Carla Axtman calls bullshit on that, saying if you crunch the numbers its appears that the business owner, Tara O'Keefe, simply wanted to sell to a bigger company and avoid the impression that she was turning her back on the local economy.
So let's look at the math: She has $2 million in gross revenues. For argument's sake, let's say that a generous 25% of that is pure profit that she takes home. That's $500,000. Assuming she files jointly, M66 only kicks in on her share of profits above $250,000. For the next two years, she'll be paying $4,500. In two years, that gets cut in half, to $2,250.So O'Keefe sold a $2 million dollar business over $4500? Not bloody likely.
The Bend Bulletin and the Sisters Nugget both picked up O'Keefe's story without question. Meanwhile, OPB is sending out a form letter to anyone who complains, suggesting that they go to the OPB website and read the story. Nice damage control.
It's in the BlueOregon comment line that things really heat up. Here's commenter Bill Ryan:
I wrote OPB and got the same form response. I responded by saying as a life-long Oregonian and supporter of public broadcasting I found her response "unacceptable."OPB has gone off the rails when they start repeating right wing talking points that are not supported by the facts. They seem to be going the way of NPR and their Fox-lite political reporting. It's time for a subscriber revolt!
What about you? Does Morning Edition grate on you like the Rush Limbaugh of yore? Did Carl Kasell secretly leave to work as a PR consultant for Halliburton? Is anyone safe from the vast conspiracy?
