Philly Mag reports on one man caught up in Mayor Michael Nutter’s bid to collect on owed taxes, and “why it’s hard to believe Mayor Nutter’s pledge to track down ‘raggedy’ non-payers.”
A man who tried to rob a deli in Northeast Philadelphia at gun-point early yesterday evening was shot by the deli’s owner and pronounced dead at the scene. CBS Philly reports.
Police in North Philadelphia were “forced” (as CBS Philly phrased it) to shoot a man they said was “suspicious.” No officers were harmed, and the police reportedly recovered no weapon from the suspect, only a set of keys.
The Philly Declaration 
I got slammed in one of the mayor’s tax cheats round ups. I’d worked for a non-profit and they assured me, when I specifically asked, that all the relevant taxes were covered. The taxes owed to the City of Philadelphia, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the U.S., on the less than $300 I grossed per month, were not, in fact, paid, noted, billed, nada. Now I’ve learned the tax and admin issues related to being paid as an “independent contractor.” Philadelphia hired an independent contractor themselves to id me and share the wealth of what they could collect from me. My name and contact info was readily available because I, responsibly, filed my federal tax returns. One thing led to another and suddenly I’ve got a warning to appear in court to answer charges that I owe the city over $10k in taxes, penalties and fees. I had not earned $10k in the years that I worked for this non-profit. I went to the city’s office for the “tax forgiveness” program. I, a low income disabled citizen, was not eligible for forgiveness because the matter had already been scheduled for a court hearing. In the end, I paid the city over $300, out of what I had managed to save from my monthly social security check. I do notice who is not required to pay taxes in Philadelphia, who among higher income Philadelphians gets caught not paying their taxes nor their city water and gas bills and how our mayor and city council spend tax income. I also pay attention to the cost involved in borrowing against anticipated tax income. My sense is that the lowest income folks in Philadelphia are paying way more than our share and receiving diminishing basic services. Perhaps Philadelphia magazine would want to research and write that story.
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