Gene posted the following on his blog today:
IRS Finds Chapman
Well, the IRS has sent a letter to my employer to take my checks, down to $168 per week, so I'm off to new adventures. I'm praying about a walk in the desert to visit with God on the matter. Being a homeless man is attractive to me in the world we live in. Lots of homeless people come from IRS issues, I've found.
I'll attend LP and CP events, as I can, but God has clearly opened up a new direction for me, and His priorities are gonna be #1.
Gene Chapman
Libertarian Man
ChapmanForPresident08.com
Honestly, I'm not surprised the IRS found him. They always do. Gene owes a lot of back taxes (he filed false returns saying he had zero income), and he tells people that if they follow his plan they can avoid paying taxes too. The fact that he reveals his work information on the internet probably didn't help.
Of course, people do live on $168/week, and even support kids on that much money (or less). Gene doesn't maintain a residence, and he has no dependents. He just doesn't want to pay money to the IRS, so he quit his job. It's kind of hard to feel sorry for him or anybody else in his position, to be honest, since he does have the option of working.
I would hate to see him homeless again, but of course he would be homeless by choice since he has the option of not quitting his job, and apparently the option of staying with his mother (in an audioblog, Gene said he's having boxes shipped to her home). I'm sure most homeless people wish they had the luxury of those choices.
I say "homeless again" because it wouldn't be the first time Gene was homeless by choice due to his tax problems. The last time, he was living in his very small dilapidated RV in a state park, and eating in homeless shelters and soup kitchens. While living under those conditions, he decided to set himself on fire at an IRS building.
Who knows what he'll do this time, but he will definitely do something nutty because that's his modus operandi whenever the IRS slaps a lien on his paycheck. It won't surprise me at all if he ends up in another psychiatric hospital due to attempting to off himself in some bizarre manner.
All in all, the news brings me no pleasure whatsoever, and I can find no humor in it. I'm torn between feeling sorry for him, and thinking he made his own bed and now must lie in it. I guess I feel a little of both.
Either way, it will be difficult if not impossible for him to continue his campaign while homeless or wandering the desert. As Gene says, "We will see".
5 comments:
If he's coming to the Phoenix area (where I live, incidentally), Gene had best pack a LOT of water and bail money. The Arizona Department of Public Safety, Phoenix police, and tribal police do not take kindly to people aimlessly wandering the desert around here, especially if said desert is within reservation land.
I don't feel sorry for the man at all; I agree with you, ENM, that he made his bed long ago and now must lie in it. What I do feel sorry for is his apparent inability to deal with his mental illness; I have one myself, and I know how hard it can be to control it. On the other hand, awareness, resolve, and toughness are three major keys to dealing with mental illness - character traits Gene does not have, from what I can see.
He mentioned in an audioblog the possibility of going into the desert without water. I'm not sure if the 'no water' part is a bid for attention which he doesn't intend to carry out, or if he thinks God will provide water, or if he's suicidal.
I wondered what safeguards were in place in desert areas, so I feel a little better knowing those areas are well patrolled. Honestly, I'm just not sure if Gene is hardy enough to survive in that environment for any period of time. I seriously doubt he has any survivalist skills, and he's spent years with very little (if any) exercise.
While Gene has referred to me as his enemy, the last thing I want is for any harm to come to him. To paraphrase Hannibal Lecter, "The world is a much more interesting place with Gene Chapman in it".
Trust me -- considering the shape Gene's in and his plans, he'd last eight to ten days at most. God won't provide, either - no oases out here that I know of.
Plus, even at this time of year, and night temperatures can dip into the 30's in rural areas. I hope he's not planning on walking around in his toga!
I would not wish harm on him either. However, I do wish he'd get some sustained long-term treatment for his illness. It's obvious it's only getting worse.
New anonymous guy.
Gene wouldn't have to live on $168/week if he would just let the IRS know how much he needed to live on (and could provide reasonable documentation of those expenses, e.g., utility bills, lease). They could set him up on an installment agreement if he had any revenue in excess of necesities, or defer collection if he did not.
I take pleasure in this. I may be wrong but I find it funny. I've had my various issues with collections in the past and I dealt with it. I didn't bitch, I didn't wander garbage dumps, I didn't blog about it...I took care of it like an adult does.
So I shall point and laugh, because I have no pity.
Post a Comment