HART: Even Dems can cut him slack

Our Idaho Representative Phil Hart decided not to pay his taxes.  He isn’t the first one to try that one, and won’t be the last. I paid mine, and guess what? He better pay his too. If the IRS made it easy for people to play that game, everyone would. Rep. Hart is going to have to pay the penalties just as the rest of us would. People are in jail for tax evasion. Phil Hart is in office.

The Chairman of the Democratic Central Committee Thom George has asked for Mr. Hart to step down from office. Many of you by now know that I have many bones to pick with the Republican Party, and just about everything Rep. Hart stands for goes against my grain.

However, politics aside, I must admit I am a softee when it comes to a brave (if not crazy) fella who decided to take on the IRS and the Supreme Court. Rep. Hart apparently was not a guy who tried to secretly cheat the IRS. He literally put his money where his mouth is. He lost, and it looks like he is gonna pay dearly.

 I personally feel that he should not have to step down from his job and add to the unemployment of North Idaho. If everyone had to step down from their job because they did something stupid, I estimate the unemployment rate in our county would be around 99 percent (1 percent for latter day saints). Let’s give the guy a break. Besides, victory is enough, and it looks like justice has been served.  He was voted in, and can also be voted out. I think that system works a bit better than a witch hunt.

JIMMY PAPPAS

Coeur d’Alene