Steve Simpson says $138,115 a year just ain't enough

According to Jerry Mitchell in today's Clarion-Ledger, Steve Simpson finally paid his taxes.  In doing so, he cleared the title to his home, which had been clouded by a priority tax lien which was sold at auction last year.  In a rather interesting attempt to justify his failure to pay, he said, "When you're a state employee, that's not in the budget."

I'm sure he thought that argument might take root with underpaid state employees and gain him some sympathy, but when you make $138,115 a year that's not likely to happen.  And let's not forget that Simpson got a $16,000 a year raise two years ago, too, in the middle of our state budget crisis.  Hmm, wonder where that money went?

The other interesting thing about this is that Simpson is the Republican nominee for Attorney General, a job which pays $30,000 less a year than Public Safety Commissioner, which is the job Simpson had.

Also of note are the two lawsuits Simpson faced in the early 90's when, on two separate occasions, his law practice refused to pay for books it ordered.  Simpson told Mitchell that he didn't remember the lawsuits.