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* Why he didn’t do this before he announced his statewide bid is simply beyond me. Greg Hinz…
The Democratic nominee for state treasurer has decided to pay his property taxes after all.
With political foes circling, state Sen. Michael Frerichs has reversed his prior decision not to pay just over $1,800 due for taxes on his legislative office in Champaign and has written a check from his campaign account covering levies due for six years, back to 2008.
Mr. Frerichs still believes that he was exempt, since he uses the office strictly for public purposes and rents the space from the Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District, a public agency. But he’ll let Senate President John Culllerton appeal the underlying question of law, said Frerich Campaign Manager Zach Koutsky.
After Crain’s broke the story about the tax debt last week, “we got together and said ‘This is ridiculous,’” Mr. Koutsky said. “We’ll continue to appeal it, but in the mean time, let’s just pay it.”
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Aug 12, 14 @ 11:43 am
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Previous Post: Rauner pushes property tax freeze via robocalls
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Dumb.
Comment by Illinois Calls It Tuesday, Aug 12, 14 @ 11:47 am
Once again Big Mike Frerichs stands tall for Illinois!
Comment by DateNight Tuesday, Aug 12, 14 @ 11:48 am
An unbelievable example of either poor planning or poor decision making.
Frerichs is clearly not prepared or not qualified for the big time, no matter how tall he may be.
Comment by Formerly Known As... Tuesday, Aug 12, 14 @ 11:48 am
No point defusing a bomb that’s already exploded.
Comment by 47th Ward Tuesday, Aug 12, 14 @ 11:48 am
@FakeMikeFrerichs - RT if you failed to pay your taxes & look Dopey like I usually do! #LookAtTheShrinkingViolet
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Aug 12, 14 @ 11:48 am
Here’s a glimpse into the future with this guy. “If you catch me and challenge me, I’ll do the right thing”. Not a good policy.
Comment by A guy... Tuesday, Aug 12, 14 @ 11:53 am
===Here’s a glimpse into the future with this guy. “If you catch me and challenge me, I’ll do the right thing”. Not a good policy.===
Like Rauner and his 3 property exemptions?
Maybe one of the 3 house was glass? lol
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Aug 12, 14 @ 11:55 am
Inexplicably dumb. I don’t know the guy but I can’t believe he and his staff put themselves in that position.
Comment by Stones Tuesday, Aug 12, 14 @ 11:56 am
“We’ll continue to appeal it, but in the mean time, let’s just pay it.”
OK - now I’m uncertain.
Am I supposed to see Frerichs as a treasurer candidate who won’t pay his taxes, or a treasurer candidate who can be bullied into paying a tax he thinks isn’t correct?
Not a leader, is he?
Comment by VanillaMan Tuesday, Aug 12, 14 @ 12:04 pm
It’s high comedy how undisciplined this campaign is. Why would you not pay it Friday afternoon, before it gains a life of it’s own? Now it’s the Illinois State Fair with this issue lingering, and Rauner is making an issue of freezing property taxes. Seems like the Frerichs campaign flipped a coin and it landed on heads, but they don’t know what the outcome of heads was.
Comment by Almost the Weekend Tuesday, Aug 12, 14 @ 12:06 pm
===Why would you not pay it Friday==
Because the Cross campaign is holding a presser today.
Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Aug 12, 14 @ 12:10 pm
Why do I suspect someone said that to him a few months ago…..
Comment by OneMan Tuesday, Aug 12, 14 @ 12:14 pm
@FakeMikeFrerichs - so there, @FakeTwoPutt! I paid my taxes, no story. #CantSeeTheForestThruTheTrees
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Aug 12, 14 @ 12:20 pm
@FakeMikeFrerichs - I don’t need Tom Cross pointing out I am inept, I can do that all by myself. #AmateurHour
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Aug 12, 14 @ 12:23 pm
I’ve held back for months on these amateurish screw ups, but they can and should be traced back the campaign’s lackluster management. There should have been a change made long ago.
Comment by CL Tuesday, Aug 12, 14 @ 12:30 pm
Like Danny Rutherford, I think the campaign “management” is done largely by the candidate himself. Someone is extraordinarily confident in his Yale education and track record.
#canttellhimanything
Comment by LincolnLounger Tuesday, Aug 12, 14 @ 1:07 pm
If you’re for Cross, this bumbling campaign is the gift that keeps on giving.
Comment by Lance Tuesday, Aug 12, 14 @ 1:12 pm
=== Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Aug 12, 14 @ 11:55 am:
===Here’s a glimpse into the future with this guy. “If you catch me and challenge me, I’ll do the right thing”. Not a good policy.===
Like Rauner and his 3 property exemptions?
Maybe one of the 3 house was glass? lol====
Exactly the same Wilbur. Except it’s not even close. Public office space, oh yeah. Real complicated. Clever not. Foolish. Predictably so. You’re missing your fastball pal.
Comment by A guy... Tuesday, Aug 12, 14 @ 1:15 pm
There’s the end of the horse that speaks!
======Here’s a glimpse into the future with this guy. “If you catch me and challenge me, I’ll do the right thing”. Not a good policy.===
How did that 3 homeowners’ exemptions go?
How did it get resolved?
Caught.
Corrected.
Right? Exactly right.
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Aug 12, 14 @ 1:22 pm
So renting office space constitutes you as an owner of the property?
Comment by Highspeed Tuesday, Aug 12, 14 @ 1:37 pm
I wonder if…..http://www.iltruthteam.com/2014/08/did-mike-frerichs-donors-know-that.html
Comment by Lance Tuesday, Aug 12, 14 @ 1:45 pm
This guy is Johnny Bravo from the Brady Bunch. He looks the part. But he’s just an empty suit.
Comment by Not me Tuesday, Aug 12, 14 @ 1:51 pm
Rich can we get a clarification? Does the Frerichs campaign think its ridiculous they didn’t pay taxes or is it ridiculous that they have to pay taxes? I think many would like to know.
Comment by happy hank Tuesday, Aug 12, 14 @ 2:11 pm
Big swing and a miss from the Cross campaign today on their statewide attack tour against Frerichs as the nonpartisan administrator for Champaign County debunks Cross’ false claims:
http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2014-08-12/claims-against-frerichs-treasurers-race-disputed-local-official.html
If you are going to make a statewide attack tour, probably smart to first make sure there is any truth to the attack.
And all these same commenters start calling the Cross campaign amateur hour in 3, 2, 1…
Comment by Big Debbie Tuesday, Aug 12, 14 @ 3:10 pm
From the article cited by - Big Debbie -
===The Cross campaign also alleged that Frerichs recommended two people for positions in Champaign County government who turned out to be bad employees. Frerichs and Busey declined to comment on that claim.===
Tip: Don’t point people to articles to prove a point that have the Principle not comment on other accusations.
Amateur Hour move to cite articles that do that.
@FakeMikeFrerichs - RT If you don’t know your own record or make a rollout video that isn’t your record! #TallTalesShortOnFacts
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Aug 12, 14 @ 3:31 pm
I find it difficult to take any interest in this farm club race. I get it that it’s a stepping stone to the bigs, but zzzzzzzzzzz….
Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Aug 12, 14 @ 4:30 pm
===Tip: Don’t point people to articles to prove a point that have the Principle not comment on other accusations.===
Here’s his comment on the other “accusations”: “Senator Frerichs declined to comment on tape but called the accusations ‘verifiable falsehoods.’ ” http://will.illinois.edu/news/story/il-treasurer-candidate-accuses-frerichs-of-patronage-financial-mismanagemen
What were these “accusations,” made behind a large photograph that said “patronage”?
“Cross (R-Oswego) supporters that include former Illinois GOP chair Pat Brady also say Frerichs pushed for two countywide Democratic officeholders who were each criticized for their performance”
So he supported two democrats for countywide office, back in 2008, when Frerichs was a state senator. Can someone explain to Tom Cross what the word patronage means. It’s not endorsing candidates for election, who are then criticized in an election by republican opponents. That’s just politics, man.
Comment by Big Debbie Tuesday, Aug 12, 14 @ 4:42 pm
Big Debbie, I think you are a little off base.
From your local paper of record.
“That office was never particularly political before, but the Democrats sought to change that. After a big fight, Deedrich and his political sponsor, current state Sen. Mike Frerichs, for whom Deedrich had worked as a campaign manager, persuaded a majority of the county board to approve Deedrich’s appointment. But he’s been such a disaster that it’s unlikely Deedrich will win reappointment when his term expires next year. That’s assuming he hasn’t been fired by then.”
http://www.news-gazette.com/opinion/editorials/2007-04-06/county-positions-should-be-filled-merit-not-loyalty.html
Comment by Happy Hank Tuesday, Aug 12, 14 @ 5:12 pm
And this is the guy we want to serve as our next Treasurer of Illinois? I don’t think so.
Comment by Coffee Cup Tuesday, Aug 12, 14 @ 6:12 pm
That’s a News-Gazette editorial. That means if you are a sane person you should think the opposite. Frerichs wasn’t on the county board at the time of the appointment. This guy was appointed by the county board. How the flip is that patronage?
Has tom cross ever hired a campaign staffer for a house GOP candidate on state payroll after an election? I don’t think that is wrong, working on a campaign should not disqualify you from “patronage” jobs, but it would be really hypocritical of Cross if he had.
To summarize, Cross personally hires his campaign operatives on gov dime, once another gov body Frerichs used to be a member of hired someone who once worked on a Frerichs campaign. Ergo, fire up the statewide attack tour against Frerichs!
Seriously, Cross has nothing to say about himself and only meaningless sham, hypocritical, or false attacks on mike. No thanks, tom, I’ll stick with the guy who actually is qualified for the job and not a career false attack artist.
Comment by Big Debbie Tuesday, Aug 12, 14 @ 7:50 pm
===…and not a career false attack artist.===
…Just a career false career. lol
Nothing like walking back you own video of accomplishments, because they are false!
@FakeMikeFrerichs - I only make up my career accomplishments because I am swell at Tall Tales #WalkBackTheRollOut #AmateurHour #WhatIsMyRecordAgain
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Aug 12, 14 @ 8:54 pm
Did the lease have a clause saying the tenant was responsible for any real estate taxes? If so, he owes the money. If not, why did the County Treasurer or Assessor not bring this up before it went on for 6 years. Some facts appear to be missing here.
Comment by Tom Joad Tuesday, Aug 12, 14 @ 10:53 pm
==- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Aug 12, 14 @ 3:31 pm:==
Yes Willy, the GOP county administrator is helping cover up!
Comment by Precinct Captain Wednesday, Aug 13, 14 @ 1:34 am
Tom Joad, The Champaign County Treasurer Dan Welch sent a letter to Mike Frerichs at least as early as December 13, 2012. In the letter he says, “We have contacted your office multiple times about this matter without resolution. We are now at year four without full payment. Please contact me so we can get this matter resolved.”
Comment by Eric Bussell Wednesday, Aug 13, 14 @ 5:41 am
Okay. That is one side of the up and coming lawsuit, but what does the lease say?
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Aug 13, 14 @ 7:38 am