Senator owes $20K in back taxes
11/1/08 | 23 comments

Senator owes $20K in back taxes


By Bill Trotter
BDN Staff

TRENTON — A three-term Democrat who is seeking re-election to the Maine Senate acknowledged Saturday, three days before Election Day, that he and his wife are delinquent in approximately $20,000 in their property taxes.

Dennis Damon, who is co-chairman of the Legislature’s Marine Resources and Transportation committees, said Saturday that he, his wife and his three grown children have developed a plan by which they hope to pay off the debt. He said they hope to pay the $10,000 or so they still owe for 2006 by this Thanksgiving, and to pay off the remainder by early next summer.

“It’s a lot,” Damon said, both of the tax bills and of what his family owes. “There’s no question about it.”

Damon said the annual total property tax bill that he and his wife pay for four properties in Trenton comes to about $10,000. That includes their primary home on Oak Point Road, a home on Route 3 that Bonnie Damon inherited from her parents, a boathouse near Trenton Bridge Lobster Pound, and a woodlot. The Damons’ three grown children also are partial owners of some of the properties, he said.

Damon said the ultimate solution would be to sell the properties, but he and his family would like to avoid having to do so if they can. He said he and his wife, who is a teacher, have a combined gross salary of about $60,000 a year. His salary as a state legislator, he said, is about $11,000 a year.

His family’s property tax situation shows that he has first-hand experience with the issue of spiraling property taxes, Damon said, which is one of the more pressing financial issues many Mainers face.

“I’m not doing it in a vacuum,” he said, referring to the Legislature’s recent efforts to address the issue. “I’m living it. I know the struggles people have trying to pay their property tax bill.”

Damon said he feels it is likely that someone drew his property tax situation to the media’s attention in an attempt to influence the outcome of his re-election campaign. The weekly Mount Desert Islander newspaper on Friday published a story about Damon’s tax debt on its Web site.

He noted that his property status is public information, and that his wife’s name is listed in Trenton’s 2006 and 2007 town reports among the names of local residents who are behind in their property tax payments. Why the information would come out four days before the election, he said, is curious.

Damon said the story reminds him of an attempt to discredit him in 2002, when people opposed to his first state Senate bid circulated information critical of his use of a county-owned credit card when he was a Hancock County commissioner.

Damon said he used the card in 1999 for his business when he was in Florida and had no other payment options for renting a moving truck for one of his clients. He eventually was exonerated for using the card in part because there was no policy or law against doing so, he said. The client on whose behalf the card was used, he added, immediately repaid the county with a check, which the truck rental company had declined to accept.

“This is that same kind of thing,” Damon said about his tax situation being publicized.

Damon did not accuse his Republican opponent, Mark Remick or Remick’s campaign of having a role in his tax situation making headlines. He said that from the contact he has had with Remick, he does not believe his opponent would be involved in any effort to discredit him in such a manner.

Contacted Saturday evening by phone, Remick said he hopes someone wasn’t trying to influence the race by getting the media to publish stories about Damon’s tax situation. He said his wife Traci Remick and Bonnie Damon used to teach together at Trenton Elementary School.

“She’s a wonderful lady,” he said of Bonnie Damon.

Remick, who also lives in Trenton, said he does not owe back taxes or have any liens on his property. His and his wife’s names don’t appear in Trenton’s 2006 or 2007 tax reports on lists of uncollected tax liens.

Voters can assign whatever degree of importance they want to Damon’s tax situation, Remick said, but the most important issues in the race are about decisions made by the Legislature in Augusta, not about either candidate’s personal finances.

“He’s a neighbor and he’s a friend,” Remick said. “We differ on policy.”

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Comments
23 comments on this item
On 11/2/08 at 5:51 AM, JWBooth wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

It's a pretty darn incompetent legislator that can't steal enough to cover his tax bill.

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On 11/2/08 at 5:55 AM, safedman wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Sorry you want to manage my money? Make me laugh.

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On 11/2/08 at 6:13 AM, MoeBolduc wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

What a LOSER.

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On 11/2/08 at 6:35 AM, Govt2Big wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Wow, another stellar example of the "state leaders" we have in Augusta.

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On 11/2/08 at 6:58 AM, skipperskitchen wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Yes~This Senator is "Delinquent" with his property tax. After reading his article and explination of why? I feel he did gave a good explination of why he is delinquent. Perhaps "YOU" that find the Senator at fault, might want to clean your own back yard before throwing negative remarks at him.

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On 11/2/08 at 7:07 AM, Mainecommenter wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

First, a general comment: Most people would be embarrassed to have their names on the delinquent tax role. Many still have the old Yankee ethic to do whatever is necessary to pay at the required time.

Second, to excuse non payments by referencing Maine's generally high property taxes is poor form...especially coming from a State Legislator. As leaders, Legislators have to lead not only in words but by example.

Finally, he shouldn't be surprised that anyone would bring up the issue, whether it be 4 or 50 days before an election. Neither his opponent nor the GOP was responsible for him not paying his taxes. Only he can accept the blame for his delinquency and that it has become public knowledge.

I'm not one who usually piles on, but this situation tells me volumes about Sen. Damon.

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On 11/2/08 at 7:21 AM, Lobstarok wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

I had Damon as a teacher in high school 20 years ago-he was a jerk then and hasn't changed much-maybe he should go back to delivering 5 gallon jugs of spring water

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On 11/2/08 at 8:44 AM, BlueCollarBob wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Golly!!!! Who'da thunkit? Damon's just like my hero, JOE THE PLUMBER!!!

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On 11/2/08 at 8:55 AM, centralmaine wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Maybe we could all help if we could only do more to help spread the wealth around?

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On 11/2/08 at 9:55 AM, Karruka wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Comments like those from JWBooth, safedman, MoeBolduc, Gov2Big, etc. are a prime reason so many competent people refuse to run for office. I'd like to see any of them try civic service. it is NOT a well paid job and by the way, neither is teaching. It is so easy to be nasty, cynical, and mean. Dennis Damon, like many of us, in Maine may have some financial problems, but he is NOT running away from them -- notice, he has set up a repayment plan. Do you think if he was wealthy like a "Joe the Plumber" (most plumbers I've met make tons of money for relatively little effort) he would have have these problems? Maybe he could be like John McCain; divorce his hard-working wife, and marry a rich socialite who will carry his ass. SHAME ON ALL OF YOU.

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On 11/2/08 at 2:56 PM, Sarad124 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

I agree with Karruka. The only "losers" here are the self-righteous stone throwers who don't have an inkling of the sacrifices that people who run for office in Maine have to make. How many of you could live on a salary of $10,000 per year? How many of you could put up with the daily abuse that comes from folks like JWBooth, safedman, MoeBolduc, Gov2Big et al toward our public officials who run because they want to make Maine a better place to live? It is easy to pound insults on your keyboard in anonymity and judge others, but it is far more difficult to have to make the choices that people like Senator Damon make. He could make 10 times the money he makes in a variety of different fields, but instead he chooses to make well less than minimum wage because he wants to help citizens and businesses in Maine. And given the state of our economy, and the anxiety Maine people face as a result, it would seem that our media could find more helpfl articles for their readers.

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On 11/2/08 at 3:16 PM, lnolsen wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

I have family members who have lived in his district. He is an exceptional legislator and we need more like him. I find it sad that his opponent feels the need to dredge this up days before the election. The republicans must be running scared because of the whuppin' they are going to take on Tuesday. And of course, BDN took the bait by running it. What a sorry state of affairs. I wish I lived in his district so I could vote for him.

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On 11/2/08 at 3:46 PM, jazzedup wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

By all accounts, Bonnie and Dennis Damon are the two of the most decent and honorable people around. This situation was caused by a parent who passed away and left them land in an area of the state where property costs are prohibitive. I applaud them for wanting to keep the land in their family and working with their adult children to develop a plan to pay the back taxes. I am sure that some of the writers of the vicious comments above would not want us to look at their credit card or other bills and see if they have always paid each and every bill on time - particularly in extenuating circumstances. It's not wonder it is so difficult to get people like the Damons to run for office.

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On 11/2/08 at 4:33 PM, Mainecommenter wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Some of these arguments are even worse that Damon's. According to Inolsen, those serving in the Legislature should somehow be excused when they don't pay their taxes on time? Furthermore, according to jazzedup, if they are a good legislator they should get a pass as well. These are the only logical conclusions to their arguments.

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On 11/2/08 at 4:35 PM, BlueCollarBob wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

When you have nothing positive to say about yourself and the platform you're running on, it's always effective to dredge up dirt on the opposing candidate. Perhaps politicians should have every aspect of their lives from the moment they were born magnified and scrutinized so that we can make sure we don't elect someone who isn't perfect. I'd want to make sure that they were good CHRISTIAN white folk who have never ever sinned, and that they were very wealthy because that means the Lord approves of them. They should come from a small town and have lots of guns and children and go to church and say grace and always brush their sparkling white teeth. They shouldn't believe in socialism or welfare or Medicaid and they should have lots and lots of military experience.

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On 11/2/08 at 10:30 PM, publicminded wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Looks like Damon is taking the necessary steps to pay off the debt.

Probably be much more useful to voters to concentrate on Damon's record in the legislature and how his record going forward would compare with what Remick proposes and is likely to deliver.

Best of luck to everyone in obtaining the necessary information.

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On 11/2/08 at 10:58 PM, NancyC wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Two parents and three adult children can't come up with $20G? That's $4G apiece... not all that much. Anyone with a full-time job and a little fiscal restraint can come up with that. And if the $11G legislative salary isn't enough to live on, perhaps Mr. Damon ought to get himself a real job.

Love the part about using the county credit card for the truck rental for the business client. Mr. Damon had his own business and he didn't have a credit card for business use? Speaks volumes about his busness sense, or lack thereof. Maybe there's a reason the only job he can get is in the legislature.

Funny how the average citizen gets a lien put on their property if the taxes are six months overdue, and this guy is two years behind with no consequences.

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On 11/3/08 at 12:13 PM, NancyC wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

One more thing re jazzed up's comment claiming the Damons are "honorable." There is nothing honorable about not paying your taxes and thus increasing the tax burden on everyone else in town. And when the legislature is not in session (more than half the year) Mr. Damon can get himself a real job to supplement his meager $11G income. Give me a break; there is no excuse for this.

BTW, the Dems went after Chandler Woodcock a few days before the last gubernatorial election for the same thing. It works both ways.

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On 11/3/08 at 1:18 PM, applebottom wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

You people should be ashamed. Just because someone wears a different hat doesn't mean the band should play the wrong music!!!

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On 11/3/08 at 2:07 PM, Mainefriend wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Did everybody forget that our primary responsability in this state is to pay taxes! That's what we do first!!! Whatever we have left we can spend on heating oil, gasoline, medications, health benefits, school lunches, and other miscelaneous fees! Being a synic has nothing to do with this good senator! The fact of the matter is that he does not contribute as we all do. Why should I work extra hours and spend time away from my family and home to pay his portion. To all of you freeloaders including mr. senetor: GO TO WORK!!! IF YOU DON'T WORK YOU WILL FREEZE AND STARVE!!! These are the reasons I work.

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On 11/3/08 at 2:10 PM, Mainefriend wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

This is a case of man whom is about to get BUSTED! So he confessed.

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On 11/3/08 at 3:40 PM, bruce49 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Reminds me of Chandler Woodcock's tax problems when he ran for governor. Fair game. It only mentions his 11 k from the state. maybe he should get a job

Serving in the legislature is not supposed to be an occupation

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On 11/3/08 at 7:57 PM, anonymousahole wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

I may be an a**hole, but my taxes are paid. My name will never be listed under delinquent taxes. Yes, property taxes are high but I, and alot of people less fortunate than me get our taxes paid.

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