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Conservatives Find Next Obama Tax Cheat in Rahm's Basement
Rahm Emanuel's Illegal D.C. Basement Rental

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freedc
02/10/09

In reply to Conservatives Find Next Obama Tax Cheat in Rahm's Basement
What a cheap bastard. It's not like he was saving taxpayers money (in fact, looks like he was costing us tax money in the pot), he was just saving his own damned money. And for FIVE years. Cheap-ass.
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ninety_nine
02/10/09

In reply to Conservatives Find Next Obama Tax Cheat in Rahm's Basement
I did about ten minutes of looking around, but couldn't find a strict definition of imputed income for housing that is irregularly utilized. By irregular, I'd say the standard is probably similar to home office. That is, does the basement 'unit' have a separate entrance and lock? Since the owner already denied it is a rental unit (which would violate zoning), it's going to be hard to establish the value of the 'rental'. For imputed income for corporate apartments, it's probably easier to calculate, since there is a lease, etc. The ethical/gift issue probably remains, but some standard has to apply regarding control of the property before you go from being an irregular overnight guest and a tenant.

I mean, it's all an exceedingly stupid conversation (wouldn't we all feel better if our representatives stayed in basements -- albeit pretty cushy basements -- when performing their public service?), but if we're going to waste time splitting hairs, more precision would be nice.
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Zanzibar Buck-Buck McFate
02/10/09

In reply to Conservatives Find Next Obama Tax Cheat in Rahm's Basement
When you investigate Democrats, you find implied acts of friendliness.
When you investigate Republicans, you find underage boys, hookers and prescription drug addictions.

Get off your horse.
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eatsshootsleaves
02/10/09

In reply to Conservatives Find Next Obama Tax Cheat in Rahm's Basement
I've spent months living tax-free in other people's houses before -- as in, I spent a few months living in a distant relative's house (in return for doing chores and running errands) while I worked at a low-paying job in Boston. This is illegal?
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HurtsSoGood
02/10/09

In reply to Conservatives Find Next Obama Tax Cheat in Rahm's Basement
So if I let a drunken buddy sleep it off in my guest room, he owes the IRS for what it would have cost to stay at the Dew Drop Inn? Isn't this imputed income nonsense getting a little silly?

I think President Obama should have called bullshit on this from the get-go; now the right-wing monkeys think they can fling their poo at everyone in his administration.
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ADismalScience
02/10/09

@HurtsSoGood:

You're right - it is ridiculous. We should repeal imputed income taxes. You're mis-stating the concept a bit, but they're dumb.

Of course, how we will then pay for stuff?
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Uncle_Billy_Slumming
02/10/09

In reply to Conservatives Find Next Obama Tax Cheat in Rahm's Basement
Didn't we decide that he really didn't live down there? Isn't it where he keeps his serrated spork collection, or maybe a private ballet barre?
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FreddieBietzsche
02/10/09

@Uncle_Billy_Slumming: Hey daddy-o, I don't wanna go, down to the basement.

There's something down there. I don't wanna go. Hey, Romeo. There's something down there. I don't wanna go down to the basement.
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pufflehuff
02/10/09

@Uncle_Billy_Slumming: Whatever Rahm and I did in that basement, it was totally tax-deductible.
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Uncle_Billy_Slumming
02/10/09

@FreddieBietzsche:

The Rahm-Moans (see below)
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BlinkyMcChuck
02/10/09

In reply to Conservatives Find Next Obama Tax Cheat in Rahm's Basement
I think you mean "anklebiters" and not "conservatives"...
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ADismalScience
02/10/09

In reply to Conservatives Find Next Obama Tax Cheat in Rahm's Basement
Has anyone published pictures of this basement?

I'm not trying to make the comment that it's actually posh accomodations. I'm trying to make the point that it contains a coffin and the exsanguinated husks where once hearts would beat.
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Aaron Altman
02/03/09

In reply to Rahm Emanuel's Illegal D.C. Basement Rental
Basement "apartments" are usually more illegal than not. It has nothing to do with whether or not the home is a single-family, two-family etc. dwelling or not: it has to do with fire safety. If there's no egress to the outside directly from the basement - i.e. you are able to leave the basement directly to the outside via exterior stairs - then it is not habitable. Why? Because if fire breaks out in a basement "apartment", and that fire is blocking, say, a door or interior staircase, then you. Are. Dead. Whether you're cheap or not.
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Shelwood
02/04/09

@Aaron Altman: It really depends on the municipality. What constitutes a separate apartment is a grey area. Most places don't want to get too rigid about what the "family" is in single-family. In some places, a separate entrance is enough. In others, like the town where I was zoning officer, it's kitchen facilities that make all the difference. Separate kitchen, separate living space. Fire safety only comes into play once the unit is ruled to be an apartment, and to be ruled an apartment the unit almost always has a direct egress. If it's not an apartment, then we're back to a single-family occupancy, and there are seldom restrictions on basement use in single-families. (Of course, the firefighting part of me prefers that basements not be used for sleeping spaces, but what can you do.)
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GuyBitchy
02/03/09

In reply to Rahm Emanuel's Illegal D.C. Basement Rental
I'm slightly more bothered by his being one of the most aggressively pro-war neo-con Dems who now controls the access to, and the conversation around, President "Ethics Waive Like You Just Don't Care" Obama.
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cdmunch
02/03/09

In reply to Rahm Emanuel's Illegal D.C. Basement Rental
The landlord, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, is the one breaking the law, not Emanuel. She's the one who is collecting rent on the space.
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OrneryBabe
02/03/09

@cdmunch: I wonder if she sneaks downstairs to his apartment at night to see if he, you know, needs anything. If he was renting my basement (and of course if I had a basement), that's what I'd do.
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Trollopean Tubes
02/03/09

@OrneryBabe: Google-image Rosa (sorry, I'm too inept to post a pic!). She's my congressperson and she does a fantastic job, but she looks like the scariest tranny who ever stalked a truck stop.
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OrneryBabe
02/03/09

@Trollopean Tubes: So this means I can pursue him unfettered? Sweet! Now I've just got to claw my way through all the Gawker women who want to corrupt him.
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minou
02/03/09

@OrneryBabe: Not so fast, Flanagan.
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Bitter Poor
02/03/09

In reply to Rahm Emanuel's Illegal D.C. Basement Rental
Too bad they couldn't have used all these amazing investigative powers back, say, in the past two administrations.
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MissCast
02/03/09

In reply to Rahm Emanuel's Illegal D.C. Basement Rental
ISn't the real story the fact that someone (GOP) hired a private investigator to dig up dirt on dems?
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FreddieBietzsche
02/03/09

@MissCast: Unemployed, bitter and living off their wives' income, what else do those clowns have to do?
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Uncle_Billy_Slumming
02/03/09

@FreddieBietzsche: What a Bietzche!
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TriedandTrue
02/03/09

In reply to Rahm Emanuel's Illegal D.C. Basement Rental
What is it with this administration?? The admission that when Obama was a Senator, his staff lived in nicer digs than he did and now this....a garden level apartment?!!?

I once thought it was cool seeing Rahm on the Irving Park bus but now I realize it was because he HAD to ride the bus!
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Nic Fit
02/03/09

In reply to Rahm Emanuel's Illegal D.C. Basement Rental
Yeah, if an illegal sublet is best dirt the Republicans can find, they're fucked. I mean this is the party that has trademarked the Anti-Gay Gay Republican.
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