"Fox News" Comes Out Against Wounded Vets

Yesterday, "Fox News" posted the following tweet.  And yes, honestly, this is actually, truly real --

In fairness to the TV channel, their graphic text cut off early.  Out of thoughtful consideration, I will complete their omitted thought that stopped at -- "Democrat Tammy Duckworth hasn't paid property tax on her Illinois home since..."

"...since she lost both legs and part of the use of her right arm in the Iraq war defending the U.S. and therefore qualified for property tax exemption."

Just to clarify, she qualifies that that exemption because Sen. Duckworth has a disability rating of 70% or higher, which is the determination by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. 

Now, there are two possibilities here -- either "Fox News" doesn't know this, and therefore are totally incompetent in reporting the story this way, or they do know and are just trying to be divisive at the expense of a former soldier who lost two legs fighting for the United States and also chose to single her out as a Democrat.

And I think we all know the answer to that one.

Actually, there's no thinking required, because if you click through to their own article, "Fox News" explains clearly that they do know this.

In fact, the article on their website is even worse than the tweet -- yes, that is really possible.  The headline of their article is --

The tweet merely stated a fact, albeit one that left out a critically important detail.  The headline of the article itself, however, adds the pejorative to it.  Without even noting who is "slamming" her."  Instead, it lets you mind run wild and ponder, "Who would possibly slam a decorated veteran who lost both of her legs and partial use of her arm for getting a tax break?"

In fairness, they sort of explain who in the sub-headline, though it's very generic and sounds far-more substantive than it may be.  ("May be" is the polite term until you read the article, and it explains.)  Further, the sub-heading makes perfectly clear that "Fox News" knows perfectly well why Sen. Duckworth gets the tax break.  It reads --

So, there, "Fox News" shows that it clearly knows​ that Sen. Duckworth is getting the tax break because she is entitled to it by law.

Further, while they name who is making the charge, "​a tax watchdog in Chicago" is a pretty empty identification.  Life is full of "tax watchdogs" -- some, highly respected.  Some, a bit on the loon side.  And lots in between.  But since they don't identify the "watchdog," until taking the time to read the article we're left with the uncertainty of, gee, who in the world could it be, maybe it's some really major watchdog group -- though "a tax watchdog in Chicago" doesn't give much encouragement of that.

​Worse, this sub-headline states that charge as fact -- that Sen. Duckworth's income "is too high."  Which implies that the "tax watchdog" has found rules in the tax code that prohibit this tax break.

Only when you actually read the article does "Fox News" show its knowing deception and the emptiness of the "charge."

For starters, the article states, clearly, in black-and-white and in the third paragraph -- "In Duckworth’s case, the 53-year-old U.S. senator pays zero in property taxes because she has a disability rating of 70% or higher, as determined by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the [Chicago] Sun-Times reported.

"Duckworth lost both of her legs and some use of her right arm after the helicopter she was piloting was hit by a rocket-fired grenade in Iraq in 2004."

(Quick clarification. The Chicago Sun-Times article was not a story about Sen. Duckworth.  As "Fox News" itself describes, "the Chicago Sun-Times identified Duckworth as one of more than 27,000 homeowners in Cook County who avoid paying the tax by taking advantage of various exemptions that the Illinois General Assembly has made possible over the years."  Yes, more than 27,000!  Who take legal exemptions.  Which, in Sen. Duckworth's case is because of losing both her legs in a war defending the United States!)

So, again, yes, "Fox News" knows clearly and specifically why Tammy Duckworth got her veteran's disability exemption, and tells you that they know as directly as possible.

Which brings us to the vaunted "tax watchdog in Chicago."

That would be Laurence Msall, president of Chicago tax watchdog group the Civic Federation.  This organization has been around a very long time, and says it is non-partisan -- which it may be, or not.  But Mr. Msall is not -- he's worked for two Illinois governors, Jim Thompson and George Ryan, both Republicans.  But all that's sort of beside the point.  Because it turns out that this "charge" he makes isn't based on any part of the tax code or Veteran Affairs regulations he's uncovered, but rather his pure, unadulterated...opinion.  As the article states, "Msall argues that personal income should be a factor in deciding who gets the exemptions and who doesn’t."

Personally, I would suggest that there are instances where personal income should indeed be a factor in most exemptions -- but losing both of your legs fighting in war to defend the United States is not one of those factors.  If you lose both your legs in war, you should get whatever exemptions the V.A. and state permit.

And I will note, too, that Mr. Msall's comments are about the tax code in general, not slamming Sen. Tammy Duckworth for getting an unfair tax break or illegally not paying taxes owed.  

But I'll go one note further.  (I was going to type "one step further," but I thought that would be inappropriate here.)  --

If there is the head of a "tax watchdog" group who has a belief that the tax code of exemptions is unfair, swell, that's why opinions exist.  State them and do your best to make your case to prove why the tax code should be changed.

But making the headline of an article about a U.S. (Democratic) Senator getting supposedly "slammed" for not paying taxes -- that she legally had an exemption not to pay, because she lost both her legs fighting in a war defending the couontry, which "Fox News" knows is the case -- and which the "tax watchdog" was not only not "slamming" her personally but just making a general comment about the tax code that impacted over 27,000 people...and was even only just stating his opinion -- is once again the height of "Fox News" reprehensible irresponsibility.

But remarkably, it goes even further.

Because the article even goes on to say that Sen. Duckworth and her husband also own a second home in the Washington area, near her place of work -- and pay $16,000 in taxes a year on it (!), because the exemption only is for a wounded veteran's primary residence.  So, it's not like she is trying to avoid paying property taxes.  She pays property taxes -- and a lot, on her more expensive property, in fact.

And finally, while doing their best in as big, bold and damning headlines as they can to slam disable war veteran and U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth for not paying taxes by law she is exempted from paying -- it's hard not to remember Trump saying in his debate with Hilary Clinton back in 2016 that he paid almost no taxes on his huge income, by using tax loopholes "because I'm smart."  

I'm going to make an educated guess that "Fox News" was absolutely okay with that -- even though Trump was not a disable war veteran who'd lost both legs and some of the use of his arm while fighting, in a helicopter explosion.

Finally, Sen. Duckworth chose not to be interviewed by the Sun-Times for their article, but later at a public appearance, a reporter asked her about the "tax watchdog" and his comments.  She replied --

"I’m surprised that someone would question veterans who have been wounded in service to their nation in a combat zone accessing benefits." 

Subsequently, a spokesman for the senator, Ben Garmisa, said she gets the same benefit that all similarly-disabled veterans receive.  "Sen. Duckworth has always believed that everyone should pay their fair share in taxes and that those who served this nation in uniform deserve and should claim the benefits they earned."

The good news from all of this is that "Fox News" has been roundly shredded for its reporting, at the expense of wounded veterans.  And that's mostly just from the headlines, without even getting into how much worse the article is.

But in the end, it's great to know that "Fox News" is now on the record for people paying their full taxes and that exemptions should be reexamined to make sure that they all are justified and not just mere, undeserved loopholes for the rich.

For the record, when you've fought in war for the U.S. and have lost both your legs and most of the use of one arm, your exemption is deserved and justified.