'Joe the Plumber's' AZ driver license suspended
Comments 43| Recommend 14
Daniel Newhauser, For the Tribune
A plumbing license is not the only license "Joe the Plumber" is having troubles with. The former Mesa resident has a suspended driver's license and outstanding court fines in Arizona, according to Mesa Municipal Court records.

"Joe," whose real name is Samuel J. Wurzelbacher, was referred to more than 20 times by Republican Sen. John McCain in Wednesday night's presidential debate for questioning Democratic Sen. Barack Obama's tax policy.

The man portrayed by McCain to be the typical, hardworking American revealed this week that he actually does not have a plumbing license, and now court records show he should not have a driver's license either, making it potentially even harder for him to get to work.

Wurzelbacher, who lived in Mesa in 2000 and had an Arizona driver's license, had his driver's license suspended by the Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division on May 4, 2000, following a nonpayment of a court-imposed fine for civil traffic violations, according to court records.

America's new political icon, who owes nearly $1,200 in back taxes, according to public records, still owes more than $700 to the Mesa court system.

Records show he was cited for failure to stop at a red light and for failure to provide proof of insurance on Feb. 9, 2000, in a black Dodge truck at the intersection of Dobson and Baseline roads in Mesa.

After failing to pay his original fine of $627.50 issued in March 2000, his license was suspended and the fine was handed over to a collection agency along with a 16 percent surcharge. The now-resident of Holland, Ohio, still owes $727.90 to the Mesa Municipal Court, according to court records.

Nevertheless, Wurzelbacher's driver's license is still valid in Ohio, according to the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles, and was renewed as recently as May 2005. Ohio law requires a license to be renewed every four years, meaning Wurzelbacher likely obtained an Ohio license in 2001, one year after having his Arizona license suspended.

With a suspended license in one state, it should not be possible to get a new license in another, said Cydney DeModica, spokeswoman for the Arizona MVD.

The only way "Joe the Plumber" could have slipped through the cracks is a clerical error in which his driving records were not entered into the Problem Driver Pointer System, the national database of information about people with a checkered driving past, said Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles spokeswoman Lindsay Komlanc.

Komlanc added if the Ohio BMV were to receive the information, appropriate action could be taken, including suspension of his Ohio license.

Joe ask Obama a question. Obama answer it.  Let us debate the answer not the person who ask the question. Can someone PLEASE explain to me what Joe not having a plumber license have to do with the “spread the wealth comment"?

Joe's 15 minutes are up ... can we move on please.

He has plumbers license?

Did he say he has drivers license?

This is BS. The man asked question that is it. Now O'Bomb and his minions are digging deep to discredit the man. He is just an everyday working class American.

Suppose, the original poster haven't done anything wrong and never even had a speeding ticket.

Absurd!

You'd think they'd help him after his doing them such a favor. [sarcasm]He was their "metaphor of the moment," and now that his life is in ruins because he really didn't exist to begin with.[/sarcasm]

I have trouble feeling sorry for him. If he had any sense, he'd be voting Democratic.

only Republicans practiced kill/discredit the messenger.

What is truly disgraceful is the press's participation in the crucifixion of "Joe".

Like I said (at the risk of sounding like chuck445, *shudder*). . .

The "Free Press" is dead.

-- Modified on 10/19/2008 9:26:46 PM

Joe should have went into community organizing and bombing.  The hurdles in those privileges are much lower.

Thank you for the quick reminder of how necessary that habit is.

Oops. I did. You still made the mistake.  

-- Modified on 10/19/2008 10:19:43 AM

Do you suppose there are any small business owners in BHO’s sights for a tax increase that do have a valid driver’s license?

Any that ARE licensed to operate their businesses?

Any that do not owe unpaid fines?

Any that do not owe back taxes?

Any that are not on a list at a collection agency?

Any that have never run a red light?

Any that have never been cited for a moving traffic violation?

Any that are not paying 16% interest on debt?

Are there any less successful business owners that someday aspire to make more money than they do today?

Are there any employees out there that aspire to someday owning their own business?

Gosh, “Joe” is actually starting to sound fairly typical. That is of course if we’re talking about 'hard working Americans'.

How many of the above questions are true for you?

p.s. Say hi to Tina for me.

-- Modified on 10/19/2008 10:43:32 AM

We all have our opinions.  It is what makes us all different.  I love to agree to disagree.  But hiding isn't so good.  Why hide?  
In answer to your questions
1.  I am licensed
2.  I do not owe any fines
3.  I pay my taxes
4.  I am not on a collection list
5.  Never ran a red light
6. Have not had in ticket of any kind in over 15 years
7.  My interest rates can always be lowered - can't everyone's
8.  I always want to make more money
9.  I already own my own business


So why not "come out" from behind the alias and answer your own questions.

Misty
NOT an alias

And how can I tell Tina hi if I don't know who you are??? Tell her HI from an alias??? Come out and play

-- Modified on 10/19/2008 11:03:36 AM

and disturbing.  Sen. Obama went to his driveway and Joe asked a question. Joe the Plumber did not intentionally ask to be in the public spotlight. He is simply a guy like you and me who is trying to provide for his family. Because of the smear campaign against this individual, people are forgeting Sen. Obama's disturbing answer of: "I want to spread the wealth around".

Joe the Plumber embarrassed Sen. Obama and now he is paying for it with his livelihood and dignity. Anybody should be able to ask any politician any policy question and not fear retribution. We have all our pecadillos and mistakes we made in our life. Apparently, only a person who is perfect is now allowed to ask questions.

SEn. OBama's smear campaign against Joe the Plumber is what it is, it is a hit job. The America public has been forewarned; if you dare speak against this candidate and perhaps future President, your job, your life, your family is in danger of character assassinations.


Welcome to the National American Socialist Party of OBama(NASPO). Heil Obama.

This is what is happening. They feel that they have to distort facts and shout down any opposition.Plus the fact on this board most are cowards and hide behide aliases.

I think if the guy had been honest to begin with (by not inserting himself into the example) the press would have reported that, yes, he is indeed a guy trying to set up a plumbing business.

But once you've made the press curious, you don't know what will happen next. That's not Obama doing that, that's the nature of the press. Can they do a story on this guy and expect curious people to read it and see their advertising?[sarcasm]Maybe Joe is really a metaphor for the working class voting for McCain. A guy who's working illegally in a trade, who doesn't pay his taxes, who has warrants out against him and who is just generally, not very bright, and has no respect for the law. [/sarcasm]

McCain didn't do the guy any service by using him in the debate twenty times, remember? That only adds to public curiosity about the guy. More stories will be read, more advertising will be sold! And don't say McCain meant just any Joe who happened to be a plumber. Don't tell us that was just a metaphorical Joe.

I don't think Sam-Joe embarrassed anybody. Obama didn't hedge on it. He stood in there, looked the guy in the eye and answered the question. I can't picture John McCain being that unflappable.


-- Modified on 10/19/2008 1:00:20 PM

You could bet 9-man is the only "handle" I use on this board, with a few humorous exceptions. I've realized you gotta be careful nosing around in this business.

Liberals shouting down the opposition is nothing new.  

The nut bag president of Iran gets a better reception at Columbia than a Republican.  Chavez gets treated with respect, but David Horowitz's books and articles are stolen.  Name a bastion of liberal thought and see how tolerant they are to other views.

No, it doesn't work the other way.  Last June there were scores of graduation addresses by liberals who were all allowed to do their thing with no (or minimal) interuption.

The consistant alias of an alias?  Sounds like it needs to be government controlled.

Whatever it takes to keep this Scholarly Moron out of the White House.

If it was anyone else Obama the African American, they would have been laughed out of town long time ago with this kind of experience and accomplishments.

No I am not a racist but, I do call it as I see it. If anyone want to call me racist, go right ahead; no skin of my butt.

I assure you that anyone who has been around the P&R board a while knows my ‘real’ alias, but why did you open with THAT line? The only motive I can see is an attempt to discredit me personally without regard to what I said. This is exactly what was done to ‘Joe’ by the MSM and yourself. If that’s your idea of political discourse then I guess we’re done and I’m pleased you don’t know who I am. I am pleased because I don’t frequent TER due to its high level of political discourse, LOL. The P&R board is simply an entertaining side show. I don’t want it to interfere with my real purpose here at TER.  

It was nice for you to answer according to how you personally relate, but you ignored the main and much broader point of how small business owners in general might relate.

As far as Tina goes. . .how do you know? If you told her that some right wing nut job from the TER P&R board says ‘hey’, she just might know exactly who your talking about, LOL. Try it and see what happens.

-- Modified on 10/19/2008 6:54:22 PM

One thing is certain. BHO didn't try to destroy him personally. The 'free press' did it for him.

You are correct about one thing. The formerly free press was not beating up on Joe because of the question. They were doing so to divert attention from BHO's answer.

There was even one UK paper that tried to blow it off by claiming that BHO's answer shouldn’t count because BHO didn't know he was being recorded.  

Do you REALLY believe that by telling someone "Don't say this or that" that you are removing the point from discussion? Of course the criticism of BHO was in a sense far broader than Joe the Individual.

http://www.theeroticreview.com/discussion_boards/viewmsg.asp?MessageID=52212&boardID=39&page=

was a diversionary tactic to not question Sen. Onama's answer of " I want to spread the wealth around". The press attacked Joe the Plumber because there is a tacit agreement amongst the establishment, you attack Obama we will attack you. The establishment includes the political machinery of Obama. Hey George Bush used this machinery to help him get elected and discourage people such as the Dixie Chicks from questioning his policies.

Your idea of the press attacking Joe Plumber because he was dishonest is naive.

Boo hoo boo.  Someone get him some Kleenex.

I seem to remember many of the same complaints being registered against the Bush campaigns, expecially in 2004.

Plus ca change, plus la meme chose?