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'Joe the Plumber' Isn’t Licensed
"Joe the Plumber" isn't a plumber - at least not a licensed one, or a registered one.
Joe 'the Plumber' Wurzelbacher views the debate from his Springfield Township home. (Blade Photo/Lori King) A check of state and local licensing agencies in Ohio and Michigan shows no plumbing licenses under Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher's name, or even misspellings of his name.
Last night, his name, "Joe the Plumber," came up about two dozen times in the debate between Mr. Obama and Republican nominee John McCain.
Sine last night Mr. Wurzelbacher who lives alone with his 13-year-old son has been besieged with local and national news media, willingly granting interviews.
Mr. Wurzelbacher told reporters Thursday morning that he worked for Newell Plumbing & Heating Co., a small local firm whose business addresses flow back to several residential homes, including one on Talmadge Road in Ottawa Hills.
According to Lucas County Building Inspection records, A. W. Newell Corp. does maintain a state plumbing license, and one with the City of Toledo, but would not be allowed to work in Lucas County outside of Toledo without a county license.
Mr. Wurzelbacher said he works under Al Newell's license, but according to Ohio building regulations, he must maintain his own license to do plumbing work.
He is also not registered to operate as a plumber in Ohio, which means he's not a plumber.
Mr. Wurzelbacher said he was hired by Mr. Newell six years ago and that the possibility of him eventually buying the company was discussed during his job interview.
He said it's his understanding he can work under Mr. Newell's license as long as the licensed contractor works on the same site.
Mr. Wurzelbacher said he is working on taking the Ohio plumbing contractors' license test.
Mr. Wulzerbacher's notoriety has raised the ire of Tom Joseph, business manager for Local 50 of the United Association of Plumbers, Steamfitters, and Service Mechanics, who claimed that Mr. Wulzerbacher didn't undergo any apprenticeship training.
"When you have guys going out there with no training whatsoever, it's a little disreputable to start with," Mr. Joseph said. "We're the real Joe the Plumber."
Mr. Joseph said Mr. Wulzerbacher could only legally work in the townships, but not in any municipality in Lucas County or elsewhere in the country.
"This individual has got no schooling, no licenses, he's never been to a training program, union or non-union, in the United States of America," Mr. Joseph said.
The association has endorsed Barack Obama, according to Mr. Joseph.
Questions were raised Thursday morning whether Mr. Wurzelbacher is a registered voter.
Linda Howe, executive director of the Lucas County Board of Elections, said a Samuel Joseph Worzelbacher, whose address and age match Joe the Plumber's, registered in Lucas County on Sept. 10, 1992. He voted in his first primary on March 4 of this year, registering as a Republican.
Ms. Howe said that the name may be misspelled in the database.
Mr. Wurzelbacher, 34, acknowledged during an interview at his home late Thursday morning that he knows he's "a flash in the pan," after his fame spread for an impromptu debate he had in front of his Springfield Township home with Mr. Obama last Sunday.
Mr. Wurzelbacher said he objects to Mr. Obama's plans to raise income taxes on incomes above $250,000. He said he makes no where near that much money but he would not say how much he makes or if he ever expects to make $250,000. Court records from a divorce show Mr. Wurzelbacher made $40,000 in 2006.
He said, "Is it right to take someone's money because they work a little harder? It's taking away from someone's hard work."
Mr. Wurzelbacher said he disagrees with the idea of people being taxed at a higher rate because they earn more.
"They're going to take more of your money because you've been more successful," he said.
In December, 2007, the Ohio Department of Taxation placed a lien against him because $1,183 in personal property taxes had not been paid, but there has been no action in the case since it was filed.
Mr. Wurzelbacher was playing football in his front yard with his son, Joey, on Sunday afternoon when Mr. Obama made an unscheduled stop to go door to door greeting voters and asking for their support.
In his conversation with Mr. Wurzelbacher, Mr. Obama tried to justify his plan tax breaks to 95 percent of Americans and raise taxes on incomes above $250,000.
Mr. Obama said his plan would improve the economy for other people trying to get a start in small business, and "spread the wealth."
The phrase was quickly picked up by conservative bloggers and commentators saying it reveals a desire to redistributed wealth on the part of Mr. Obama.
During that same conversation, Mr. Wurzelbacher advocated a flat tax to Mr. Obama under which everyone would pay the same rate of tax which was a feature of Mike Huckabee's unsuccessful campaign for the Republican nomination this year.
Mr. Wurzelbacher said he was surprised by the spread the wealth phrase.
"That's a pretty socialist comment. Two-fifty ($250,000) is his number now. When is it going to be one fifty ($150,000), when it's going to be one hundred ($100,000)?"
He continued: "If you believe him, I would be receiving his tax cut," adding that he would not want the tax cut.
He won't say who he will vote for on Nov. 4, but did say he likes Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.
He said he was born in the Toledo area, lived until he was 13 in the Florida Panhandle area, went to Springfield High School, and then entered the U.S. Air Force. He was stationed at an Air Force base in Alaska from 1992 until 1995. He said he was honorably discharged.
Mr. Wurzelbacher also said he lived in Arizona from 1997 until 2000.
145 Comments so far
Show AllSounds more like one of Nixon's "plumbers" to me.
"That's a pretty socialist comment. Two-fifty ($250,000) is his number now. When is it going to be one fifty ($150,000), when it's going to be one hundred ($100,000)?"
He continued: "If you believe him, I would be receiving his tax cut," adding that he would not want the tax cut.
Some people just can't be saved from their own stupidity. Somebodies brainwashing is showing. Maybe they taught this to him in the Airforce?
People making over $250,00 a year are not working "harder" than those making $40,000 a year...they are either working smarter, or started out with some family money to pay for their education, or inherited and live on their investment income.
"The only means of strengthening one's intellect is to make up one's mind about nothing, to let the mind be a thoroughfare for all thoughts." - John Keats
"'Spread the wealth' was quickly picked up by conservative bloggers and commentators saying it reveals a desire to redistributed wealth on the part of Mr. Obama."
Wasn't trickle-down voodoo Reaganomics predicated on "spreading the wealth"?
Yes, it was. And this year's economic meltdown is the fruition of St. Ronald's dream: unrestrained greed, unregulated industries, and the public bailout of private losses.
Nice.
It is also another example of how supply side economics is a farce. Pushing bigger and more expensive homes through "cheap" money. It just makes sense that if business serves the needs (demand) of the population at large, it will be less likely to produce these types of behavior in itself.
Wealth Trickles Down. Water Trickles Up.
These are two inviolable laws of nature.
This guy, like so many others, is convinced that one day he'll be as rich as McCain, but if he doesn't stop those dirty, rotten liberals today, they'll take all his "hard earned" money tomorrow.
That's why these naive rubes fight so hard to keep the monied elite in power. They don't realize the system is rigged, the game is fixed, and the top one percent is laughing at them all the way to the bank.
Let's hope there aren't too many voters that think like Mr. Wurzelbacher, who seems to glorify ignorance. It is entirely true that many who make $250,000 or more a year aren't actually working harder than people who work as cashiers, handbill deliverers, fast-food workers, multi-job part-timers, or various other low-paying jobs.
The point is that people who make $250,000 or more can be taxed at a higher percentage rate AND STILL HAVE LOTS MORE DISPOSABLE INCOME FOR LEISURE AND LUXURY than the vast majority of hard-working Americans.
The necessity for such a graduated tax scale would be self-evident in a just society (one not entirely based on greed) that recognized that people who work hard at what might be considered lowly jobs, still have an inalienable right to a decent life for themselves and their families.
Your lack of empathy for those earning in the six figures and up, is frankly, disturbing.
They “Glorify ignorance”? Has it occurred to you that they may be too stupid to think of anything else to do with their ignorance? I didn’t think so.
“just society”? and just how would super-rich non-tax payers fare in such a society? Ah, but you didn’t consider how the tiny percentage at the top would suffer, did you, you communist! America didn’t lose in Vietnam you know, it’s not over!
What's your point? Taxing the super wealthy isn't going to hurt you when you're not making anywhere close to 250k. Even if you are, you're unlikely to feel any pain from the tax. Besides, did you read the article? The guy makes $40k and that's quite a lot for a plumber especially since most professions that are more involved aren't always this generous.
Jason Jordan
Sandpoint, Idaho
Leave it to the so called "progressives" to tear down a poor working stiff just because he didn't genuflect to the chosen one.
Poor working stiff, my foot. He's a Republican shill. Have you heard him talk? He has obviously been coached at rattling off GOP talking points.
RW is nothing more than a foam-at-the-mouth Limbaugh dittohead. He's completely DIVORCED from reality based on his rightwing bullshit.
Nobody's "tearing down a poor working stiff", they're just clarifying the issue. BTW, in case you haven't noticed, the Republican party has been tearing down, chewing up, and spitting out poor working stiffs for quite some time now!
Leave it to the so called "conservatives" to tear down a poor working stiff just because he didn't genuflect to the chosen one. You're just another rightwing motherfucker just like "Joe the Plumber". Take a hike.
Nice language in a family forum Mr. "progressive" Is that how your kids talk at home?
If you want to receive a good-faith response, you'll have to make good-faith comments.
Hmmmm, real world October 16th, 2008 4:22 pm, I thought the Chosen One was Sarah Palin, or maybe her hairy-chested warhawk Hockey Rink Jesus.
Someone should check and see if Joe the Plumber is driving around in a new pick-up truck just like some of those patriotic Swift Boat vets who, although nearly broke, mysteriously turned up with new vehicles after they lied about Kerry's Navy record. I'm sure that was an example of the 'trickle down' theory working just fine.
The AP reports that he leaned against the SUV parked on his parking lot.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gJsPHiQlgYvAsrHz9mvHJlezQJLwD93RONUO0
In Canada we have the same thing. People vote Conservative simply because they dont want their tax money to go to poor people.
They dont care that their money gets wasted on the military or to subsidize big business( earlier this year Canada paid hog farmers $50 000 000 to kill off their pigs to bring the price of pork down.
And they subsidize the seal hunt among other things.
Why arent the people who complain about welfare going after them too?
Not to say there arent lots of stupid lazy people who want to live off the system-but dont ignore the rich ones who do it.
But then some of these anti tax people hope they will be the ones to live off the system(but they will deserve it because they work).
Corporate welfare, calvinism...
I love the guy's comments: he's basically saying "don't take more of my money if and when I someday in the future make enough to qualify for the higher tax rate, but I don't want to participate in Obama's tax cut plan, even though I would owe less in taxes in the near future..."
Part of the American dream is that you - not the other guy, but YOU, might perchance make it big sometime. And that's why you have to act now to keep tax rates for the rich low and prevent an inheritance tax that might some day affect your family's fortunes.
It's akin to playing the lottery: no regards for the statistical likelihoods, but keep hoping. Meanwhile, cynical people are calling the lottery a Tax for the Mathematically Challenged.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Let's elect Obama and support Progressive Democrats of America http://pdamerica.org to convince him that progressive policies make sense and resonate with people's ultimate desire for peace, sustainability, and responsible economics.
Both parties are PRO redistribution of wealth. They just have differing viewpoints on HOW it should be redistributed and HOW MUCH is fair for each person to give. The accumulation of wealth is usually facilitated by the use of the Commons, therefore those in the top 5% should pay a bit more. It's a very simple Democratic notion folks, unfortunately not simple enough for good ole Joe.
"He won't say who he will vote for on Nov. 4, but did say he likes Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin."
Yeah. She's hot. She'd prolly be great in bed. But in the White House? I don't think so.
Just another bullet-headed, Saxon mother's son.
The guy DIVORCED before and is now single. I'm sure he wouldn't mind a one night's stay with her in his bed !
Republicans are not even smart enough to have their lies believable...........if one is to have a scam, be sure that the obvious things will check out. Amazing!!
Geeze. I feel sorry for the guy. Some old politician mentions him on TV and then you have everyone running background checks on him revealing his most private information. I saw this poor guy on TV.
He supports billionaires. He's so dumb that he does not know who wants to help HIM. Isn't this most Republicans? Most conservative Americans sit around blathering about socialism and they don't even know what it is. They sit around blathering about war rather than face the reality that war is about taking other's resources and lining the pockets of billionaires. It has little to do with patriotism, freedom of speech, or any other such jabber. Billionaires have wrapped themselves in the flag so they could rape and pillage the poor. They have allegiance to one thing--money.
I agree with everything you stated although I don't feel sorry for this man. At his age, and in this day where information is everywhere, he chooses to remain ignorant.
It is the same with religion. If you are brave enough to look out a window, you would see that there is no "God". But like this man, most American 'conserviatives' take the easy road. It would be too hard to study and learn what socialism is- so they will just swallow any BS information given to them. God? Okay. Socialism is dangerous? Okay. Joe the _________ and the majority of Americans are not a deep thinkers. Is this purposeful? To create an unthinking populace that believe happiness and success can be measured by buying shit? .... I don't know. Certainly wouldn't suprise me.... The problem is that Joe the __________ and their ilk breed like crazy. And so the cycle goes.
I happen to be among the 'well off' and I am SERIOUSLY considering NOT paying 2008 federal income taxes inspired by Dorothy Day, a 20th century Christian Anarchist who said:
"One of the most costly protests against war, in terms of long-enduring personal sacrifice, is to refuse to pay federal income taxes which go for war…Wars will cease when we refuse to pay for them…
"Christ commanded His followers to perform what Christians have come to call the works of Mercy: feeding the hungry…visiting prisoners…And how opposite that is to the works of war which starve people by embargoes, lay waste the land, destroy homes, wipe out populations, mutilate and condemn millions more to confinement…Here in the Western Hemisphere, we went for precision bombing [reference to Hiroshima and Nagasaki] we went for obliteration bombing.
The morning after Pearl Harbor Day announced, "There is now all this patriotic indignation about the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and Japanese expansionism in Asia. Yet not a word about American and European colonialism in this same area. We, the British, the French, and others set up spheres of influence…control national states-against the expressed will of these states-and represent imperialism…We dictate to [all] …to where they can expand economically and politically, and we declare what policy they must observe. From our nationalistic and imperialistic point of view, we have every right to concentrate American military forces [Everywhere we chose]…But I waste rhetoric on international politics-the breeding grounds of war over the centuries. The balance of power and other empty slogans inspired by a false and flamboyant nationalism have bred conflict throughout 'civilized' history.
"And it has become too late in human history to tolerate wars which none can win. Nor dare we quibble about just wars…All wars are, by their very nature, evil and destructive. It has become too late for civilized people to accept this evil. We must take a stand. We must renounce war as an instrument of policy…Evil enough when the finest of our youth perish in conflict and even the causes of these conflicts were soon lost to memory. Even more horrible today when cities go up in flames and brilliant scientific minds are searching out ultimate weapons.
"War must cease. There are no victories. The world can bear the burden no longer. Yes, we must make a stand. Even as I speak to you, I may be guilty of what some men call treason. But we must reject war: Yes, we must now make a stand. War is murder, rape, ruin, death; war can end our civilization. I tell you that within a decade we will have weapons capable of ending this world as we have known it."
Regarding her struggles with the IRS due to NOT paying federal income taxes, Day wrote:
"We are on the side of revolution…Jesus said that the worst enemies were those of our own households, and we are all apart of this country, citizens of the United States and we all share in its guilt.
"We disagree with all political parties dedicated to maintaining the status quo. We don’t think the present system is worth maintaining, something else is necessary, some other vision of society must be held up and worked toward."
On July 4, 1776, 55 rich white guys signed onto The Declaration of Independence and gave we the people a way out of our current mess:
"We hold these truths to be self-evident: That all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights;...that to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed; and, whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it."
Eileen Fleming, Citizen Journalist, Author,
Producer "30 Minutes With Vanunu" and
"13 Minutes with Vanunu" FREELY STREAMING
http://www.wearewideawake.org/
Um yeah, this war isn't being financed by taxes. Still going to use that as an excuse to not pay?
Yep.
On TPM they have news that Joe may be related to Charles Keating. Not quite your average Joe
Everyone: Look at the photo. Joe the NON-Plumber who never did a thing to get schooling or licensing for a real plumbing trade sits on his couch with the remote in his hand (probably watching FOX news), pack of cigarettes on the coffee table, and probably cheap beer in the plastic cup. He's going to vote for McInsane because he's all hot for the lipstick wearing pitbull. Can someone please tell me why national attention is focused on him and his story?
Because he's the same guy who thinks GWB would be good to have a beer with. He thinks Sarah Palin wants him. He will vote Republican because they approve of his behavior, and in fact he models his behavior after many of the habits encouraged and displayed by prominant Republicans.
Because he is yet another vessel of Rep. talking points (misinformation).
Let's not dis Joe. We can take care of him; and we should.
There's one solution for this thing, and if we can't get to the point of agreeing on that, there isn't any more hope for this country or the world than the candidates could possibly have conjured:
http://perfecteconomy.com/pg-if-i-were-president.html
mike montagne — founder, PEOPLE For Mathematically Perfected Economy™, author/engineer of mathematically perfected economy™ (1979)
real world, 4:22pm -
actually, he's a poor, DUMB working stiff. it's amazing that people like him are allowed to vote. even more amazing, they're allowed to breed. boo-hoo, i don't want to pay less taxes, i want to pay more. also, i like palin and her wet dildo joe six pack.
real world, if you want a family forum, go watch dancing with stars.
eurodan, the attention is on this guy because the american sheople love stupid.
RW is nothing more than a foam-at-the-mouth Limbaugh dittohead. He's completely DIVORCED from reality based on his rightwing bullshit.
FrederickJohnson is nothing more than a foam-at-the-mouth olberman dittohead. He's completely DIVORCED from reality based on his leftwing bullshit.
I'm proud to be a leftwinger since RW doesn't even know what the left is and while Olberman isn't perfect, he's no hate America rightwing Nazi like Rush Limbaugh. How interesting that RW further proves to himself that he is completely DIVORCED from reality while trying to lamely react. RW would much rather keep foaming at the mouth about Hugo Chavez rather than realize that his gas guzzling SUV is what's empowering Chavez in the first place. After years of America getting bombed with hate America radicals such as Limbaugh, Hannity, Coulter, O'LIEly, etc ..., it's not bad to see a moderate independent such as Keith Olberman spice things up for a change. RW is just wasting his own time on this site. He can go back to Faux Noise where he belongs.
So you are not a progressive. Clearly. So go save a fetus, shoot an unsuspecting animal, and watch cars drive around in a circle and call it sport. Okay? ...
Will someone PLEASE tell me what leftwing bullshit consists of?
Accepting that people are poor in this fucking country because of past societal injustices? Yup, total bullshit.
We should take care of this planet because....well....seems to be the only one we have? COMPLETE BULLSHIT.
Gay people exist, have healthy relationships, love one another AND never have an unplanned pregnancy? BULLSHIT
We teach 3rd graders that fighting is wrong (see ANY school district policy).... but think that War is justified? yeah, I sse your point 'Real'World....
Piss off.
Wow, so now the Democrats oppose the right to vote for anyone who doesn't agree with them. And apparently back the same sort of genetic restrictions on breeding that Hitler used to like.
Its so nice to get a glimpse into the ideas and thoughts of today's Democrats.
----------------------------
"To know, and not to do, is not to know"
www.samsonsworld.blogspot.com
Fair enough. At least you showed that you understood the hell ACORN was going through. Yes, Joe should still shut up and vote and quit making a fool of himself. Sure, the Democrats aren't perfect but you want Nader? Then build him an infrastructure because right now, he's got a hell of a "fixed" system to break through before he can make it to any office. And don't think he'll even make it to dogcatcher status.
Jason Jordan
Sandpoint, Idaho
No wonder he’s a dumbass; he’s a registered Republican.
He made only $40,000 a year and he’s against taxing those who make $250,000 or more a year. How dumb can some people get!
He’s got no idea that more than 30% of workers in America make much less than $9.90/hour, a figure which separates the poverty line.
Exactly.
I would also like to add that he was probably carefully picked at by the media instead of a non-Republican voter. Had he actually shown himself to be independent or moderate, he might have had some credibility. The media can't stand it that bastardized "conservatism" is losing ground so they have to resort to desperate measures like this. The same die-hard Republicans on this site, ABCnews blogs, and other blogs on the net who suckered up to the "victimization game" of complaining about Sarah Palin being "persecuted" are now trying to use "Joe the Plumber" for fodder because they know that Paling is losing relevance too.
snydly
There's one more reason Joe's not a real plumber---he doesn't know he's living in a tricked-out economic system. And, apparently, neither does Sen. McCain, who may have never turned a wench--er--wrench.
---Snydly: an un-licensed, un-insured, un-registered, divorced, self-radicalized plumber trying to keep his head down, who also thinks Gov Palin is a breast of fresh air.
Joe the 'plumber' and his employer have no plumbing licenses
16 Oct 2008 http://www.legitgov.org/
Joe the [Plumber] lying sack of sh*t said Thursday he doesn't have a license and doesn't need one. Joe Wurzelbacher, better known as 'Joe the Plumber' said he works for a small plumbing company that does residential work. Because he works for someone else, he doesn't need a license, he said. But the county Wurzelbacher and his employer live in, Lucas County, requires plumbers to have licenses. Neither Wurzelbacher nor his employer are licensed there, said Cheryl Schimming of Lucas County Building Regulations, which handles plumber licenses in parts of the county outside Toledo.
I wonder how many Aunt Millie’s paid this Republican toady's taxes before they died in their forclosed homes. How many homes do John and Cindy McCain own?
So the guy is a scab, or what we call a "jackleg plumber". He should have kept his mouth shut, in this age of soundbite journalism. What a dunce.
So, the incredible happens. A real citizen actually gets a chance to talk to the man who would be king. And the Democrats scream in unison that he should have kept his mouth shut.
Its always so entertaining to see the Democrats idea of democracy and debate. What a foul bunch. Just another reason why even though I don't like the Republicans, I still wouldn't vote a Democrat as dog catcher either.
----------------------------
"To know, and not to do, is not to know"
www.samsonsworld.blogspot.com
Samson: There's a couple of things going on here:
First: Here's a Joe Sixpack faking as a plumber who never did a thing to gain a vocation. But he sits on his couch pissing and moaning about how his future $250,000 income (that he will never achieve) will be over-taxed by Obama's plan. I don't feel sorry for people who are drunk on Republican KoolAid, no matter what their story is.
Second: McAngry uses this "real citizen's" story to say how Obama's tax plan is crushing this guy's dreams before they even happen. He's using this "tool" as a lightning rod and hoping the whole campaign turns on Obama like the Willie Horton story used against Dukakis - remember that one?
You said "real citizen". That Joe guy isn't real; he's lying to us and himself.