Jun. 28, 2006 - 18:20 MDT

WORKED WITH CAPONE

This world of confusion seems to continue to become more mixed up than ever. Or at least, no real improvement is showing. There is an article in this morning's Rocky Mountain News by Mary Dalrymple of The Associated Press. Herein quoted in full:

SEX TRADE MAY FACE IRS BITE

WASHINGTON -- "Pimps and sex traffickers could soon findthemselves being chased by tax collectors, not just the vice squad."

"Sen. Charles Grassley, chairman of the tax-writing Senate Finance committee, wants the Internal Revenue Service to chase afer pimps and sex traffickers with the same fervor it stalked gangster Al Capone for tax evasion."

"Grassley, R-Iowa, would hit pimps with fines and lengthy prison sentences for failing to file employment forms and withold taxes for the women under their command."

"The proposal would make certain tax crimes a felony when the money comes from a criminal activity. A one-year prison sentence and $25,000 fine would beomce a 10-year sentence and $50,000 fine for each employment form that a pimp or sex trafficker fails to file."

"Grassley planned to propose the penalties when his panel meets today."

" The thugs who run these trafficking rings are exploiting society's poorest girls and women for personal gain," Grassley said. "The IRS goes after drug traffickers. It can go after sex traffickers."

"Michael Horowitz, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, said the change has the potential to put pimps out of business without difficult trails that require women to testify to abuse and mistreatment.

"Grassley envisions creating an office inside the Internal Revenue Service to prosecute sex traffickers for violating tax laws. The office would get $2 million to get started, and it would be allowed to keep a portion of the taxes it collects."

"The IRS work is intended to build on efforts under way to curb worldwide trafficking."

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Of course it is not law yet, if that is what they intend to do. But, the idea of a criminal filing forms which are an admission of guilt in a crime is ridiculous. Or does Mr. Grassley expect to NOT prosecute the traffickers who file all their forms and pay their taxes ? ? ? ?

Perhaps the trafficker would actually fill in all the forms, set aside tax money until such time he is hauled before the court and come up with it at that time. Then what ?

Seems to me that if the trafficker keeps his mouth shut and does not bank his money with a bank or buy stocks and bonds, etc. it would be hard to get anything on him. I'm not sure what acutal evidence they had on Al Capone, but I am sure that he left a paper trail on money that was researched by the Feds.

And then the thought occurs to me that a trafficker could set up a company, for instance a "research" or consulting company by name, fill out all the proper forms and pay his taxes -- thus avoiding prosecution for tax evasion.

Oh well, cockamamie things are done by our government and have been done in the past. And - - - it WORKED WITH CAPONE . . . . . . . . . . .

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