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‘Joe the Plumber’ doesn’t have license, paper says
By LARRY VELLEQUETTE and TOM TROY
Wurzelbacher does appear to be a registered voter.
“Joe the Plumber” isn’t a plumber — at least not a licensed one, or a registered one.
A check of state and local licensing agencies in Ohio and Michigan shows no plumbing licenses under Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher’s name, or even misspellings of his name.
Wurzelbacher told reporters Thursday morning that he worked for Newell Plumbing & Heating Co., a small local firm whose business addresses flow back to several residential homes, including one on Talmadge Road in Ottawa Hills.
According to Lucas County Building Inspection records, A.W. Newell Corp. does maintain a state plumbing license, and one with the city of Toledo, but would not be allowed to work in Lucas County outside Toledo without a county license.
Wurzelbacher said he works under Al Newell’s license, but according to Ohio building regulations, he must maintain his own license to do plumbing work.
He is also not registered to operate as a plumber in Ohio, which means he’s not a plumber.
Wurzelbacher said he was hired by Newell six years ago and that the possibility of his eventually buying the company was discussed during his job interview.
He said it’s his understanding he can work under Newell’s license as long as the licensed contractor works on the same site.
Wurzelbacher said he is working on taking the Ohio plumbing contractors’ license test.
Wulzerbacher’s notoriety has raised the ire of Tom Joseph, business manager for Local 50 of the United Association of Plumbers, Steamfitters, and Service Mechanics, who contended that Wulzerbacher didn’t undergo any apprenticeship training.
“When you have guys going out there with no training whatsoever, it’s a little disreputable to start with,” Joseph said. “We’re the real Joe the Plumber.”
Joseph said Wulzerbacher could legally work only in the townships, but not in any municipality in Lucas County or elsewhere in the country.
“This individual has got no schooling, no licenses, he’s never been to a training program, union or nonunion, in the United States of America,” Joseph said.
The association has endorsed Barack Obama, according to Joseph.
Questions were raised Thursday morning whether Wurzelbacher is a registered voter.
Linda Howe, executive director of the Lucas County Board of Elections, said a Samuel Joseph Worzelbacher, whose address and age match Joe the Plumber’s, registered in Lucas County on Sept. 10, 1992. He voted in his first primary on March 4 of this year, registering as a Republican.
Howe said that the name may be misspelled in the database.
Wurzelbacher, 34, acknowledged during an interview at his home late Thursday morning that he knows he’s “a flash in the pan,” after his fame spread for an impromptu debate he had in front of his Springfield Township home with Obama last Sunday.
Last night, his name, “Joe the Plumber,” came up about two dozen times in the debate between Obama and Republican nominee John McCain.
Since last night Wurzelbacher, who lives alone with his 13-year-old son, has been besieged with local and national news media, willingly granting interviews.
Wurzelbacher said he objects to Obama’s plans to raise income taxes on incomes above $250,000. He said he makes nowhere near that much money but he would not say how much he makes or if he ever expects to make $250,000. Court records from a divorce show Wurzelbacher made $40,000 in 2006.
He said, “Is it right to take someone’s money because they work a little harder? It’s taking away from someone’s hard work.”
Wurzelbacher said he disagrees with the idea of people being taxed at a higher rate because they earn more.
“They’re going to take more of your money because you’ve been more successful,” he said.
In December 2007, the Ohio Department of Taxation placed a lien against him because $1,183 in personal property taxes had not been paid, but there has been no action in the case since it was filed.
Wurzelbacher was playing football in his front yard with his son, Joey, on Sunday afternoon when Obama made an unscheduled stop to go door-to-door greeting voters and asking for their support.
In his conversation with Wurzelbacher, Obama tried to justify his plan to give tax breaks to 95 percent of Americans and raise taxes on incomes above $250,000.
Obama said his plan would improve the economy for other people trying to get a start in small business, and “spread the wealth.”
The phrase was quickly picked up by conservative bloggers and commentators saying it reveals a desire on the part of Obama to redistribute wealth.
During that same conversation, Wurzelbacher advocated a flat tax to Obama under which everyone would pay the same rate of tax, which was a feature of Mike Huckabee’s unsuccessful campaign for the Republican nomination this year.
Wurzelbacher said he was surprised by the spread-the-wealth phrase.
“That’s a pretty socialist comment. Two-fifty [$250,000] is his number now. When is it going to be one fifty [$150,000], when’s it’s going to be one hundred [$100,000]?”
He continued: “If you believe him, I would be receiving his tax cut,” adding that he would not want the tax cut.
He won’t say who he will vote for Nov. 4 but did say he likes Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin.
He said he was born in the Toledo area, lived until he was 13 in the Florida Panhandle area, went to Springfield High School, and then entered the U.S. Air Force. He was stationed at an Air Force base in Alaska from 1992 until 1995. He said he was honorably discharged.
Wurzelbacher also said he lived in Arizona from 1997 until 2000.
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Comments
Poor Joe. Make a comment to a presidential candidate and the media thinks it gives them the right to disclose "Joe's" personal finances. Shame on the media-- just awful behavior (and it SHOULD be unethical, too). The media thinks it can do anything with people's lives. Any media think, for one second, about how the 13-year-old will now deal with the ridicule and teasing from his peers? It's one thing to know you're growing up with little money; it's another thing to have the media publicize your dad's income to the entire world!
It would make sense that he likes Sarah Palin. He's just as big of an idiot as she is.
And they both have jobs that they're not qualified for.
He hasn't said who he'll vote for because according to the board of elections he's not registered to vote. Reread that if necessary like I did when I saw it, it doesn't get any less ridiculous.
It doesn't make any difference who the guy is. Our tax system is old and not workable anymore. We need a flat tax where eveybody pays their fair share not somebody like Obamanation that wants to raise taxes and even put us further in the hole. We need leadership and Obama is not that person to lead us.
PAULYDEL, this is a question I wanted to ask every person who complains about Obamas tax plan. Do you make more than $250,000 a year.
Shocking! John McCain picks someone unqualified as a point of emphasis for his campaign?
I can't believe it.
paulydel: You claim Obama's tax plan can't work. You say what we need is a flat tax. I don't know what a flat tax system is. Could you please explain a flat tax and how it would work. Thanks.
I do not make over $250k a year. But I would like to one day.
Plus I am afraid that Obama will not limit it to $250k, it might wind up being $50k.
Cambridge,
A flat tax is just what it sounds like. Everyone is taxed at the same rate. Typically with a flat tax their is no deductions or credits. The figure typically thrown out for a flat tax is 15%.
Thanks for explaining a flat tax. If everyone is only going to get taxed 15% with no deductions or credits you can sign me up.
Big business and the wealthy would never go for that. Try to figure out why.
The rich are GREEDY! Look at what the greedy republicans did to our economy! The article in vindy yesterday was just even more of an eye opener! If you need to read it the title is Mortgage firm arrange stealth campaign in '05. For all those undecided in who to vote for, read this it may just make your mind up!
Joe the plumber is the average American. So he doesn't have a plumbers license. He thought that his company's license was sufficient. Govt. regulations are so complex that its hard to tell what hoops you have to jump through.
So he has a tax lein. How many of you have over $1,000 in credit card debt? How many of you have sub prime mortages that you aren't paying? Why ridicule someone who has debt in what libs call a "bad economy".
BTW his name is Samuel Joseph. This is about as ridiculous as it gets. I go by my middle name as do a lot of people. I'm surrounded by morons.
MSNBC reports:
Sarah McScary spent $150,000 of the Republican National Committees money on cloths in two months.
Joe the Plumbers house valued at $125,000.
I saw a piece on TV with Obama and his family. His kids were making fun of his cloths. His wife was just shaking her head as to his wardrobe. Whose the elitist?
Is this article relevant to life?
It does matter if Joe is a license plumber or a leaf collector. His background, finances, martial status is not important. He is a US citizen question a leader of this country. He is being scrutized like a common criminal.
The point behinds Joe's question seems to be "Can I obtain the American Dream"...EVIDENTLY THE ANSWER IS NO.
Obama's tax plan of raising taxes on earnings over 250k is for total earnings, even if you file jointly! So, does this mean that earning $125,000 (single) qualify's one for redistribution of wealth? As a business owner, one could see this as a need to redistribute the number of employees that work for you, because raising prices to overcome the additional tax will not work in our current market condition. If you have 10 employees, you will have to lay-off one or two. If you have 100 employees, you may have to lay-off 10 or 20. If you have 1000 employees, you may have to lay-off 100-200, and so on. Does your current employer have the capacity to overcome this tax? And where do you place yourself in your employers lay-off ladder?