which Dudley himself has admitted he did - it's not like he is denying it) has at least generated a few questions for him to answer. They are valid questions and I resent that we are basically being told we shouldn't care.

            Next time Dudley runs for some office, the focus won't be on this past history stuff. That ship will have sailed. (No one brought up Schwarzenegger's womanizing when he ran for re-election.) But this is our only time to get past the narrative and the mythology that people have built up around him and find out what we can about him. Those are the pitfalls of running for public office, as you well know. Give us our right to find out what we can in the next two months and for cryin' out loud, can we have more than ONE debate? He's really been acting so far like this thing was his by rights. Maybe people are focusing on the scenery to fill the void where some substance from him as a candidate ought to be.

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              Sonya, I think you have a valid point that Dudley is largely an unknown quantity as a political candidate and therefore deserves heightened scrutiny. I just don't think that justifies labelling him part of the "silver spoon crowd" and disparaging his college record as a "legacy" admittee.

              Say what you will, he played NCAA basketball for four years and still managed to graduate from Yale with dual degrees in economics and political science. If you're going to scrutinize his record, at least give him credit where it is due.

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                Just a couple of quick points Jack. I was not trying to disparage Dudley by pointing out he is Legacy Yale. It's just a fact. It does elude to a little bit of privilege that the rest of us don't have. But putting that aside, he IS smart and accomplished, with dual degrees. One being in economics. I actually expect a little more out of him in that regard. It kinda takes the wind out of his argument when he says he was essentially a guy in his 20s who made a lot of money and was taking the advice of his accountant.

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                  But as it turned out, his accountant was right. And if Dudley hadn't decided to run for governor, no one would ever have even complained about it.

                  In fact, if he hadn't run as Republican, no one would probably have even mentioned it.

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                    ReallY??? You really think if the shoe was on the other foot, as they say, and this were in Kitz' past no one would mention it?

                    Huh.

                    I guess I'm just a cynic.

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    Hmmm . . . 18 months. You don't suppose that has anything to do with the fact that Oregon's vehicle registration is good for two years and that Dudley, like many people who move, didn't geet around to re-registering his vehicle until the existing registration expired?

    Technically, you are supposed to go right down immediately and change your vehicle registration when you move into a new state, but my understanding is that an awful lot of people do exactly what it appears Chris did.

    The problem with the narrative you are trying to spin, Carla, is that you seem to be suggesting Chris was this criminal mastermind determined to cheat the system at every turn, but an incredibly cavalier one with a consistent lack of attention to detail.

    So which is he, Dr. Mabuse or Professor Clouseau?

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        Maybe his financial adviser knew that the Oregon Department of Revenue just didn't do a very good job of following up when people who had filed tax returns as residents suddenly start filing as nonresidents with substantial earned income in Oregon?

        Frankly, I think you guys should be made at the guy who had control over the Department of Revenue during those years. I think that would be the governor.

        So who was the Oregon governor from 1995 through 2001, the dates when the ODR could have audited Dudley's Oregon tax returns while living in Washington?

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          So, Jack, you're saying because enforcement is lax it's okay to break the rules? Really?

          So much for the G.O.P. being the party of "law and order".

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          What about the Republican Mantra of "personal responsibility", Jack?

          "We believe in personal responsibility unless we're personally responsible"?

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          Jack, this is hilarious. Chris Dudley appears to have broken the rules, managed to not get caught, and you're blaming lax enforcement, and not the one who actually broke the rules.

          And not only are you not blaming him, you're supporting him for governor. Unbelievable!

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        If you truly ARE a resident of a new state, you just do these things. Unless, you're faking residency in order to get a tax break. We moved here from California. We turned over our drivers licenses as soon as we got our Oregon licenses and registered to vote immediately. We got our cars registered within one month of moving here.

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      I suggest he's neither. He's just a guy who tries to get out of paying his taxes as much as possible--and ducking fees.

      And Jack, just because "an awful lot of people do it", doesn't make it right. And in fact, its still illegal. "A lot of people" get big fines when they're caught doing it. And as far as I know, none of the rest of them are running for Governor of Oregon.

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        Curious, if your Sch A Itemizations were more than your Standard Deduction when preparing your taxes, would you still claim just the standard deduction?

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          The relevant questions are: would I, as an Oregon resident, move to Camas to avoid paying Oregon income taxes? Answer: no. If I made such a move, would I then illegally not register my car in Washington, also avoiding that state's higher vehicle fees? Answer: no.

          This isn't about paying less on taxes. It's about bailing out on Oregon and then not even bothering to do right by Washington either. You either give a sh** about the place you say is your home or you don't.

          And if you don't (as Dudley has quite clearly made plain by his actions), then its a summary disqualification to be the LEADER of that place.

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            Whenever anyone answers a question with "The relevant questions are..." that usually means they aren't going to answer the question.

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              I don't respond to strawmen. If you have something that's actually relevant to the conversation at hand, please ask away. But don't expect me to act so stupidly as to answer questions that are completely irrelevant to the conversation at hand.

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                The issue at hand is whether or not Mr. Dudley employed legal tax avoidance measures to reduce his taxable liability.

                The IRS does not require you to itemize your deductions. You do so to lower your AGI. The lower your AGI, the lower your Oregon tax bill.

                All I am asking is if you lowered your Oregon tax liability by employing legal tax avoidance measures as well.

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                  Michael, you're missing the story. I think everyone agrees that if a person claims to have changed their residency in order to get favorable tax treatment, it would be illegal -- fraudulent -- if (in fact) you did NOT change your residency. The gray area is the mishmash of factors utilized to evaluate whether his residency actually changed.

                  A few years back, there was a little controversy over a Lincoln HS quarterback, who "moved" to a largely unoccupied condo, to play for a different school. Same idea, but different stakes, and not IRS issues.

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                    Actually there are 2 stories here: 1) That he had residency in WA to avoid paying some OR tax

                    2) Whether or not he actually established residency in WA

                    Given that he was vilified for the first, I just want to see if the vilifier's have done the same.

                    Question: Did the Oregon DOR challenge his WA residency status?

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          Why are you trying to equate taking legal tax deductions with illegal tax dodging? Do you think we're that dumb?

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      Jack, are you seriously saying, for the record, that violating laws, that not paying taxes and mandated fees is OK if "a lot of people do it"?

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        Of course not. But Chris paid his taxes and his fees. I am saying it's customary for people not to re-register their cars within 30 days of moving into another state and that the state into which they moved has every right to fine them for it. But it's not a crime and it is not a disqualification to be governor.

        What's next? Jay walking?

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          So if having to pay a fine is not prima facie proof of a breach of rules or laws (aka a crime)...?

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            Mitchell, I know you didn't go to law school but did you go to school? A parking ticket, a speeding ticket, a late fee at a municipal library . . . none of these things is a crime.

            You just like to post this stuff to see if anyone is reading, don't you?

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              A speeding ticket is not a crime? Really?

              BTW, I am glad you cleared up that possible tax evasion is not a crime. I was under the misimpression that Al Capone was actually put into prison for it (not that Dudley is any Al Capone mind you)... but it is such a relief to hear from a well-schooled lawyer such as yourself that Capone really didn't go to prison for the crime of failure to pay taxes.

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                A speeding ticket is not a crime. Drunk driving is a crime (although in some cases diversion can cause it to be treated as not a crime).

                Simply claiming that your Washington residence is your domicile and filing as a nonresident in Oregon is not a crime, even if the ODR subsequently audits your return and successfully challenges your claim.

                Making money through illegal activities and not reporting it on your tax return is a crime. Which is what both Al Capone and Spiro Agnew did.

                There is a whole area out there which deals with these kind of issues. It's called "the law." Maybe you can find someone else ot exlain it to you. I'm getting bored.

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      Jack, in 1995 (hm) i moved to the Seattle area. it took 3 weeks to get a notice from the police to re-register my car. of course, i was parking at a park-&-ride in Everett, not sheltered from the riff-raff by a like in a half-million-dollar house.

      the point being: he got to get away with what those of what ain't millionaires don't get away with. car registration, double homes & tax ... choices.

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        And you're blaming him because the police sent you a notice and they didn't send him one?

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          Not speaking for T.A. but the point is that you are talking nonsense in claiming that it isn't a violation of the law.

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            Mr. Roberts is simply playing word games over the legal definition of "crime." In this state, at least, a "crime" constitutes a misdemeanor or a felony. Civil violations, including most traffic offenses, are not technically "criminal" under Oregon Revised Statutes. There are, of course, a few obvious cases where traffic violations actually are criminal, including DUII, reckless or careless driving.

            To get back to Mr. Barnhart's point, however, violating vehicle registration regulations still is "illegal," even if not "criminal" under the law.

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    Theresa quote "I hate to bring this up, but if you are following politics you read a lot of Republicans accusing progressives of "demonizing."

    Yes Theresa your point is exactly right on.

    Kitzhaber was on a board, of a company, and that company was and is run buy his bed partner.

    She was also appointed to co-chair of Oregon renewable industry. I wonder how a young person received such a great perk?

    Now the company that Kizhaber had responsibilities to run, are being investigated by the federal governmnet for fraud in sterring Government contracts.

    The State of Oregon made similar charges with Oregon Government funds.

    How can Kithaber be a true steward to our state when he was part of the government cronyism and greed?

    And you think Dudley has merit when you have cronyism running rampant in a department that has been a gigantic financial failure, while a future governor hopeful puts his penis, and money ahead of the law and state.

    And your demonizing Dudley and claiming the ethical high ground That's funny Theresa?

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      Kitzhaber was on the board of one of the companies for awhile and I don't know if it was during a relevant time. I am not an expert on this issue, but I did reread the two links set out by the gentleman below. It appears that the problem arose from the government agency pursuing a subcontracting job for the losing bidder. So it is quite a stretch to say that Kitzhaber was the errant person who committed a criminal act and/or acted against the best interest of the state of Oregon.

      It also never works to start pointing fingers elsewhere when the subject of this post was Dudley. No facts change by this maneuver. And I personally, my friend, have nothing whatsoever to do with any of these people.

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        "It also never works to start pointing fingers elsewhere when the subject of this post was Dudley."

        Deflection is a favorite Republican tactic so it's no surprise they should try to use it here.

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      "She was also appointed to co-chair of Oregon renewable industry. I wonder how a young person received such a great perk?"

      Cylvia Hayes is in her 40s -- not exactly a kid.

      "Now the company that Kizhaber had responsibilities to run, are [sic] being investigated by the federal governmnet"

      Kitzhaber had no "responsibilities to run" Hayes's 3E Strategies. He served on the board of a non-profit that she set up.

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        Hey Bruce

        It's clear you've never been on a board by your quote. The board of directors are responsible period. I'm sorry for your you lack facts.

        His girlfriend was a looser politician with limited community college backroom in environment when they meet. Kitz help TED K get elected 8 years ago, and then the new governor Ted returned KITZ the favor, and appointed Ms Hayes to the co-chair of the steering board.

        Now is this just wrong already......At at the same time Kitz is on the board with his bed-partner.

        It appears MS Hayes used her political appointment to steer contacts to her company.

        You and everyone knows this was wrong, this is why Carla is attacking Dudley so hard.

        This board forgot ethics are important, and now that Dudley came out with the truth, and this issues dies, how are you going to attack and demonize Dudley it's hard to use racism that Carla accused the tea party(again very unethically) and Dudley was a minority in his first profession. I guess your going use rich vs poor.

        How sad:(

        Your going to loose voters until Blue Oregon raises it's ethics especially Carla.

        No wonder the Democrats stink in the polls, judged by this board, it appears ethics and truth don't matter.

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      Incorrect.

      Kitzhaber was on the board of the nonprofit organization that didn't get any state contracts.

      Kitzhaber was not on the board of the for-profit corporation that did get a state contract.

      Kitzhaber and Hayes are both private citizens.

      Now, it's fair to ask what's going to happen if and when he becomes the governor -- but he isn't the governor right now.

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        I agree with you on this, Kari, and I wish pro-Dudley folks would quit trying to bring this up as a response to the tax question. The two are unrelated and I don't think either addresses the fundamenal basis on which voters will--and should--decide which of these two men is going to be our next governor.

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    Okay, Dudley paid the State of Oregon $463,000 in income taxes on his basketball salary from 1993 to 1997 and paid the property taxes on his home in Oregon.

    Okay, he did not register to vote in Washington, yet retained his Oregon voter registration until 1996. Then again re-registered in 2004.

    What is the story here? As a conservative Democrat I am not seeing where the controversy is, can someone of the more left of the field persuasion give me the specifics on why a person who paid more in taxes from 1993-1997, then most make in a year and paid property taxes is being considered a tax dodger?

    Or is there a more sinister undercurrent to this story to keep the controversy of Kitzhaber's girlfriend, Cylvia Hayes, getting State of Oregon contracts due to her relationship with Kitzhaber from getting discussed?

    Here is the link on the Kitzhaber/Cyliva Hayes criminal investigation:

    http://blogs.wweek.com/news/2010/08/24/cylvia-hayes-denies-being-investigation-target-doj-suggests-otherwise/

    and

    http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2010/08/department_of_energy_officials.html

    What is it? An honest look at Dudley or a blatant red herring to keep attention away from the real controversy?

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      Ryan, it's not a question of "paying more than most", it's a question of paying what he rightfully should have owed. And if he misrepresented his residence, he didn't pay what he owed.

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      Ryan: Don't you think that three weeks after this "story" breaks, we'd have some actual evidence of there being an investigation? There's nothing there there. Which is why the intrepid reporters at WWeek have left it alone.

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      There is no "Kitzhaber/Cylvia Hayes criminal investigation." There is an investigation into state contracts with Hayes's company. There has as yet been no indication that Kitzhaber is under investigation by anybody.

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    A couple of thoughts:

    "Gaming" the system isn't illegal. Tax accounts figure out creative ways to legally get around the tax code all the time. Of course, we could debate the moral ethics of tax maneuvers, but if what Dudley's tax accountant told him to do was legal then this is a mute point, and nothing but political mud-slinging.

    Secondly, many of you talk as if Dudley did this yesterday. Have any of you considered the fact he was in his 20's when he came to Portland to play for the Blazers? I mean, c'mon, do you really think he had a sinister plot to evade taxes and rip off Oregonians as a 20-something-NBA-player? As if any of us were that astute at that age. Sure, one could argue the he could've been more responsible and asked difficult questions of his accountant to make sure all is fair in love and war. But he was a young man playing basketball. Not some Wall Street ponzie scheme operator.

    At the end of the day, if it's discovered that Dudley purposely did something illegal, then he should pay the personal and political consequences for it.

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      Legality isn't the only or possibly even the primary issue issue here. The issue here is why should Dudley make a claim for leadership of our state when he has no proven skills, no history of accomplishment, and he has no history of standing up and assuming his responsibilities as citizen of this state. Instead this is further evidence he does what he does to float on by gaming the system because of his wealth and privilege.

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      I thought he said he turned 30 in 1995.

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    Yes, it is, Bill - because Carla and others have made legality THE issue.

    But I do agree with your overall assessment, and that the debate should center around Dudley's experience, policies, and platform etc.

    And once again, you have Dudley guilty as charged by making the absurd assumption that he must be guilty of not paying his taxes because he's wealthy and privileged. At some point, this constant barrage of ill will on the part of liberals toward those with money is going to backfire - because many of you make the salacious judgement that people with money are evil and greedy. The Republicans are not better when they accuse liberals of taxing the hell out of people just so they can spend and waste money.

    The bickering is getting old.

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      Average Oregonians don't have tax lawyers and accountants who help them skirt tax laws. They just pay up and do their duty. Some of those who have the most, do the least to meet their responsibilities as citizens. Some of them do it legally by bending the law, some of it do it illegally and don't get caught. Dudley is quickly losing any credibility, and that says much about his character. He should "man up" and face his critics by revealing his tax returns, and explain his apparent evasions, and why he doesn't pay his fair share of taxes, why he doesn't vote, when he is wanting to be the chief executive of the state to whom he evaded responsibility and possibly its laws. He couldn't get in Yale by the front door so he got in the back door because his daddy to him in. So in this case apparently he is evading the same rules other people meet because of his wealth and privilege.

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        Funny, almost everyone I know uses TurboTax, or another tax prep software, to find any and all legal deductions to legally minimize their tax liability.

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          Those "everybody" you know are not people in four figure incomes. And they're probably not the median family incomes in the towns of Oregon. They don't have accountants who advise them where to live, and which one of their houses to officially declare as residence.

          As F. Scott Fitzgerald said, "The rich are not like us." And too many of them believe they don't have to follow the same rules we do. And too many of them think they can bypass any record of personal accomplishment in order to be entitled to high office. The Dudster seems to think that he's entitled to be governor because he has the backing of big money and big business, and that he doesn't have to follow the same rules or measures of success that the ordinary citizens of Oregon who have made their home and kept faithful to their commitments here.

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          If Turbo Tax helped you figure out which State you lived in (I doubt it does), it would undoubtedly ask questions like "where do you sleep," "where are you registered to vote," "where is your car registered," "where do you tell people you live," etc.

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      Legality, as Bill said, is part of the issue. But as I've said ad nauseum, it's also the bailing out on the state you say you wish to lead. And in fact, that matters more to me personally than any issue of legality.

      I don't care if he's wealthy, privileged, poor or whatever. That's completely irrelevant to me. What matters to me is his actions relative to our state.

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    The real story is: You all are trying to throw as much mud as possible hoping some will stick, because you all have your doubts about Kitzhaber. The more strident the argument, the less conviction on the part of the arguer. If Bill Bradbury or Jeff Merkely, or someone else who isn't a re-tread with a dubious record and a history of minimal people skills was your candidate, you all would be talking issues. The fact that you are not on actual issues tells volumes.

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      More hot air. I have no doubts at all the Kitzhaber is far more qualified, with an actual proven record of accomplishment and the background and skill set, to be a very good Governor of Oregon. He did so successfully for 8 years, in spite of GOP control of the legislature for almost all of his term as Gov.

      That you are here desperately trying to defend a tax-dodging,m unqualified empty suit shows that the issue of Dudley being a tax-dodging empty suit is doing damage to Dudley's candidacy which is built on vapor.

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      Can you honestly say if this were Kitzhaber, you would be willing to treat tax evasion like a virtue?

      Right now GOP candidates everywhere are avoiding debates, avoiding the media's questions and pumping massive dollars into ads that portray their story to the voters. Excuse us. We're wanting to know a little bit about this person claiming to be qualified for the job of Governor. You act like Dudley DESERVES this office because you happen to like him. We're not convinced and this story says a lot about his lack of character.

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    Hey I hear Kitzhaber is talking marriage to his girlfriend, he wants 4 years with an option for another 4.

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    I read that the Dudster has met with Willamette Week and state GOP officials tried to knock down this story with the Oregonian. Explanations don't seem very satisfactory and the Dudster is still declining to reveal his tax returns. Basic defense here, "But, but, but.. it's a non-story." Bottom line Dudley moved across the river to avoid paying taxes in Oregon on at least some of his income and declined to abandon his Portland residence and change the licensing on his car or change his voter registration. His response, " I didn't go a good job about changing my license." Yeah.. because you didn't change it all, or even try." He also remarked that it's not a big deal to give up your state residency, unlike Federal taxes, to avoid paying what you owe in the state you live in. No big deal, Dudster, eh?

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    Jack you are to be congratulated for taking on this issue. basically the BO crowd made up their mind months ago. Dudley has taken the advice of his campaign team and is minimalizing his direct contact with Kitz. He is forcing Kitz the candidate to run against Kitz the governor. It ain't pretty.

    So, die hard progressives have decided to make a huge issue of any snippet of inconsistency. It will be interesting since basically most of the voters have already decided who they are voting for; or against. The outcome will be close and interesting to watch.

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      "So, die hard progressives have decided to make a huge issue of any snippet of inconsistency."

      No, they're sniffing out the stench of corruption.

      Kitzhaber has released his tax records, so we know he's clean. What does Dudley not want the voters to find out in his?

      My money is on outright cheating. Something you can often get away with, if not subjected to much scrutiny, because the IRS is just too overloaded.

      It's a different thing though when you have partisans going through your records, making sure everything adds up.

      I'm sure the Dudley campaign knows this. They probably even have an accountant who knows exactly what he did. That's why they will never release those records.

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    I think the title should be changed to "Carla's slanderous witch hunt, tin foil hat, conspiracy theory ..comes unravelled"

    I am glad to see the end of this story ...I mean there is only so much stupid a man can take! right Carla?

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    And so the "lived in Portland house" story begins to unravel.

    Buyer of house claims O misquoted and misrepresented what he said. Contents of house when he viewed it prior to buying: pool table, bed in one bedroom, and condiments in the fridge. New owner claims the house didn't look actively lived in. Oh, and the cloths in the closed were actually 2 pr of shoes in a crawlspace.

    Is the O the NW version of Faux News.

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