Fox News and Daily Caller trying to spin story about Seattle Council Member Kshama Sawant

[TexasTowelie]

Last edited Mon Apr 27, 2015, 03:46 AM - Edit history (1)

Fox News and Daily Caller are running an article that indicates that Sawant is exploiting five campaign staff employees as independent contractors — thus evading the payment of payroll taxes, overtime, social security and other insurance. Thus far, Sawant has paid $12,000 to those contractors.

For obvious reasons, I am not including links to those sites so I'll let those that are curious do their own searches to learn more.

Here is an excerpt from the article on Daily Caller:

Phillip Locker, one of the Sawant’s contractors, defended his boss by saying that the practice of paying campaign employees as independent contractors is typical among American politicians.

At the same time, Sawant’s reelection website stresses that she is not a typical politician.

“Kshama does not take a penny in corporate cash,” her volunteer-sign-up page explains, for example. “We are building a grassroots alternative to corporate politics.”

Locker also noted that Sawant doesn’t want large corporations to pay employees exactly the same way she pays her own employees.

“We are absolutely against that,” Locker said according to KIRO. However, he rationalized, there are “times when it is appropriate for someone to be an independent contractor.”

The article continues with other attacks on Sawant. I wanted to provide fair warning for my friends in the Seattle area.

[merrily]

1. To whomever wrote that article qoted in the OP, please, Louise.

She is not an ordinary politician no matter how she pays people. And if the employees know she is not contributing to Social Security and the like and are defending her, exactly who is being exploited by this?

Calling someone an "employee" doesn't make them employees. If it's common to pay campaign staff as independent contractors, she's probably doing what she is supposed to do. It isn't tax evasion if tax laws allow it. If she isn't obeying tax laws, it's obviously unintentional, and she'll fix it. If she can't afford to fix it, I bet they'd volunteer for her. I'll donate to her.

[TexasTowelie]

2. It's the Faux Nuisance Machine trying to make an issue out of something

that isn't an issue. The other people campaigning for the same seat as Sawant are following the same practices, but they aren't exploiting their campaign staff according to their logic. I don't know the laws for the state of Washington, but it does not appear that those employees would be classified as employees under the IRS rules.

ETA: Changing title for the thread.

[merrily]

3. FOX, attacking a Socialist who won an election, just as Bernie is running for President?

I'm sure it's coincidence. After all, they've outed all Republicans who use this same practice, right?

[Enthusiast]

4. Fox News and the Daily Caller are all about misinformation.

If the left had an equivalent propaganda machine the right wouldn't have a prayer.