Posted on 07/24/2008 3:12:27 PM PDT by LdSentinal
S. Rep. Robert Wexler is Florida’s only member of Congress who does not own a home in his congressional district.
The Democratic congressman ostensibly from Boca Raton or Delray Beach is under fire this week after he admitted on national TV that the only house he owns is in Maryland, and that he uses his in-laws’ home in a senior-only community in Delray to meet residency requirements.
Wexler said in a statement that such an arrangement was “common.” However, a South Florida Sun-Sentinel survey of Florida’s 25 members of the U.S. House and two in the Senate found that all of them but Wexler said they maintained a home in the district when they were sent to Congress.
Many said their families live back in Florida, and they return home every weekend.
Records show Wexler sold his home in South Florida 11 years ago, the year he was sworn in to Congress. Later that year, he moved his wife, Laurie, two daughters and a son from their West Boca Raton house to one in Maryland, which has been their home base since.
Wexler’s staff said the congressman travels abroad and campaigns in other states for other candidates, but he returns to South Florida on average twice a month. “Sometimes a lot more and sometimes a lot less,” said chief of staff Eric Johnson.
“I do not believe that my constituents question my commitment or ability to represent them in Florida,” Wexler said in a written statement. “ ... I spend as much time as I can in my district.”
Other members of Congress, even those with school-age children, said they kept their homes in Florida and return there frequently.
(Excerpt) Read more at weblogs.sun-sentinel.com ...
Great ‘gig’ (if you can get it) for avoiding Maryland state income taxes.
I hope the old idiots don’t re elect him. Wexler needs to go. The fire breathing whiny Liberal should just moveon.
“Great ‘gig’ (if you can get it) for avoiding Maryland state income taxes”
The whiny Wexler obviously doesn’t have to pay outrageously high FL property taxes either.
When Blanco announced she would not run for a second term as Gov. of LA, the dems were scrambling to find somebody to run against Jindal. One of the people who surfaced as a possibility was former LA Senator John Breaux; however, IIRC, it was determined that his address of record in Louisiana was an empty lot that he owned. He still held a press conference to announce that he would not be running for Gov.
oh, he just can’t afford two homes and has to live with his mommy-in-law, or he’s trying to lower his carbon footprint :) or ______________ fill in the blank
Should they find out, I suspect the MD tax authorities would question his residency arrangements.
And, just where do you stay on those visits, Congressman Wexler? Your in-laws or motels at taxpayer expense? Inquiring minds want to know!
Wexler is scamming because he lives at his mother in laws house in the district so gets by with no state income taxes. Liberal Democrats always manage the fix so THEY don’t pay, but we will. This guy, Wexler, along with all the other liberal DEmocrats are also holding up a GOP bill to take the cap off drilling. Pelosi won’t let the bill come up for a vote because she knows there are enough Dims who will join the GOP to let the bill pass.
I don't think a TX Congressman could get away with this for 11 years. It would be embarrassing to me--- even if a Dem had done it!
His tax bill in Maryland is approx $9,000.00!
I never cease to be amazed at the stupidity of Democrat voters. New York Democrats are happy to be used by Hillary, who abandoned her native Arkansas. I guess Arkansas wasn’t good enough for her and Bill after leaving the White House. Massachusetts voters have re-elected Chappy Kennedy for his adult lifetime, served in the Senate instead of going to jail for vehicular manslaughter, perjury, obstruction of justice and DUI concerning the death of Mary Jo Kopechne. MA voters keep re-electing the traitor, John Kerry. And they keep re-electing the leading expert on sodomy in Congress, Barney Frank. Democrat voters are dumb.
I think it goes deeper, I’m afraid.
I believe congresscritters get an allowance so they can maintain a local DC residence. This is to offset the housing costs of the primary residence in the voting district, which are assumed to be borne by the congresscritter.
SO this guy lives in MD on money from Congress (you and me) and pays no taxes to his voting state (FL), or (I presume) or his living state (MD).
Cool gig.
The way I see it, if you say you live in a district with property taxes and you’re a Congressman, you should be paying property taxes in that district. If you aren’t, you better be able to produce copies of monthly rent checks and an associated mailing address.
And if you’re still technically living with your parents in the district that you “represent”, then it is high time to move out and get your own place. ;-)
I'm hoping for a follow up tonight.
Isn’t Hillary from Chicago? Originally?
hillary's "native arkansas" ?????
thats very funny
Nothing will come of this. I think that, in order to run for Tom Delay’s old seat, Nick Lampson gave his aunt’s address in the District.
Politicians are pond scum but they’re not stupid.
The 2007 Florida Statutes
Title XV
HOMESTEAD AND EXEMPTIONS Chapter 222
METHOD OF SETTING APART HOMESTEAD AND EXEMPTIONS View Entire Chapter
222.17 Manifesting and evidencing domicile in Florida.—
(1) Any person who shall have established a domicile in this state may manifest and evidence the same by filing in the office of the clerk of the circuit court for the county in which the said person shall reside, a sworn statement showing that he or she resides in and maintains a place of abode in that county which he or she recognizes and intends to maintain as his or her permanent home.
(2) Any person who shall have established a domicile in the State of Florida, but who shall maintain another place or places of abode in some other state or states, may manifest and evidence his or her domicile in this state by filing in the office of the clerk of the circuit court for the county in which he or she resides, a sworn statement that his or her place of abode in Florida constitutes his or her predominant and principal home, and that he or she intends to continue it permanently as such.
(3) Such sworn statement shall contain, in addition to the foregoing, a declaration that the person making the same is, at the time of making such statement, a bona fide resident of the state, and shall set forth therein his or her place of residence within the state, the city, county and state wherein he or she formerly resided, and the place or places, if any, where he or she maintains another or other place or places of abode.
(4) Any person who shall have been or who shall be domiciled in a state other than the State of Florida, and who has or who may have a place of abode within the State of Florida, or who has or may do or perform other acts within the State of Florida, which independently of the actual intention of such person respecting his or her domicile might be taken to indicate that such person is or may intend to be or become domiciled in the State of Florida, and if such person desires to maintain or continue his or her domicile in such state other than the State of Florida, the person may manifest and evidence his or her permanent domicile and intention to permanently maintain and continue his or her domicile in such state other than the State of Florida, by filing in the office of the clerk of the circuit court in any county in the State of Florida in which the person may have a place of abode or in which the person may have done or performed such acts which independently may indicate that he or she is or may intend to be or become domiciled in the State of Florida, a sworn statement that the person’s domicile is in such state other than the State of Florida, as the case may be, naming such state where he or she is domiciled and stating that he or she intends to permanently continue and maintain his or her domicile in such other state so named in said sworn statement. Such sworn statement shall also contain a declaration that the person making the same is at the time of the making of such statement a bona fide resident of such state other than the State of Florida, and shall set forth therein his or her place of abode within the State of Florida, if any. Such sworn statement may contain such other and further facts with reference to any acts done or performed by such person which such person desires or intends not to be construed as evidencing any intention to establish his or her domicile within the State of Florida.
(5) The sworn statement permitted by this section shall be signed under oath before an official authorized to take affidavits. Upon the filing of such declaration with the clerk of the circuit court, it shall be the duty of the clerk in whose office such declaration is filed to record the same in a book to be provided for that purpose. For the performance of the duties herein prescribed, the clerk of the circuit court shall collect a service charge for each declaration as provided in s. 28.24.
(6) It shall be the duty of the Department of Legal Affairs to prescribe a form for the declaration herein provided for, and to furnish the same to the several clerks of the circuit courts of the state.
(7) Nothing herein shall be construed to repeal or abrogate other existing methods of proving and evidencing domicile except as herein specifically provided.
History.—ss. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, ch. 20412, 1941; s. 1, ch. 26896, 1951; ss. 11, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 15
My congressman lives in our district and commutes on weekends. I live about 80 miles from his home and am on a first name basis. He is all over his district all the time---and on FX News lately talking about drilling @ home.
He avoids Maryland state income taxes, and also avoids Florida's outrageous (I'll bet they are higher than Maryland's) property taxes.
It doesn't get any better than that. And here I thought Democrats LOVED taxes!!!
As a longtime D.C. resident, I'm in favor of eliminating the reciprocity arrangements both for the Honorables and their staffs. Truth is, they live here, they ultimately control the city, and they should pay taxes here. It just might sober some of them up about making D.C. work.
Park Ridge, actually.... but Chicago is close enough.
Got to say that if whiney Wexler was my congresscritter, he would be in huge trouble. I would demand an IRS investigation and raise holy hell until this POS went to jail. He has committed felony fraud and tax evasion.
I appreciate your reply!! Democrats have an affinity for putting their foot in it..but being the new guy on the block and also black, Obama has what they think will win the job.
“Nothing will come of this. I think that, in order to run for Tom Delay’s old seat, Nick Lampson gave his aunt’s address in the District...”
Maybe not. But a light needs to be shined on the lying liberal whiny Wexler. The Republicans should jump all over this and not cave like they always do.
And what about Pat Kennedy in RI? Is he all right?
Pleikumud,
Sorry, meant this question to you.
“I never cease to be amazed at the stupidity of Democrat voters. New York Democrats are happy to be used by Hillary, who abandoned her native Arkansas. I guess Arkansas wasn’t good enough for her and Bill after leaving the White House. Massachusetts voters have re-elected Chappy Kennedy for his adult lifetime, served in the Senate instead of going to jail for vehicular manslaughter, perjury, obstruction of justice and DUI concerning the death of Mary Jo Kopechne. MA voters keep re-electing the traitor, John Kerry. And they keep re-electing the leading expert on sodomy in Congress, Barney Frank. Democrat voters are dumb.”
What about Pat Kennedy (D-RI)? Don’t know what to think about him.
Also, if you were at Pleiku, thank you for your service. Did you ever see the elephant that the Disney movie was about?
You don’t have to live in the district you run in, just in the state.
My parents foolish neighbors in Boca would still vote for him if he lived in Dubai.
2. Many, if not most, NYC residents are either transplants from other states, or immigrants. "Carpetbagging" means NOTHING in New York.
Since your parents and neighbors are living in Florida, will they vote for McCain or Obama?
I predict that McCain will do better in Palm Beach and Broward counties than Bush, but not enough to win said counties. Broward would be especially tough, as the other large voting block in addition to Jewish Americans are Afro-Carribbean Americans in said county.
You gotta love the libs. They fly around in Private Jets using more fuel in one trip than you would use in one year, stiff the less fortunate on their personal “charitable” giving and use every trick in the book to avoid paying their “Fair Share” of income taxes.
All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others. And liberals are the lowest form of animals. IMHO
You are correct. Thanks.
The Dupes of Del Boca Vista.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.