Comments on: Racism Best Explanation for Wesley Snipes’ Sentence http://www.pensitoreview.com/2008/04/28/unjust-sentence-for-wesley-snipes/ News and Opinion on Politics and Media Thu, 09 Feb 2012 20:12:35 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: 29 Stories to Read at Florida Progressive Coalition Blog http://www.pensitoreview.com/2008/04/28/unjust-sentence-for-wesley-snipes/comment-page-1/#comment-500851 29 Stories to Read at Florida Progressive Coalition Blog Tue, 29 Apr 2008 05:38:25 +0000 http://www.pensitoreview.com/2008/04/28/unjust-sentence-for-wesley-snipes/#comment-500851 [...] Pensito Review (Trish) - Racism Best Explanation for Wesley Snipes’ Sentence: “I’m no great legal scholar but come on. Prosecutors in the Wesley Snipes tax evasion case are overstepping their bounds to make an example out of the actor.” [...] [...] Pensito Review (Trish) – Racism Best Explanation for Wesley Snipes’ Sentence: “I’m no great legal scholar but come on. Prosecutors in the Wesley Snipes tax evasion case are overstepping their bounds to make an example out of the actor.” [...]

]]> By: Charles Vermont http://www.pensitoreview.com/2008/04/28/unjust-sentence-for-wesley-snipes/comment-page-1/#comment-500755 Charles Vermont Tue, 29 Apr 2008 01:36:42 +0000 http://www.pensitoreview.com/2008/04/28/unjust-sentence-for-wesley-snipes/#comment-500755 Ah, I get it. Willie was putting a layer of deniability between himself and his tax denying! Clever. Thanks for the clarification. Ah, I get it. Willie was putting a layer of deniability between himself and his tax denying! Clever. Thanks for the clarification.

]]> By: Trish http://www.pensitoreview.com/2008/04/28/unjust-sentence-for-wesley-snipes/comment-page-1/#comment-500754 Trish Tue, 29 Apr 2008 01:28:42 +0000 http://www.pensitoreview.com/2008/04/28/unjust-sentence-for-wesley-snipes/#comment-500754 Actually Charles, once again Willie and Wesley are remarkably similar. Like Wesley, Willie was looking for a way to avoid his tax debt. He invested in shady tax sheltered accounts identified by Price Waterhouse (which he later sued), just as Snipes got very poor advice from professionals who claimed his income wasn't taxable. The old "If it sounds too good to be true..." maxim could be applied to both men. Actually Charles, once again Willie and Wesley are remarkably similar. Like Wesley, Willie was looking for a way to avoid his tax debt. He invested in shady tax sheltered accounts identified by Price Waterhouse (which he later sued), just as Snipes got very poor advice from professionals who claimed his income wasn’t taxable. The old “If it sounds too good to be true…” maxim could be applied to both men.

]]> By: Charles Vermont http://www.pensitoreview.com/2008/04/28/unjust-sentence-for-wesley-snipes/comment-page-1/#comment-500750 Charles Vermont Tue, 29 Apr 2008 01:05:48 +0000 http://www.pensitoreview.com/2008/04/28/unjust-sentence-for-wesley-snipes/#comment-500750 I agree with you about racism having something to do with the sentence, but I fault your Willie Nelson analogy. I could be wrong (it's been a few years), but I seem to remember that Willie was done in by his financial manager, who was taking his money but never paying his taxes. True, Willie signed the returns and was ultimately responsible for his own tax bill, as are we all, but he was not the first celebrity to put his trust in a crooked manager. And I don't think Willie ever declared himself a tax denier as Snipes did. Again, I might be totally wrong, and it still doesn't alter the obvious racism involved in Snipes' case. I agree with you about racism having something to do with the sentence, but I fault your Willie Nelson analogy. I could be wrong (it’s been a few years), but I seem to remember that Willie was done in by his financial manager, who was taking his money but never paying his taxes. True, Willie signed the returns and was ultimately responsible for his own tax bill, as are we all, but he was not the first celebrity to put his trust in a crooked manager. And I don’t think Willie ever declared himself a tax denier as Snipes did. Again, I might be totally wrong, and it still doesn’t alter the obvious racism involved in Snipes’ case.

]]> By: getaclue http://www.pensitoreview.com/2008/04/28/unjust-sentence-for-wesley-snipes/comment-page-1/#comment-500696 getaclue Mon, 28 Apr 2008 20:21:08 +0000 http://www.pensitoreview.com/2008/04/28/unjust-sentence-for-wesley-snipes/#comment-500696 You just don't understand the applicable racial double standard! Willie=white, /: free Wesley=black /: in jail You just don’t understand the applicable racial double standard!

Willie=white, /: free

Wesley=black /: in jail

]]> By: Ann http://www.pensitoreview.com/2008/04/28/unjust-sentence-for-wesley-snipes/comment-page-1/#comment-500694 Ann Mon, 28 Apr 2008 20:10:50 +0000 http://www.pensitoreview.com/2008/04/28/unjust-sentence-for-wesley-snipes/#comment-500694 Thanks for emphasizing the point that sentences should NOT be about sending a message to others. That's not justice. Thanks for emphasizing the point that sentences should NOT be about sending a message to others. That’s not justice.

]]> By: Trish http://www.pensitoreview.com/2008/04/28/unjust-sentence-for-wesley-snipes/comment-page-1/#comment-500686 Trish Mon, 28 Apr 2008 19:25:49 +0000 http://www.pensitoreview.com/2008/04/28/unjust-sentence-for-wesley-snipes/#comment-500686 Carmella, you're not paying attention. The prosecutors said "the notoriety of the case presented a 'singular opportunity' to deter tax crimes nationwide." Treating Snipes like a "mere mortal" or like "anyone in the same situation" was never an option. And Willie paid his taxes only after the IRS seized his property and worked out a settlement to accept less than he owed. Even at that, there was never any consideration of jail time. Re-read the story and see if you get it this time. Carmella, you’re not paying attention. The prosecutors said “the notoriety of the case presented a ’singular opportunity’ to deter tax crimes nationwide.” Treating Snipes like a “mere mortal” or like “anyone in the same situation” was never an option. And Willie paid his taxes only after the IRS seized his property and worked out a settlement to accept less than he owed. Even at that, there was never any consideration of jail time. Re-read the story and see if you get it this time.

]]> By: Carmella http://www.pensitoreview.com/2008/04/28/unjust-sentence-for-wesley-snipes/comment-page-1/#comment-500680 Carmella Mon, 28 Apr 2008 18:58:13 +0000 http://www.pensitoreview.com/2008/04/28/unjust-sentence-for-wesley-snipes/#comment-500680 Snipes got the same sentence that anyone would have gotten in the same situation. He owes more than $20,000,000 in back taxes and hasn't paid a penny since 1999. The prosecutors didn't ask the judge to unfairly punish Snipes. They simply asked that the judge treat Snipes the same as the rest of us mere mortals. Willie Nelson didn't go to prison because he paid his taxes in full before they could criminally indict him. Too bad Snipes didn't do the same. Snipes got the same sentence that anyone would have gotten in the same situation.

He owes more than $20,000,000 in back taxes and hasn’t paid a penny since 1999.

The prosecutors didn’t ask the judge to unfairly punish Snipes. They simply asked that the judge treat Snipes the same as the rest of us mere mortals.

Willie Nelson didn’t go to prison because he paid his taxes in full before they could criminally indict him. Too bad Snipes didn’t do the same.

]]> By: nikolai http://www.pensitoreview.com/2008/04/28/unjust-sentence-for-wesley-snipes/comment-page-1/#comment-500655 nikolai Mon, 28 Apr 2008 17:32:13 +0000 http://www.pensitoreview.com/2008/04/28/unjust-sentence-for-wesley-snipes/#comment-500655 Point taken! I hadn't thought of it that way, but I suppose prejudice could be a factor in the persecution/prosecution of WEALTHY blacks as well as poor. I mean, why wouldn't there be prejudice against wealthy blacks as well as poor? Thanks for the eye-opener! Point taken! I hadn’t thought of it that way, but I suppose prejudice could be a factor in the persecution/prosecution of WEALTHY blacks as well as poor. I mean, why wouldn’t there be prejudice against wealthy blacks as well as poor? Thanks for the eye-opener!

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