<p>Proud Mary, correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t tax court the only court in the US where the defendant is presumed guilty and has to prove his innocence?</p>
<p>It’s his own website.</p>
<p>This is so terribly sad on so many levels. Terrible.</p>
<p>Deranged.</p>
<p>I just read his manifesto, and I don’t know why, except I was looking for some clue why he would do this senseless act to hurt these IRS employees.</p>
<p>While I haven’t enjoyed paying my taxes, and was shocked at some of my returns over the years, I can’t imagine anyone ever resorting to this kind of violence. He clearly was a loon.</p>
<p>How sad for those impacted by this crazy act by a lunatic.</p>
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<p>Not exactly. In general, the “plaintiffs” in Tax Court cases are the taxpayers and the “defendant” is the IRS. The burden of proof is primarily on the “plaintiff” (as in all civil actions) which is, in essence, that the IRS was mistaken in what it assessed (this is usually after an audit). It’s a bit more complex, but that’s the general idea.</p>
<p>The real problem is the run around the IRS gives the taxpayer pre and post audit and then, in my experience, often after a judgment for the taxpayer in Tax Court.</p>
<p>Mary- can you explain what you mean by this-The real problem is the run around the IRS gives the taxpayer pre and post audit and then, in my experience, often after a judgment for the taxpayer in Tax Court.</p>
<p>Tea-bagger with wings.</p>
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<p>He seems more like an Olbermann with wings to me. Tea baggers are all about capitalism and religion.</p>
<p>It seems like a common thing these days that those who wish to commit suicide want to take others down in doing so. I really wish if they wanted to kill themselves, they did just that. I guess they take their anger out on others and feel they have nothing to lose since they will be gone. </p>
<p>While it is of public interest what the guy wrote in his manifesto, it seems ill advised to publish it as this is what such people want and it shows others that their statements of this sort could be widely publicized if they were to commit such acts in the future. I wouldn’t have a problem with the media or a spokesperson summarizing his “beef” but he has now been given the platform he so desired.</p>
<p>This kind of stuff will always garner media attention, and sometimes the outlets will share - sometimes not. Either way, whether it is publicized or not, the guy still gets the spotlight. </p>
<p>Only after reading it, I doubt if the common guy will agree with this guy’s opinions. He just seems more delusional, a la Ted Kazinsky, vs. the everyday disgruntled taxpayer.</p>
<p>Kind of a no win situation for a news station/magazine/newspaper.</p>
<p>I think he was pretty much an equal-opportunity hater.</p>
<p>He hated everyone! And everyone had done him wrong!</p>
<p>Last night on cable they said that his wife perished in the house fire he set, but now nobody’s talking about her? Is she alive?</p>
<p>My thoughts for the victims and families. </p>
<p>I wonder what college this person attended…</p>
<p>This guy was married and had a young child, yet he burned the family house down before he left to get on the plane. Two bodies have been found in the office wreckage. Two were injured. I did not hear that his wife was in the house. I did hear that he and his wife had a very long and loud argument, and apparently left the home the evening before to check into a hotel. If his beef was with the IRS, why did he burn down his daughter’s home? Was she a step-daughter?</p>
<p>I heard that the wife and “her” daughter (apparently not his) are fine.</p>
<p>There are all kinds of people who don’t believe in paying any kind of tax - not only income but property, etc. It shows the level of his dislike of taxes that two of his companies were suspended for failure to pay the state franchise tax. Unless a business is quite successful, the franchise tax is not a huge amount of money.</p>
<p>I got the feeling that he was against corporatism.</p>
<p>Back in the 1980s, it was fairly easy to find programming work and there were many advantages to working as an independent contractor. You could typically charge twice the rate of salaried employees, you could write off computer equipment, business meetings at restaurants and the business use of your car. The perks of being a contractor created a bit of friction between salaried employees and contractors, especially when companies lost experienced employees to the contracting ranks. So some companies worked to make it a lot harder to be independent contractors and they were successful. There were many independent contractors that were upset with the legal changes and annoyed a the corporations would curtail a good thing for them and I think that this is what this pilot was ranting about early in his manifesto.</p>
<p>I don’t think that this is all that different from the outrage at the 39% premium hikes at Anthem in California or over the raiding of the treasury and main street by the bankers or the issues with student loans at Sallie Mae.</p>
<p>The particular guy had a streak of bad luck even though he was well-educated and talented. I think that most other people in his situation would have moved on and tried again. I do run into friends that get discouraged at their situations that need a little encouragement. One guy I know gets discouraged at his life from time to time: I just remind him that he is in excellent health, is wealthy, has no debt and his kids are independent and successful. Sometimes we need a reminder as to the positive things in our lives - it is easy to focus on the negative.</p>
<p>Maybe because I’m a lawyer I’ve met my share of really really angry people. Thank goodness none have ever acted in a violent manner. Many just bring lawsuit after lawsuit until they’re broke. One guy sued his brother 11 times over the family business. </p>
<p>I did refuse to meet with man who showed up at my office without an appointment; the client had advised me that he was usually armed.</p>
<p>I also had a case involving an angry anti-tax person. He was suing my client/company for an alleged injury caused by one of our products. It was totally bogus. We had him searched before he was allowed into our Louisiana law firm for his deposition. He had never paid taxes.</p>
<p>Newscast I heard said that the people (wife/kid) in the house got out and they are uninjured.</p>
<p>I don’t think this guy was making a political statement. I think he was angry, frustrated, and lacking any kind of emotional support that could have helped him to figure out how to proceed in a positive fashion. There are lots of angry people in the world and sometimes some of them take it too far. Some event puts them over the edge.</p>