Today's edition of the Rapid City Journal contains a brief report on the fact that Senator Daschle has signed a document under penalty of perjury stating Washington, DC is his "principal place of residence":
Homestead exemptionA tax break claimed by Daschle on the Washington, D.C., house he and his wife, Linda, own is drawing fire from Thune.
To claim the District of Columbia's homestead exemption worth a few hundred bucks off his property taxes, Daschle signed a document declaring the D.C. house his primary residence.
The Web-based conservative Talon news obtained the document Daschle signed to get that tax break through a Freedom of Information Act request to the District of Columbia.
Talon's report last week cited a state law outlining South Dakota's residency requirements for those seeking elected office. That law applies to state-level candidates but not to federal-level candidates. That was the case when term limits passed in several states about a decade ago. State lawmakers are living under those limits, but federal lawmakers aren't.
In August 2003, Daschle campaign manager Steve Hildebrand said it was Linda Daschle who was claiming the tax break.
"Linda Daschle pays income taxes in Washington, D.C. That makes Linda Daschle eligible to receive this homestead tax on behalf of the Daschles," Hildebrand told Roll Call.
The newly released documents bearing Tom Daschle's signature belie that explanation. Now, Daschle campaign officials say it is "the house" that qualifies for the tax break rather than any person.
Thune says Daschle's signature belies "where his heart and head and priorities are." That being Washington, D.C., if you ask Thune.
"It's symbolic. It's a window into the soul of his priorities," Thune said.
For the record, the Daschles own a house in Aberdeen, where Tom Daschle's mother lives.
It's interesting how Daschle's story keeps changing the more the facts are uncovered. First it was Linda who qualified for the deduction, and now that we know Senator Daschle himself signed the document, they say "the house" qualifies. Yes, the house qualifies because Daschle stated the house was his "principal place of residence (domicile)." As explained earlier today, the U.S. Supreme Court has held that to be “domiciled” in the District of Columbia, one must “live here and have no fixed and definite intent to return and make their homes where they were formerly domiciled.” The argument about "the house" qualifying for the deduction on its own is a non-starter. Whether the house qualifies for the homestead deduction depends on the actions of the house's owner/occupant. To get the deduction, Daschle had to act of his own volition by filling out an application to receive it. If he hadn't made the affirmative act of filling out and signing the application for the homestead deduction, he wouldn't be receiving the homestead deduction.
One thing stands out in this whole mess. Daschle has been in Washington too long, and he has been taking advantage of the South Dakotan desire to believe the best about everyone for too long. It's time for a change.
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