New York Governor Eliot Spitzer has taken a lot of abuse in recent weeks–for his hastily-dropped plan to give driver’s licenses to illegal aliens, his quickly-withdrawn plan to tax internet purchases, and his move to speed-up release for violent criminals. But if Spitzer is to have any prayer of winning a second term, he needs to correct this mistake very quickly. Spitzer’s Division of Tax Appeals says New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter owes millions in back taxes:
New Yorkers are sophisticated enough to recognize that the city’s confiscatory tax rates encourage athletes and entertainers not to make their permanent residences there. And if Jeter asserts that he intends to reside permanently in Florida once he’s retired from baseball, what New Yorker will hold that against him? After all, that’s a New York cliche. It’s hard to believe Spitzer would go against a New York icon like this one without carefully considering the ramifications. Does he really want to start a war against the most popular figure in New York sports in the midst of a massive retreat on licenses for illegals and internet taxes?
