Jerry Koosman - tax evader

Per Reuters, retired pitcher, Jerry Koosman from the 1969 World Champion New York Mets was sentenced to six months in prison for nonpayment of taxes.

"Like most people in their sixties, I've made some bad decisions in my life. I shouldn't have listened to THOSE PEOPLE (emphasis mine) about the tax returns, but I did, and I take full responsibility," Koosman said at his sentencing.

Koosman said he researched tax laws and concluded that only federal workers, corporate employees and District of Columbia residents were subject to federal taxes.

Where to start?

Actually there is too much to say but let's go with this:

Jerry, regardless of what those crazy tax evader "experts" say*, here are some real good rules of thumb on this subject offered by someone who is not an accountant or anything like that but only using good old-fashioned common-sense:

1. There really are no loopholes that allow the "average joe" to not pay taxes. Everybody would use them, don't you think?

2. The tax is not voluntary. No competent person(s) would set up the tax code that way.

3. The tax code is not unconstitutional. It just isn't.

4. On the District of Columbia thing, if that was true, nobody would want to live there. (Well there are some people that say that anyway but that is for another day)

I pay, you pay, we all pay. That is how it works.

You know how you had those periodic talks with your kids when they were little and you told them that sometimes you have to do things you really don't want to do because that is just how it is? Same thing here.

Finally, if you don't abide by these rules, the first thing people will think when they hear your name is this tax stuff rather than just the other guy on Nolan Ryan's rookie card.

*These are some of the same people that say that there is no evidence that a plane hit the Pentagon on 9-11 and also confront Buzz Aldrin on the street telling him that he was part of an elaborate hoax and never walked on the moon. All this without any brain tumors.