Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Death, taxes, and the Union-Tribune

— How trustworthy are the editorials of the San Diego Union-Tribune? In at least one case, according to the Columbia Journalism Review, not very. A lengthy expos� headlined "Media Money" in this month's edition of the magazine reports that the U-T ran an editorial supporting abolishing the federal inheritance tax without informing readers that the paper's publishers, Helen Copley and her son David, had a personal stake in the issue. "Copley Newspapers, Cox Enterprises, and Morris Communications have paid a lobbyist $950,000 since 1996 to fight for the end of the 'death tax,'" reports CJR. "In June the San Diego Union-Tribune, a Copley newspaper, published an editorial entitled 'The Death Tax: Repeal the Most Unfair of All Federal Levies': 'House Republicans and Democrats were right to pass legislation that phases out the death tax not only on family farms, but on all family-owned businesses and other assets.' Not mentioned was the direct financial interest of the Copley family in the legislation and attendant lobbying efforts in that regard. 'We are contributors to a fund that is trying to eliminate the estate tax,' Hal Fuson, Copley's chief counsel, told us. 'There was nothing particularly surreptitious about it.'" Copley was not alone as a media lobbyist. "An investigation by CJR and the Center for Public Integrity found that since 1996, the 50 largest media companies (defined as companies that derive half or more of their revenues from broadcasting, cable operations, publishing, online media, and their content providers) and four of their trade associations have spent $ 111.3 million to lobby Congress and the executive branch of the government."

Sponsored
Sponsored

Tax troubles

The former owners of the Padres have received a bit more bad news from federal judge Thomas J. Whelan. San Diego Padres baseball partnership is suing the federal government over a five-figure tax refund that the Padres say they are owed. "In the late 1980s, the Major League Players Association filed several grievances against the Clubs alleging interference with the rights of free agent player," wrote Whelan, outlining the history of the case. "In 1990 the disputes were settled by arbitration. In 1994, Plaintiff paid several players pursuant to the 1990 settlement. Defendant, through the Internal Revenue Service, classified these payments as wages earned in the year of payment. Plaintiff paid Federal Insurance Contributions Act and Federal Unemployment Contribution Act taxes on these payments. Plaintiff then sought a tax refund through IRS administrative proceedings which concluded on April 22, 1997. Two years later, Plaintiff brought this action seeking a tax refund." Since the San Francisco Giants filed a similar suit, now being heard by the Ninth District federal appellate court, the IRS asked Whelan to delay the Padres' case, a move opposed by the partnership. But this summer Whelan sided with the government and granted the stay. "Plaintiff waited for almost two years before commencing this action on April 21, 1999. Plaintiff's voluntary two-year delay coupled with the limited financial stakes at issue (approx. $20,000), convinces this Court that a stay would not be unduly burdensome on either party."

Corrupt in Vista

A crooked Santa Ana city councilman who was tripped up by an FBI sting has been dispatched to house arrest in San Diego County while he awaits sentencing for his conviction on 25 counts of corruption, including extortion, money-laundering, and mail fraud. Ted Moreno took $31,000 in illegal campaign contributions from a gas-station owner who wanted to get a beer-and-wine license approved by the city council, according to the Orange County Register. Unfortunately for Moreno, the gas-station owner was wired for sound, and the transactions were videotaped by the feds; the tapes showed Moreno giving the businessman a high-five after collecting a cash-stuffed envelope. After his conviction on September 5, some of Moreno's city-council colleagues said they feared for their safety if he was released on bond prior to sentencing, so last Friday a federal judge let Moreno out on $200,000 bail, provided he reside day and night at his sister's house in Vista, monitored by an electronic device.

Contributor: Matt Potter

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Trophy truck crushes four at Baja 1000

"Two other racers on quads died too,"
Next Article

Live Five: Sitting On Stacy, Matte Blvck, Think X, Hendrix Celebration, Coriander

Alt-ska, dark electro-pop, tributes, and coastal rock in Solana Beach, Little Italy, Pacific Beach

— How trustworthy are the editorials of the San Diego Union-Tribune? In at least one case, according to the Columbia Journalism Review, not very. A lengthy expos� headlined "Media Money" in this month's edition of the magazine reports that the U-T ran an editorial supporting abolishing the federal inheritance tax without informing readers that the paper's publishers, Helen Copley and her son David, had a personal stake in the issue. "Copley Newspapers, Cox Enterprises, and Morris Communications have paid a lobbyist $950,000 since 1996 to fight for the end of the 'death tax,'" reports CJR. "In June the San Diego Union-Tribune, a Copley newspaper, published an editorial entitled 'The Death Tax: Repeal the Most Unfair of All Federal Levies': 'House Republicans and Democrats were right to pass legislation that phases out the death tax not only on family farms, but on all family-owned businesses and other assets.' Not mentioned was the direct financial interest of the Copley family in the legislation and attendant lobbying efforts in that regard. 'We are contributors to a fund that is trying to eliminate the estate tax,' Hal Fuson, Copley's chief counsel, told us. 'There was nothing particularly surreptitious about it.'" Copley was not alone as a media lobbyist. "An investigation by CJR and the Center for Public Integrity found that since 1996, the 50 largest media companies (defined as companies that derive half or more of their revenues from broadcasting, cable operations, publishing, online media, and their content providers) and four of their trade associations have spent $ 111.3 million to lobby Congress and the executive branch of the government."

Sponsored
Sponsored

Tax troubles

The former owners of the Padres have received a bit more bad news from federal judge Thomas J. Whelan. San Diego Padres baseball partnership is suing the federal government over a five-figure tax refund that the Padres say they are owed. "In the late 1980s, the Major League Players Association filed several grievances against the Clubs alleging interference with the rights of free agent player," wrote Whelan, outlining the history of the case. "In 1990 the disputes were settled by arbitration. In 1994, Plaintiff paid several players pursuant to the 1990 settlement. Defendant, through the Internal Revenue Service, classified these payments as wages earned in the year of payment. Plaintiff paid Federal Insurance Contributions Act and Federal Unemployment Contribution Act taxes on these payments. Plaintiff then sought a tax refund through IRS administrative proceedings which concluded on April 22, 1997. Two years later, Plaintiff brought this action seeking a tax refund." Since the San Francisco Giants filed a similar suit, now being heard by the Ninth District federal appellate court, the IRS asked Whelan to delay the Padres' case, a move opposed by the partnership. But this summer Whelan sided with the government and granted the stay. "Plaintiff waited for almost two years before commencing this action on April 21, 1999. Plaintiff's voluntary two-year delay coupled with the limited financial stakes at issue (approx. $20,000), convinces this Court that a stay would not be unduly burdensome on either party."

Corrupt in Vista

A crooked Santa Ana city councilman who was tripped up by an FBI sting has been dispatched to house arrest in San Diego County while he awaits sentencing for his conviction on 25 counts of corruption, including extortion, money-laundering, and mail fraud. Ted Moreno took $31,000 in illegal campaign contributions from a gas-station owner who wanted to get a beer-and-wine license approved by the city council, according to the Orange County Register. Unfortunately for Moreno, the gas-station owner was wired for sound, and the transactions were videotaped by the feds; the tapes showed Moreno giving the businessman a high-five after collecting a cash-stuffed envelope. After his conviction on September 5, some of Moreno's city-council colleagues said they feared for their safety if he was released on bond prior to sentencing, so last Friday a federal judge let Moreno out on $200,000 bail, provided he reside day and night at his sister's house in Vista, monitored by an electronic device.

Contributor: Matt Potter

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Live Five: Sitting On Stacy, Matte Blvck, Think X, Hendrix Celebration, Coriander

Alt-ska, dark electro-pop, tributes, and coastal rock in Solana Beach, Little Italy, Pacific Beach
Next Article

Woodpeckers are stocking away acorns, Amorous tarantulas

Stunning sycamores, Mars rising
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader